"Eli's aka maven brain is like a computer....he has this constant picture of a desk top floating around in his head...all the files/projects are in their little folders some open some minimized in case he gets that one phone call....at times they are all open at once....no...he doesn't crash...he very carefully closes the ones that are important and begins to calculate the urgent....then all of the sudden something new comes in as a pop up....for a minute he scrambles to find the words...he takes a breath...screen saver...breath...then the information starts coming out....knowledge beyond belief...it becomes one of the moments when you are just amazed by what the computer/I mean brain /I mean amazing what he knows and can do....he never seems to be overloaded he just reboots and in seconds he is magically on once again...."
By Robin
Monday, August 6, 2007
Ten Trade Show Exhibit Best Practices
Is now a good time to spend on a trade show exhibit? Regardless of the economic conditions or competitive landscape, there are many tactics your small business can use to ensure a winning trade show. Your 10 best trade show exhibit tactics:
Ten Trade Show Exhibit Best Practices
Pick an offbeat show. Sometimes an unrelated show to your target market can be the best exposure opportunity. Choose unrelated shows, and stand out, making sure the demographics are correct.
Avoid trade show company hype. Companies running the show may over-hype their event. Talk to the businesses who have attended several trade shows.
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Tradeshow Displays
Looking for Tradeshow Displays? Browse tradeshow display listings.
www.tradeshow-display.info
$565 Pop-Up Display
Great Price on a USA Made Pop-Up Free Shipping & Lifetime Warranty
www.displaysandexhibits.com
Buy Trade Show Displays
Any Budget, Any Size, Any Style. Fast turnaround, affordable design.
store.tradeshowdirect.com
Use this information to guide your trade show exhibit attendance decision.
Never exhibit at a new trade show. New trade shows are untested venues. Small businesses have limited time and money to experiment on unknowns. Save your cash for the regular, proven shows in your industry.
Focus on quality. Invest in shows that reach the key decision-makers of your target market.
Create a buzz. Months prior to the trade show, spend time informing existing clients and your market of the upcoming show. Use the show as a platform for a new product or service launch.
Be an attendee-not an exhibitor. If the budget is tight this year, don't spend on trade show exhibits. Capitalize on the trade show by being a speaker or a panel expert. This will add credibility to your business and attract potential leads.
Partner with the trade show`s management team. Good trade show organizers will want your business to have success and come back next year. Contact the management team for help with developing an appealing booth, staff scheduling, and marketing campaigning prior to the show kick-off.
Train your trade show team. Trade shows are unlike other sales environments. Limited time and attention of attendees requires quick qualifying, and lead generating tactics. Make sure your staff is prepared and has a clear goal for each day.
Call them while they're hot. Sales staff frequently make the mistake of contacting trade show leads, months after the show. Make sure your sales staff have extra time and incentive to follow-up with all leads within weeks of your trade show exhibit.
Make your business newsworthy. Use drama and flair to have your small business stand above the competition.
Trade shows still continue to be big business for all businesses. According to The Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR), business-to-business spending for trade shows is third to advertising and promotion. In a world of websites, emails, and voice mails, trade shows offer one of the true opportunities to build relationships with face to face contact. Something every business can use a little more of.
Ten Trade Show Exhibit Best Practices
Pick an offbeat show. Sometimes an unrelated show to your target market can be the best exposure opportunity. Choose unrelated shows, and stand out, making sure the demographics are correct.
Avoid trade show company hype. Companies running the show may over-hype their event. Talk to the businesses who have attended several trade shows.
Sponsored Links
Tradeshow Displays
Looking for Tradeshow Displays? Browse tradeshow display listings.
www.tradeshow-display.info
$565 Pop-Up Display
Great Price on a USA Made Pop-Up Free Shipping & Lifetime Warranty
www.displaysandexhibits.com
Buy Trade Show Displays
Any Budget, Any Size, Any Style. Fast turnaround, affordable design.
store.tradeshowdirect.com
Use this information to guide your trade show exhibit attendance decision.
Never exhibit at a new trade show. New trade shows are untested venues. Small businesses have limited time and money to experiment on unknowns. Save your cash for the regular, proven shows in your industry.
Focus on quality. Invest in shows that reach the key decision-makers of your target market.
Create a buzz. Months prior to the trade show, spend time informing existing clients and your market of the upcoming show. Use the show as a platform for a new product or service launch.
