about W3D
W3D Rapid Prototyping
A service of the Wallendorf Porzellan Manufaktur
The Wallendorfer Porzellan-Manufaktur GmbH located since 1763 at the historical location in the town of Lichte in the state of Thuringia is again pioneering new product development and manufacturing. Historically, and even today, shaping of porcelain products to the point at which its esthetic and utility requirements are satisfied has been an expensive and time consuming process. It involved the making of drawings, molds and finally the casting, and often enough the process had to be repeated when the product proved unsatisfactory. This old method stands in the way of quick realization of a product from conception to marketing .
W3D Rapid Prototyping of sample products employed in our Wallendorf works is changing all this. Rapid Prototyping is an innovative and highly economic method to produce bodily sample products. All related activities, starting with a conceived design to a final product including multi- colored decorations are centrally controlled at our office. This holds for in house developed products as well as for customer requested products.
W3D is a process for making sample products using computer data identifying the contours of a conceived product. This data is fed into a high tech apparatus which forms the conceived product computer controlled point by point and layer by layer from a powdery neutral material and an injected binding fluid. The solidification of the binder occurs instantly by a physical and chemical effect. Thus, prototype products are produced without the time consuming former manual working steps, particularly of making molds. The W3D unit permits forming of products of 10” x 14” x 8” (254×356 x 203 mm). The computer data used for this process are commonly used in Computer Aided Design mainly in the metal working industry. A team of specialists in our company has developed a modified form of CAD programming and developed its full potential in cooperation and combination with the historically grown knowledge and workmanship of producing porcelain and glassware for which the Wallendorf works is known.
The W3D prototype does not have the surface quality nor the strength of the final porcelain or glass product but it offers a genuine judgment of the products usefulness and marketability.
The very fast realization from product conception to a prototype product will be of great advantage to our customers. The quick satisfaction of individual customer requirements is a prime benefit by permitting quick market introduction in to days rapidly changing market demands.
Since the manufacture of a new prototype is typically only a matter of hours, it is not only a cost reducing method of prototyping a sample, but also permits, if needed, quick modification and perfection of its features. Once new features of a product are finalized, the standard product manufacturing steps are taken.
In the center of W3D prototyping development stands the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).The 3D technology has progressed to the point where “printing” in nano size has become possible. Highly detailed 3D samples are produced by multiple layers of lime powder fused by epoxy resin. Further more, this technology has advanced to enable 24 Bit high fidelity computer controlled color printing. This is of importance in refining a product with the customer requested decors. The ink jet technology applied here produces sharply defined images in brilliant colors permitting a customer to judge the sample product nearly as if it were the final product.
In to days rapidly changing market climate it is our endeavor to closely work with our established customers. Time for product development while maintaining highest quality is a prerequisite to successfully market a new ideas.
We invite our customers to present their own ideas to us for a joint effort to bring new ideas quickly and cost effectively to the market. Our W3D technology offers for the first time a truly practical concept of a joint product development. By nature, the Rapid Prototyping process permits already in the early phases short stepping the product -development -process and to optimize product quality and utility.
Rapid Prototyping offers our customers the manifold possibility to quickly react to their requirements, and to produce entirely individual customer products.
Based on the customer’s ideas in form of drawings, sketches or existing products, we will produce optimized new sample products. Also the development of entire new product lines has become a practical reality through W3D.
It is our aim to put into the hands of our customers a key role service in their marketing effort. Let’s be Future Smart!