Alternative for case production?

[Lafazar]

I stumbled upon this, perhaps it could be a cheap and fast alternative to produce cases if OP want to switch away from the chinese company? Just something to keep in the back of the mind.

There is a plastic injection molding shop called Protomold in Minnesota whose business model is based on this thinking.

You can upload a 3D solid model of your plastic part at their website, and if it's well-designed, they will quote it and take your order on-line; CNC machine a mold from aluminum; and deliver you a few molded plastic parts the next day, with 5,000 to follow if you like them. Not stereo-lithography prototypes, but actual ABS plastic production parts. Not $40,000 and 12 weeks to deliver hard steel tooling, but $2,000 and overnight to deliver injection molded parts from an aluminum tool. Radically revolutionary in that small world and a sign of things to come.

source: http://www.itulip.com/forums/showthread.php/17408-Car-built-with-3d-printer?p=179592#post179592


http://www.protomold.com/

 

[Nation.A.List]

I stumbled upon this, perhaps it could be a cheap and fast alternative to produce cases if OP want to switch away from the chinese company? Just something to keep in the back of the mind.


source: http://www.itulip.com/forums/showthread.php/17408-Car-built-with-3d-printer?p=179592#post179592


http://www.protomold.com/

Looks really interesting, well worth following up, IMHO.

 

[WizardStan]

It's $2000 for "a few" the next day, which ranges anywhere from kinda expensive to ridiculous depending on how many "a few" is, and then how much it costs for the next 5000.


The problem with aluminum moulds is that they wear out pretty quickly. Those 5000 would probably be all they could get before having to craft another mould, which would be another $2000 investment for "a few". With the steel moulds the Chinese factory has supposedly made, they should have no problem making a few hundred thousand before worrying about the mould wearing down.


And of course, there's also the question of how many "parts" constitutes one order. The Pandora is fairly complex, and may actually be 2, 3, or even 4 moulds, meaning up to $8000 for the initial construction and who knows how much for the following 5000.


So at a brief glance it might appear to be a good deal, $2000 for 5000 parts, but there's a lot of variables that need to be questioned. In short: maybe OPT can contact these guys and at least get a quote, but I wouldn't count too much on it actually saving them any money.


Of course, it's a moot point anyway, since the moulds are already done and (presumably) the remainder of the cases are en route to England via boat as we speak.

 

[Asiyura]

If they switch to another factory, they'll keep the actual moulds.


The moulds are OpenPandora's property.

 

[WizardStan]

Yes, which is why they've already discussed plans to find a new company to give those moulds to, and have shown consideration for investing in their own press, which further makes this company a questionable choice; their claim to fame seems to be in the ability to rapidly produce a cheap mould and a "small" run of parts, it's not obvious how that would translate to large runs with a more expensive mould.

 

[Lafazar]

Oh, I completely agree that it does not make any sense to switch to them at this point in time. But it would have been pretty handy when OP started out (i.e. to make more sturdy and perhaps even cheaper prototype cases from the very beginning), and it could still be pretty handy when things go completely pear-shaped (current cases lost in transit, company suddenly demands outrageous prices or refuses to send moulds to OP and other funny worst case scenarios).


Aluminium moulds are allegedly useable for making around 10'000 cases before they have to be scrapped, which would have covered the current case order just fine. And from the sound of things they are perfectly capable of servicing larger orders, too. I don't know if this means they can do steel moulds, too...


It may well be that they are still more expensive than the Chinese company (considering the number and complexity of the Pandora parts), but I don't think it would hurt to get a quote from them, just in case. It's good to have multiple sources so you can always threaten to take your business elsewhere (as we are currently seeing with the board manufacturer).

 

[-Tj-]

Oh man, thanks for showing this! I was planning on prototyping some Pandora add-on parts as soon as my case parts got delivered, but I had no idea how I could do low volume production runs of quality parts if people are interested. This just might be the way to do it, since I'm sure about 90% of Pandora owners won't want what I'm making.

 

[craigix]

The Pandora uses many moulds, probably 10+.


(the much more simple iCP for example uses 5).


So it would all add up.


And yes, aluminium moulds don't last long at all, 5000 is probably tops and maybe less - you might also see a lot of poor quality there too as they warp under pressure over time.

 

[DaveC]

I stumbled upon this, perhaps it could be a cheap and fast alternative to produce cases if OP want to switch away from the chinese company? Just something to keep in the back of the mind.


source: http://www.itulip.com/forums/showthread.php/17408-Car-built-with-3d-printer?p=179592#post179592


http://www.protomold.com/

Yeah but that price is probably for simple molds with a straight parting line and no undercuts and tooling inserts etc. The Pandora molds are pretty complex.


Still it would be good for a simple accessory of some kind maybe.

 

[Nation.A.List]

Lots of probablys :blink: asking for for info and quotes would get real answers.