This is the 5th in a series of FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions - that ProtoCAM hears from customers who call or email. Topic #5 - What technology should I use to create my part or prototype?
There are many choices, including stereolithography, laser sintering, urethane casting, RTV molding, Polyjet 3D printing, and more.

Some customers already know exactly what they want when they request a quote; typically these are experienced product designers and engineers. ProtoCAM is always ready to reply with a fast quote in these cases.

Many other customers contact ProtoCAM and ask for our advice on choosing the best way to make their part or prototype. In these cases, ProtoCAM excels at providing recommendations that best satisfy the requirements and specifications, while keeping the project cost-competitive.

The most important factor in selecting appropriate technology is the intended use of the part(s). ProtoCAM offers a wide variety of technologies to meet almost all rapid prototyping and additive manufacturing applications. The primary attribute requirements to consider include: dimensional precision, surface finish, durability, flexibility, opacity, coloring, etc. Some customers are driven more by speed or cost. ProtoCAM's breadth of production offerings, and depth of engineering expertise, can help customers define and accommodate nearly any combination of the above project requirements.

While each project and part must be evaluated individually, below are some general guidelines on selecting the best technology for a prototype or part:

• Stereolithography is typically the best choice when aesthetics, small details and dimensional tolerance are critical.
• Laser sintering (plastic, not metal) is typically the best choice when mechanical strength is important but aesthetics are not as important.
• 3D printing with Polyjet provides a good blend of small detail, mechanical strength, and aesthetics.
• Urethane casting / RTV molding are often selected for short run production when the production material is going to be a plastic injection molded resin. Clear parts/prototypes are possible with urethane casting and RTV molding.

(Note: dimensional tolerance will be the next topic in this FAQ series, so check back for more info on that.)

In all cases, ProtoCAM brings vast engineering expertise, years of experience and familiarity with many different industries and applications to every recommendation on the choice of technology.

As always, to find out the specific answer to your question about selecting the best rapid prototyping or additive manufacturing technology for your project, just contact us!
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Labels: additive manufacturing, color prototype, Cost of Rapid Prototyping, prototypes, rapid prototyping services, rp technology, SLA prototype

Charles Waugh of WOXOM approached ProtoCAM to help prototype his new innovation - the SlingShot - a smartphone accessory to improve video quality by making it easier to keep the camera steady. It uses a flexible cradle (video below), designed to fit almost any smartphone, which attaches to a handle (video below) with built-in ball swivel and super slick pop-out feet. The cradle attaches via a 1/4-20 threaded insert, allowing the cradle to mount not only to it's own handle, but any standard tripod.

Charles had already tried other rapid prototyping technologies but didn't get quite what he needed in terms of quality. ProtoCAM discussed his needs and determined that Accura 25 would be the most appropriate rapid prototyping material for this project. It provided tight tolerances, a high quality finish, and the ability to ship only a couple days after ordered. Now, after only a few days on Kickstart, the project is fully funded and heading to commercial production!

As with many of our customers, Charles was excited to see his creation come to life. He even made a video which shows not only the parts for his project, but also the care with which ProtoCAM packages parts for delivery.

3D Printed Parts Arrive from ProtoCAM from XOMOM / Charles Waugh.


We see many innovative designs, but this one in particular caught our eye for the elegance of feature implementation. Check the WOXOM website and Kickstarter project page for more details. We were so impressed, we ordered a few SlingShots to test and use in the office.

Congratulations to WOXOM for meeting their KickStarter funding goal, and to Charles for his great design work! ProtoCAM was happy to play a part in the rapid product development for the Slingshot.

If you have a great project to build, or success story you'd like to share, drop us a line. We love to hear about and share the amazing things our customers are doing.

The SlingShot by WOXOM from WOXOM / Charles Waugh.


SlingShot Cradle from XOMOM / Charles Waugh.


SlingShot Handle from XOMOM / Charles Waugh.

Labels: additive fabrication, additive manufacturing, rapid prototyping, SLA materials, SLA prototype

This is the 4th in a series of FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions - that ProtoCAM hears from customers who call or email. Topic #4 - Size of Part / Prototype. The first three in the FAQs series were focused on process-type questions: 3D CAD files, quoting and pricing. The next few FAQs will address technology questions.

Customers often ask about what part/prototype SIZE is possible. Size constraints vary among different additive manufacturing techniques. Since stereolithography (SLA) is the most popular among our customers, we’ll answer in terms of what can be done with SLA technology.

The largest stereolithography (SLA) part that ProtoCAM can produce in ONE piece must fit within a 20” x 20” envelope, but we can and have built much larger parts.  For these larger parts, we divide the CAD file into sections that can be made as individual pieces, then produce the part in sections. When all sections are completed, we assemble it using a variety of techniques. 

The assembly choice is typically driven by how the part or prototype is going to be used. If it’s simply a display model, we may use an adhesive to combine the parts. If more strength or durability is required, parts can be pinned, braced, or joined with threaded brass inserts - view this previous blog for more details on this topic.

Some of our molding projects, such as the one pictured above, are big enough to require chain hoists and forklifts to maneuver! The art piece to the right measured about 6 feet across (shown here packed for safe transport to gallery.)

The smallest part ProtoCAM can build is constrained only by the limits of our Viper si2 stereolithography machine’s high resolution mode. For example, we built the following part a few days ago measuring only .075” x .075” x .035”.

As always, to find out the specific answer to your question about your part, just contact us!

Labels: additive manufacturing, large parts, SLA prototype, urethane casting

“What does rapid prototyping cost?” is the third in a series of FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions. ProtoCAM frequently hears this question about pricing for prototypes / parts from customers. As in many cases, the answer is - “It depends”. What does it depend on?

