@A.Peeples: I agree with you completely. I think that the ability to consolidate sales and marketing arms and potentially leverage some internal R&D expenditures can help the combined companies--this one, Stratasys and Objet--and the other big merged player--3D Systems and ZCorp--really push the technology to the next level and get the price down on more consumer-friendly offerings. I think we are just at the tip of the iceberg of what's possible.
I for one think that it is fantastic that companies in this arena are merging. As you mentioned, this is a relatively new technology. Often, new technologies will spawn many small companies - all paying high overhead and incurring major expenses to bring their product to market. In our own company, we have been researching 3D printers but can't justify the high prices. Through university programs, I have gained extensive knowledge of the Objet line of printers and can attest that they create some of the finest quality "prints" - the resolution is incredible and the medium options are extensive. Many companies however, often can't justify the high expense of these systems - often in the 6 figure range (plus medium and maintenance). By merging companies and maturing the technology, prices are sure to come down and make this equipment much more commonplace in engineering, research, and design.
You stated in your article that the two companies will remain much as they were before. Still, I look forward to seeing any new products that they produce during the next few years. With what seems to be exponential growth in the quality and quantity of printers on the market, it is a very exciting time for this field.
@Naperlou: Definitely signs of a maturing industry and one that needs some distribution/marketing/development muscle to blow past early niche adopters and go more mainstream.
The 3D printer you likely saw that looks like a pinball machine is the Makerbot Replicator. It definitely has an old-school carnival look to it.
Ann, this is a sign of a maturing industry. I am sure there are technology improvements ahead, but that will take larger scale. The devices are also getting larger and more capable. I saw one at a shop I thought was a toy. The case was wood, like an old pinball or pachinko machine. It works fine, but looks tentative, shall we say.
People also underestimate the cost and importance of marketing and distribution.
New versions of BASF's Ecovio line are both compostable and designed for either injection molding or thermoforming. These combinations are becoming more common for the single-use bioplastics used in food service and food packaging applications, but are still not widely available.
Andrew Morris designed a circuit that could detect a stroke victim's groan and convert the sound into a signal so caregivers would know when help was needed.
New disc magnet motors fit into the design trend of stepping up to closed loop performance while maintaining the cost advantage of stepper motor technology.
At the Design News webinar on June 27, learn all about aluminum extrusion: designing the right shape so it costs the least, is simplest to manufacture, and best fits the application's structural requirements.
From Dell / Intel® New Paradigms in Design Work Scott Hamilton, vertical market strategist for Dell Precision workstations, 5/2/2013 5
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I've been using workstations for more than 10 years and love finding ways to get more performance from my system. With demanding professional applications that require more power each ...
A lasting memory from my first job as an engineer in an auto assembly plant is standing on hard concrete at six in the morning, vending-machine coffee clutched in hand, listening to ...
For industrial control applications, or even a simple assembly line, that machine can go almost 24/7 without a break. But what happens when the task is a little more complex? That’s where the “smart” machine would come in. The smart machine is one that has some simple (or complex in some cases) processing capability to be able to adapt to changing conditions. Such machines are suited for a host of applications, including automotive, aerospace, defense, medical, computers and electronics, telecommunications, consumer goods, and so on. This radio show will show what’s possible with smart machines, and what tradeoffs need to be made to implement such a solution.
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