History of RPC

The Consortium was designed so a company could join for one to two years and the RPC would teach them how to operate the machine so they could purchase their own. Later, it was realized that this would not work. There were more details to operating the machine than was imagined. Just learning how to run the machine was not good enough; details like orienting the parts, avoiding warping, and adjusting many other factors were needed to have the parts produced properly. The companies decided that instead of purchasing their own machine, they would continue to work with MSOE.

That was then, and this... is now. The MSOE Rapid Prototyping Consortium now has over forty members, including one in Canada. The staff has grown to over twenty and includes an active research department. Recently the RPC also has been working with tooling applications of Rapid Prototyping: making dies, molds and patterns. A few of these applications include silicon molding, investment casting, composites, medical applications, aeronautical applications, and a recent creation of a 3-D model for Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP). All of these creations use one of three machines located in the RPC, which is now across from the Johnson Controls Lab. Each machine receives instructions from a computer and can build a part, layer by layer over a period of several hours.

The second machine the RPC acquired is the third most widely used prototyping machine. The LOM (Laminated Object Manufacturing) uses special paper and a laser to create the part. A heater passes over the paper, melting a glue that fuses it to previous layers. Then the laser cuts out the part, surrounded by cubes, which are later removed. Finished parts looks almost like they were made from wood.

The RPC's third prototyping machine is the second most frequently used on the market. The FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) uses a plastic ribbon that is melted to make parts. FDM parts are very durable and they can produce parts of various colors.

The SLA produces parts using a liquid polymer and a laser. The laser cures (solidifies) a liquid resin turning it into a solid. It was the first Rapid Prototyping machine and is known for its speed and accuracy. The SLA gets a good workout, sometimes being run for twenty-four hours a day.

The RPC has recently purchased a fourth machine, the SLS (Selective Laser Sintering). The SLS uses a laser to turn powder into a solid) and is the fourth most widely used RP machine on the market.

So far the RPC has been successful and is experiencing steady growth. The process of creating a part may take several hours, but it is interesting to watch and the results are worth it. For a closer look at the RPC, check out their quarterly newsletter, the Rapid Prototyping Insight or take a tour. You will be truly amazed, as a majority of visitors to the lab are. It is hard to believe that the RPC all started ten years ago with a video and a lot of determination.