Be an attendee-not an exhibitor. If the budget is tight this year, don't spend on trade show exhibits. Capitalize on the trade show by being a speaker or a panel expert. This will add credibility to your business and attract potential leads.
Partner with the trade show`s management team. Good trade show organizers will want your business to have success and come back next year. Contact the management team for help with developing an appealing booth, staff scheduling, and marketing campaigning prior to the show kick-off.
Train your trade show team. Trade shows are unlike other sales environments. Limited time and attention of attendees requires quick qualifying, and lead generating tactics. Make sure your staff is prepared and has a clear goal for each day.
Call them while they're hot. Sales staff frequently make the mistake of contacting trade show leads, months after the show. Make sure your sales staff have extra time and incentive to follow-up with all leads within weeks of your trade show exhibit.
Make your business newsworthy. Use drama and flair to have your small business stand above the competition.
Trade shows still continue to be big business for all businesses. According to The Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR), business-to-business spending for trade shows is third to advertising and promotion. In a world of websites, emails, and voice mails, trade shows offer one of the true opportunities to build relationships with face to face contact. Something every business can use a little more of.
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Defining NDT
Also known as Non Destructive Evaluation (NDE), NDT refers to the method of examining materials and components in order to identify and quantify defects and degradations in their material properties before they result in failure. The aim of NDT is to ensure the safe utilization of engineering structures, as well as to ensure product quality and performance upon production. To put it simply, NDT encompasses techniques to evaluate defects in objects without having to physically break them up to test them. This is achieved through a number of non-invasive measurement techniques that draw their origin from areas as diverse as medicine, geophysical prospecting, sonar and radar.
NDT inspection techniques are essential tools toward ensuring quality assurance in a host of applications. These techniques are required right from product or material development stage, through manufacture and inspection at final application level. Applications for NDT range from inspection of aircrafts, automobiles, railway, foundry applications, to defense, nuclear power plants, oil pipelines and rigs. NDT is also essential in inspection of welds and detection of cracks, flaws and defects at surface and subsurface levels. Inspection of such flaws and defects is paramount as avoidance or inadequate NDT inspection could potentially end in catastrophic consequences. These could range from wastage of material, time and other resources to even endangering safety of human lives and the environment.
The use of NDT is thus taking on greater significance in today's market scenario due to the following reasons:
• Increasing concern on impact of products and services on the safety of human lives and the environment;
• Stringent regulatory edicts and standards governing quality of materials, products and services;
• Competitive market conditions forcing end-user organizations to identify means to optimize costs; and,
Growing focus on quality in emerging Asia Pacific and East European markets to cater to needs of domestic and international demand.
Over the years, the emphasis of NDT has moved from being a qualitative method aimed only for defect identification, towards a more quantitative tool. Most of the leading NDT techniques typically are labor intensive in nature and thus depend considerably upon the skill levels of technicians performing inspection. The move toward quantitative NDT has meant increasing statistical trending for identifying residual life of assets as well as reduction in defects on the production line. This growing importance toward the quantitative analysis has necessitated the effective capture, storage, analysis and reporting of NDT test results, thus impacting the evolution of the various NDT product types. Before understanding more about the product and technology trends in this market, let us understand the various NDT techniques that have governed the development of these equipment.
NDT Techniques
There are a number of NDT techniques that have been developed over the years. As mentioned earlier, most of these techniques trace their origin to non-invasive measurement methodologies. As is the case in other industries, each of these techniques is constantly evolving to match the needs of the developing end-user markets. Each technique has its set of benefits, as well as limitations, and the most suitable technique to be used depends upon the physical property of the material to be tested. Chart 1.1 provides a view of the leading NDT techniques used in the NDT market.
Ultrasonic Inspection
The Ultrasonic inspection process involves transmission of sound waves of short wavelength at high frequencies in order to identify flaws and/or measure the thickness of materials. An ultrasonic instrument works with the principle of sending a pulsed beam of high-ultrasound from a handheld transducer, which is placed upon the surface of the object being tested (also known as specimen). The sound waves (or echo) from the pulse that returns to the transducer is displayed upon the screen of the Ultrasonic equipment, presenting the amplitude of the pulse and the duration taken for return to the transducer. By measuring this sound that bounces back through the thickness of the specimen, a trained operator can identify defects as well as calculate the flaw-size, distance and reflectivity.
