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• 1. [Article] Digital Luggage Weighing Machine Development Log

  Millions of people travel each year whether it is for business or pleasure. No matter what the purpose for their trip is, they have the same worry as they leave for the airport—will my luggage exceed the ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Digital Luggage Weighing Machine Development Log Author: Julien, Alex, Borgan, Mohammed, Rampalli, Phaneendra, Singla, Puniti, Bhendigeri, Sandeep Year: 2012 Millions of people travel each year whether it is for business or pleasure. No matter what the purpose for their trip is, they have the same worry as they leave for the airport—will my luggage exceed the maximum amount allowed? In the New Product Development course, the students in the class were required to team up and work on a project developing a new product. As our team was composed of international students, we decided to develop a digital luggage scale because it was something we could all relate to. This development log will explain in detail how we went from initial idea to the final product design. Additionally, this paper will describe the challenges that we faced, what we did well, the improvements that could be made and finally how we will learn from our mistakes and use this knowledge in future projects. Title: Digital Luggage Weighing Machine Development Log Author: Julien, Alex, Borgan, Mohammed, Rampalli, Phaneendra, Singla, Puniti, Bhendigeri, Sandeep Year: 2012 Millions of people travel each year whether it is for business or pleasure. No matter what the purpose for their trip is, they have the same worry as they leave for the airport—will my luggage exceed the maximum amount allowed? In the New Product Development course, the students in the class were required to team up and work on a project developing a new product. As our team was composed of international students, we decided to develop a digital luggage scale because it was something we could all relate to. This development log will explain in detail how we went from initial idea to the final product design. Additionally, this paper will describe the challenges that we faced, what we did well, the improvements that could be made and finally how we will learn from our mistakes and use this knowledge in future projects. Close

• 2. [Article] A Proposal for funding to The Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science Innovation Program at Portland State University, Innovation: Stroker Billiard Accessory

  The Stroker ™ is a pool shooting accessory that helps to improve accuracy by reducing the number of pivot points of the shooter’s support hand with an expandable, low friction guide that fits most standard ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: A Proposal for funding to The Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science Innovation Program at Portland State University, Innovation: Stroker Billiard Accessory Author: Mudavadi, Caroline, White, Corey, Perrenoud, Christophe, Wang, Xiaowen, Cooper, Melvin Year: 2012 The Stroker ™ is a pool shooting accessory that helps to improve accuracy by reducing the number of pivot points of the shooter’s support hand with an expandable, low friction guide that fits most standard sized pool cues. The Stroker is made of a metal exterior, with Teflon coated interior to reduce friction, and clips or pins that provide expandability. Innovation – Prototype development offers several opportunities to find innovative design solutions to improve and address the goals of the product. Although a rudimentary prototype has been developed as part of the concept development process, it is not a functional prototype that can be tested to determine if indeed the design meets the standards developed by the product development team. Two major challenges have to be addressed. The prototype can help ensure that the design is the best method of expanding/contracting of the components rapidly that provides stability, limits friction to a minimum, and is durable enough for casual use. Secondly, developing a prototype will provide additional insight into the development of the most costs effective manufacturing process. Thirdly, this is a lifestyle product and as such, industrial design is critical to its success. What design elements will be most appealing to the greatest percentage of our target market? Will a simple metal exterior, with perhaps engraving or patterns meet our needs, or should we consider a wide range of designs with a variety of exteriors such as painting, colors, etc. Title: A Proposal for funding to The Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science Innovation Program at Portland State University, Innovation: Stroker Billiard Accessory Author: Mudavadi, Caroline, White, Corey, Perrenoud, Christophe, Wang, Xiaowen, Cooper, Melvin Year: 2012 The Stroker ™ is a pool shooting accessory that helps to improve accuracy by reducing the number of pivot points of the shooter’s support hand with an expandable, low friction guide that fits most standard sized pool cues. The Stroker is made of a metal exterior, with Teflon coated interior to reduce friction, and clips or pins that provide expandability. Innovation – Prototype development offers several opportunities to find innovative design solutions to improve and address the goals of the product. Although a rudimentary prototype has been developed as part of the concept development process, it is not a functional prototype that can be tested to determine if indeed the design meets the standards developed by the product development team. Two major challenges have to be addressed. The prototype can help ensure that the design is the best method of expanding/contracting of the components rapidly that provides stability, limits friction to a minimum, and is durable enough for casual use. Secondly, developing a prototype will provide additional insight into the development of the most costs effective manufacturing process. Thirdly, this is a lifestyle product and as such, industrial design is critical to its success. What design elements will be most appealing to the greatest percentage of our target market? Will a simple metal exterior, with perhaps engraving or patterns meet our needs, or should we consider a wide range of designs with a variety of exteriors such as painting, colors, etc. Close

