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| Customer: |
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| Loftgoods |
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| Industry: |
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Home Furnishings |
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| Project: |
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| Rockit Pro Chair |
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| Problem: |
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Loftgoods, a leading player in the home furnishings business, had an issue. They had a wonderful idea, a fantastic new concept and a very short time frame to get a new product to market. With a rapidly approaching deadline, they needed a solution, and a prototype, with little time to spare. The new Rockit Pro gaming chair that Loftgoods was designing integrated a comfortable, recliner-style chair with subwoofers and speakers that connect with the user’s gaming system. Evan Solida, lead designer for the Rockit Pro chair, saw the need for a speaker cover that was both functional and aesthetically pleasing. Solida knew he needed an SLA prototype for this project, and he knew where to get it. |
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| Process: |
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Evan Solida, lead designer for the revolutionary new Rockit Pro chair, had experience in getting prototypes quickly. Having used Quickparts before, Evan was already a believer. “I had used Quickparts through my previous jobs and was always impressed with how quickly I got my part and how “on target” the part always was.” |
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With a substantial deadline, Evan immediately turned to Quickparts. His Quickparts team, consisting of his dedicated Sales Manager and Project Manager, both collaborated to get the correct finish for the SLA prototype that Evan needed. |
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Evan sent his design to Quickparts and decided upon a Waterclear, or transparent, finish to ensure that the speaker covers would not detract from the overall appearance of the Rockit Pro chair. The speaker cover was shipped to Evan in less time than initially expected and he was extremely pleased with the result. |
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| Accomplishment: |
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The Rockit Pro chair is now scheduled to hit the market in fall 2006. With the quick production of the speaker covers, Loftgoods was able to complete the chair’s production faster – getting it out to the market much quicker than anticipated. |
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“This chair will create a whole new experience for the gamer,” said Solida. “We’re very happy that Quickparts was able to help us complete this project. We’ll definitely use them again.” |
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| Customer: |
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| Modelmaker.com / Concepta Design |
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Architectural Displays |
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| Problem: |
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There’s nothing like seeing a scaled-model of a development project to help sell the architectural vision. That belief drove Phil Whitelaw to create Modelmaker.com, a successful model making company, after years of serving as a local TV weatherman in Ft. Myers, FL. |
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With a number of current architectural model projects on his plate, Phil felt there must be a better (faster) way to put a scaled model in front of commercial and residential developers to help them bring their dream to life. |
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Conventional models, built primarily by hand, were taking a minimum of 6 months to complete. |
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| Process: |
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A talented model maker with a college degree in Fine Arts, Phil turned to Brian McLaughlin of Concepta Design, a 3D modeling company based in Portland, Maine, to turn his architectural designs into 3D CAD models. |
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Brian, a certified SolidWorks designer, replicated condo buildings down to the finest detail including the corrugated roofs. By converting Modelmaker’s AutoCAD drawings into 3D models, Concepta Design was able to utilize QuickQuote, Quickparts’ instant online quoting process to explore the costs and benefits of using the latest rapid prototyping technologies. |
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From the 3D models, Brian used Quickparts.com to price scaled models of the North Star Yacht Club in High-Resolution Stereolithography. Within a matter of minutes, Brian was able to provide Phil with a cost of producing key components of the North Star Yacht Club. |
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“Quickparts provided me with the ability to compare multiple rapid prototyping processes to find the right material and process for Modelmaker,” said Brian McLaughlin of Concepta Design, a longtime Quickparts customer. “With the range of design projects at Concepta, it’s comforting to know that I have a development partner that extends my belief in customer service. As a result, the design and development process are seamless.” |
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| Accomplishment: |
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Utilizing the high-resolution durable material from the Quickparts’ Stereolithography process, Concepta Design was able to provide Modelmaker with scaled models of the major residential units which Modelmaker could customize. |
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While real estate and marketing firms have recently adopted video presentations to convey the benefits of large developments, Phil Whitelaw continues to champion the benefits of scaled-models to help visualize properties. |
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“By incorporating rapid prototyping into the model making process, I have reduced the development time by 50%, with only a marginal increase in the development costs,” said Phil Whitelaw of Modelmaker.com. |
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For more information about Concepta Design, contact Brian McLaughlin at 207-233-9572.
