Over Packing Issues Resulting in Broken Models

Here lately ShapeWays has been getting rough in their packaging of models. Using tape to make everything super tight and neat. Sadly what is happening is models are being bent and broken. The model in my shop the Discoverys One and Discoverys One Revisited have both had some strange issues that have never happened before. They are being bent and being broken. While the areas effected at well over the posted and unposted guidelines for models.





As you can see the main backbone of the Discovery is 3.19mm thick And the tower for the antenna is 1.50mm thick. Yet because of rough handling during the packaging step, the model is being bent badly, and the antenna is being broken. This is not the first time. I have a customer that has had this happen twice now in the last 2 months. In fact my own print of my model the Discovery was bent way bad. Had to get steam in the kettle to bend it back gently. Now both of these sections of the Discovery are well over the posted guidelines for WSF, FUD and FD materials. When I went to The Service Team about this, they assured me that no one is being rough on models while packaging them for shipment. My customer has complained to The Service Team and they simply re-order the model for them.

At some point I fear The Service Team is just going to REJECT the Discovery model, claiming there is a fault with the model itself. And totally ignoring that the folks packing boxes are handling models roughly. I am posting this issue in hopes that this will get the attention it needs, and not just ignored and swept under the rug like it has thus far.

Rough handling of still warm models that have not fully cured only makes them fragile and more likely to break or bend. This needs to be stopped. Up until a few months ago I had never had an issue with the Discovery model. But in December and now in January, this has become a problem. It has made me wonder how many other models I have that were broken, and I had to change that were broken because of rough handling.

They shouldn't ship anything that's broken, at least without notifying you. I'd certainly agree that what your seeing involves either the packing or the shipping. I've forwarded this on so that we can review what is causing the issue and how we can do better. Thanks!

My understanding is nothing is being packed or shipped broken. It's happening during shipment. When you force wrap everything tight using tape and bubble wrap, it's causing the models to bend and break while in transit to the models new homes. This is what I am talking about. Too much bubble wrap, and they are taping it super tight around the models to make it fit in a smaller box, but with a large box's amount of bubble wrap. I call it rough handling.

The bending is not due to packing/shipping/handling. The bending is due to the model not cooling the model properly after the wax is melted off of it during post-production. I believe that it happens because the item is moved from the kiln to a cooler environment (human -comfortable) too quickly.

Long/Skinny items have a tendency to warp while cooling. You can straighten this out if you place it in 150 degree water and then gently straighten it, holding it straight while cooling.

I agree that you should not "have" to perform that step, (it should have been handled during post-processing) ... I'm just offering a way to fix it without waiting for a reprint.

Stonysmith,

Thank you for that info. It will be helpful. Sadly however the one Discovery I got for myself before xmas was in WSF material and it too was badly bent out of shape. I put that model in a jig and simply applied a room heater to that room for 2 days. At the end of the 2nd day the heater was removed because the Discovery had straightened out right. I left it in the jig for another few days while I was down with the flu, too cool correctly with an added support added to the jig to hold it in place. It's nearly straight now.

What I am getting at is, that your thought of heat for a FD and a FUD material Discovery, does not cover this happening with WSF material Discovery. I have several Discovery models since my original model went up over a year ago. This has never happened before. At least up until this past December. It has happened that I know of 3 times now. God only knows how many other customers it's happened too, but they never contacted me about it. When they started using the large bubble wrap and taping it, that is when I started noticing breakage that never happened before.

I don't know what the answer is to fix this. But they need to do something before The Service Team decides to shut my working model off, because of post production issues. IE rough handling in packaging and shipping. Sadly now that I have had some time to think about it, I think they already shut off a model for the same thing. But I can't prove it. Someone is handling models in a rough manner. And The Service Team has told me they are not. But can't explain how the damage is happening.

I have suggested before that they are removing models from the printer trays too soon, that it is causing them to end up with damage. I was told I didn't understand the process correctly, and was told they are given enough time. Personally I'd except a shipment being a day late if they just left the models in the printer trays for 4 hours longer to cure more, while being held in place by the material.

Youknowwho4eva,

Hello, you said nearly 11 days ago;

"They shouldn't ship anything that's broken, at least without notifying you. I'd certainly agree that what your seeing involves either the packing or the shipping. I've forwarded this on so that we can review what is causing the issue and how we can do better. Thanks!"

Have you figured out anything? I ask because more of the same model just finished being made. I would hate to have those arrive at their new homes and have my customers upset over the model being bent and/or broken.

I have not found anything out. I'll get some people on it. Let me know if you do have any issues, I'll be in NY end of next week. I'll give them several ear fulls for you.