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TOYS 4 U.(Internet/Web/Online Service Information)
A CAD designer uses rapid-prototyping technologies to build customized toys
Toys R Us may have the market covered for mass-produced toys. But say you're looking for something different--a doll that looks like your daughter, for instance, or a miniature version of the first car you ever bought. Now your dream toy is only a mouse click away at ToyBuilders.com. "We custom-build toys of all kinds, from a child's toy to a missing part for an antique vehicle from a hobby set," says Karl Denton, the online store's founder. "We're offering consumers the ability to have whatever they want, which is possible through the use of 3D graphics, CAD software, and rapid-prototyping (RP) technologies.
"There's been a lot of discussion within the industry about where to go next," adds Denton. (See "A Re-industrial Revolution on pg. 18.) "But there's an untapped market out there of consumers as well as people in the manufacturing industry who don't know that rapid-prototyping technologies exist."
Denton started ToyBuilders.com last year after trying to satisfy his young daughter's request for a scepter and crown just like she had seen on television. Denton, an engineer specializing in rapid prototyping, replicated the child's sketch using SolidWorks' CAD software, then output the model using a stereolithography (SLA) machine. The toy was a hit.
Realizing the time had come to introduce the general public to the rapid-prototyping industry, Denton secured the domain name for the company's Internet site and began setting up his virtual toy shop. Since the virtual company began offering its services, Denton estimates that the Web site has been receiving approximately a million "hits" a month.
Potential customers submit their ideas through the Web site (www.toybuilders.com) and within several days receive a quote. Once the customer gives Denton the go-ahead, the toy is created. The price for a custom toy varies from $25 to $25,000, depending on the materials and the amount of design work involved. According to Denton, he receives approximately 500 requests for quotes per week, a quarter of which he is hired to produce. "There's a wide range of people submitting requests--from business owners who are unfamiliar with the technology to comic book writers who want their creations to sit on their desks."
Elf-like Magic
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