• 3. [Article] New Product Development: Amorphous Silicon Thin Film PV

  Q-Cells is a company founded in 1999 and is currently a global leader in manufacturing solar photovoltaic (PV) panels.[1][2] The current products use traditional crystalline Silicon (cSi) technology. Although ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: New Product Development: Amorphous Silicon Thin Film PV Author: Sheikh, Nasir Jamil, Bokka, Naresh, Rasiah, Rekha, Bourque, Greg, Natale, Rocco, Khamis, Rabah Year: 2010 Q-Cells is a company founded in 1999 and is currently a global leader in manufacturing solar photovoltaic (PV) panels.[1][2] The current products use traditional crystalline Silicon (cSi) technology. Although this is recognized as the industry leading technology, Q-Cells has set a goal to be the leader in next generation solar PV. We need to develop a process capability within our organization to support the design and development of industry leading second generation (2G) PV technology. The organization has created the Q-Cells NPI process, a modified stage gate phase model to support this new product development. The Q-Cells senior management has given their support to our defined product development lifecycle process. To achieve this goal of 2G solar PV, our new technology experts have been searching for new developments in research labs around the country. The rest of this report will document the process we propose for use by Q-Cells to insure a successful product development, from the idea generation stage, successively through definition, design, systems engineering and product engineering to full production manufacturing. Title: New Product Development: Amorphous Silicon Thin Film PV Author: Sheikh, Nasir Jamil, Bokka, Naresh, Rasiah, Rekha, Bourque, Greg, Natale, Rocco, Khamis, Rabah Year: 2010 Q-Cells is a company founded in 1999 and is currently a global leader in manufacturing solar photovoltaic (PV) panels.[1][2] The current products use traditional crystalline Silicon (cSi) technology. Although this is recognized as the industry leading technology, Q-Cells has set a goal to be the leader in next generation solar PV. We need to develop a process capability within our organization to support the design and development of industry leading second generation (2G) PV technology. The organization has created the Q-Cells NPI process, a modified stage gate phase model to support this new product development. The Q-Cells senior management has given their support to our defined product development lifecycle process. To achieve this goal of 2G solar PV, our new technology experts have been searching for new developments in research labs around the country. The rest of this report will document the process we propose for use by Q-Cells to insure a successful product development, from the idea generation stage, successively through definition, design, systems engineering and product engineering to full production manufacturing. Close

• 4. [Article] Development Log: Cool People Inc.

  The Development Log report will focus in a detailed description of the implementation process of the theory learnt in class in a real application for the product of Cool People Inc. There is an visible ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Development Log: Cool People Inc. Author: Upadhyay, Jubin, Alzamil, Ziyad, Charoensupyanan, Apisit, Pornsatit, Chakaphan, Soysa, Dinesh, Gomez, Fredy Year: 2012 The Development Log report will focus in a detailed description of the implementation process of the theory learnt in class in a real application for the product of Cool People Inc. There is an visible gap between theory and practice, so the team had to manage different situation where either different tools beyond the ones explained in class were used or some approaches were avoided because of lack of applicability. This report is broken down in different sections that match the flow of the book, and it explains the process and main barriers to implement the material learnt in class in the development of our new product. Title: Development Log: Cool People Inc. Author: Upadhyay, Jubin, Alzamil, Ziyad, Charoensupyanan, Apisit, Pornsatit, Chakaphan, Soysa, Dinesh, Gomez, Fredy Year: 2012 The Development Log report will focus in a detailed description of the implementation process of the theory learnt in class in a real application for the product of Cool People Inc. There is an visible gap between theory and practice, so the team had to manage different situation where either different tools beyond the ones explained in class were used or some approaches were avoided because of lack of applicability. This report is broken down in different sections that match the flow of the book, and it explains the process and main barriers to implement the material learnt in class in the development of our new product. Close

• 5. [Article] Project Selection for New Product Development utilizing a Hierarchical Decision Model

