The RP-ML Goes Physical

The First In-Person Meeting, April 1999


Copyright © 1999, Ennex Research Corporation. All rights reserved.

Background:

The RP-ML (“Rapid Prototyping Mailing List”) is a group of several hundred fabber (digital fabricator) users and researchers around the world. The group is an electronic “mailing list,” which participates in a daily exchange of questions, information, ranting, and humor related to fabbers. For more information on this virtual fabber community, see fabbers.com’s RP-ML section.


While some of the RP-ML’s most active members know each other from various industry conferences, most participants are real-world strangers. In April 1999, the first official in-person meeting of RP-ML members was held in conjunction with the annual Rapid Prototyping & Manufacturing conference in Chicago.

The meeting was organized by Dr. Rafael Santillan of CIATEQ in Querétaro, Mexico and Prof. Elaine Hunt of Clemson University in Clemson, South Carolina. In addition, sponsorship of the room and refreshments was generously provided by Mark Littlewood of Time-Compression Technologies magazine and Mark Bliek of software developer Materialize.

The following photographs were taken by Dr. Santillan. Click on each image to enlarge.

RP-ML group photoRP-ML meeting photo #3
RP-ML meeting photo #2RP-ML meeting photo #1

These photos are posted here with permission of Dr. Santillan. They were selected, cropped, and reduced from a greater number of larger photos posted by him on his ftp server, where the original photos may be found and downloaded.

The following outline drawing provides index numbers to identify the people at the meeting. Click on the drawing to view it at an enlarged scale suitable for reading the numbers. The names of known people are listed below.

RP-ML group photo outline
(Click on the outline drawing to view it at an enlarged scale suitable for reading the numbers.)

#NameOrganizationRegion
1Simon MarriottSilhouette DesignsVictoria, Australia
4Mark LittlewoodTime-Compression TechnologiesEngland, UK
5Michael LitscherThe Frantz GroupOhio, USA
7Mark HornerThe Technology HouseOhio, USA
8Andy BalchThe Technology HouseOhio, USA
9Scott McMillanJavelin (formerly Lone Peak Engineering)Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
10Dave SalisburyAARKSan Diego, California, USA
11Lee Dockstader3D SystemsHong Kong
12Bob BechtoldHarbec PlasticsOntario, Canada
13David WimpennyRover (?? University of Warwick)England, UK
14Ariel Lijtenstain Brasil
15Marshall BurnsEnnex CorporationLos Angeles, USA
16Tom GreavesNew Directions Consulting (formerly of General Motors)Detroit, USA
17Brock RooneyBrock Rooney AssociatesDetroit, USA
18Rex BrownAllied SignalMissouri, USA
19Doug Van PutteIndependent Consultant (formerly of Kodak)Rochester, NY, USA
21Alair GriffinJavelin (formerly Lone Peak Engineering)Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
24Robert OlsonMolexIllinois, USA
25Terry WohlersWohlers AssociatesColorado, USA
26Doug Groh3D SystemsDetroit, USA
27Peter HardroUniversity of Rhode IslandRhode Island, USA
28Ian GibsonUniversity of Hong Kong (formerly of Nottingham University)Hong Kong
29Rafael SantillanCIATEQMexico
30Beth IsraelnaimBecton DickinsonNorth Carolina, USA
31Daniel LipskerMicromod RPIsrael
32Amit BagchiMTD (formerly of Clemson University)Ohio, USA
34Tim BushPrototech EngineeringChicago, USA
35Joe FrantzThe Frantz GroupOhio, USA
37Kai Uwe KochFraunhofer InstituteStuttgart, Germany
39Gary BredaelParamount IndustriesPennsylvania, USA
40Frank IckingerPorscheStuttgart, Germany
42Al HastbackaSanders PrototypeNew Hampshire, USA
43Jim WilliamsParamount IndustriesPennsylvania, USA
44Vesna CotaAMPOntario, Canada
47Elaine HuntClemson UniversitySouth Carolina, USA
49Phill DickensDe Montfort University (formerly of Nottingham University)England, UK
51??? Jeff CannonJay R. Smith ManufacturingAlabama, USA
52??? Jeff TidwellJay R. Smith ManufacturingAlabama, USA
Present but not in photo:
 Dan MickishDSM SOMOSDelaware, USA