All posts tagged: best

Realize Launches New Sales Force

Realize, Inc. is launching a new proactive sales force that will enhance and grow our business into the future. The plan has been in place since late 2012. The goal was to create and build a strong sales force and we are ready to embark on this exciting new venture. The enhanced sales and client services at Realize also coincides with the release of our state of the art quoting software, RealFastQuotes!, which was put in place to make it easy for our clients to get the fastest and most accurate quotes possible. We talked with Realize president Todd Reese and Sales Manager Alan Conlu about the launch.

Todd Reese, President, Realize:

In late 2012, it dawned on us that we had been in a reactive mode for a long time, in regard to sales. We made a decision at that time to lay out a road map which would turn our organization into a proactive force. We turned to an outside consultant for help developing this map. As months passed, we began learning better techniques and processes. It took time to implement those techniques and processes, but we began to see good things happen. After a bit of reorganization of our Sales personnel, we felt it necessary to seek out seasoned salespeople to add into the mix. We’ve recently added two new people to serve in this role, and they are moving smoothly through our on-boarding process. At this point, I see the tires smoking, and it’s just a matter of time before they grab the road and we’re off and running in the direction we set out to go.

Alan Conlu, Sales Manager, Realize:

We have seen the market change over the past few years and we realized what was working in past wasn’t going to take us where we wanted to go. The first part of that change started with launching the Real Fast Quotes system which is a new online quoting service to automate our ordering process. Then we revamped our sales staff by hiring a support person and two new sales representatives. The sales people that we hired went through a stringent screening and hiring process and are currently in our on boarding program which is designed to get them up to speed quickly.

How will the new quoting software and new sales staff make doing business with Realize easier?

Todd: Regarding our RealFastQuotes Instant Online Quoting System, this enhancement to our services allows clients, both new and current, to obtain quotations instantly for SLA parts. They can login any time of day, on their schedule, to manage quotations and place orders. We encourage everyone to utilize this system. RealFastQuotes combined with our beefed up sales staff, allows us more quality time to build relationships with clients, answer questions and educate, rather than simply taking orders.

How does the addition of sales representatives change the dynamics around Realize?

Alan: The addition of the sale staff has created a new culture of ideas and of trying new things that will help push the company forward. We wanted to ensure that the people we hired not only fit the position but they also fit the team we wanted to build. Not only is the team experienced but they have diverse backgrounds so each member brings a unique set of skills and energy. There is progress to be made and we are very encouraged by the positive efforts and activities that we already see during our on boarding process.

There is a new electricity in the air around the shop, and everyone is excited to see Realize grow.

July 16, 2014 Blog

Heat Deflection Properties

SLA & 3D Printing Heat Deflection Properties
Many of our clients contact us with questions about our materials and their heat properties. We decided to create a video experiment to help show how our different resins hold up at elevated temperatures. Join us for some hot 3D Printing fun!

[youtube watch?v=FVJnxc9MBVE&list=UUWsghvjy-It5eJrfjJStI-w&feature=share nolink]

May 16, 2014 Blog

Realize Client Profile: Indesign

Realize works extensively with Indesign on a wide variety of projects. We are excited and proud of the long relationship we have established with this fantastic company. We talked with Jerry Gotway, CEO of Indesign, to find out how their business uses Additive Manufacturing and where they are headed in the future.

Tell me about your business…

We are an electronic product design engineering company. We develop a wide variety of electronic products for our customers. We do full turn key product development. That means we do the mechanical design, the electrical design, and embedded software design. We create all the design information for a product then send it to a factory for manufacturing.

How is Rapid Prototyping used by your company?

In our product development process we go through several steps. In the front end of the process we are working on the development of requirements and concepts with the client, then we move on to the detailed mechanical design. As soon as that is completed we need to take that design which exists in our CAD systems and turn it into a working prototype. It’s absolutely critical that we get working prototypes of the designs for us to validate the design. Those working prototypes include the kinds of things that Realize can provide. The Stereolithography models, the cast models and sometimes the rubber parts are needed for the physical elements of our prototype. The critical need that we have is to get those rapid prototype parts. We need to very quickly get a physical embodiment of what we have designed so we can run that through our testing process.

What types of projects do you partner with Realize on?

We have worked with Realize on a wide variety of projects- from medical to consumer electronics, industrial, and they have provided us with parts to support our clients in many different markets.

How has your experience working with Realize been?

Our experience has been very positive. Everything that we do here has to be done very quickly. We have very rapid product realization intervals. Realize has been extremely good to Indesign in delivering parts very quickly. Speed isn’t everything, the other thing that is very important to us is quality. We have received high quality parts using the prototyping capabilities of Realize. Speed and quality are the two things that are most important to us and we get both of those from Realize.

Where is your business headed in the future?

Our company has been in business for 16 years and it’s been on an evolutionary path. We started exclusively in the telecommunications area and now we are into many different industries. The technologies have changed dramatically over time. When we started we were almost all wired types of products, now half of our business is wireless. We are going to follow where technology leads.

Indesign is an engineering design services firm with a proven track record of helping companies develop new electronic devices. Engineering disciplines consist of electrical/circuit design, RF/wireless design, software/firmware design, mechanical design, human factors design, and testing/validation with a strong emphasis on products utilizing embedded microprocessors and DSPs.