  Evaluation and selection of new projects is vital to the health of an organization. This paper explores the background of new project selection and the methodologies to evaluate new projects for selection. ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Project Selection for New Product Development utilizing a Hierarchical Decision Model Author: Gomez, Fredy, Lai, Ho-Min, Ball, Larry, Alawini, Abdussalam Year: 2010 Evaluation and selection of new projects is vital to the health of an organization. This paper explores the background of new project selection and the methodologies to evaluate new projects for selection. To illustrate the process, a new product selection evaluation is performed for North African Food Products (NAFP) using a Hierarchical Decision Model (HDM). NAFP is the pseudonym for an existing confidential food products company in North Africa. Two improved existing and eight new products were evaluated using the pair wise comparison method. HDM experts were consulted for construction of the model. Five products were selected for consideration by NAFP managers. The research methodology is discussed and appendixes for the data and interviews are provided. The new products selected for development were either improved existing or new products from NAFP‟s existing production lines. The results were validated by post survey interviews with the NAFP managers. Conclusions and suggestions for future research are also provided. Title: Project Selection for New Product Development utilizing a Hierarchical Decision Model Author: Gomez, Fredy, Lai, Ho-Min, Ball, Larry, Alawini, Abdussalam Year: 2010 Evaluation and selection of new projects is vital to the health of an organization. This paper explores the background of new project selection and the methodologies to evaluate new projects for selection. To illustrate the process, a new product selection evaluation is performed for North African Food Products (NAFP) using a Hierarchical Decision Model (HDM). NAFP is the pseudonym for an existing confidential food products company in North Africa. Two improved existing and eight new products were evaluated using the pair wise comparison method. HDM experts were consulted for construction of the model. Five products were selected for consideration by NAFP managers. The research methodology is discussed and appendixes for the data and interviews are provided. The new products selected for development were either improved existing or new products from NAFP‟s existing production lines. The results were validated by post survey interviews with the NAFP managers. Conclusions and suggestions for future research are also provided. Close