Surface Inspection
As the name suggests, surface inspection refers to the method of inspecting the surface or near-surface of materials or the object, using inspection techniques towards identifying flaws, cracks and other defects. Surface inspection can be basically classified as:
• Liquid penetrant Inspection (LPI) - Also known as dye penetrant inspection, this method aids in revealing surface breaking flaws by bleeding out of a colored or fluorescent dye from the flaw. LPI works on the principal of capillary action, and involves stages such as cleaning the surface to be inspected, application of penetrant, clearing out excess penetrant and application of developer to display defects through regular white light, or ultraviolet black light for fluorescent penetrants.
• Magnetic particle inspection (MPI) - This is used in inspection of ferromagnetic materials such as steel and iron. This is based on the principle that magnetic lines of force (flux) would get distorted by the presence of a flaw and thus reveal its presence. MPI involves application of fine iron particles to the area under examination, and measuring the variations once a magnetic field is applied.
Eddy Current Testing
Eddy current test is an electromagnetic technique primarily performed on conductive materials. It can be used for identifying cracks, as well as rapidly sorting small components for flaws, size and/or material variations. This technique works with the principal of bringing an energized coil near the surface of a metal component to generate eddy currents into the specimen. The currents develop magnetic field that typically opposes that of the original magnetic field, and the presence of flaws or variations affects the impedance in the coil. Measuring this change and displaying it aids in identifying the nature of the flaw or material condition.
Visual Inspection
At its most basic level Visual inspection can be performed by the naked eye of the operator. Visual inspection refers to the examination of surfaces using direct viewing or low magnification techniques. A number of products such as light sources and video display units such as borescopes and videoscopes are used toward inspecting an object or surface visually. These equipment are further affixed to a processing unit where the images can be processed using a software and interpreted accordingly. The visual inspection process is particularly of use in inspection of surfaces with complex geometries by using flexible borescopes or videoscopes.
Radiography
Radiography involves the process where radioactive rays are directed at the object to be inspected, to pass through it and the resulting image is captured on a film. This film is in-turn processed and image displayed as a sequence of grey shades between black and white. Radiography encompasses sources such as X-rays, Gamma rays as well as newer methods such as real time radiography, computed radiography (CR) and computed tomography (CT). Considering the radioactive nature of this technique, special protective care has to be taken by the technician taking the radiography measurements to avoid exposure and the resultant harmful side effects.
NDT inspection techniques are essential tools toward ensuring quality assurance in a host of applications. These techniques are required right from product or material development stage, through manufacture and inspection at final application level. Applications for NDT range from inspection of aircrafts, automobiles, railway, foundry applications, to defense, nuclear power plants, oil pipelines and rigs. NDT is also essential in inspection of welds and detection of cracks, flaws and defects at surface and subsurface levels. Inspection of such flaws and defects is paramount as avoidance or inadequate NDT inspection could potentially end in catastrophic consequences. These could range from wastage of material, time and other resources to even endangering safety of human lives and the environment.
The use of NDT is thus taking on greater significance in today's market scenario due to the following reasons:
• Increasing concern on impact of products and services on the safety of human lives and the environment;
• Stringent regulatory edicts and standards governing quality of materials, products and services;
• Competitive market conditions forcing end-user organizations to identify means to optimize costs; and,
Growing focus on quality in emerging Asia Pacific and East European markets to cater to needs of domestic and international demand.
Over the years, the emphasis of NDT has moved from being a qualitative method aimed only for defect identification, towards a more quantitative tool. Most of the leading NDT techniques typically are labor intensive in nature and thus depend considerably upon the skill levels of technicians performing inspection. The move toward quantitative NDT has meant increasing statistical trending for identifying residual life of assets as well as reduction in defects on the production line. This growing importance toward the quantitative analysis has necessitated the effective capture, storage, analysis and reporting of NDT test results, thus impacting the evolution of the various NDT product types. Before understanding more about the product and technology trends in this market, let us understand the various NDT techniques that have governed the development of these equipment.
NDT Techniques
There are a number of NDT techniques that have been developed over the years. As mentioned earlier, most of these techniques trace their origin to non-invasive measurement methodologies. As is the case in other industries, each of these techniques is constantly evolving to match the needs of the developing end-user markets. Each technique has its set of benefits, as well as limitations, and the most suitable technique to be used depends upon the physical property of the material to be tested. Chart 1.1 provides a view of the leading NDT techniques used in the NDT market.
