The Sweet Sound of Rapid Tooling/Vista Technologies

After traveling around the world and being inspired by a street musician in China, James Johnson, inventor of the RingFlute, decided to take the plunge and make the RingFlute concept come to fruition. After many hand-reworked creations of his circular flute design, James was ready for a true prototype that would launch his concept into production.

Johnson had Vista Technologies (Vadnais Heights, MN), a full-service rapid prototyping and rapid tooling service bureau, supply him with SL prototypes. The SL patterns worked well to check fit, form, and even function. When both SL halves were bonded together, Johnson heard the sweet sound of music pour out of the prototype RingFlute. He was ready for production to sell his concept to the world.

With a limited budget, Johnson used an online rapid tooling company to assist him in getting his product to production. After buying the first tool and having to compromise his design, the first parts did not work. Because tool modifications were not feasible with this company, a new tool had to be made. The second tool produced parts that needed more changes, too. Having already bought two sets of tools, his budget was stressed with no functional parts to show for it.

Johnson brought his design back to Vista Technologies and used their rapid tooling technology for his low-volume production. Vista made a 1+1 family tool and shot injection molded parts within two weeks. After the first parts were shot and assembled, a tool modification was required due to a design change, and the original tool was modified to meet the new requirements.

Vista Technologies supplied aluminum tools that were milled at 42,000 rpm. With high-speed milling technology and Vista's proprietary fixture system, these tools are made for quick turn and for quick modifications. They can be modified, polished, textured, welded on, and run to shoot 10,000-plus parts.

In assembly, the RingFlutes were initially bonded with two-part epoxy. The bond was not holding up to testing, so it was decided to join the parts by sonic welding. The original tools were again modified to add energy directors for sonic welding assembly. This method worked, and RingFlute launched into production.

James Johnson benefited by using rapid tooling. He was able to modify the rapid tools and get samples to prove out his design changes. Rapid tooling saved him money and time to market with the RingFlute.