• 6. [Article] Calibration of Cookstove Sensors using Linear Regression

  Nearly one billion people of the world’s population lack access to safe drinking water.[1] This has caused severe health problems as well as political and economic problems for many countries. Climate ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Calibration of Cookstove Sensors using Linear Regression Author: Rahmatian, Laila Year: 2012 Nearly one billion people of the world’s population lack access to safe drinking water.[1] This has caused severe health problems as well as political and economic problems for many countries. Climate change has made it more difficult to access safe drinking water and is a result of black carbon (BC) and CO2 emissions. [2] The source of these emissions come from a variety of sources; among which are cooking with bio fuels and fossil fuels. Because of the negative effects of cooking, appropriate technologies have been implemented to reduce particulate emissions. However, monitoring of their utilization and effectiveness has not been properly accounted for leading to frequent failures.[3] The Sustainable Water, Energy and Environmental Technologies Laboratory (SWEETLab), at Portland State University (PSU), is developing a method of fixing this problem. The SWEETLab develops and implements technologies for the support of life in remote environments. A key thread of the SWEETLab’s research focuses on improving accountability and methodologies for international development through improved data collection. The goal of the SWEETLab is to proving the sustainability of efficient cookstoves by implementing an in-situ remote monitoring system,( called SWEETSense) a method of which has not been attempted yet until now.[2] Remote Monitoring can provide solutions to many of the issues around sustainability of water treatment, energy and infrastructure intervention in developing communities such as unrealizable survey data and relying on spot checks to assess performance. [2] The SWEETSense is designed to have a low power profile while maintaining high-resolution data logging capabilities. One valuable part of the SWEETSense is temperature sensors, thermistors. The thermistors trigger the SWEETSense to turn on whenever a cookstove is being used. The purpose of having a temperature sensor is to help minimize power consumption and allows high resolution logging of usage event while running off of compact batteries for a targeted minimum of six months.[2] When the SWEETSense is triggered on, CO and CO2 sensors will trigger, recording data as the user is using the efficient cookstove. The overall goal of the SWEETLab is to find an appropriate method of calibrating the SWEETSense. As the SWEETLab progresses forward in mass production, the SWEETSense will require a faster calibration process. For the focus of this project, the temperature sensors of the SWEETSense will be studied. The project goal is to figure out the best process of calibrating the temperature sensors using a calibration bath while maintaining a 3-degree error goal, set at four calibrated temperature ranges; 21.3 °C (ambient), 35°C, 60°C and 80 °C. Over the course of five weeks, variations of calibration tests were performed on the sensors using the calibration water bath however the problem found was that there was a large amount of time spent performing the calibration tests while little progress was made in calibrating the sensors. Title: Calibration of Cookstove Sensors using Linear Regression Author: Rahmatian, Laila Year: 2012 Nearly one billion people of the world’s population lack access to safe drinking water.[1] This has caused severe health problems as well as political and economic problems for many countries. Climate change has made it more difficult to access safe drinking water and is a result of black carbon (BC) and CO2 emissions. [2] The source of these emissions come from a variety of sources; among which are cooking with bio fuels and fossil fuels. Because of the negative effects of cooking, appropriate technologies have been implemented to reduce particulate emissions. However, monitoring of their utilization and effectiveness has not been properly accounted for leading to frequent failures.[3] The Sustainable Water, Energy and Environmental Technologies Laboratory (SWEETLab), at Portland State University (PSU), is developing a method of fixing this problem. The SWEETLab develops and implements technologies for the support of life in remote environments. A key thread of the SWEETLab’s research focuses on improving accountability and methodologies for international development through improved data collection. The goal of the SWEETLab is to proving the sustainability of efficient cookstoves by implementing an in-situ remote monitoring system,( called SWEETSense) a method of which has not been attempted yet until now.[2] Remote Monitoring can provide solutions to many of the issues around sustainability of water treatment, energy and infrastructure intervention in developing communities such as unrealizable survey data and relying on spot checks to assess performance. [2] The SWEETSense is designed to have a low power profile while maintaining high-resolution data logging capabilities. One valuable part of the SWEETSense is temperature sensors, thermistors. The thermistors trigger the SWEETSense to turn on whenever a cookstove is being used. The purpose of having a temperature sensor is to help minimize power consumption and allows high resolution logging of usage event while running off of compact batteries for a targeted minimum of six months.[2] When the SWEETSense is triggered on, CO and CO2 sensors will trigger, recording data as the user is using the efficient cookstove. The overall goal of the SWEETLab is to find an appropriate method of calibrating the SWEETSense. As the SWEETLab progresses forward in mass production, the SWEETSense will require a faster calibration process. For the focus of this project, the temperature sensors of the SWEETSense will be studied. The project goal is to figure out the best process of calibrating the temperature sensors using a calibration bath while maintaining a 3-degree error goal, set at four calibrated temperature ranges; 21.3 °C (ambient), 35°C, 60°C and 80 °C. Over the course of five weeks, variations of calibration tests were performed on the sensors using the calibration water bath however the problem found was that there was a large amount of time spent performing the calibration tests while little progress was made in calibrating the sensors. Close

• 7. [Article] New Technology Introduction Process: RFID for groceries

  The high level process consists of three major funnels and two key parts. The first funnel is “Discovery” in which the new strategic goals are communicated company wide at an all hands meeting. In this ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: New Technology Introduction Process: RFID for groceries Author: Artiga, Roberto, Intarode, Nuttavut, Lotfi, Theodore Nyma, Praechareonwatana, Nuttavut, Osman, Osman, Sell, Vera Year: 2010 The high level process consists of three major funnels and two key parts. The first funnel is “Discovery” in which the new strategic goals are communicated company wide at an all hands meeting. In this stage, the company starts identifying major opportunities available in the market, having as its outcome a prioritized project list. As an example, in the grocery market, different opportunities had been observed and RFID was selected as a potential opportunity in the prioritized projec list to use as a substitute for the traditional bar code. Based on our estimate it can create an emerging market worth 6 billion USD in 5 years. The second funnel is “Technology.” It starts with identification of core competencies needed to transfer technology from laboratory to factory and will end with a technology transfer plan which contains how to close the gap between what is required and what Paru currently has in-house. The third funnel is “New Product Implementation.” It is a hybrid process which will go for simultaneous product and process concept development. These processes are carried out with proactive integration and collaboration so by the time the engineering release is approved, everything is in place to go into large-volume manufacturing without any further delays. Paru will go through the above mentioned steps to produce and sell RFID tags. After the three major funnels, the next stage of the process is volume production. This stage does not only includes manufacturing but also all the activities for continuous improvement that result to solve problems identify during volume production as well as those activities to optimize costs, quality, and yield until a second generation product is released or a product goes into obsolescence. The following sections describe the details of each part of the development process; all diagrams are included in the appendix of this report. Title: New Technology Introduction Process: RFID for groceries Author: Artiga, Roberto, Intarode, Nuttavut, Lotfi, Theodore Nyma, Praechareonwatana, Nuttavut, Osman, Osman, Sell, Vera Year: 2010 The high level process consists of three major funnels and two key parts. The first funnel is “Discovery” in which the new strategic goals are communicated company wide at an all hands meeting. In this stage, the company starts identifying major opportunities available in the market, having as its outcome a prioritized project list. As an example, in the grocery market, different opportunities had been observed and RFID was selected as a potential opportunity in the prioritized projec list to use as a substitute for the traditional bar code. Based on our estimate it can create an emerging market worth 6 billion USD in 5 years. The second funnel is “Technology.” It starts with identification of core competencies needed to transfer technology from laboratory to factory and will end with a technology transfer plan which contains how to close the gap between what is required and what Paru currently has in-house. The third funnel is “New Product Implementation.” It is a hybrid process which will go for simultaneous product and process concept development. These processes are carried out with proactive integration and collaboration so by the time the engineering release is approved, everything is in place to go into large-volume manufacturing without any further delays. Paru will go through the above mentioned steps to produce and sell RFID tags. After the three major funnels, the next stage of the process is volume production. This stage does not only includes manufacturing but also all the activities for continuous improvement that result to solve problems identify during volume production as well as those activities to optimize costs, quality, and yield until a second generation product is released or a product goes into obsolescence. The following sections describe the details of each part of the development process; all diagrams are included in the appendix of this report. Close

