Imagine your simple, black tablet computer being transformed into a sophisticated, wood-grain patterned one – without the weight of actually putting it into a real wooden case. Or how about camouflaging your phone with a lush, green foliage pattern? Now you can do all this and more thanks to the innovative minds who came up with RealCool.
The team at Realize Inc. couldn’t have picked a more appropriate name for their new prototype finishing service, RealCool, as the end results of the products that have already been completed are really cool to look at and will certainly ‘wow’ customers. From smartphone cases to laptops and tables to sports equipment, clients wanting to add RealCool to their prototypes can choose from a myriad of decoration styles and patterns, thus transforming a simple model into a piece that is ready for store shelves.
Rapid prototyping allows product developers a way to save much time and money because of the short turn around time and the low cost of creating a SLA prototype. Indiana based rapid prototyping company, Realize Inc. recently revealed its new RealCool finishing technique that can be applied to virtually any surface to give products a more unique and eye-catching appearance. Hundreds of patterns are available in categories such as metal, carbon fiber, wood and camouflage. The finish can be applied to silicone models, SLA models, urethane models, plastics, wood, glass and metal items.
This new finishing technique came about as a way to meet client demand, but has the potential to expand even further; finishes aren’t limited to just the items that are created in-shop as three-dimensional prototypes, they can also be put on existing products. Small tables, video game consoles and bicycle parts are just a few of the items that have had RealCool finishes added to them. Even a few high school students are the proud owners of some customized finished phone cases.
This new technology will open up the market for both the shops that do the manufacturing as well as their customers. Shops can expand their product lines to include finishing services, which may help create jobs and increase revenue. They’ll also be able to offer one-off services to customers looking to add some pizazz to an item. Large companies who manufacture simple looking products will find the finishing process interesting and begin to diversify their product line by adding a select group of finishes on their final product. Additionally, by adding finishing to the products locally, the need to outsource the work is greatly reduced, thereby keeping, jobs where they are needed. Services like RealCool will also make prototyping even more appealing to small businesses who are creating products but don’t have the budget to do large manufacturing runs. They’ll also be able to customize them with fun and colorful finishes which add interest and value to the finished product.
There’s no telling how many uses customers will find for this new service but it’s certainly one that consumers, who love living in a world where choice is abundant, are ready for. Most importantly, it’s a win-win-win situation as finishing techniques are easy for the shops to apply, cost-effective for the company that is selling the product and appealing to consumers.
