FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
From Idea to Product:
Prototyping Speeds into Central Florida
Orlando, FL. (May 1, 2004) - Mydea Technologies, located at the UCF
Technology Incubator, is producing prototype products directly from
Computer-Aided Design (CAD) data using a process called rapid
prototyping (RP). This technology, also known as 3D printing, allows
Mydea Technologies to serve the growing needs of inventors, engineers
and manufacturing companies for cost effective product development. The
significant time and cost savings brought about by RP processes benefit
a growing range of companies, and even individuals. The results are
improvements in design quality by streamlining prototyping, tooling and
production. This, in turn, will help make the growing number of
technology companies in Central Florida stronger and more competitive.
“Rapid prototyping and manufacturing technologies are changing the
world of design and production by allowing companies to test, redesign,
produce and bring new products to market faster than ever,” said
Michael Siemer, chief executive officer and founder of the company. “We
turn concepts and designs into physical parts in less than a week and
sometimes within a day! For a large scale manufacturing company like
Boeing, for example, that savings can translate into literally millions
of dollars.”
Rapid Prototyping combines design, engineering and manufacturing into a
one step process to produce virtually any three-dimensional object in
the shortest time possible. The “object” could range from a critical
component for the space shuttle to a child’s toy to a wheel for a
thrill ride. Materials can range from plastics and rubbers to
high-grade titanium and sophisticated alloys; some processes can also
be created in color.
As a pioneer in the industry and former ride and show engineer at
Disney, Siemer has created a Rapid Production Network (RPN) of
practitioners and collaborators who can be called upon to answer
virtually any design or manufacturing challenge. This creates the
opportunities to offer the most advanced and sophisticated technologies
to their clients. Some of these tooling and production processes
have recently left research and development stages at universities and
are now being commercialized and integrated at many organizations
nationwide.
Mydea recently developed components for a prototype surgical instrument
in one day that enables orthopedic surgeons to manipulate and cut
sutures during surgery. “We developed the prototype for Ortheon
Medical, an Orlando-based medical firm. Their engineers were able
to immediately examine the tool and meet with surgeons for instant
design feedback. The prototype was also used as a communication
tool with plastic injection molders to determine required design
changes for mass production,” said Siemer. “They had visualized
the tool based on sketches and drawings, but even the best vision isn’t
as good as holding the object in your hands and seeing how it
functions,” he explained.
Mydea offers a free initial consultation to potential clients to
demonstrate how rapid product development technologies can meet
specific needs. The company provides assistance that may begin with a
napkin sketch, into CAD modeling and prototyping, and then to final
production.
“Rapid prototyping is being used for product design, architectural
models, medical and dental reconstruction, custom jewelry and a host of
other exciting applications,” adds Michael Siemer. “The future of this
field is exciting and it opens doors for concepts such as 3-dimensional
faxing, human organ replacement via 3D printing biological materials,
mass-customization and many others that are yet to come.”
About Mydea Technologies
Mydea Technologies was incorporated in July 2003 with a mission to
assist companies and individuals in all aspects of product development
including design and engineering, 3D modeling, rapid prototyping and
production. The company is committed to researching and utilizing the
newest innovations and technology for rapid product development. Mydea
Technologies is located in Orlando, Florida at the UCF Research Park.
For more information, visit http://www.mydeatechnologies.com.
Contact Information:
Matt Gilhooly, Mydea Technologies 407.737.1991,
mgilhooly@mydeatechnologies.com