Newbury-based 3T RPD has been reaping the benefit of its investment in a combination of the latest EDM and HSM technology from a single high technology supplier.
Newbury-based 3T RPD has been reaping the benefit of its investment in a combination of the latest EDM and HSM technology from a single high technology supplier, with an AGIE Innovation 2 die sinking machine and a top-of-the-range Bostomatic 12G high speed mill, fully equipped to cut graphite and metal at speeds of up to 30,000 rev/min and 15m./min. The company was formed in 1999 with the aim of providing manufacturers with access to rapid prototyping and development tooling, with no limitation in tool life, with texturing if required and with tolerances similar to production tooling, but with a delivery time usually within 3 to 4 weeks. Several significant factors have combined to create strong demand for 3T RPD's services; increasing development process complexity, rapidly reducing time-to-market expectations and supply chain fluidity are all putting manufacturers under ever-greater pressure.

The success of 3T RPD's strategy is proven by its rapid expansion.

The company is already looking to move into larger premises, the workforce has grown from an initial single employee to eleven-strong and the company has big plans for the future.

3T RPD provides 'functional prototypes', as close to the real part as possible, but built in prototyping timescales.

The company has customers in almost every vertical market sector, from automotive, including under-bonnet and under-dash items, aerospace, with wind tunnel components, electrical enclosures, and the latest developments in domestic appliances.

For development tooling the company's usual methodology is to create an initial prototype in sintered nylon.

When the preliminary environmental and aesthetic criteria have successfully been met the development tools are created on the Innovation 2 using graphite electrodes milled on the Bostomatic.

/...

Word of the company's abilities is spreading rapidly as Tim Plunkett describes, 'Early this year we had a project from a major automotive OEM, for tooling for two parts of an instrument cluster.

The customer was stunned when we completed the job in 23 days.

Our turn-around time provides our customers with vital competitive edge and we aim to continue to shave time off our already dazzling delivery schedules to assist them further.'