Don  Lancaster's Guru's Lair Santa Claus Machine Library
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Santa Claus Machines are "printers" that print real objects
instead of messages. They are also sometimes known as
Rapid Prototyping Systems. Although still somewhat new,
outrageously expensive, and primitive, Santa Claus machines
are poised to totally revolutionize how all products are made
and distributed.

The term comes from such science fiction sources as Warren
Ellis Transmetropolitan where a magic machine could produce
anything from a new girlfriend to a roast beef sandwich. At present,
you can do the sandwiches. They are even low in calories and fat free.
But they often leave a distinct acrylic aftertaste. And you'll have to
watch the gain and polarity ~very~ carefully when replicating girlfriends.

Note that "rapid prototyping" also denotes a system of software
testing and is a totally unrelated field. One not referenced here.

Areas of current Santa Claus Machine interest include...

Stereolithography
Fused Deposition Modeling
Selective Laser Sintering
Layered Object Manufacturing
3-D Inkjet Printing
Conventional Table Top CAD/CAM

Along with these additional resources...

Link Farms
Tutorials
Prototyping Houses
Books and periodicals
Associations & Newsletters
Consulting Help

Some library files require an Adobe Acrobat 5.0  plug in for online
viewing.  Offline, these may be accessed by an Acrobat Reader or
an eBook Reader or any other .PDF accepting program.

We also have a related Flutterwumper library that focuses mostly on
home built CAD/CAM and similar devices that spit or chomp.
 

We can start off with these link farms and reprint archives...

Superb RP Link Farm from the University of Utah      Your "must do" starting point for everything involving Santa Claus      machines. Systems, modlers, resellers, consultants, academia, pubs,      biometicals, art, software, associations, and much more.

Click here for PostScript tutorials.
Click here for Live Auction bargains.

Rapid Prototyping Reader's Digest      Immediate access to several hundred key papers on rapid      prototyping. Intros, visualation, technology, medicine, tooling,,      art, suppliers, bunches more. From Castle Island.

Click to reach the Magic Sinewave library.
Click for a Magic Sinewave development proposal.

Rapid Prototyping Searchable Bibliography      Called "the Mother of all bibliographies of Rapid Prototyping      articles. Over 4700 searchible citations from 1984 to the present.      Doe not include actual articles. From Castle Island

Click to reach our Blatant Opportunist library.
Click to reach our PostScript library.

Useful Resources from the Rapid Prototyping Net      Consists of a live chat group, article reprints, news, case studies,      and an extensive and color coded set of manufacturer's links.      The current news section seems out of date.

Click to reach the Tech Musings library.
Click to reach our GuruGram library.  

RP Tutorials from Rutgers University      Nice summary tutorials and figures of available RP machines      combined with brief tutorials of FRM, LOM, SLS, and SLA.      Includes useful but older product comparison chart.

Click here for Surplus Bargain info.
Click to reach the Tech Musings library.

RP Resources from  Carnegie-Mellon University      A nice link farm and bibliography of both mainstream and unusual      rapid prototyping systems and products. Focusing on Rapid Design      and Manufacturing Resources on the Web.

Click here for PostScript tutorials.
Click here for Live Auction bargains.

Do-it-yourself RP from Fab at Home    Project dedicated to making and using fabbers - machines that can      make almost anything, right on your desktop by printing three      dimensional objects Designs are free and open source.

Click here for PostScript tutorials.
Click here for Live Auction bargains.

Do-it-yourself RP from Rep Rap      Instead of just printing on sheets of paper,a self-replicating 3D printer      makes real three dimentional objects. The projected pricing is around      $500 for homebrew versions. Worldwide support.

Click to reach the Math Stuff library.
Click here for our live eBay auctions.

UK Scholarly Pub: Rapid Prototyping Journal      British published scholarly journal. Free abstracts of nine      quarterly volumes since 1995. Published by Emerald. There      is a charge for actual full artical access.

Here's an older and somewhat dated tutorial of mine...

