Because One Size Doesn't Always Fit All

Filtered Face Masks Now Come in Large and Small Sizes

To provide a better fit for smaller profiles, RapidMade now makes filtered face masks in small as well as large sizes. Adjustable straps allow wearers to secure the masks behind their heads or loop around their ears.

Masks: Face masks are made from durable, rigid plastic with comfortable silicone seals where they contact the face. Replaceable filters fit snugly within the mask opening. Masks can be cleaned with disinfectant. Replacement filters sold separately in packs of 4 (see below.) Adjustable straps with multiple sizes fit any face.

Filters: Medical-grade filters and gauze sandwiched in a rigid nylon frame. MBN95—53100 synthetic media (95% EFF) rated at 98% BFE is based on living organisms 1-5 microns. PFE is based on dead particles from 0.1-1 micron.

*LEGAL DISCLAIMER:  This mask is not an FDA-cleared PPE and is not intended to replace an N95 respirator.  It may not provide the same level of barrier protection, fluid resistance, filtration and infection control. Users should check the mask's seal for leaks, confirm that they can breathe through the filter material, only use filters that are rated to filter out at least 95% of very small (0.3 micron particles), exercise caution in surgical environments where the need for liquid barrier protection and flammability is a concern, recognize that the mask may not provide air filtration enough to prevent transmission of infectious agents, safely dispose of infectious materials and disinfect any part they intend to reuse.  Users are encouraged to wear a face shield over the mask to provide additional protection.

Oregon Chapter of Women in Manufacturing Shares Safety & Ergonomics Best Practices

WiM members enjoying the view before dodging rare Portland thunderstorm

The Oregon chapter of Women in Manufacturing hosted a panel discussion on Safety & Ergonomics, led by Sherwin WIlliam’s Purdy management team. In addition to participants sharing best practices, the event’s highlights included refreshments and networking on a Portland rooftop garden, enhanced by city and river views. Attendees especially enjoyed the magnificent thunderstorm which entertained everyone during their meal.

Upcoming events will include a financial presentation hosted by DeLap LLP, a local CPA firm and a tour and talk on 3D printing hosted by RapidMade, a Portland-based additive manufacturing company.

Contact Renee Eaton at reaton@rapidmade.com for more information about the Oregon WiM chapter.

Participants share safety and ergonomic best practices

Join WiM Oregon for a Lively Discussion on Workplace Safety & Ergonomics

WiM Oregon is hosting a dinner and roundtable discussion on Wednesday, June 26! Join us for a roundtable discussion concerning safety and ergonomic issues and best practices in the manufacturing environment. 

The event will include dinner, refreshments, and networking with industry professionals. We hope to see you there!

Date:
Wednesday, June 26, 2019

Time:
5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Location:
Vista Pearl
1150 NW Quimby Street
Portland, OR 97209 

Pricing:
Student: $10
Member: $15
Nonmember: $20
Registration includes dinner and two drink tickets.

Sign Me Up!

Design for Additive Manufacturing Workshop with HP and RapidMade

Learn how innovative design and HP Multi Jet Fusion 3D printing can improve part quality, reduce costs, and speed up production.

Where: RapidMade | 15883 SW 72nd Ave, Tigard, OR 97224

When: Tuesday, April 9th, 2019 | 9AM - 4PM

Additive manufacturing is rewriting the rulebook for product design, which is why RapidMade is teaming up with HP for a free all-day event about design for additive manufacturing (DFaM) on the HP Multi Jet Fusion. Engineers and product designers are invited to join us for a special workshop led by additive manufacturing experts to learn more about how to get the most from 3D printing.

Here's what you'll learn: 

• Why HP used the Multi Jet Fusion instead of injection molding to manufacture over 140 functional parts used in each of its new MJF 500/300 3D printers

• Identifying applications for additive manufacturing across your product lifecycle

• Training on the fundamentals of effective design for MJF

• Design strategies for MJF process optimization

• How the materials behave and what to consider when designing for each of them

• New design paradigms for additive manufacturing and the required mindset change

• Designing for value maximization (process and cost)

• Training on the fundamentals of effective design for MJF

• Live Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) demo and application examples to inspire you

This free event will feature breakfast and lunch, as well as the opportunity to tour our facilities and consult directly with specialists from RapidMade and HP.

Don’t miss out on this exciting opportunity! Registration is limited, so click the link below to reserve your spot today.

REGISTER HERE

Agenda

8:30 – 9:00 AM Breakfast

9:00 – 9:15 AM Welcome & introduction

9:15 – 9:45 AM Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) basics

9:45 – 10:15 AM Why 3D & case study of HP's adoption of Multi Jet Fusion technology for production parts

10:15 – 10:30 AM Break

10:30 – 11:30 AM Deep dive on designing for additive manufacturing – strategy, guidelines, materials, considerations, machining & threads, bonding, process control, etc.

