Lake Bluff, IL -- (SBWIRE) --05/18/2011 -- GPI Prototype announced that it will showcase and present its additive manufacturing capabilities at the RAPID 2011 Conference & Exposition in Minneapolis, Minnesota on May 23rd-26th, 2011. GPI Prototype will be located at booth 514 and be available to answer questions regarding additive manufacturing and rapid prototyping. GPI is committed to showcasing additive technology at industry events and informing customers of the benefits and cost savings of additive manufacturing.

On Thursday May 26th, 2011, Tim Ruffner from GPI Prototype will present "Rapid Tooling Using DMLS – Direct Metal Laser Sintering Technology" at the Additive Manufacturing Conference. The presentation will begin with a general overview of the DMLS process and move on to examine conformal cooling and the freedom of design it offers. Primary benefits discussed will center on cycle time and waste reduction, improved part quality, increased productivity, and overall cost savings. The presentation will conclude with pros and cons of DMLS vs conventional manufacturing and present real world examples of DMLS technology.

GPI Prototype has been a leader in the Prototyping Industry with its Direct Metal Laser Sintering – DMLS capabilities using the EOSINT M 270 DMLS machine from EOS. DMLS offers many advantages vs traditional tooling including the ability to manufacture complex geometries and shapes not possible with CNC machining.

In addition conformal cooling channels can be integrated into designs to dramatically reduce cycle and lead times and lower costs. GPI offers 8 material choices for DMLS including Stainless Steel, Cobalt Chrome, Maraging Steel, Bronze Alloy, Titanium Alloy, Aluminum & Nickel Alloy. Parts can be built in 20 micron layers with a turnaround time of a few days.

3D Printing is also offered by GPI using Objet’s 3D Printer. This top of the line printer can produce parts in 16 micron layers in multiple durometers or digital blends for outstanding detail and eliminate the traditional stair effect that is problematic with Stereolithography. For a wide range of applications 8 FullCure resins are available in both rigid and soft varieties.

Top-quality, accurate, clean prototypes can be built in hours and shipped to the customer in a few days.

Additional services include Stereolithography (SLA), Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), Room Temperature Vulcanization (RTV), Investment Casting, Tooling, CNC Machining, Finishing, Laser Scanning & Manufacturing/Packaging solutions. These services are priced very competitively in the industry while providing the best in quality and customer service.

More information is available on GPI’s full range of services at their website http://www.gpiprototype.com or by contacting a sales representative at 847-615-8900. GPI Prototype was founded in 2007 and employs 27 people from their headquarters in Lake Bluff, IL.