Ultrasonic Inspection
The Ultrasonic inspection process involves transmission of sound waves of short wavelength at high frequencies in order to identify flaws and/or measure the thickness of materials. An ultrasonic instrument works with the principle of sending a pulsed beam of high-ultrasound from a handheld transducer, which is placed upon the surface of the object being tested (also known as specimen). The sound waves (or echo) from the pulse that returns to the transducer is displayed upon the screen of the Ultrasonic equipment, presenting the amplitude of the pulse and the duration taken for return to the transducer. By measuring this sound that bounces back through the thickness of the specimen, a trained operator can identify defects as well as calculate the flaw-size, distance and reflectivity.
Surface Inspection
As the name suggests, surface inspection refers to the method of inspecting the surface or near-surface of materials or the object, using inspection techniques towards identifying flaws, cracks and other defects. Surface inspection can be basically classified as:
• Liquid penetrant Inspection (LPI) - Also known as dye penetrant inspection, this method aids in revealing surface breaking flaws by bleeding out of a colored or fluorescent dye from the flaw. LPI works on the principal of capillary action, and involves stages such as cleaning the surface to be inspected, application of penetrant, clearing out excess penetrant and application of developer to display defects through regular white light, or ultraviolet black light for fluorescent penetrants.
• Magnetic particle inspection (MPI) - This is used in inspection of ferromagnetic materials such as steel and iron. This is based on the principle that magnetic lines of force (flux) would get distorted by the presence of a flaw and thus reveal its presence. MPI involves application of fine iron particles to the area under examination, and measuring the variations once a magnetic field is applied.
Eddy Current Testing
Eddy current test is an electromagnetic technique primarily performed on conductive materials. It can be used for identifying cracks, as well as rapidly sorting small components for flaws, size and/or material variations. This technique works with the principal of bringing an energized coil near the surface of a metal component to generate eddy currents into the specimen. The currents develop magnetic field that typically opposes that of the original magnetic field, and the presence of flaws or variations affects the impedance in the coil. Measuring this change and displaying it aids in identifying the nature of the flaw or material condition.
Visual Inspection
At its most basic level Visual inspection can be performed by the naked eye of the operator. Visual inspection refers to the examination of surfaces using direct viewing or low magnification techniques. A number of products such as light sources and video display units such as borescopes and videoscopes are used toward inspecting an object or surface visually. These equipment are further affixed to a processing unit where the images can be processed using a software and interpreted accordingly. The visual inspection process is particularly of use in inspection of surfaces with complex geometries by using flexible borescopes or videoscopes.
Radiography
Radiography involves the process where radioactive rays are directed at the object to be inspected, to pass through it and the resulting image is captured on a film. This film is in-turn processed and image displayed as a sequence of grey shades between black and white. Radiography encompasses sources such as X-rays, Gamma rays as well as newer methods such as real time radiography, computed radiography (CR) and computed tomography (CT). Considering the radioactive nature of this technique, special protective care has to be taken by the technician taking the radiography measurements to avoid exposure and the resultant harmful side effects.
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Voxels, volume rendering and volume graphics
Volume rendering, or more generally spoken volume graphics, is a sub-specialty of 3D computer graphics which is concerned with the discrete representation and visualization of objects represented as sampled data in three or more dimensions. A volume/voxel data set is a three-dimensional array of voxels. The term voxel is used to characterize a volume element; it is a generalization of the notion of pixel that stands for a picture element.
Medical CT/NMR scanners are a typical and widely known source of voxel data.
Volume graphics or volume rendering has inherent advantages for applications needing visualization of irregular objects, or where the interior structure is important, or where high level of details and realism is essential - e.g., representations of the human body. Volume graphics is also the choice for CGI manufacturers needing true physics based models of real world phenomena.
While todays widely used 3D computer graphics uses polygonal meshes to represent an object by its surface, only volume graphics uses voxels - 3D or volumetric pixels - as basic element to represent not only the surface but also the entire inner of an object.
Volume graphics visualization today is superior to polygon based 3D graphics in means of image quality and performance when highly complex objects with finest details have to be visualized.
A volume data set is built up from voxels on a regular 3D grid.
Medical CT/NMR scanners are a typical and widely known source of voxel data.
Volume graphics or volume rendering has inherent advantages for applications needing visualization of irregular objects, or where the interior structure is important, or where high level of details and realism is essential - e.g., representations of the human body. Volume graphics is also the choice for CGI manufacturers needing true physics based models of real world phenomena.
