Desktop Rapid Prototype

As far as I know there Are only a few companies doing Desktop Rapid Prototype

I saw one of them in action a few years ago At EasTec...
http://www.sanders-prototype.com/main.html
It does work like (and is about the same size as) an inkjet
printer... putting down 2 types of plastic (for the part itself and
for the undercut support... that latter can be dissolved away) after
each pass the main trick is they run a planer blade over the surface
Between each pass to create an exact thickness for each layer... they
were selling rebuilt Modelmaker I units for about $2000 last
winter... might be worth contacting them to see if they had any
left...


the other Desktop unit (other than the huge laminated Laser cut paper
units and smaller Laser Liquid units that I think would be way out of
sight for a HSM to try to build) that I saw on demo was this one (and
it cost twice as much as the Sanders unit and did not seem much
better (I think it could a larger model) but this was a few years
ago)
http://www.stratasys.com/genisys.html

There is also another 3D printer-like method out there, developed by
people From MIT (I *think*).
It uses essentially a bubble jet head to shoot binder into a polymer
powder (or some polymer-ceramic) mix. The binder creates a green form
in the powder bed which can then be baked and post-processed like any
normal powder part. but I can't recall the name or find a URL for
it...

and of course there are sintered metal units developed by Sandia
labs... but I think it will be cold day in hell before we see that
tech in a home shop!
http://mfgshop.sandia.gov/1400_ext/1400_ext_RapidPrototype.htm
Note that that this link does not mention the Sintered laser with
Metal dust method I could not find the link for that one... perhaps
it's now a commercial product? the link does have a nice overview of
the different mainstream types of rapid prototyping though

>From: Don Hughes <pencad@...>
>
>Now, if we wanted to let homebrewing projects really get sophisticated,
>building an STL machine would be it. That is one project that I would
>definitely be involved in. A couple of years back I did some CAD work
>for a film studio that used STL to make the props. It really wouldn't be
>too hard to do, but the expense would be in the laser to solidify the
>STL liquid medium.

Randolph Lee boss@...
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Windshadow Engineering Nantucket Island, MA USA
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