Hardware Hacker #77 HACK77.PDF      Thermodynamic Second Law violations. Soliton waves, references,      and resources. Superb CD ROM directory. Santa Claus machines      review and update. Some hacker opportunities

Click here for PIC Microprocessor Books info.
Click here for Circuit Cellar reprints.

And the key paper from our Flutterwumper Library...

PIC PostScript Flutterwumpers POSTFLUT.PDF      All of the raw power of genuine 100% authentic Adobe PostScript      can easily get applied to stunningly low cost PIC robotic systems.      Royalty free! Tutorial gives examples and insider details.

Click here for PIC Microprocessor Books info.
Click here for PostScript Books info.
Click here for more Circuit Cellar reprints.

Stereo Lithography Santa Claus machines are among the oldest
and earliest. They use an ultraviolet laser to selectively harden
a liquid photopolymer or a UV curable epoxy.

In a typical system, the laser draws a hardening pattern on the
surface of a suitable liquid. Fresh liquid is added and the process
continues until the entire part is complete. Parts are then further
hardened and post-processed.
 

Stereolithography Machines from  3D Systems      Both the originator and leading supplier of sterelithography      rapid prototyping machinery, materials, services, and parts. Also      manufacturers SLS and similar technologies.

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Click here for Instant Consulting solutions.

SLA Equipment Supplier Aaroflex      A competing manufacturer to 3D systems. Their high end      systems include the AAROFLEX Solid Imager, a machine      which creates three-dimensional physical models .

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Stereolithography Materials Supplier DSM Somos      BritA full line of ProtoFuntional rapid prototyping products      quthat replicate production materials. A number of different      resins are offered, both clear and opaque. .

Click to reach the Resource Bin library.
Click for our Bitmaps & Fonts library.

Another SLA Materials Supplier Renshape      Souce of Renshape Stereolithography materials. Includes      over fifty products optimized for productivity, accuracy,      temperature, colorability, and plastics emulations.

Click to reach the Magic Sinewave library.
Click for a Magic Sinewave development proposal.

Stereolithography Apps at Spectra Group      Covers medical, defense, industrial, defense, and aerospace      markets with stereolithography, laser sintering, molding,      casting, CNC machining and poly jet.

Click here for Acrobat tutorials.
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Hardware Hacker #66  HACK66.PDF  (July 1993 )      A flying car newsletter. Photopolymer resources. Amateur      television books. Royalty free real PostScript. The Basic Stamp      from Parallax. Thoughts on a printed circuit drill. Two contests

Click to reach our Hardware Hacker library.
Click to reach our Patent Avoidance library.

SLS Santa Claus machines start with a powder and use a laser to
melt just enough of the powder particle surfaces to fuse them into
a solid mass. Other variations start with a metal powder having
fusible coatings on them. Plastic, wax, and metal parts are possible,
as is high durability.

Selective Laser Sintering at Quick Parts      Ideal for durable and fundational parts. Capable of producing      snap fits and living hinges. Material choices include several      nylon variations and flexible polymers.

Click to reach the Flutterwumper library page.
Click here for Instant Consulting solutions

Selective Laser Sintering Machines from  3D Systems      Both the originator and leading supplier of sterelithography      rapid prototyping machinery, materials, services, and parts. Also      manufacturers SLS machines and similar technologies.

Click to reach the Resource Bin library.
Click here for our Auction Help library.

Selective Laser Sintering Machines from  ProtoCAM      Service bureau strong on SLS prototyping services. Materials      include plastics, filled plastics, elastomers, metal tooling,and even      casting patterns. .

Click to reach our Hardware Hacker library.
Click to reach our Patent Avoidance library.

SLS Tutorial from Castle Island      One of many useful tutorials and manufacturer's lists on      irapid prototyping subhects. Many of the SLS asuppliers      are international rather than US based . .

Click to reach the Math Stuff library.
Click here for our live eBay auctions

FDM Santa Claus machines are also known as the "glue gun"
method. A filament of thermoplastic is laid down in a programmable
manner from a carefully controlled heated orfice. Parts are often
rugged but of limited precision. Hollow items are easily done with
this "coiled rope" technology.