While todays widely used 3D computer graphics uses polygonal meshes to represent an object by its surface, only volume graphics uses voxels - 3D or volumetric pixels - as basic element to represent not only the surface but also the entire inner of an object.
Volume graphics visualization today is superior to polygon based 3D graphics in means of image quality and performance when highly complex objects with finest details have to be visualized.
A volume data set is built up from voxels on a regular 3D grid.
Friday, August 3, 2007
Envisiontec Vanquish FC
EnvisionTEC is an established name in the rapid prototyping market. Since the launch of their initial product offering, the Perfactory, envisionTEC has seen a great deal of success and rapid adoption amongst the traditional stamping ground of rapid prototyping . Not only for design, engineering and manufacturing, envisionTEC has an infiltration into the jewelry , bio-medical modeling and dental sectors. Based on the Digital Light Processing (DLP) technology from Texas Instruments, the Perfactory differs from traditional photo-curable resin-based processes in that it's based on consumer-led technology typically used in movie theaters projectors or High definition televisions.
Essentially, where traditional SLA systems use expensive lasers to cure resin layer by layer, the Perfactory uses a series of projected bitmaps (photo images) to cure resin where needed. This is done repeatively until the movie of images is finished. This gives EnvisionTEC several advantages. The build speed achieved is particularly impressive, but perhaps more important advantage is the on-going and running costs of the machine. They are much lower than in a typical laser-based system (simply because there's no laser). Also, through the manipulation of light, envisionTEC maximizes the potential of the system by adjusting how the light is handled using lens.
As a result, the initial offering saw two variants of the same core machine, the Perfactory Standard and the Mini. The Perfactory Standard machine offers the user the ability to choose between different zoom levels and focal areas. This meant that the same machine could either build larger volume parts at slightly lower resolution (though we're still talking in the order of 0.93mm) or opt to build and focus on a slightly smaller area but achieve much higher resolutions (typically 0.32mm).
Another big advantage is that because the system is based on technology from the consumer realm, the organization could piggy back on the advances made by Texas instruments without incurring the research and development costs typically associated with such advanced technology. Essentially, as TI improves DLP, EnvisionTEC can then take those enhancements and apply them to their products (relatively easily). And this is exactly what's happened of late.
So let's take a look at what Envisiontec Vanquish FC can do. The Vanquish FC a large step up from the appliance-like nature of the Perfactory. The current unit is similar in terms of colour scheme (a rather fetching grey and orange combination) but looks much more similar to traditional SLA machines in terms of both size and portability (or lack thereof). Standing on a footprint of around a meter square and rising to about head height (depending on your stature obviously) the machine currently looks far more industrial than its predecessor. But what's really important is what it does and how it does it, so let's takes a look inside the box.
The Vanquish FC (the FC stands for Flash Cure by the way) is based on the same core technology and builds process found in the other Envisiontec products, but with one key difference. The Perfactory projects the photo image from below the build platform through a shallow vat of resin - which means the models are built upside down. Conversely, due to the size of models (and their associated weight) it can produce the Vanquish FC builds in a more traditional method. The photo image is projected from above, through a membrane onto a build platform which lowers into a much deeper vat of resin. It's this membrane that's key to the whole process. As the sections are built up, the model moves down into the vat to a predefined layer thickness. The transparent flexible membrane creates the same capillary action as you'd find in the Perfactory to add the next of 0.1mm layer of uncured resin across the surface of the model. Rollers then moves horizontal across the top of the membrane to ensure that the layer thickness is consistent across the whole part and that any bubbles are removed, and the membrane ensures that this does not come into contact with the resin
In both the standard and high-resolution modes, the build envelope varies in X and Y between 317.5mm x 254mm and 203mm x 162.5mm for maximum and minimum zoom respectively. The Z build height remains constant at 381mm. The real difference is the feature resolution and accuracy achievable. In Standard Resolution mode, maximum zoom gives you feature resolution (the smallest buildable feature) of between 0.246mm and 0.157mm depending on the zoom factor with accuracy between ±0.123mm and ±0.157mm. The High Resolution mode allows you to build down smallest feature resolutions between 0.144mm and 0.093mm with an accuracy varying between ±0.072mm and ±0.046mm. The other difference between the two modes is that build speed drops slightly from the maximum of 25mm per hour for the Standard Resolution mode to 19mm per hour when you're building in High Resolution mode.
