Taking Rapid Prototyping of Precision Components To the Next Level with ‘Production Proof’ Models
The more you can think through all the details of part design and the production process on the front end, the fewer problems and limitations you will have downstream and the more options you can explore. ‘Production Proof’ prototyping gives you those choices.
Steven Fielding

The Next Iteration of Prototyping is Digital
New design and engineering systems slash costs and improve time-to-market.
Scott Hale

RTAM Roundtable: What are the Biggest Obstacles Facing RP/RM?
The best way to advance is to look your obstacles right in the face.

While great advancements have been made in the rapid manufacturing and rapid prototyping industry, we at TCT wondered what obstacles exist that are hindering progress. In order to answer this question, we consulted with SME’s Rapid Technologies & Additive Manufacturing Community’s (RTAM) advisors—practiced experts in the field. RTAM’s focus is on the technologies and processes that help conceive, test, improve and manufacture new products to bring them to market faster and most cost effectively. Here is what a few of them had to say.

AST Combines Ingenuity with Geomagic to Digitally Capture Long-Lost Design Intent
When HUB Corp. needed to reverse engineer a railroad tamper casting based on 40-year-old drawings, they turned to Advanced Simulation Technology for help.
Bob Cramblitt

20 Hours of Design Time Reduced to 20 Minutes at Dial Tool Industries, Inc.
Misumi USA has fundamentally changed the paradigm at Dial Tool Industries, Inc. with great results.
Dwayne Roark

Creaform’s REVscan™ Provides DITAG with New Data Acquisition Possibilities
With Creaform’s new scanner, Torino Polytechnic’s DITAG department was able to capture details like never before. Its portability, accuracy, ease of use and very competitive pricing made this tool very well adapted to DITAG’s heritage preservation organizations’ needs.
Jean-François Marchand

Cross-Sectional Scanning Slashes Inspection Time and Labor
Cross-Sectional Scanning technology was able to help a quality expert save time and money.
Craig Crump

TCT Focus: Dr. Steffi Friedrichs
Nanotechnology is exciting emerging science that basically means manufacturing at the atomic level. It’s literally building one atom at a time. The industry is quickly growing and can already be found in a number of places such as certain medical procedures and even in some skin care products. This issue’s Focus is Dr. Steffi Friedrichs. As the Director of the Nanotechnology Industries Association (NIA), Dr. Friedrichs has a vast knowledge on this new technology. While behind the scenes, Dr. Friedrichs plays an important role in developing guidelines and regulations for the ethical practice of this dynamic technology. Read on to learn more about this fascinating new technology. Nanotechnology is here, so be prepared!

Viewpoint: History of Additive Fabrication (Part 1)
This two-part series provides a timeline that shows how additive fabrication technologies have developed from 1987 to 2007. The first part covers 1987 through 2002. The following was excerpted from Wohlers Report 2007.
Terry Wohlers

20 Years of Rapid Prototyping
Twenty years ago this past December marked an important anniversary for the world of RP: the first rapid prototyping system was released. Things have come a long way since then as the technology continues to grow and adapt. This article will take a look back at where technology has come and where it’s going.
Tom Mueller