3D Printing for Automobile Components
This article will discuss two examples of 3D printing for custom automobile components. The automobile industry is the epitome of diversity in consumer products. There is such a wide variety of cars and models to choose from based on attributes like; performance, functionality, efficiency, and level of luxury. Most consumers develop strong connections to their car and brand, and they'll typically choose a car they feel is an expression of their identity. But as with most products, it is usually the vision of the designer that the customer selects, since the customer does not actively participate in the design process. In our first example, Daihatsu Motor Company based in Japan sought to bring customers into the design process by offering more customization. They partnered with Stratasys and an outside design firm to create Effect Skins - intricate, tactile patterns built with Stratasys 3D printers. These cosmetic components are placed on the front and rear bumpers of the Daihatsu Copen, an eye-catching two-door convertible. The Effect Skins frame the head and tail lights, giving a unique expression or "face" to the car. They are made with durable ASA, so that wall thickness could be minimized for design flexibility. Honda Access Co., a producer of [...]
3D Printer or Rapid Prototyping Solution?
In our first installment of this post, we explained why firms looking to stay ahead of their competition must focus, more than ever before, on compressing their product development cycles. Firms today are under greater pressure from two directions – both from the increasing demands of consumers for product variety and by the accompanying trend toward shorter product lifetimes. Compounding this challenge is that between 70% and 90%* of total project costs are determined during the early stages of the development process – in other words, during the design and prototyping stage. Filtering Professional RP Down to SMBs and Design Workgroups As a result, it’s vital that companies get their designs and prototypes right the first time – the earlier the better – before costs begin to spiral outwards and upwards into the more expensive stages of product development and deployment. To ensure product prototyping is faster, more effective and cost-efficient, larger enterprises are already well into mature adoption of in-house professional 3D printing capabilities, a trend that is over 20 years old. The challenge now is to provide the same professional levels of 3D printing and rapid prototyping capabilities to small- and medium-sized companies. They face the same or greater pressures as [...]
SOLIDWORKS 2017 Convert to Bodies
A new in SOLIDWORKS 2017 called Convert to Bodies will allow you to remove the feature history in a part, while retaining geometric references in the assembly. This new feature comes in handy if you have a simple assembly and you want it to one of your manufacturers, but don’t want to share the feature history of the part you designed. One option is to save out the part file as a neutral format file, such as a step or an IGES file. However, you would then have to take additional steps to swap out the file with feature history, with the recently created step file. Instead, you can avoid these additional steps by using the new functionality Convert to Bodies. To do this, open up the part file, right-click on the file name that appears at the top of the Feature Manager Design Tree, and click on Convert to Bodies. Change the name of the new file so that the original file is not overwritten. When you click OK all of the features on the tree are converted to one body, and the feature history tree is removed. If you want to hold on to your sketches and reference geometry, select the check [...]
3D Printer or Rapid Prototyping Solution? Spotting the Difference – Part 1
Before diving into your next 3D printing purchase for Rapid Prototyping (RP), let’s put your product development process in focus. The product development process, which transforms a concept into a market-ready product, plays a critical role in both the functional and economic success of your product and parent company. It is therefore crucial for firms to effectively measure the performance of their product development cycle – using factors including lead time (the calendar months/years that pass from concept development to the end of pilot production) and engineering effort (the person-months/years required to go from concept development to the end of pilot production). Then consider that over the last few years consumer demand for product variety and customization has only increased. On top of that, consider that product lifetimes are constantly falling. To stay competitive, not only do you need to develop more and more products, but you need to be prepared for the fact that they stay in the marketplace for shorter and shorter windows. Designer frames prototyped with color and patterns on the Stratasys J750 full-color, multi-material 3D Printer. This means your product development cycle must be smarter, more agile, more productive and more efficient. In addition, the decisions you [...]
Why Choose Cimquest as Your Mastercam Reseller?
Cimquest has been supplying and supporting Mastercam to the Mid-Atlantic and New England regions for over 25 years and we have been named “Mastercam’s #1 North American Reseller” for the 2nd year in a row! Our customers manufacture incredible products and compete globally every day. They manufacture products for medical, aerospace, military, music instruments and even one-off historical restorations. They have to stay one step ahead of the competition by reducing cycle times, increasing productivity and having a consultative supplier with many solutions allows them to be successful. Here are the top 7 ways we help our customers to be successful. Here are the top 7 ways we help our customers succeed: Custom CNC Post Processors - When our customers purchase another CNC machine or need to improve their current CNC program format our dedicated Post Department team make it happen. Quick Technical Assistance - When our customers run into a jam they rely on our experienced Application Engineers to provide quick assistance and offer custom programming assistance when they get backlogged. Our top level plan provides 1 hour guaranteed phone response time from 7:30 to 5:30, Monday through Friday. Mastercam Training - When our customers need to learn the basics or jump [...]
Introducing New Stratasys F123 Series Printers
The Stratasys F123 series of 3D printers offers a more capable, more affordable professional rapid prototyping solution for your entire office. No matter what your previous 3D printing experience, you can quickly master any of the three F123 models. The series has been designed by BMW Designworks, one of the world’s leading industrial design firms, and Stratasys to blend in with any office environment. The enhanced user experience includes a sleek touch screen interface, remote monitoring on portable devices, practically noiseless operation, and the integration of GrabCAD Print to eliminate any wasted time on file conversion and STL preparation. The new Stratasys F123 series has many things to offer: It is easy to operate and maintain for all levels of experience. It’s adept at every prototyping stage, from concept verification to design validation to functional performance. You can import the most commonly used CAD file formats directly into the software. A broad range of capabilities and budgets are supported for every stage of prototyping. Minimal setup means you can simply plug and play to give your entire office access to professional 3D printing. Auto-calibration ensures you spend less time troubleshooting and more time prototyping. Fast and easy material swaps to help maximize your design team’s [...]