Post processing of parts is minimal. The models come off the machine in a near fully cured state, and only really need post curing if you're looking to optimize mechanical strength (which might be advisable if you're looking for functional snap fits and the like). Other than that, models can be finished, painting, sanded, tapped etc as required without adverse effects on the part's structure.
Cost
The capital cost for the Vanquish FC is $170,000.00. In terms of on-going costs, a maintenance contract is available from EnvisionTEC which provides full coverage during a yearly period for approx. $15,900.00 per year. Consumables in the system are quite clear-cut. The projector unit is pretty much 'bullet proof' (again, a benefit of the consumer technology), but the projector bulb does need replacing every 1,000-1,500 hours (which equates to around 2-3 months of extensive use) and these costs $1,500.00 for a 2 pack to replace.
As you might imagine, resin is also a consumable and this is priced exactly the same as the Perfactory system, with each resin pack (which provides 1 Kilogram of material) costing around the $225.00. There are currently three material offerings across the entire EnvisionTEC range. The standard methacrylate is the dark orange material you often see associated with the machine. The other is a newer resin that's been requested by many of the customers in the jeweler market and dental market, which is directly castable or pressable. This should also see adoption by those within the design and engineering community for pattern making and investment purposes. A flesh colored material is also available for the biomedical device market. Other consumables are negligible, but the membrane that separates the build layer from the resin is replaceable and has a working life of around 1,000 hours (obviously depending on usage) and they cost $1200.00 to replace. Other than that, the system is free from the other types of maintenance costs traditionally associated with resin-based systems.
In conclusion
When we first looked at the Perfactory machine, it was pretty clear that the real advantage to the user came from the fact that it was based on consumer technology. This means that advances made in the mainstream electronics market by Texas Instruments could be readily and rapidly applied to the prototyping and direct manufacturing users of the EnvisionTEC machines. Both the commercialization of Vanquish FC machine and the delivery of the ERM module mean new customers and existing adopters are seeing this potential realized. For those looking to bring prototyping or direct manufacturing (as some customers are already doing with the Perfactory machines) technology in-house, there is now a range of EnvisionTEC products that give you a choice between opting for a small form factor machine or much larger build envelope for the heavier user. Whichever you plump for, the good news is that running costs are a great deal lower than many traditional, laser-based systems, but still retain the accuracy and build speed you need to ensure that the most is made of your investment.
In short, the Vanquish FC sees the Perfactory process reapplied to a much larger form factor and for those looking to maximize their productivity it is a much more appealing solution to an increasingly common problem. Ongoing costs associated with rapid prototyping technologies are a massive concern for many with their own facilities in house, but the good news is that EnvisionTEC has developed a machine that combines the large build volumes and increased productivity required by many within the industry with the low-maintenance and low running costs associated with their earlier products.
Essentially, where traditional SLA systems use expensive lasers to cure resin layer by layer, the Perfactory uses a series of projected bitmaps (photo images) to cure resin where needed. This is done repeatively until the movie of images is finished. This gives EnvisionTEC several advantages. The build speed achieved is particularly impressive, but perhaps more important advantage is the on-going and running costs of the machine. They are much lower than in a typical laser-based system (simply because there's no laser). Also, through the manipulation of light, envisionTEC maximizes the potential of the system by adjusting how the light is handled using lens.
As a result, the initial offering saw two variants of the same core machine, the Perfactory Standard and the Mini. The Perfactory Standard machine offers the user the ability to choose between different zoom levels and focal areas. This meant that the same machine could either build larger volume parts at slightly lower resolution (though we're still talking in the order of 0.93mm) or opt to build and focus on a slightly smaller area but achieve much higher resolutions (typically 0.32mm).
Another big advantage is that because the system is based on technology from the consumer realm, the organization could piggy back on the advances made by Texas instruments without incurring the research and development costs typically associated with such advanced technology. Essentially, as TI improves DLP, EnvisionTEC can then take those enhancements and apply them to their products (relatively easily). And this is exactly what's happened of late.
So let's take a look at what Envisiontec Vanquish FC can do. The Vanquish FC a large step up from the appliance-like nature of the Perfactory. The current unit is similar in terms of colour scheme (a rather fetching grey and orange combination) but looks much more similar to traditional SLA machines in terms of both size and portability (or lack thereof). Standing on a footprint of around a meter square and rising to about head height (depending on your stature obviously) the machine currently looks far more industrial than its predecessor. But what's really important is what it does and how it does it, so let's takes a look inside the box.
