For the past several decades, manufacturing has been thought of as a “dirty” job reserved for countries with a cheap labor market. However, we’ve found that physically separating manufacturing and consumption of goods increases cost. A new era of manufacturing is beginning, and it starts with domestic and regionalized manufacturing that utilizes new and exciting technologies in well-manicured workspaces.

Anyone who has compared traditional FDM (sometimes called Fused Filament Fabrication) to other 3D printing technologies, such as PolyJet, SLA and SLS, has definitely thought at one time or another, “This technology is both inexpensive to print and strong, but I really wish it had better resolution.” In this blog, we explore how to make FDM look as good as other technologies while remaining inexpensive and not impacting overall strength. We’ve printed a horde of Easter Island Moai to play around with the top three ways to smooth PLA parts.

TriMech is fortunate to work with clients from Maine to Florida and out to Arkansas, offering a range of engineering solutions. This week's client story showcases TriMech RP Services and the Stratasys Fortus 450mc assisted The Assistive Technology Program at the McGuire VA Medical Center to help a quadriplegic gain back independence.

TriMech is the largest SOLIDWORKS and Stratasys reseller in the nation. Our clients recognize us for our extensive product offerings including the entire SOLIDWORKS portfolio, complete Stratasys 3D printer lineup, Artec 3D Scanners, Desktop Metal printers, Tulip Manufacturing Apps, CAMWorks CNC programming and more! Extensive engineering services, state-of-the-art technology and a broad print service network are only a few reasons TriMech is considered to have the top-ranked RP Service facilities in the nation. Keep reading to learn why we are your complete engineering solution. 

Without water, life would cease to exist. In the United States, we never have to worry about the quality of our drinking water, but that's not the case for everyone around the world.

Successful rapid prototyping could be the difference between beating your competition to market or heading back to the drawing board. Lucky for you, one of our Application Engineers, Tommy DuPuy, shared some of his tips for successful rapid prototyping.

This holiday season, ModernTech is focusing on the meaning of gratitude. We are thankful to have a great partner like Stratasys and to be a part of technology that impacts the lives around us. 3D printing enables manufacturers, designer and everyday people to create and print complex and customized parts.

Recently, we’ve had the fortune to work with Doug Shover, a Project Manager at The Lewis Group Architects in Knoxville, TN. Doug was working on a building project at the University of Tennessee when a contractor brought in a 3D printed model of their Strong Hall project. Interested in 3D printing technology, Doug obtained ModernTech’s information from the contractor and quickly reached out to us.

Doug’s 10-year old daughter, Riley, is Type 1 diabetic. Riley has a continuous glucose monitoring system (CGM) that allows her to measure glucose levels in real-time, identifying trends such as rapid high or rapid low. The only problem with Riley’s CGM was that her glucose levels could not be monitored remotely by her mom and dad.

Doug sought out solutions and discovered the Nightscout project, better known as CGM in the cloud. Nightscout is an open source, DIY project that allows real-time access to a CGM from web browsers via smartphones, computers, tablets and other technology. This integration is achieved by attaching an uploader device to the CGM and sending the information to the cloud. When searching for the best way for Riley to utilize the system, Doug found out about a 3D printed “rig” on thingiverse.com. The rig holds Riley’s phone, her CGM receiver, and a micro USB cable together.

See Nightscout case on thingiverse.com

Unaware of other solutions, Doug gave ModernTech a call and asked us to quote out the rig and provide information on available colors. After all, appearance was of utmost importance to a 10-year old girl. Without hesitation, ModernTech looked at the model from and adapted it to Riley’s needs and phone specifications. We decided to offer the rig for free as a gesture of support for the cause and to promote end use applications made possible with 3D printing. Riley now has her device and is pleased beyond words.

“The rig was invaluable in our situation and has provided Riley with a better quality of life. My wife and I now have a peace of mind that we have not had since her diagnosis,” said Doug. “3D printing the rig with ModernTech offered a customized solution that provided my family with immeasurable benefits in regards to management.”

If you have a problem, we would love to help you solve it. Contact TriMech for more information in Riley’s rig or other 3D printed solutions that can make a difference in the lives of our friends, family and neighbors.

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"FDM is the perfect fit for us. It allows us to easily change designs at any stage in the game without being penalized by cost or delays."

— Jacob Rooney, Mechanical Designer, Nova Tech Engineering

PolyJet is one of two methods used to build prototypes onStratasys 3D printers . The process isn’t as complicated as it seems. 3D printers interface with virtual drawings from computer aided design software (i.e. SOLIDWORKS 3D CAD). Using the CAD data, 3D models are built with layers of liquid, powder or sheet material.