Dear All,

Fallen off the wagon yet? My New Year Resolution lasted a record 5 days until the reality of life kicked in, and yet again my resolve to eat healthy and get fitter has dwindled along with the decaying organic fruit and vegetables in my fridge! However, my resolve to continue to offer a unique service to my customers is as fresh as the day I founded Plunkett Associates!

January saw an historic milestone in my life - yes, you guessed it! I celebrated my 0.5 centennial. I prefer to think along the lines of being 18 years old with 32 years experience! 18 years of which are experience solely in the field of Rapid Prototyping. RP has come of age and we now work in the realms of the Super Bureau. Consistent with my previous offerings to the RP industry, Plunkett Associates is the first bureau of its kind to… Another first.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a belated Happy New Year from the West and a Happy New Year of the Ox from the East. Let’s make it a good one.

I remain, at your service,

tim@plunkettassociates.co.uk

Is this your first time?

Despite all your instincts telling you it makes perfect sense to deal with the Far East via Plunkett Associates, sometimes it can be difficult to take that leap of faith. We understand how you feel, whether your fear is based on fear of the unknown or the presumption that your job is no longer under your own personal control. That's why, here at Plunkett Associates, we have made that leap for you. Your requirement is in safe and proven hands, and we can assure you that an undertaking to use the Far East will leave you with a feeling of success and not the negative rebound you might have expected!

More on 'that shirt'

We were thrilled at the lively response the caption contest generated (December issue) and would like to congratulate Nick Yoward from PAL Europe Limited for his winning quote " … and tell Santa I said I wanted an objet d'art, not to be an object of ridicule !" Hope you enjoyed the Champers Nick! Honourable mentions also go to Kevin Liles Red Bull Technology and Richard Brady Williams F1 for their witty offerings!

January 2009

Tooling, Sir? Absolutely, Sir!
Development, prototype, bridge, fried or boiled?

• So many options! Fortunately, apart from the last two, these are all terms used to reflect an intermediate level of prototyping, usually beyond the conventional SLA, SLS methods, yet at the same time pre production release …read on
• So, your project has a requirement for hundreds of prototypes. Problem is, your budget is looking tight, so how do you progress with economy in mind? …read on
• Sometimes you will require your prototype in the production intent material (ABS, PC, PP, PA etc). This could be due to a chemical compatibility issue, or an environmental or mechanical requirement. Here is the good news… you could have options! …read on
• Now, let's cut to the chase! Development/Prototype/Bridge tooling… you know what you want, but how long is it going to take and equally important, how much will it cost me? …read on
• Time to introduce another acronym, LVP. Low Volume Production. It is important that we recognise the difference between LVP and prototype or production tooling …read on
• We've all heard about someone who has used the Far East for tooling and there is often an accompanying embellished 'story' for good measure. The fact remains that the Far East, and China in particular, represents a huge toolmaking resource based on a low wage economy. This can translate into very competitive pricing compared with the UK, but should you go there? …read on
• Check the small print! Good advice from the Super Bureau that has been there and done it! Like all great ideas it can only be considered a really great idea when all the factors are taken into consideration …read on

Boiled, Sir?
Would you like that hard boiled, medium boiled, soft boiled or runny Sir?

With no vested interest in any one technology, Plunkett Associates can bring a greater choice to your table…

Tim Plunkett, Plunkett Associates Ltd.