We build prototypes, 3D models and small production run parts directly from your files.

We currently service the following industries:

- Aerospace

- Automotive

- Architecture

- Defence

- Industrial Design

- Inventors

- Medical

- Packaging

We build your model from your CAD files using the latest prototyping technologies.

Call or email us to discuss your needs on 1300 559 454 or enquiries@rapidpro.com.au.

Cartographer Martin von Wyss of vW Maps said the geography of the wine region comes alive in this format.

“Seeing and touching the landforms makes it easy to understand how wind, rain, and temperatures affect the grapes. Clearly the qualities of the wines differ thanks, in part, to the varied topography. The road rises as you head eastward, up into Beechworth, and undulates from Mount Pilot in the north through Beechworth and up to Mount Stanley in the south.”

The full-colour terrain model was printed by specialists RapidPro of Mornington, Victoria, using additive manufacturing technology, also known as rapid prototyping or 3D printing. The Engineering Manager of RapidPro, Simon Bartlett, said that “the high resolution now possible in 3D from these machines makes for a stunning and informative 3D map. We’re only beginning to realise how many industries, such as cartography, can benefit from this technology.”

RapidPro is an Australian-based rapid manufacturing bureau specialising in prototypes and parts for form, fit and function. RapidPro manufactures from 3D computer-aided design files to produce accurate, repeatable and functional prototypes and tools.

vW Maps is the publisher of the Australian Wine Maps series which includes The Wine Map of Australia by Max Allen, The Tasmania Wine and Gastronomy Map with Breweries and Distilleries and The Wine Map of Victoria by Max Allen. These two-dimensional maps are available at book stores, cellar doors and from the publisher via http://www.australianwinemaps.com.

For more information contact Martin von Wyss, vW Maps on 0424 127 492 or mvw@vwmaps.com or call RapidPro on 1300 559 454.

Whilst manufacturing in China seems cheaper, the old adage “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth” applies. What may look cheaper on paper, could ultimately end up costing companies much more in the long run.

Using an Australian prototyping bureau, such as RapidPro, takes the guesswork out of this possible mine field.

We liaise for you, using companies and connections which we have developed over time. Companies that we trust. We also act as a Quality Control Agency, making sure that your parts and prototypes meet your requirements and specifications.

We make sure that your parts are delivered on time and that your quote is inclusive (with no hidden costs after the project has commenced).

By contacting RapidPro, you get all the benefits of offshore manufacturing, with the reassurance of dealing with an Australian-based company. We act as the prototyping Division of your business, protecting your interests, your intellectual property and, subsequently, our reputation.

There is nothing wrong with manufacturing in China. It’s just good business to get people who understand the industry and who have developed trusted relationships with this booming country, to navigate the road, and to handle the process for you.

The secret to the perfect cup of espresso lies in the right mix of air, water and coffee. What seems like child’s play to a skilled Italian barista is, in fact, a fine art learned through long experience. However, since few people fill hundreds of tiny cups with the rich, precious brew on a daily basis in their own kitchens, it’s hardly surprising that they lack practice, and the taste of their beloved espresso-brewed at home-can vary from one cup to the next.

To solve this problem, innovative engineers at Nestlé Nespresso S.A. in Switzerland invented a small capsule over 20 years ago, which can be filled with just the right portion of coffee. With the help of a coffee machine from Turmix, which was invented specifically for the capsules, the idea of the perfect home-brewed espresso was born. Under the leadership of Alfred Yoakim, Nespresso has been continuously improving the coffee capsule and its machines since 1986. Yoakim and his team in Lausanne work together with the Swiss designer Antoine Cahen to develop coffee machines that have revolutionized coffee brewing and drinking and turned the company into the world’s leading supplier of single-serving coffee systems.

Perfection down to the very last detail
In developing its capsule and coffee machine systems, Nespresso also modernized its development processes. In 2003, the Research and Development department paid a visit to the EuroMold trade show in Frankfurt and subsequently decided to buy a Dimension 3D printer. Christian Jarisch, an engineer with Nestlé Nespresso’s R&D department in Lausanne, explains the decision: “We were the first company in Switzerland to have a machine like this. We wanted to build our models quickly and easily, and we chose a Dimension 3D printer because it met all our expectations and lay within the price range we had set for ourselves.”

By 2003, Nespresso engineers had already taken the classic route of outsourcing model making projects to external firms. “This was a very time-consuming process. We sometimes had to wait several weeks for our models and might come up with new ideas, details and changes in the meantime that would make our products even more innovative. However, this also meant that the models under construction were already out of date.” With the Dimension 3D printer, they can now carry out the most minor, yet potentially promising change to a detail in just a few hours. This is an advantage that the innovative Nestlé Nespresso company can no longer live without.