The Vanquish FC (the FC stands for Flash Cure by the way) is based on the same core technology and builds process found in the other Envisiontec products, but with one key difference. The Perfactory projects the photo image from below the build platform through a shallow vat of resin - which means the models are built upside down. Conversely, due to the size of models (and their associated weight) it can produce the Vanquish FC builds in a more traditional method. The photo image is projected from above, through a membrane onto a build platform which lowers into a much deeper vat of resin. It's this membrane that's key to the whole process. As the sections are built up, the model moves down into the vat to a predefined layer thickness. The transparent flexible membrane creates the same capillary action as you'd find in the Perfactory to add the next of 0.1mm layer of uncured resin across the surface of the model. Rollers then moves horizontal across the top of the membrane to ensure that the layer thickness is consistent across the whole part and that any bubbles are removed, and the membrane ensures that this does not come into contact with the resin
In both the standard and high-resolution modes, the build envelope varies in X and Y between 317.5mm x 254mm and 203mm x 162.5mm for maximum and minimum zoom respectively. The Z build height remains constant at 381mm. The real difference is the feature resolution and accuracy achievable. In Standard Resolution mode, maximum zoom gives you feature resolution (the smallest buildable feature) of between 0.246mm and 0.157mm depending on the zoom factor with accuracy between ±0.123mm and ±0.157mm. The High Resolution mode allows you to build down smallest feature resolutions between 0.144mm and 0.093mm with an accuracy varying between ±0.072mm and ±0.046mm. The other difference between the two modes is that build speed drops slightly from the maximum of 25mm per hour for the Standard Resolution mode to 19mm per hour when you're building in High Resolution mode.
Post processing of parts is minimal. The models come off the machine in a near fully cured state, and only really need post curing if you're looking to optimize mechanical strength (which might be advisable if you're looking for functional snap fits and the like). Other than that, models can be finished, painting, sanded, tapped etc as required without adverse effects on the part's structure.
Cost
The capital cost for the Vanquish FC is $170,000.00. In terms of on-going costs, a maintenance contract is available from EnvisionTEC which provides full coverage during a yearly period for approx. $15,900.00 per year. Consumables in the system are quite clear-cut. The projector unit is pretty much 'bullet proof' (again, a benefit of the consumer technology), but the projector bulb does need replacing every 1,000-1,500 hours (which equates to around 2-3 months of extensive use) and these costs $1,500.00 for a 2 pack to replace.
As you might imagine, resin is also a consumable and this is priced exactly the same as the Perfactory system, with each resin pack (which provides 1 Kilogram of material) costing around the $225.00. There are currently three material offerings across the entire EnvisionTEC range. The standard methacrylate is the dark orange material you often see associated with the machine. The other is a newer resin that's been requested by many of the customers in the jeweler market and dental market, which is directly castable or pressable. This should also see adoption by those within the design and engineering community for pattern making and investment purposes. A flesh colored material is also available for the biomedical device market. Other consumables are negligible, but the membrane that separates the build layer from the resin is replaceable and has a working life of around 1,000 hours (obviously depending on usage) and they cost $1200.00 to replace. Other than that, the system is free from the other types of maintenance costs traditionally associated with resin-based systems.
In conclusion
When we first looked at the Perfactory machine, it was pretty clear that the real advantage to the user came from the fact that it was based on consumer technology. This means that advances made in the mainstream electronics market by Texas Instruments could be readily and rapidly applied to the prototyping and direct manufacturing users of the EnvisionTEC machines. Both the commercialization of Vanquish FC machine and the delivery of the ERM module mean new customers and existing adopters are seeing this potential realized. For those looking to bring prototyping or direct manufacturing (as some customers are already doing with the Perfactory machines) technology in-house, there is now a range of EnvisionTEC products that give you a choice between opting for a small form factor machine or much larger build envelope for the heavier user. Whichever you plump for, the good news is that running costs are a great deal lower than many traditional, laser-based systems, but still retain the accuracy and build speed you need to ensure that the most is made of your investment.
In short, the Vanquish FC sees the Perfactory process reapplied to a much larger form factor and for those looking to maximize their productivity it is a much more appealing solution to an increasingly common problem. Ongoing costs associated with rapid prototyping technologies are a massive concern for many with their own facilities in house, but the good news is that EnvisionTEC has developed a machine that combines the large build volumes and increased productivity required by many within the industry with the low-maintenance and low running costs associated with their earlier products.
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