November 15, 2013 Blog

Realize Client Profile: Auto Research Center

Realize is fortunate to have a solid working relationship with Auto Research Center. They are an excellent organization that relies on additive manufacturing to deliver results for their clients.

Auto Research Center is a specialized research facility, which sells time in its various test rigs (such as wind tunnel and seven post rig) and provides design and consultancy services to government/military, commercial vehicle, automotive and racing clientele. ARC prides itself on remaining a competent tier one supplier to multiple OEMs throughout these industries. They also offer scale model development, vehicle aerodynamics and vehicle dynamics capabilities and expertise, computer aided engineering software, vehicle dynamics software and computer modeling programs for the purpose of trackside simulation. ARC is a worldwide company that is committed to developing innovative solutions in the ever-changing field of transportation.

We talked with Design Engineer Matthew Gardner about their business and how they use Rapid Prototyping.

Matthew Gardner-Design Engineer, Auto Research Center

Tell me about ARC?

We do wind tunnel testing for semi-trucking and consumer car industries and some race car testing as well. We also do suspension testing for race cars mostly.

What is wind tunnel testing?

We get a bunch of test parts and we’ll build the model as accurate as possible. With an engine and a working suspension. The customer will send us a bunch of data on what they want to test. We have to make the model first and then all of these test parts have to be easily put on and off for each run in the tunnel. What the customer is paying for is the time in the tunnel, so it’s really important to get these parts in and move them on and off to find out what works and what does not.

In what ways does ARC use Additive Manufacturing?

It’s really key for us because we need parts fast, because the customer has to take all the test parts they made and send them to us as data. When they have that set test date they their own last minute changes and then goes through their line of bureaucracy, CFD and production. So by the time it gets to us we have to make it in time and get it to them before the test. Realize is key because they can get it to us real quick because you are local. There have been many times when it’s last minute and the customer says, “Hey I know we sent you this data but we really need this, can you make these changes?” And Realize has come through for us many times. It’s really important because they are paying for that time in the tunnel and that deadline can’t change because we have other days booked. So it’s important we get things turned around really quickly and that’s where we rely on Rapid Prototyping and Realize.

How does Realize help to meet your needs in addition to timely deliveries?

It’s the customer service. When I have worked with other vendors they are late and we can’t afford that. So far no other company has been as reliable and dependable as Realize.

October 9, 2013 Blog

Realize Client Profile: Delta Faucets

Realize has a long working relationship with Delta Faucet Company and we could not be prouder of the parts we have created together over the years. We talked with Michael Connell, Prototype Manager, about the industry and how they use prototypes in their business.

About Delta® Products
There is a philosophy at the heart of every Delta® product: there is a better way to live with water. It goes beyond excellent design to incorporate smart thinking that anticipates people’s needs. From proprietary Touch2O® touch faucet Technology that turns faucets on and off with just a touch to H2Okinetic™ shower technology that sculpts water into a unique wave pattern – giving you the feeling of more water without using more water, Delta products incorporate thoughtful features that delight. Paired with beautiful, inspirational design, it’s another way that the Delta® brand is more than just a faucet. Delta products are offered by Delta Faucet Company a WaterSense® manufacturing partner of the Environmental Protection Agency. Delta Faucet Company is a worldwide leader in kitchen faucets, bath faucets, shower heads, shower systems, Toilets and related accessories and sells products in more than 53 countries. For more information, visit www.deltafaucet.com

Michael Connell- Delta Prototype Manager

How long has Delta been working with Realize?

I’ve had a relationship with Realize for 14 years, that’s the longest vendor relationship since I’ve been here.

In what ways does Delta use Rapid Prototyping?

Fit and function, industrial design and market research. We have gone as far chrome plating and finishing and used them in kitchen and bath shows. We test them here in our lab. We run water through them to look at flow.

You have been working with prototypes and additive manufacturing for many years, what are the biggest changes you have experienced in the industry?

The increase in cycle times. A part that I can get in 24 hours from Realize used to take me a week get. Today with the desired speed for getting things out to the market you can’t take that long to get prototypes. Keep in mind we may make the part 15 times until we get the right part we want to build. The technology has improved and it’s really sped up the process.

You have machines in house, how does Realize come into play?

Workload. I’m so busy on my printers. I built three thousand parts last year on one printer. Delta Faucet as a company builds upwards of ten thousand rapid prototypes a year. I build in house, and use Realize and Delta has another in house facility that we send work to. Realize is also helpful when you are limited in materials. My guys may be building snap details with a 3D Printer and the parts will just snap off on them and we want a more durable material. At Realize I can get get a wide variety of materials.

How challenging is managing and maintaining your own Additive Manufacturing machines?

It works three days a week, and the other two days its down! It is a headache. We bought a second machine this year. Not to increase volume, but as a backup. If one is down we need the other to keep up pace and have it available. If I need a part in a hurry most of the time it goes to Realize.

What are your thoughts about the future of Additive Manufacturing and how 3D Printing has become the blanket buzz term used for the entire industry?

Technology hasn’t stopped. Now we are going to be getting direct metal parts off of the machines. I think it’s moving forward quick. There are 3D Printers in stores for less than $1200, but at the same time, it’s not as simple as you think. It’s just not that easy.

September 20, 2013 Blog

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