Overcoming inhibitions and boosting creativity
The department has been working continuously with models from the Dimension printer since 2003, creating models nearly every day. “We try out new ideas more often than ever before. You could say that we cast aside our inhibitions in developing new ideas. Our creativity has grown by leaps and bounds, and we have gotten many ideas and results from the models that we created with the printer”, says Jarisch.

Testing functions on models
The use of ABS plastic makes it possible to produce mechanically stable parts in the Dimension printer. Nespresso conducts function tests on the models, creating brewing units, handles, capsule holders and hot plates for cups as well as other parts of a Nespresso machine as models and testing their functions in a subsequent step.

Design as part of everyday life
Alfred Yoakim sees design as an important part of everyday life. “The coffee machine is one of the first objects that many people deal with in the morning. It is certainly one of the most frequently used objects in the kitchen.” As far as Yoakim is concerned, ongoing product development and improvement will therefore remain important priorities in the future.

Innovation with the right partners
The fact that the company will continue to work with innovative partners like Dimension in the future is a foregone conclusion for the market leader from Switzerland. Thanks to cooperation with De’ Longhi, Krups, Siemens, Turmix, König and Miele in the manufacture of coffee machines, Nespresso currently has 5 model series on the market. They brew the same quality of espresso, lungo, cappuccino and caffè latte every time at the touch of a button and make life just a little bit better with 12 different varieties of Grand Cru coffee. It therefore comes as no surprise that the innovative Swiss have put the right face on their products. Oscar-winner George Clooney, a connoisseur of all things Italian, has been promoting Nespresso since 2006, once again demonstrating his sense of humor and love of Italy.

Of course, you don’t need to buy a FDM machine to produce FDM models. Contact Redeye Australasia (powered by RapidPro) and we will act as your own personal build centre. Call 1300 559 454 or email us as enquiries@rapidpro.com.au.

It really highlights the intricacy of the figurines and how brilliant the designers at ADC Krome really are.

We built the figurines for this wonderful zoetrope in plaster using a ZCorp printer and full colour printing. The figurines were then treated with our own special hardening formula to make them strong and durable.

For more details or to get a quote in plaster call RapidPro on 1300 559 454.

Featuring a large build tray, the Connex 500 now allows RapidPro to build extra large objet parts on a build tray 500 x 400 x 200mm.

From an unrivalled range of over 60 materials including up to 51 Digital Materials™, the Objet Connex500 allows users to simulate diverse mechanical and physical properties, from rubber to rigid; opaque to transparent; and standard to ABS-grade engineering plastics.

Connex500 A revolution in 3D Printing

This objet machine joins our existing Objet, Stratasys and ZCorp machines to provide you with all your Rapid Prototyping requirements, no matter what your project size or budget.

RN June 2011

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Tray size (XxYxZ)500 x 400 x 200mm
(19.7 x 15.7 x 7.9 inches)

Net build size (XxYxZ)490 x 390 x 200mm
(19.3 x 15.4 x 7.9 inches)

Layer thickness (Z-axis)Horizontal build layers down to 16-micron

Build ResolutionX-axis: 600 dpi :42 µ
Y-axis: 600 dpi :42 µ
Z-axis: 1600 dpi :16 µ

Printing Modes
Digital Material (DM):
30-micron (0.001 inch)
High Quality (HQ):
16-micron (0.0006 inch)
High Speed (HS):
30-micron (0.001 inch)

Accuracy0.1-0.3mm (0.004-0.01 inch) typical (accuracy varies according to geometry, part orientation and print size)

Modeling Material • FullCure720 Model transparent
• VeroWhite Opaque material
• VeroBlue Opaque material
• VeroGray Opaque material
• VeroBlack Opaque material
• DurusWhite Polypropylene-like material
• TangoGray, rubber-like flexible material
• TangoBlack, rubber-like flexible material
• TangoPlus, rubber-like flexible material – High Speed & DM mode
• TangoBlackPlus, rubber-like flexible material – High Speed & DM mode

The other added benefit of sparse fills is build speed. And since thermoform tools are simpler in shape, not requiring any support, we can often turn these around in a day; Build on the day of the order, and ready to ship the next day.

Click here to read about how one RedEye customer was able to make the statement; “High quality prototype molds for custom thermoform packaging made 60% faster.”

It was great to catch up face to face and we hope we showed you some of the new improved capabilities of RapidPro.

For a quote or to discuss your next project, call 1300 559 454 or drop us a line at enquiries@rapidpro.com.au.