11:30 AM – 12:00 PM Cases for tooling and final part production – urethane casting, thermoforming, fluidics management, industrial applications & electric vehicle examples

12:00 – 1:00 PM Lunch

1:00 – 3:00 PM Applications discovery workshop

3:00 – 4:00 PM Consult with HP and RapidMade experts on your parts

We look forward to seeing you!

Can't attend?
Get in touch with our 3D printing experts here.

Oregon's Chapter of Women in Manufacturing Tours Johnson Controls

Johnson Controls hosts Women in Manufacturing Group

Oregon members of Women in Manufacturing enjoyed learning how batteries are made. Johnson Controls hosted the event, which included a tour, presentations, networking and lunch, in its Canby plant. The impressive operation will be fondly remembered every time participants start their cars on cold and rainy Oregon mornings.

Join Women in Manufacturing's Oregon Chapter at Johnson Controls Tour & Networking

Visit Johnson Controls with WiM Oregon!

Join WiM Oregon for a plant tour and networking event at Johnson Controls on Thursday, March 21! Johnson Controls has more than 100 years of experience delivering vehicle batteries to meet customers’ evolving needs. They provide batteries to global automakers and aftermarket distributors and retailers, and their global footprint, manufacturing capabilities, and value added services to deliver high quality products to customers in support of their growth, wherever they are located.  

We'll enjoy at plant tour of the Johnson Controls Canby facility, a light lunch, and networking with the Portland Workforce Alliance organization. We hope to see you there!

Date:
Thursday, March 21, 2019

Time:
9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Location:
Johnson Controls 
800 NW 3rd Ave
Canby, OR 97013
United States 

Pricing:
Student: $10
Member: $15
Nonmember: $20

REGISTER HERE

HP Multi Jet Fusion 3D Printing at BMW Group

The folks at 3DPrint.com recently reported that BMW Group used the HP Multi Jet Fusion to print their millionth 3D printed car part. According to the article, BMW Group has been using additive manufacturing technologies for the last 25 years. The number of 3D printed parts in their manufacturing operations has risen sharply, with an estimated 200,000 parts to be printed in 2018—a 42% increase since last year.

So what was the millionth part? A 3D printed window guide rail for the BMW i8 roadster. According to 3DPrint.com, the guide rail was developed in just five days and is part of the first wave of parts being printed by the Multi Jet Fusion for BMW. It’s far from the only part BMW produces using additive manufacturing, however. They also use SLS and other technologies to produce plastic and metal parts for many of their vehicles, including made-to-order custom parts for their customers. Per the article, Rolls-Royce, which is owned by BMW Group, currently uses 10 different 3D printed parts for their cars.

While many car manufacturers use additive manufacturing to produce tooling, BMW Group has been a pioneer in using 3D print technologies to create the parts themselves. They first started using 3D printers to make parts in 2010. In 2012, they began using SLS to manufacture parts for the Rolls-Royce Phantom. And it doesn’t look like they have any plans to slow down. This year, they built an entire Additive Manufacturing Campus, so keep an eye on more 3D printing innovations to come.

Here at RapidMade, we know firsthand how effective the HP Multi Jet Fusion is at manufacturing high-performance 3D printed parts faster and at less cost than any other 3D printer on the market. Still, it’s exciting to see world-class engineers like those at BMW Group taking advantage of such a promising technology.

If you’d like to see how Multi Jet Fusion printing or any of our manufacturing services could help your business, get started today by filling out our quote form. We’ll get back to you with a quote in 24 hours or less!

Oregon Business Magazine's Manufacturing Issue Highlights Gender Gap

RapidMade CEO Renee Eaton

Kudos to Oregon Business Magazine for its feature, Women’s Work, which details the chronic gender gap that continues in manufacturing. The article is based on interviews with female professionals in trade organizations, manufacturing firms, and higher education.

Together they show how improving gender representation requires a concerted approach from across the industry to reshape an institutionalized culture of gender-based segregation and redefine archaic norms of what work women can and cannot do.

Strategies proposed include:

• Advising businesses that diversity will ease the labor shortage and improve the bottom line.

• Promoting manufacturing careers to female students and professionals.

• Providing supportive networks, like Women in Manufacturing and Oregon Tradeswomen, to help women secure employment and businesses find and retain female employees.

• Breaking down the “bro culture” prevalent in manufacturing.

RapidMade CEO Renee Eaton, a Women in Manufacturing chair of its Oregon chapter was among the women featured in the article. RapidMade is a Portland-based additive manufacturing (3D printing) and engineering services firm.

