The Realize Blog

Realize Client Profile – Zipp

There are many exciting things going on at Realize. The focus of our business is advancing the excellence of our clients projects. Zipp Speed Weaponry, based in Indianapolis, serves a select group of elite companies and athletes, globally located and committed to bicycle & wheelchair competition. Zipp meets customer’s needs for the highest performance, superlative quality components through innovative design and manufacturing utilizing the best material and technology available. Basically, really cool bike stuff! Check out this video about how we work together.

We talked with Design Engineer Ben Waite about the latest happenings at Zipp.

Ben Waite – Design Engineer

1- Tell me about your business?
Zipp is a manufacturer of the highest end bicycle components for road riding and triathlon. Our parent company, SRAM, manufacturers a wide variety of bicycle components for all types of riding. We have 2500 employees worldwide and our mission to enhance the rider’s experience through comfort, speed and reliability.

2- How is Rapid Prototyping used by your company?

We use rapid prototyping for a variety of reasons. We use them to perform form and fit testing that we cannot do in the 3D CAD space. Rapid prototyping is obviously quicker than getting parts CNC’ed, but it is also exponentially cheaper. We can iterate a design a few times and get a rapid prototype each time for a fraction of the cost of machined parts. This expedites time to market and allows us to be fully confident of our designs when we invest in very expensive molds. For some products, namely handlebars, rapid prototyping allows us to test out ergonomics that are nearly impossible to understand in CAD. Comfort and bike fit is a key part of the rider’s experience and we want to make sure that they are getting the most from their invest in Zipp products.

Seatpost prototypes

3- What services and projects did you partner with Realize on?

I think the better question is what projects do we *not* partner with Realize on. I believe every handlebar project I have worked on has made use of rapid prototypes in some manner. In fact, there are many projects that did not come to fruition that we used rapid prototypes on. For wheels, we also use Realize to make rapid prototypes that we can take to the wind tunnel and test the aerodynamics of a particular design.

Zipp Wheel

4- How was the experience working with Realize? Realize is top-notch. Their delivery is lightning fast, the quality is amazing and it is quite obvious they value their customers. And they are just good guys (and gals!) that you would like to hang out with on the weekends.

5- Where is your business headed in the future?

We will continue to use Realize in many capacities to further our product development. I hope that one day we can work with Realize to make functional rapid prototypes that are strong enough to ride and test.

6- If you could select one personal item to be created or duplicated using Rapid Prototyping technology, what would that be?

Easy question – I would rapid prototype an updated design to one of the fastest bikes ever produced – the Zipp 3001. Zipp started making this bike decades ago but it still beats many of today’s “super bikes” in the wind tunnel. With a couple of tweaks, the wind wouldn’t even be able to come close to seeing it!

Zipp 3001

February 27, 2013 Blog

Let me give you a hand with that prototype

Realize, Inc. Robotic Hand Project

Custom Entertainment Solutions needed a hand with a recent project. The Realize team was excited to be their partner in this venture. Brian Cazzell is the Client Success Manager at Realize in charge of their account. We asked him what made this particular prototype concept so cool.

“The cool factor for me is that these rapid prototype parts are durable enough to use in a working robotic hand. I think the biggest challenge of the project was making sure all of those channels were clear throughout the entire palm where they needed to route their wiring to the fingers. I took it as a personal challenge when this client first contacted us because he said he was turned down by at least 3 other Rapid Prototyping shops that didn’t want to touch this project! He was told it was not possible to manufacture those parts…and we made it happen. He was so excited when he received the parts because he knew that he finally found a viable way to produce his extremely complicated model.”

Josh Gray at Custom Entertainment Solutions was pleased with our work.

“Realize came through for us with a new robot hand design that other companies said they could not build. With Brian Cazzell’s help inside Realize, not only did they say they could do it, they DID it, and Brian made sure all of the small features and channels were hand-cleared and ready for us to run tendons through. Very complex work and they nailed it!” Josh Gray, President, CES.

Here is look at the finished product!

http://youtu.be/KWy3zEfWjfA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UG4arMMdvrw&feature=youtu.be

February 22, 2013 Blog

Realize Client Profile – Nexxt Spine

We are excited to kick off our series of Realize Client Profiles with Nexxt Spine.
Nexxt Spine is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are a quality company with a very friendly and professional staff. We always look forward to working with them on their projects.

We talked with Product Development Engineer Laura Hoiland about their business.

Laura Hoiland – Product Development Engineer

Tell me about your business?

Nexxt Spine designs and manufactures spinal implants and instruments in-house at our dedicated facility which provides high-quality products at a fair price.

How is Rapid Prototyping used by your company?