The price that ProtoCAM quotes for a prototype mainly depends on:

• Physical size of the part, particularly the height of the part
  (shorter parts cost less)
• Volume - how much material is in the part
  (costs increases with volume)
• How many parts are being ordered
  (unit cost typically lower for batches)
• Special finishing, coloring, handling or post-production processing required
  (premium finishing services available)
• How fast the part is needed
  (expedited services available)

Labels: 3D Printing, additive manufacturing, consumer goods prototypes, Cost of Rapid Prototyping, quote, rapid prototyping services

This is the second in a series of FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions - that ProtoCAM hears from customers who call or email. Topic #2 concerns getting a quote for a prototype / part, including:

• How do I get a quote from ProtoCAM?
• How long will it take to get a quote
• Why doesn’t ProtoCAM use instant online quoting?

(Note - we hear people refer to the item they want quoted as both a part and a prototype; we’ll call it a part in this blog post.)

To provide you with an accurate price quotation for the parts you want us to make, we ask customers to complete the Request for Rapid Prototype Quote form on our website. This provides you with the opportunity to upload your 3D CAD file and provide additional information about the part’s specifications and how it will be used.  The more information you provide, the better we are able to address your request.

Our engineers work on quotes between 7:00 AM and 5:00 PM Eastern Standard Time Monday through Friday, and can generally provide a price quotation in two business hours or less. If it is sent after hours, we’ll work on it first thing in the morning and typically send out your quote by 10 AM. Quotes are normally delivered via email in a PDF file, but if you require something outside of this regular process, just let us know.

ProtoCAM does not use instant online quoting because we believe your request deserves the attention our dedicated engineers offer. We have years of experience providing rapid prototyping services and bring a depth and breadth of technical and practical knowledge that cannot be replicated in a computer-generated quote. Instant online quotes are fast, but may not necessarily be good.  We want to understand your part and how it is going to be used so that we can provide you with the best possible solution at the best price. In many cases, we can apply our expertise to find better and possibly less expensive ways to make your part.

Rapid prototype quotes FAQ summary:

• How do I get a quote from ProtoCAM? Answer: Use the Request for Rapid Prototype Quote form
• How long will it take to get a quote? Answer: Usually a couple of hours
• Why doesn’t ProtoCAM use instant online quoting? Answer: ProtoCAM can do it better with people providing your quote!

Labels: additive manufacturing, quotation, quote, Selective Laser Sintering, SLA prototype, stereolithography

ProtoCAM easily accepts any of the following file formats: 

• STL files - STL is a file format native to the stereolithography CAD software created by 3D Systems. File extension: *.stl
•   Native Pro/E files - from Pro/ENGINEER.  File extensions: *.prt, *.prt.*, *.xpr
• Native SolidWorks files - SolidWorks is a 3D mechanical CAD (computer-aided design) program from Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp. File extensions: *.sldprt, *.sldasm, *.slddrw
• Parasolid files - Parasolid is a geometric modeling software from Siemens PLM Software used in many CAD/CAM packages. File extensions: *.x_t, *.x_b
• STEP files - ISO 10303 is an ISO standard for the computer-interpretable representation and exchange of product manufacturing information. It is known informally as "STEP", which stands for "Standard for the Exchange of Product model data". File extensions: *.stp, *.step
•   IGES files - an Initial Graphics Exchange Specification is a file format which defines a vendor neutral data format that allows the digital exchange of information among CAD systems. File extensions: *.iges

Labels: additive manufacturing, CAD, product development, quotation, rapid prototyping services, RFQ, SLA prototype

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would still smell as sweet."
-William Shakespeare

A few days ago, a customer wrote us with a compliment stating-
"You guys put the PRO in ProtoCAM."

While hearing words of gratitude from our customers about our rapid prototyping services is always poetry to our ears, this time it also provided the impetus to reflect on what our name means to us as a company, and the message it may convey to others.

Let's take a brief glance at Dictionary.com to explore the etymology of the underlying components, shall we?

proto-
a combining form meaning “first,” “foremost,” “earliest form of,” used in the formation of compound words (protomartyr; protolithic; protoplasm), specialized in chemical terminology to denote the first of a series of compounds, or the one containing the minimum amount of an element.
Also, especially before a vowel, prot-.
Origin: < Greek, combining form representing prôtos first, superlative formed from pró; see pro-2

CAM
[kam] noun
computer-aided manufacturing.
Origin: 1965–70

Fun! So ProtoCAM literally translated means something like "The foremost in computer-aided manufacturing." Interesting how the origins of the components of our company name describe not only the product, but the process- futuristic technology like lasers and 3D computer modeling, finished with classic skills and craftsmanship to produce prototypes of tomorrow's products.

Initially we developed the company name simply to identify ourselves as creating Prototypes through Computer Aided Manufacturing. Though it certainly describes our field, we work hard to make sure the more literal interpretation applies as well. We differentiate ourselves by providing exceptionally high quality prototypes on very tight schedules. Our daily efforts to truly provide "Excellence in Rapid Prototyping" have helped earn us the distinction of being the Eastern United States' largest rapid prototyping bureau.

But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is a laser, and builds a 3D part in a vat of ultra-violet sensitive resin!

Next time you need a high quality prototype rapidly, remember the PROs at ProtoCAM! (as for prose, well, the library is probably a better bet!)

Labels: protocam, prototypes, rapid prototye art, rapid prototyping, rapid prototyping services, rp technology, stereolithography