Sat at work today and a Hope Technology van pulls up along with a couple of cars.
I thought I had won a random prize.....I was daydreaming at the time 
Anyway they go into the unit opposite who deal in 3d Printers and Rapid Prototyping machines.
Posted on their Facebook page but no answer.
Anyone in the know?
Possibly
I wouldn't be surprised, I bumped into a delegation of rapid prototyping folk in Loughborough a while back and there were people from every conceivable industry from O'Neil to the MOD
Did you know that they can "print" functioning replacement body parts now?
They already do some rapid prototyping and 3D printing.
when we were there the other week, someone did mention a new rapid prototype machine they were looking into.
matthew h - we all know they do this but wondering if they were expanding on this?
The machines are so cheap these days.
Its not the ideas/prototyping they seem to struggle with.Its thelead times from announcing things to actually producing stuff to buy.I'll bash ears on sunday when I see them.
Good to hear that Hope is investing in new technology.
Good to hear that Hope is investing in new technology
speaking of rapid prototyping....
rapid prototyped lugs
Read a story not too long ago about Coventry (I think) University using one to print in....CHOCOLATE 
I can't see how rapid prtotyping can be much quicker than CNCing from a billet. Similar software, similar process, sort of in reverse though?
I have always thought that RP was more useful and used more widely for producing concepts that would ultimately be cast, so RP saves on tooling costs. Are Hope therefore going to move into cast products?
You can get 3d printers for a few grand these days that will produce a prototype.
No set up cost
No CNC costs
etc
etc
They are very good value.
I've often wondered why hope don't expand into making parts for other industries.
Thomson make products for cyclists and aviation.
+ you can make things with RP that you can't make in any other way except expensive and time consuming methods such as investment casting. You can print internal structures and then seal them inside without any seams.
I've often wondered why hope don't expand into making parts for other industries.
Basically because they haven't got time! most people forget they are still a reasonably small company, everything they make flies out the door already with the machines they've got running 24/7/365.
Rorschach - MemberBy god,have you seen the factory!!!!!
Where? It's just a normal factory like most other factories no? 
It's definately not like any 'normal' factory I've ever seen! They have some the most cutting edge CNC machines in the world.Seeing as they spent 100k+ on a wheel building machine a couple of grand a rapid prototyper ain't much.
speaking of rapid prototyping....
rapid prototyped lugs
someone asked me about 5 years ago if that was possible on frameforum.
Back then an mcp was half a million quid and you could carve it out of Ti with a file as quickly ,Cycle times have improved but as I was at the advanced manufacturing centre last week the answer was still additive manufacturing for high volume parts ..... a way off yet.
Take a little look around
http://www.hopetech.com/page.aspx?itemID=SPG360
Yes I heard they have the most cutting edge CNC machines as well. So cutting edge that F1 teams are using them, and from what I heard Hope have got 2 of them and Hope is the first place to have more than 1 (from what the CNC rep said)
I have always thought that RP was more useful and used more widely for producing concepts that would ultimately be cast, so RP saves on tooling costs. Are Hope therefore going to move into cast products?
RP has a few benefits. For one it's cheaper to blow out an ABS copy of a large part than it is to machine down the alu. Speed-wise, probably close, but you can make stuff you can't machine and 3D printers are a dime a dozen these days.
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