Rapid Prototype Blog

Archive for August, 2011

Fargo ID card printer solutions are considered to be an eminent source of professional publishing. They are an expert manufacturer of secure identification systems for schools, colleges, small businesses or large enterprises. As plastic cards printer has become an essential ingredient of work-oriented corporate environments, Fargo continuously works to evolve its product range of ID card printers.

The Fargo card printers & encoders are designed to provide convenience with their user-friendly interface. You can publish anything you want in terms of plastic cards like ID badges , guest cards , member cards , health cards etc.Fargo presents its customers to choose between two different card printing technologies. These are High Definition Printing (HDP) or Direct To Card printing (DTC). One can experience superb print quality with High Definition printing. It uses dye-sublimation technology to produce sharp & vibrant 300 dpi images on the cards. The technology makes it possible to create highly secure cards with increased durability.

Determined to provide ease of use, Fargo ID card printers can be used to print proximity cards, contact & contactless smart cards. An ID card carries your photo, bio-data, signature & all the important, useful information. So they need to be protected against replication. A Fargo card printer is capable of presenting various levels of security. It has got printer models which allow you to print cards with standard or custom holographic images. Watermarks can also be added. Durability is yet another factor that is to be considered while getting a card printing system. It is not economical to publish ID cards on and on again. However, due to daily usage your ID cards start to wear. That is why Fargo ID card printers provide lamination facilities so that your printed cards may last longer. There are also separate card lamination modules available so that you can easily upgrade your simple printing system to a device which will print & laminate your ID cards .The Fargo ID card printer models are built to extend their functionalities to go with your printing requirements.

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The Fargo card printer range is specialized to provide incomparable security features. Some of the vital security options are magnetic stripe encoding, bar coding, biometric options etc. Its great visual security solutions like Holographic foil cards; Holographic Overlaminates & Holographic HDP® Film makes it impossible to alter the card details. Various software tools have been laid down by skilled designers which permit you to personalize ID cards. There are even network tools specially designed for corporate sector so that they may access a common database while using different workstations within the organization. Whether you wish to publish one sided printed card or you want to accommodate more data by printing on both sides, Fargo has it what it takes to bring down the exact desired results.

The benefits of having an in-house Plastic ID card printer are diverse. It brings you great savings in terms of money, time & effort. If an employee or a student misplaces his card, you would be able to instantly produce an ID card for him.  These are not only used for identification but also for secure access control.

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The prototype or model as a discovery tool

Getting from the “invention residing in your brain”, to an actual functioning product is called “reducing the invention to practice”, and almost invariably leads to the discovery of a number of problems with details that are not clearly evident when only residing in your mind.

Producing a model will help you find the best way to manufacture the device you have invented. It can be useful for all sorts of things like figuring out where to put labels, what the shipping weight will be, how to best package it, what it might cost to manufacture it, and to get feedback from test users. It’s a valuable tool for you to use.

An invention prototype can help you raise money

People just don’t have much imagination.  You are an inventor, and so you do have an imagination. Before you can invent something you have to have the idea…and it takes imagination to come up with great new ideas. Other people, you will find, simply do not have the imagination or vision that you do. Help them out.

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With a good invention prototype or model, your audience will not need to have an imagination.  It makes the invention “real” for them, adding tremendously to your credibility.  Having a good invention prototype will help sell the product even if it is not even in production yet. 

Prototype your invention before you file for a patent

DON’T put off prototype building until after you file your patent application. You will probably discover flaws or new features, or discover possible manufacturing problems.  With rare exception prototyping is very worthwhile. There are almost always unexpected discoveries from construction of invention models and prototypes.

Prototype for invention for testing purposes

Testing is very important.  A prototype allows you to actually test your invention in a meaningful way. You can test it with people other than yourself if appropriate, and you will probably discover that other people will have constructive criticisms and suggestions that could be very valuable.

By searching online you can find model and prototype building companies who can build it for you if you do not have the skills yourself.

Sure there are times when a prototype is not practical, if it is too expensive for example, but if it is at all possible, I highly recommend an invention prototype or model be produced.