We use rapid prototyping to obtain fast prototypes of implants and instrument designs for either form, fit, or functional evaluation. This saves us time and money rather than waiting for a part to be machined.

What services and projects did you partner with Realize on?

For our sterile packaging project, we needed two instruments created in order to design the required packaging. Rather than wait for the parts to be machined, we obtained SLA samples in two days which expedited the lead-time of the project.

We use Realize to prototype instruments such as drill guides, sleeves, and handles that we can send to our surgeon for evaluation which provides much better feedback from a surgeon rather than just sending images of 3D models. Giving the surgeon an opportunity to touch and feel the instrument results in much improved design feedback.

How was the experience working with Realize?

Working with Realize has been a very positive experience and it is very convenient they are located locally here in Indianapolis. When a part is ready, I can pick it up the same day or they will even deliver! The candy in the box always seems to improve our day as well. Kim is always quick to provide quotes and has provided on-site tours to several of our team members.

Where is your business headed in the future?

Nexxt Spine plans to move into a larger facility in 2013 to grow and improve our in-house manufacturing capability to meet the increasing demand from surgical centers and hospitals. More and more hospitals are buying direct from the manufacturer, so Nexxt Spine is continuing to grow to meet their needs.

If you could select one personal item to be created or duplicated using Rapid Prototyping technology, what would that be?

Tough question… maybe some sweet aviator sunglasses!

For more information about Nexxt Spine and their services CLICK HERE

February 7, 2013 Blog

Realize Employee Profile – Dawn Cazzell

What do you do at Realize?

I’m a quality control specialist and take care of all the shipping. I drive the Realize Honda Fit around town making deliveries.

What challenges do you face during a typical week at Realize?

Trying to make sure things are out on time. Some days I’m at the mercy of when parts are finished and trying to meet the delivery schedules.

Most difficult thing ship?

Shipping all of these things can be tough. Everything is so fragile, how we get them to people takes a lot of thought.

How does Realize do things differently than the competition?

I think there is an emphasis on quality. We put out the best product possible. Everyone puts their hearts into what they are doing.

What are some of your favorite things in the world?

I’m a Texan at heart……..I like to water ski. I’m a very adventurous person, outdoorsy. Anything craft related…crochet…the afghan I’m about to finish has been a 24 year old project.

Favorite meal?

My favorite item would be avocado tacos…avocados, lettuce tomatoes in a soft tortilla shell in Texas…like them best from our favorite taco shack in Portland, Texas. To drink a large sweet tea, love it. And for dessert homemade pecan pie is my favorite.

What music are you listening to right now?

I listen to mixture of country and 80’s, Bon Jovi was just jamming in the back…old school country…the Oak Ridge Boys…and George Strait.

What fascinates you most about Rapid Prototyping?

I think it’s what can be built and how much detail can go into the parts we are making these days…the process….thinking that liquid created these parts…amazing.

You can take two movies with you to space…which do you bring?

Dirty Dancing, The Cutting Edge.

Name one thing you would like to Rapid Prototype?

My cat. His name is Jasper….orange and white tabby. At Christmas time he lays under the tree….I want to always remember him like that.

February 1, 2013 Blog, Realize Team

Realize Employee Profile – Steve Leisure

What do you do at Realize?

Finishing department – take care of SLA builds. Set up and maintain the SLA machines. We take care of post-curing parts and finishing parts. When prototypes come out of the machines we get the resin off, a rinse bath and post-cure procedure.

What are the different types of finishes you deal with?

There is the strip and ship knock off supports and send to customer style…that is for quick orders.

Standard finish – little more detail, sanding out build lines making it look pretty.

Detailed finish – high end extra steps. Usually paint or clear coat.

Give me an example of a typical challenge for you at work?

Sometimes we are asked to build a part as fast as possible by request of the customer, and if we rush it too much and then don’t compensate time for sanding…we are behind. It’s a delicate balance.

Favorite item you worked on here at Realize?

For one project we worked on crossbow parts. I’m a hunter so that was cool.

Name some of your favorite things in the world.

Hunting and fishing, my family. I have 2 girls 9 and 12…and have been married 15 years. I also enjoy gambling.

How does Realize do things differently than the competition?

Our customer support is the best.

Favorite meal?

Moms dessert cheesecake…its strawberry….side of lobster macaroni from Capital Grille and for the entree any hibachi style food…wash it down with a nice Scotch.

What music are you listening to right now?

Dave Matthews Band…. and I like Sting….

You can take two movies with you to space…which do you bring?

Pearl Harbor, Gladiator….

One word that describes you?

Family.

One thing you would like to Rapid Prototype?

My wife…

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January 25, 2013 Blog

Itar Registered