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ProtoCAM: Additive Manufacturing, 3D Printing and Rapid Prototyping.

Additive Manufacturing and Urethane Casting for Consumer Goods

July 25, 2016
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  • Testimonials

    • "ProtoCAM has been most helpful in responding to our needs. Their knowledge of stereolithography and CAD, and their application of these technologies has helped us reshape our ideas to reality in the shortest possible time frame." — Kenneth Raines, B. Braun Medical
    • “ProtoCAM's best attribute is their attention to detail and customer service. Their willingness and desire to keep in touch with me is impressive, and physical walkthroughs ensure quality standards are being met.” — Todd Frick, Versatek
    • "Our first experience with ProtoCAM last month was excellent. Quoting was prompt, engineering emailed and we spoke on the phone about a potential issue with the geometry of the parts so there were no surprises, the service was fast and delivery quick, the printed parts were of excellent quality, and all of the staff I dealt with were courteous and professional. You guys knocked it out of the park!" — Chris Davenport, RPC
    • "As an emerging 3D modeling student at DeSales University, it was an incredibly valuable opportunity to learn more about the new innovations in 3D printing technology and how ProtoCAM couples its technical expertise with artistic value such as custom finishing to deliver a final product that exceeds the client's expectations." — Austin Kaplan, Desales University
    • “ProtoCAM's turnaround times are exceptional, and their prices compared to others are always better. There's a lot more value added in working with ProtoCAM.” — Matthew Bellenoit, B. Braun Medical
    • "The Carbon [Digital Light Synthesis] 3D printing process was the perfect half step between late-stage functional prototyping and production. Aesthetics were crucial, and unless told otherwise, no one was able to identify the product was 3D-printed. [The process] accelerated business development and helped reduce risk as we approached tooling." — Michael DiCanzio, independent

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Additive Manufacturing and Urethane Casting for Consumer Goods

Additive manufacturing plays a crucial role in bringing new consumer goods to market. Whether you have an invention, an updated design, or a new twist on an old idea, additive manufacturing can help you make a better product.

A case study of how ProtoCAM helped create the Clearly Clean™ paint roller shows how consumer goods benefit from additive manufacturing. Inventor and product designer Mill Wallace partnered with ProtoCAM to turn his initial sketch into a show-ready prototype.

Case Study: Clearly Clean paint roller

Clearly Clean is the Swiss Army knife of paint rollers. It has a spindle for the roller brush, a transparent splatter protector, an attached snap-on scraper for saving paint, and a water hose connection for quick and easy clean-up.

Mill came to ProtoCAM with only his idea and a set of sketches. ProtoCAM’s design team helped Mill translate his sketches into a set of digital 3D models. These models captured all of his innovations, while applying ProtoCAM’s manufacturing expertise to make the product easy to mass produce.

Next, two prototypes were 3D-printed using stereolithography (SLA). This created a lifelike sample product to confirm the design’s size and feel. Once Mill approved the SLA prototype, ProtoCAM created urethane castings in close-to-final colors and textures using RTV molding. These incredibly realistic parts brought the project one step closer to customers.

The castings showed how the final product’s five pieces would fit together. When Mill gave the molded pieces his seal of approval, the project was sent on to injection molding for mass production.

Results: The Key Benefits of Working with ProtoCAM

After the project Mill was incredibly happy with the results, and especially with the customer service aspects of the project.

“I appreciate the engineering assistance that turned my sketches into 3D-printable designs, and I was particularly impressed with the fast deliveries to meet deadlines,” Mill said, adding he felt secure knowing his designs and intellectual property would be kept absolutely confidential.

Contact ProtoCAM to Manufacture Your Consumer Goods Prototypes

Do you have a project in mind? Contact us to discuss your consumer products, or request a quote here.

Want to learn more about Additive Manufacturing? Download our FREE Additive Manufacturing 101 guide.