• 8. [Article] Vizio Inc. Product Development Process

  Vizio Inc., which started with only 3 people in 2002, has become the number one shipper of LCD HDTVs to the U.S. consumer electronics market of 2009. They have achieved their fast growth by concentrating ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Vizio Inc. Product Development Process Author: Lim, Donggyu, Krampits, Mark, Letts, Matthew, Katarya, Nitin, Shott, Tom Year: 2010 Vizio Inc., which started with only 3 people in 2002, has become the number one shipper of LCD HDTVs to the U.S. consumer electronics market of 2009. They have achieved their fast growth by concentrating on their target segment and market. The founder started in the TV sale business and thought that he could sell to a niche market in the consumer electronic market, especially LCD TV. Therefore, he began to make an inexpensive, but high quality LCD TVs. Another key to his success is that he formed strong relationships with overseas TV manufacturers. While his competitors are selling the same products worldwide, Vizio focuses on the U.S. market. Vizio has developed a solid sales network and has established brand power. It has over 170 employees and over $4 billion in sales in 2009. Vizio is going to introduce a new technology, 3D TV, into their product line. It has been decided that a new process, a Phase Gate Product Life cycle will be followed for this new technology and others that will be produced in the future. Title: Vizio Inc. Product Development Process Author: Lim, Donggyu, Krampits, Mark, Letts, Matthew, Katarya, Nitin, Shott, Tom Year: 2010 Vizio Inc., which started with only 3 people in 2002, has become the number one shipper of LCD HDTVs to the U.S. consumer electronics market of 2009. They have achieved their fast growth by concentrating on their target segment and market. The founder started in the TV sale business and thought that he could sell to a niche market in the consumer electronic market, especially LCD TV. Therefore, he began to make an inexpensive, but high quality LCD TVs. Another key to his success is that he formed strong relationships with overseas TV manufacturers. While his competitors are selling the same products worldwide, Vizio focuses on the U.S. market. Vizio has developed a solid sales network and has established brand power. It has over 170 employees and over $4 billion in sales in 2009. Vizio is going to introduce a new technology, 3D TV, into their product line. It has been decided that a new process, a Phase Gate Product Life cycle will be followed for this new technology and others that will be produced in the future. Close