A homebrew variation on these could simply use a glue gun on
an X-Y drive stepper rate control fed with polyetheleyne rod.
Ideal products would be large sign lettering that could make use
of Flutterwumper techniques. Especially font availability.

 

Leading FDM Machine Supplier Stratasys      An early developer of FDM technology for concept models      functional prototypes, end use parts and manufacturing tooling.      Parts tough enough for actual use testing.

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Click to reach the Flutterwumper library page.
Click here for Instant Consulting solutions.

Click to reach our Hardware Hacker library.
Click to reach our Patent Avoidance library.

LOM Santa Claus machines are made up of layers of paper.
A piece of paper is glued to the previous stack and then the
part outline is cut with a laser.You end up with a wooden-like
part inside a wooden block. When you remove the block,
the part is released.

Several early LOM companies ( notably Helisys ) have folded
and this particular RP technology may not have much of a future.

LOM systems from Cubic Technologies      Offers the Solidimension SD300 printer based on the.      older Helisys technology. Well suited for building up      prototypes, models, and molds.

Click to reach the Guru's Lair library.
Click for the Worst of Marcia Swampfelder.

However, huge models based on foam blocks may still be viable...

LOM systems from TU Delft      Use of precut large foam blocks offers some interesting new      alterntives to very large models .Blocks are much thicker than      other RP systems. Final object size can be arbitrarily huge.

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Inkjet Santa Claus machines are coming on strong as a
newer and potentially low cost alternative. Typically, one
inkjet will spray a thermoplastic while a second sprays wax.

A flat milling process follows each layer till buildup is complete.
An alternate method lays down powder and then uses an inkjet
delivered binder to bond the parts. This offers full colors. A
third method is called PolyJet in which the inkjet prints a
photopolymer which is immediately UV cured. This process
seems to offer exceptional accuracy and precision.

The process can be used to make lost wax castings, fancier
molds, or for limited use proof-of-concept models.

Water soluble portions can be included allowing support
during the building process.

Rapid Prototyping Systems from  SolidScape      Manufacturers of the T66 and Modelmaker inkjet based      machines and companion PatternMaster software. The      T66 is under $50K and truly desktop.

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Full Color RP Systems from Z Corp      Uses the inkjet-hardens-powder method in their Z310,      Z406, and Z810 systems. Materials are typically starch or      plaster based. A related Z-Cast system makes metal parts.

Click to reach the Math Stuff library.
Click here for our live eBay auctions.

Full Color RP Systems from PolyJet      A wide variety of inkjet RP systems from ObJet. Includes their      Connectex, Eden, and Alaris families Also offers a trade in        program for older RP systems.

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These are simply smaller (and often fully automated) versions of
traditional machine tools. Tiny enough to literally fit a desktop.

They differ from other RP methods in that they remove, rather
than build up material. They are often much faster.

For info on homebrew solutions, see our Flutterwumper Library.

Web information center from  Desktop CNC      Survey site and link farm covers smaller milling machines,      lathes, routers and others. Special areas for newsgroup      postings, educational market systems, bunches more.

Click to reach our Hardware Hacker library.
Click to reach our Patent Avoidance library

Small Milling Machines from Minitech CNCC      Offers the Mini-Mill/Pro smaller CNC system that is claimed      to be one of the most accurate desktop machines in the world.      Also has even more precise scientific versions.

Click here to visit the GuruGram library
Click here for our live eBay auctions.    

Prototyping houses are essentially service bureaus who have
bought Santa Claus machines from primary suppliers and use
them to create models and preproduction mockups for you.

Master RP Service Bureau Directory by Castle Island      Extensive world-wide directory of Rapid Prototyping service bureaus      and development services arranged by state and country. Also splits      out which Santa Claus technologies are in use.

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There are apparently many thousands of rapid protoyping houses.
Here is a random selection of some higher profile resources...

Your own action figures from ToyBuilders      These folks have all five major Santa Claus technology      systems in house and specialize in such items as game      pieces, toys, awards, and incentives.

Click here for the Adobe Acrobat library.
Click here to visit the GuruGram library.

