Re: [stella] Homebrew cart distributors

[Joe Grand <joe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

The per unit cost of rapid prototyping is WAY too high. The quotes I've 
gotten range from about $5 to $13 per set in quantities of 1000. Obviously, 
that doesn't fit the price model for a hobbyist community. If the per unit 
cost of RP can be brought down to less than $2 per set, then it could be a 
possibility, but unfortunately I don't think rapid prototyping will ever 
get down to the price points of injection molding.

With enough pre-orders for cart housings, the tool and shells could also be 
made, but I'm not sure I'm comfortable with that, as it requires people to 
pay money upfront for "vapor-ware", and even though I consider myself 
reputable, I've seen bad things happen (twice that I can think of in the 
classic gaming community alone)


Joe


At 03:14 PM 3/23/2003, Aaron Bergstrom wrote:
> We work some with rapid prototyping. For some objects, it is feasible to 
> rp it and use it as the final product. Since the 2600 cart case is a small 
> plastic shell, I would think that for the type of use these cases will get 
> that this may be a viable option. Have you looked into that possibility?
>
> Joe Grand wrote:
>
> > I have a design for a 2600 cartridge casing that I debuted at CGE 2002 in 
> > Vegas last summer. I had a model of the design made so people could check 
> > out the design, feel it, etc. Some pictures and description of the 
> > prototype can be found at http://www.pixelspast.com/homebrew
> >
> > Specifically, pictures are 
> > http://www.pixelspast.com/homebrew/images/2600_housing_01.jpg and 
> > http://www.pixelspast.com/homebrew/images/2600_housing_02.jpg
> >
> > I had more pictures on the website of the internal structure, along with 
> > a real mechanical drawing, but I took those down. It was brought to my 
> > attention that some people had "borrowed" my design, with my specific 
> > features I designed into the housing, and made their own design based on 
> > it. However, I haven't heard much about that recently.
> >
> > The cost of the tool is quite expensive and too much for one person (I 
> > feel) to put up to make the tool and a quantity of cartridge shells 
> > (around $10k). Since we would want to offer cartridge housings to the 
> > community for relatively cheap, there would be minimal mark-up to the 
> > actual manufacturing cost (basically the cost of the plastic) of the 
> > cartridge housing (say around $2 in quantity). The most costly part of 
> > the project is the tool/mold, which is an extremely accurate milled block 
> > of steel or aluminum that is used in an injection molding machine to make 
> > the parts. It would take at least a few years to make back the cost of 
> > the tool, so the whole thing is pretty risky.
> >
> > With the help of a few people each putting in some money for the tool, it 
> > would make the project more likely. I have a great mechanical engineering 
> > firm I've been working with and have contacts to low-priced, short-run 
> > injection molding houses to make the housings. As a matter of fact, I 
> > already have quotes.
> >
> > The design is essentially ready to go, but then I opened my piggy bank 
> > and looked inside.
> >
> > Joe


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