Report compares 3D printers for rapid prototyping
A
TA Grimm and Associates product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team
Nov 3, 2003
A new rapid prototyping benchmark study examines 3D printers, reporting the performance of seven rapid prototyping systems in the areas of time, cost and quality.
A new rapid prototyping benchmark study examines 3D printers, reporting the performance of seven rapid prototyping systems in the areas of time, cost and quality.
3D printers are affordable and easy to use rapid prototyping systems for personal, office or departmental use.
The benchmark study finds that five of the seven systems qualify as 3D printers, as illustrated by the new rapid prototyping index.
A ranking methodology that incorporates 13 performance measures, the index rates the systems in four applications areas: concept models, form and fit prototypes, functional prototypes and patterns.
Todd Grimm, president of TA Grimm and Associates and a veteran of the rapid prototyping industry, conducted the five month project to assist companies in their evaluation and selection of 3D printers.
Using independent organisations for all prototype construction and quality measurement, the benchmark offers an unbiased comparison of the seven rapid prototyping systems.
"I produced this benchmark study specifically for design engineers who are trying to select the rapid prototyping system right for them", said Grimm.
"Beyond vendor supplied data, there has been little information to help companies discover the true performance capabilities of rapid prototyping devices.
Without real-world, user-supplied data, this can lead to poor decisions when selecting a system".
The 55-page benchmark, which contains 34 charts, five tables and 36 images, reports results for three prototypes that vary in size, volume and complexity.
The benchmark study discovered that there is a large variance in prototype costs, ranging from $60.53 to $267.85.
The expense measures include system and accessories costs, annual costs, labour and materials.
The report is available for purchase from the TA Grimm website.
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