• 9. [Article] Codename: Bedbug An Implanted Tissue Glucose Sensor

  Biotronik, a global medical product company, has decided to enter a new product area to develop and market a glucose monitoring device to allow diabetics to measure their blood glucose levels without pricking ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Codename: Bedbug An Implanted Tissue Glucose Sensor Author: Zielsdorff, Casey, Liu, Ying, Bourque, Greg, Eshghi, Shahrokh Year: 2010 Biotronik, a global medical product company, has decided to enter a new product area to develop and market a glucose monitoring device to allow diabetics to measure their blood glucose levels without pricking themselves to obtain blood samples. This will be accomplished with a two part system composed of an implanted micro device utilizing silk circuit technology to measure blood sugar levels at the command of the second component, a wristwatch-like control and display unit. Since these two components will communicate using wireless technology, penetration of the skin to produce blood samples is no longer required. This system will allow the patient to monitor her blood glucose levels as frequently as necessary to enable more accurate control of her diabetes. This project has been given the internal project name - “ Codename: Bedbug”. Title: Codename: Bedbug An Implanted Tissue Glucose Sensor Author: Zielsdorff, Casey, Liu, Ying, Bourque, Greg, Eshghi, Shahrokh Year: 2010 Biotronik, a global medical product company, has decided to enter a new product area to develop and market a glucose monitoring device to allow diabetics to measure their blood glucose levels without pricking themselves to obtain blood samples. This will be accomplished with a two part system composed of an implanted micro device utilizing silk circuit technology to measure blood sugar levels at the command of the second component, a wristwatch-like control and display unit. Since these two components will communicate using wireless technology, penetration of the skin to produce blood samples is no longer required. This system will allow the patient to monitor her blood glucose levels as frequently as necessary to enable more accurate control of her diabetes. This project has been given the internal project name - “ Codename: Bedbug”. Close

• 10. [Article] Marketing Plan: The Cube

  Our product is a low cost ($1,299) three dimensional prototyping machine, commonly known as a “personal 3D Printer”. The product name is “The Cube” and is produced by 3D Systems, Inc. Our customers are ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Marketing Plan: The Cube Author: Eastham, James, Tucker, David, Smith, Joe, Julien, Alex, Bhendigeri, Sandeep Year: 2012 Our product is a low cost ($1,299) three dimensional prototyping machine, commonly known as a “personal 3D Printer”. The product name is “The Cube” and is produced by 3D Systems, Inc. Our customers are companies interested in speeding up their New Product Development (NPD) process by decentralizing their prototyping capability. Currently, firms design products or components using Computer Aided Design (CAD). Once the CAD design is complete, the file is converted to STL format (Stereo Lithography) and sent to an outside vendor or an internal prototype department. The outside vendor or internal department will create the prototype using an expensive 3D printer. The outsourcing process generally takes around 2 weeks at a cost of $300. Our system will allow each designer to have a desk‐top prototyping station, thereby reducing the prototyping time to 2 hours at a cost $10. 3D Systems is an established manufacturer of 3D Printers with an existing customer base. 3D Systems is currently a market leader in higher cost 3D Printers. The Cube is one of the lowest cost (sub $1300) products on the market designed for the consumer segment. The Cube stands out in the market as the lowest cost and easiest to use with established technical / customer support. The price of printer materials (Amorphous Thermo‐Plastics) and printing speed is comparable to other systems on the market. The Cube is not as flexible as some competitors; however the marketing team believes the majority of companies and consumers are not interested in an open source system which allows for manual “hacking” of the hardware and software. The primary competitor, MakerBot, targets the at‐ home hobbyist, while our product is more targeted to the mainstream user. Title: Marketing Plan: The Cube Author: Eastham, James, Tucker, David, Smith, Joe, Julien, Alex, Bhendigeri, Sandeep Year: 2012 Our product is a low cost ($1,299) three dimensional prototyping machine, commonly known as a “personal 3D Printer”. The product name is “The Cube” and is produced by 3D Systems, Inc. Our customers are companies interested in speeding up their New Product Development (NPD) process by decentralizing their prototyping capability. Currently, firms design products or components using Computer Aided Design (CAD). Once the CAD design is complete, the file is converted to STL format (Stereo Lithography) and sent to an outside vendor or an internal prototype department. The outside vendor or internal department will create the prototype using an expensive 3D printer. The outsourcing process generally takes around 2 weeks at a cost of $300. Our system will allow each designer to have a desk‐top prototyping station, thereby reducing the prototyping time to 2 hours at a cost $10. 3D Systems is an established manufacturer of 3D Printers with an existing customer base. 3D Systems is currently a market leader in higher cost 3D Printers. The Cube is one of the lowest cost (sub $1300) products on the market designed for the consumer segment. The Cube stands out in the market as the lowest cost and easiest to use with established technical / customer support. The price of printer materials (Amorphous Thermo‐Plastics) and printing speed is comparable to other systems on the market. The Cube is not as flexible as some competitors; however the marketing team believes the majority of companies and consumers are not interested in an open source system which allows for manual “hacking” of the hardware and software. The primary competitor, MakerBot, targets the at‐ home hobbyist, while our product is more targeted to the mainstream user. Close