RapidMade CEO to Speak at University of Portland's Women in Leadership Forum

Renee Eaton, RapidMade’s co-founder and CEO, will speak at the Women in Leadership Forum next Wednesday, November 7 from 7 - 8 PM. The free event is being held at the University of Portland’s Pamplin School of Business which is sponsoring the evening’s discussion.

The Women in Leadership Forum connects UP students with dynamic women who are leaders in the greater Portland community. The Forum is a place for sharing stories, building connections and supporting the development of women in leadership.

Prior to launching RapidMade, a 3D Printing (Additive Manufacturing) and Engineering Services firm, Renee Eaton was a university instructor at UP where she taught management classes for almost 8 years, so the engagement is a welcomed opportunity to return to campus.

RapidMade CEO Promotes STEM Careers to Skyview High School Students

RapidMade supports nConnect, a non-profit organization that connects professionals and schools, to promote career planning and college preparation. 

It's always great to get back into the classroom!  On Friday, RapidMade's CEO Renee Eaton  participated in nConnect's Speed Networking event at Skyview High School in Vancouver.  Students especially enjoyed seeing all of the 3D printed objects she brought.  And they loved hearing how additive manufacturing is changing the fields of medicine, aerospace, marketing and manufacturing - and how important STEM professionals are to the industry's growth and success.

These events are always a lot of fun for presenters and participants.  Based on the questions asked, there were many highly motivated first year students.

Afterward, Renee had a chance to meet the school's Manufacturing faculty and see their bank of desktop 3D printers.

RapidMade Attends Operations & Technology Management Symposium

Renee Eaton returned to the University of Portland's campus last week to attend its Operations & Technology Management Symposium.  Renee, a former management instructor at UP, always welcomes a chance to reconnect with faculty, students and fellow operations executives.

This year's event included Key Note Speaker Mike Malin, VP of IT Product & Merchandising Solutions at Nike, who explained his philosophy on managing technology given the acceleration of innovation. Other presenters included Vikas Sharma, an Intel Technology & Process Development Manager who talked about the trends and challenges surrounding Artificial Intelligence and Keith Burton, an Intel Director of IT Marketing Solutions, who described how his firm is using research, marketing and customer services to manage operations globally.

The annual symposium is always a great way to celebrate Manufacturing Month.

Hometown Pittsburgh's High-Tech Make Over...

Growing up in Pittsburgh, if you weren't directly connected to the Steel industry, you complained about the rotten egg smell and pollution.  But when the industrial giants went silent in the 70s and 80s, the complaints shifted dramatically to the economic tragedy that was unfolding - the flight of life-long residents and well-paying jobs.   Rhetoric from the recent election aside, Pittsburgh's manufacturing base is both alive and well...

“The Pittsburgh Regional Alliance (PRA) recently reported that in 2016 the manufacturing sector accounted for the most investment dollars ($6.1 billion), the most deals (50 companies expanding or relocating), and the most new and retained jobs (3,667).”

But as we've continued to see, the type and number of jobs that have been created don't resemble those of the steel-era in any way.

“Manufacturing is the most active sector in southwestern Pennsylvania,” explains PRA President David Ruppersberger. “But as technology and automation continue to transform this legacy sector, the reality is that manufacturing facilities will be smaller-footprint, high-efficiency environments where fewer workers, with advanced skills including STEM proficiency, will produce more goods. This is a trend that won’t reverse at any time in the foreseeable future.”

Hearing of Pittsburgh's adoption of additive manufacturing and other advanced technologies is encouraging if the resulting economic turnaround benefits the greater community.

Congratulations to Paper Packaging on Retirement After 53 Years in Business

Paper Packaging, Pittsburgh landmark, closes this week

This week, Paper Packaging closes after 53 years in business.  Why would RapidMade be marking this occasion you may ask?  Its founder, Dan Unico, who worked every day in 2D printing and box making, is the father/grandfather of three of RapidMade's owners.  

Dan, who also turned 90 this month, will continue to work along with his wife Joan, 85,  and two sons Ken and Mark to dismantle, crate and ship equipment to new owners.  In the spring, they anticipate - finally - retiring.  Maybe...  

Dan and Joan taught us that starting a business was - and is - a path to a better life. And we learned that lesson at an early age. As children, we would play in the factory, sometimes doing odd jobs until age and experience allowed us to "graduate" to working on the various print and die-cutting machines.  This was NOT additive manufacturing.  The work could be hard, dirty, and monotonous.

 It is a testament to Dan that his wife, three of his four children, one son-in-law and one of his grandchildren (so far) has chosen manufacturing as a career.  That is a legacy one can be proud of.  Happy Birthday and Happy Retirement!

congratulations!