Prototyping House: Quick Parts      Low-volume custom-manufactured plastic and metal parts, built      to your specs. Available RP technologies include SLA, SLS, FDM,      plus conventional cast urethane and quick turn injection molding

Click to reach the Tech Musings library.
Click here for Induction Heating book access.

Prototyping House: Laser Repro      Useful source for concept designs, rapid prototyping, urethane      reproductions, and final manuracturing. Primarily stereolithography.      Also as newsletter and free online videos available

Click to reach the Guru's Lair library.
Click for the Worst of Marcia Swampfelder.

Prototyping House: DTP Fast      Design prototyping technologies outfit provides instant quotes      for Sterelithography (SLA), Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), 3D      Printing, Urethane Casting and Rapid Investment Casting

Click here for water soluble swimsuit info.
Click here to view our eBay live auctions.

Books:

Note that "Rapid Prototyping" also denotes a software
methodology largely unrelated to Santa Claus machines.
Those titles are not included here.

Direct Write Technologies for Rapid Prototyping ( Douglas B. Chrisey ) Electroactive Polymers for Rapid Prototyping   ( Yoseph Bar-Cohen) Fab (Neil Gershenfield) Handbook of Rapid Prototyping & Layered Manufacturing  ( L.Leu ) Laser-Induced Materials & Processes for Rapid Prototyping ( J. Fuh ) Rapid Manufacturing : The Technologies and Applications...  ( S. Dimov, ) Rapid Prototyping ( Andreas Gebhardt ) Rapid Prototyping & Flexible Manufacturing ( Rolf-Juergen Ahlers ) Rapid Prototyping Directory 1995 ( Cad/Cam Pubs ) Rapid Prototyping : Fundamentals of Stereolithography ( Paul Jacobs ) Rapid Prototyping of materials ( Dawn Herlocher ) Rapid Prototyping: Principles & Applications ( Chua Kai ) Rapid Prototyping Systems ( SME Association ) Rapid Prototyping Solutions ( Steve Upcraft ) Rapid Prototyping Technology ( Kenneth G. Cooper ) Solid Freeform Manufacturing: Advan.. ( D. Cochan ) Stereolithography & Other RP&M Technologies ( Paul Jacobs )

Design Resource: International Journal of CAD/CAM      Publication of research results in CAD/CAM with emphasis      on the technology applications. Both industrial and academic

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Extensive RP Coverage by Castle Island      Worldwide Guide to Rapid Prototyping. Includes bibliography,      patents, links, service bureaurs, directories, much more...

Supply sources via our Auction Help page.

Trade Journal: Machine Design      The best general trade journal for mechanical design and product      development. Occasionally covers RP and CAD/CAM topics,

Click to reach the Resource Bin library.

Trade Journal: Design News      Another general trade journal for mechanical design and product      development. Occasionally covers RP and CAD/CAM topics.

Click for Custom Research solutions..

RP group in the Society of Manfacturing Engineers      Focuses on the technologies and processes that help conceive,      develop, test, revise, and manufacture new products.

Click for Custom Research solutions..

Complete Archive from Rapid Prototyping Mailing List      Archive sponsored by Castle Island. Actual mailing list is maintained      by Helsinki University of Technology.

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Online RP Live Chat Group via Rapid Prototyping Net      Network also offers color coded manufacturing links and much      more. See their listing in the SLA section.

Click to reach our Blatant Opportunist library.

Stereolithography users group from 3D Systems      Active user's group specifically targets stereolithography issues.      See their listing in the SLA section.

Selective Laser Sintering users group from 3D Systems      Lots of great robotics theory and practice, along with bunches      of RP info. See their listing in the SLS section..

Click to reach the Math Stuff library.

Usenet newsgroups seem a little lean when it comes to rapid prototyping.
Here are a few possibilities...

alt.machines alt.machines.cnc alt.machines.misc sci.polymers

    Other Guru's Lair library pages of interest include Tech
    Musings, Hardware Hacker, Blatant Opportunist, Don's
    Resource Bin, Math Stuff, PostScript, GuruGrams, Ask
    the Guru, and Flutterwumper resources.

Ask Don a Santa Claus RP Question.  Explore an Energy Efficient Solutionn.  Find Instant Research Answers.

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