FDM

[matt111]

http://www.stratasys.com/NA/sys_fdmpolyJet.html

I dont know if anyone here is familar with FDM (fused deposition modeling), but for my team, it is a major timesaver. It was also a critical element in my team's Inventor Submission. While our Inventor model is not as detailed as some, we were able to use Inventor to directly design parts that were used on the robot. The FDM machine (our school owns a Stratasys MAXUM) can basically turn anything I make in Inventor into a physical piece made out of ABS plastic. We have been using this process to make parts used on the robot for two years now, and we may be looking to expand and offer our services to other teams. If you want more information or to see samples of how my team used the ABS plastic parts, come stop by the 1024 pit at St Louis, Boilermaker Regional, or Atlanta!

[Tristan Lall]

That is indeed interesting--if you can CAD it, you can make it out of plastic. What's the machine worth? Even if it were fantastically expensive to buy a machine outright, I could see many teams availing themselves of your services, if you do offer them. What are the maximum dimensions of the part produced in your machine, and how accurate is it?

[matt111]

The machine cost around $40,000 (that was the only number I could get the school to tell me about it). I think the actual work comes down to like $200 an hour of machine use, but we could charge much less. We have the MAXUM model, which is the largest available. It is 24x20x24 inches, I believe the it is accurate the to 5/1000 of an inch, but Im not 100% sure. There are some VERY complex and accurate examples on their site.
http://www.stratasys.com/NA/sys_gallery.html