from the press release Activision confirmed today that PROTOTYPE 2, the sequel to Radical Entertainment’s original best-selling game of 2009 — PROTOTYPE — is currently in development for 2012. PROTOTYPE 2′s first official trailer was revealed as a world premiere during this past weekend’s Spike TV Video Game Awards 2010 show, where fans of the shape-shifting open-world action franchise got their first glimpse into Sgt. James Heller, and why he is going to destroy PROTOTYPE’s original anti-hero,Alex Mercer. For those that missed it, head over to www.facebook.com/prototype to check out the trailer and be sure to become a fan. Gamers should also be on the lookout for the exclusive, in-depth first look preview of PROTOTYPE 2 in EGM magazine’s April 2011 issue. “When PROTOTYPE surpassed 2MM units we knew gamers would want a sequel to find out what happens next with Alex Mercer,” said Ken Rosman, Studio Head, Radical Entertainment. “The team here at Radical is sincerely grateful to the fans and we are laser focused on delivering an even bigger and better experience with PROTOTYPE 2!” PROTOTYPE 2 is currently in development for Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system and the Games for Windows . The game is currently rated “RP” (Rating Pending) by the ESRB, with an expected “M” (Mature — Content that may be suitable for persons 17 and older).”
Video Rating: 4 / 5

Method of integrating wear plates into a spray formed rapid tool includes the steps of making a model of a desired tool and constructing a ceramic pattern as the inverse of the model. The method also includes the steps of locating at least one wear plate on the ceramic pattern and thermally spraying a metal material against the wear plate and ceramic pattern to form the desired tool and embedding the wear plate into the desired tool.

It is known to make a spray formed rapid tool. In spray forming, a master model of a desired tool is produced using a free form fabrication technique. This master model is then used to create a ceramic pattern which is the reverse of the desired tool to be produced. The resulting ceramic pattern is the receptor onto which metal is sprayed to form a deposit in the shape of the desired tool.

Typically, the spray forming process uses a wire-arc spraying. In wire-arc spraying, electric current is carried by two electrically conductive, consumable wires with an electric arc forming between the wire tips. A high-velocity gas jet blowing from behind the consumable wires strips away the molten metal which continuously forms as the wires are melted by the electric arc. The high-velocity gas jet breaks up or atomizes the molten metal into finer particles in order to create a fine distribution of molten metal droplets. The atomizing gas then accelerates the droplets away from the wire tips to the ceramic pattern where the molten metal droplets impact the ceramic pattern to incrementally form a deposit in the shape of the desired tool. The completed desired tool is then mounted and used to produce parts in conventional stamping, die casting, or molding processes.

Molds may be used for injection molding parts. The mold may include one or more slides for forming a particular feature of the molded part. Mold slides are common features in complex injection mold or die cast tools where undercuts are designed into the molded part. Mold slides are used to allow the molded part to be ejected from the mold without interfering or being trapped by the molding features which create the undercut in the molded parts.

Wear plates are typically provided in conventional molds to provide a hard, but machinable smooth bearing surface for the slides to run or ride on. The wear plate is positioned to guide the slide where it needs to go in the mold. Wear plates ease repairability of a mold and increase its life.

The spray formed rapid tool may be used in molds for injection molding parts. The spray formed rapid tool may be used with mold slides. Currently, wear plates for spray formed rapid tools are machined into the spray formed rapid tool after the spray process is completed. Although the wear plates machined into the spray formed rapid tool have worked well, they suffer from the disadvantage that the machining process is both laborious and time consuming. Another disadvantage is the thermal spray coatings are heavily oxidized and the wear plates can only be ground or electro discharge machined (EDM) into the spray formed rapid tool which is costly. Yet another disadvantage is that the high oxide content does not allow for weld repair or traditional machining processes on the wear plates of the spray formed rapid tool.

Accordingly, the present invention is a method of integrating wear plates into a spray formed rapid tool. The method includes the steps of making a model of a desired tool and constructing a ceramic pattern as the inverse of the model. The method also includes the steps of locating at least one wear plate on the ceramic pattern. The method further includes the steps of thermally spraying a metal material against the wear plate and ceramic pattern to form the desired tool and embedding the wear plate into the desired tool.

One advantage of the present invention is that a method is provided of integrating prefabricated cast or wrought wear plates into a spray formed rapid tool at the same time the spray material is being deposited. Another advantage of the present invention is that the integration of wear plates in a spray formed rapid tool shortens product development cycle time. Yet another advantage of the present invention is that the wear plate can be machined or modified after the spray formed deposit is completed.

Still another advantage of the present invention is that the wear plate can be conventionally machined to make it parallel to the surface of the slide. A further advantage of the present invention is that the wear plate can be conventionally machined instead of using the EDM process, thereby saving time and cost. Yet, a further advantage of the present invention is that the method eliminates secondary machining of the thermal spray material. Still a further advantage of the present invention is that the method reduces material loss. Another advantage of the present invention is that the method improves yield, quality and repeatability.

Once the spray formed rapid tool is formed, the ceramic pattern is removed by chipping, grit blasting, or using a water jet. The slide contact surface can be machined “true” to the rest of the spray formed rapid tool after the spray process is complete if the wear plate 16 was not in the exact location during the spray deposition.