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| Customer: |
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| Dometic Sanitation Corporation |
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Marine and Recreational Vehicle |
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| Nozzle for Newest Portable Toilet |
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| Overview: |
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Dometic Sanitation Corporation designs and manufactures onboard sanitation systems and related equipment that exceed boat builder and end user expectations while protecting the marine environment.
This company began developing specialized systems in 1960 when it was a division of residential bath fixture manufacturer Mansfield Sanitary, Inc. Dometic has worked closely with many boat manufacturers – engineering sanitation systems that meet a wide range of manufacturing and customer needs.
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Dometic as a whole is a custom-driven, world-leading provider of innovative leisure products for the caravan, motor home and marine markets. It offers a complete range of air conditioners, refrigerators, awnings, cookers, sanitation systems, lighting, windows, doors, and other equipment that makes leisure life more comfortable away from home.
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| Challenge: |
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Faced with a large production project and a looming time line, Dometic Sanitation Corporation realized preliminary work was lacking from the previous designs of a critical flushing nozzle on their newest portable toilet system.
The new design would have to pass numerous tests, proving that the new part would not interfere with production.
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“I had used Quickparts in the past and knew they would be the right company for what I needed,” said Mark Ezzo. “I knew that they would be able to meet my tight deadline and deliver quality parts in a short time.”
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| Solution: |
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Dometic worked closely with Quickparts engineers to finalize design iterations, settling upon the final prototype. By placing numerous SLA orders and receiving them in days, they were able to confirm the new design by performing fit and form testing. |
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“After the fit and form testing we were able to create functional and cosmetic Cast Urethane prototype parts which we can then test in a real environment,” said Mark. “The guess work was gone since the prototypes so closely mimicked the production material of the part.” |
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| Benefits: |
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By taking advantage of Quickparts’ QuickQuote technology, Dometic was able to obtain instant online quotes in minutes. Utilizing the Next-Day SLA option, Quickparts drastically reduced the lead time. |
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“I am really happy with the results that Quickparts produces time and time again,” said Mark. “They produce quality parts in a timely manner with rewarding customer service.” |
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| Customer: |
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| Generac Power Systems |
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Standby Power Generators |
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| Overview: |
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Generac is a manufacturer of standby and prime power generator sets for industrial, telecommunication, commercial, small business, mobile and residential applications.
Generac Power Systems is the undisputed leader in the residential market, selling more automatic home standby generators than all of their competitors combined. They revolutionized the commercial market, by creating the first product line geared specifically to the needs of small and mid-sized businesses.
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Generac is the company that recognized the demand for industrial power solutions that boasted redundancy, reliability, and flexibility. In response, Generac created numerous award winning products, relying on creativity and innovation to see us through.
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| Challenge: |
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Generac Power Systems was faced with a tough redesign of an internal engine component; the part was beginning to show interference in testing.
“I needed the prototype relatively quick after settling on a redesign of the component,” said Dave. Cochenet. “I didn’t have the time to rebuild the product and see if things were wrong; I needed a solution fast.”
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Facing a lead time of months for the actual production parts, Generac needed the redesigned prototype part quickly to assure them that the right decision had been made and the interference within the starter motor had been eliminated. Receiving the prototyped part in days allowed Generac to push forward with the production die-cast parts, feeling safe that the redesign would work.
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| Solution: |
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By using Quickparts, Generac was able to save lead time and receive their prototype in a few days rather then weeks. |
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“I saw the prototype on my desk no later than four days after quoting with Quickparts,” said Dave. “We were then able to use the prototype to test within the starter motor; reassuring us that our redesign would work.” |
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| Benefits: |
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Having been referred to Quickparts by a co-worker, Dave Cochenet and Generac felt no apprehension about such a critical timeline. By utilizing the instant quote technology, a fast quote and even faster parts could be produced. |
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“One major setback in this business would be waiting for a quote,” said Dave. “Using Quickparts gave me the ability to not only produce an instant quote online, but I was also able to receive parts quickly.” |
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