This is the machine of the future

Not because of what it is but how it was made! Recently we custom designed and constructed two semi automatic machines destined for production lines in China,  yes that’s right we are exporting machines to China from NZ! The machines we recently built have virtually no machined components (excluding those that are “off the shelf” […]

What have we been printing lately?

We have enjoyed a great variety of work lately, with some very interesting projects.  Understandably we can’t share many of the things we are working on, however below are just a few examples: Scale model of an oil processing unit. Designed in New Zealand by ITL engineering (http://www.itnz.co.nz/) This model was made using MJP (Multi-jet printing) […]

3d printed Jigs for industry

A few years back when I was in the mass manufacturing business designing parts and production lines.  Jigs and fixtures were always needed but often expensive and time consuming to make.  As a consequence they were not used as often as they should have been.  Current 3D printing in engineering materials would have certainly made […]

Mass Manufacturing to Mass Customization: a boon for small- to mid-sized manufacturers

Posted 10/24/2013 How many hours have employees and owners of small companies spent looking for standard components they can adapt to their products? Small companies are often more focused, more passionate and more inclined to customize their product according to customer feed-back, but are often restricted by a lack of capital and other resources. They have […]

Is additive manufacturing a good name for 3D printing?

For my business, I don’t think so. When I tell people I have an additive manufacturing company they don’t know what I’m talking about. To the layman, additive manufacturing could be the creation or development of ingredients for petrol or jam! So, personally, it’s really not that great in this context. So where did the […]

3D printing brings new life to mechanical engineering

Ever sent the apprentice out to buy a corner drill or a long weight? Well be careful, these days they may just say, “OK, I can print holes around corners and a long weight should print up in a few hours while I do something else.”Mechanical design engineering went out of fashion a long time […]