Clinkenbeard’s Fasterestest Blog addresses two key audiences:

1. The Rockford business, political, economic development, manufacturing, and aerospace-related communities;

2.  All professionals who wish to engage in a forum that focuses on any issues of “speed to market” as they relate to all areas in the product development cycle in relationship to metal casting, rapid manufacturing and rapid prototyping.

It is true that these key audiences are similar in scope to our other social media sites (Facebook, Twitter, and our Fasterestest Group on Linkedin), but this blog allows readers a forum to present more in-depth comments and more detailed lead topics. It is also the social media site where we have found that most Rockford-area business and economic conversation takes place.  So, we thought we’d perpetuate that with this mission statement.

With respect to our slogan, Fasterestest,” that’s simple: we operate under a speed strategy that creates a healthy sense of urgency in our workplace and allows us to deliver some of the “shorterestest” lead times on Earth for the manufacture of our customers’ products and prototypes.

So, please, join, participate, learn, teach and enjoy this site!  It’s ours as much as it is yours.

The Staff of Clinkenbeard

Related Posts

1. Clinkenbeard Named “Best in Class” by Aerospace eBusiness for its Use of Social Media at Paris Air Show
2. Clinkenbeard Will Blog and Tweet from Paris Air Show
3. Welcome to Fasterestest by Clinkenbeard
4. Clinkenbeard’s “Fasterestest” Lead Times Reflect an Industry in Transition and are Spotlighted in the June Issue of Foundry Management & Technology
5. Clinkenbeard Blog Aims to Create Value for Professionals in Metal Casting, Rapid Prototyping and CNC Manufacturing and for Rockford, Illinois, Business, Economic and Political Leaders

A very frank question.

You – our customers, prospects, friends and colleagues – have lots of choices for information these days.

What type of information should we provide that will incentify you to keep returning to this site?

Further, what will compel you to participate and share your expertise with us and this group’s members?

Thanks!

Related Posts

No related posts were found, so here's a consolation prize: Clinkenbeard Blog Aims to Create Value for Professionals in Metal Casting, Rapid Prototyping and CNC Manufacturing and for Rockford, Illinois, Business, Economic and Political Leaders.

Here are two good articles about the future of rapid manufacturing.

The first one is, “An Electronic CEO Fireside Chat With Ron Gustafson, Clinkenbeard,” on Product Design & Development’s website. In this article, PD&D Editor David Mantey asks Ron Gustafson questions such, What is the greatest challenge you’ve ever faced at Clinkenbeard?, What’s the method behind the “Fasterestest” madness?, What is the future of rapid prototyping and additive manufacturing?, and more.

The other article is called, “Realizing the Rapid Manufacturing Dream,” by Adina Shorr, CEO of Objet Geometries, and appears on Next Generation Manufacturing’s website. Shorr’s article begins, “Over the past seven or so years, the world of rapid prototyping has increasingly embraced digital technologies, bringing further gains in flexibility and even greater savings in time and cost. Some of these technologies and the accompanying materials can be applied in other realms – with rapid manufacturing as one of the promising avenues under exploration.”

Where do you see the future of rapid manufacturing heading?

Related Posts

1. Farnborough International Airshow 2010
2. Clinkenbeard’s “Fasterestest” Lead Times Reflect an Industry in Transition and are Spotlighted in the June Issue of Foundry Management & Technology
3. Clinkenbeard Blog Aims to Create Value for Professionals in Metal Casting, Rapid Prototyping and CNC Manufacturing and for Rockford, Illinois, Business, Economic and Political Leaders
4. A Healthy Sense of Urgency as an Element of Corporate Culture in the Rapid Manufacturing Industry
5. President of Clinkenbeard featured in Product Design & Development

Is it too early to discuss the Farnborough International Airshow 2010? Anyone making any plans for next year yet? It takes place exactly one year from now this week?

Related Posts

1. Some Thoughts on the Future of Rapid Manufacturing

Something’s kind of nippin’ at me today, and I wonder if I’m alone in my feelings?  It has to do with the response time I experience in doing business in a B2B context with more than just a few companies.

In addition to my role as project management at Clinkenbeard, I purchase a variety of raw materials consumed by the Clinkenbeard machine. To be honest, I have a difficult time finding companies who have a healthy sense of urgency needed to deliver products and services when I need them. As I speak with many people who call to inquire about the services we offer, I find that I’m not alone in this search for companies who possess this sense of urgency.

Clinkenbeard specializes in expedited delivery. Our clients have THE NEED FOR SPEED. We have developed a reputation for accepting the challenging deadlines posed by this group of clients. Maybe it’s that we are so used to meeting challenging deadlines and working in an environment of rapid response that we expect everyone else do to the same.  Or maybe I’m correct in my being under whelmed by the response rates and senses of urgency I experience in dealing with some companies today?

What has been your experience?

I believe that customers deserve immediate feedback. If I can supply information immediately I do so; if not I reply with a time estimate to supply this information, so that the customer knows that their email or voicemail has been received and the wheels are turning to supply the information they require.

With respect to manufacturing, the goal remains the same. We strive to supply quotations in 24 hours or less in most cases. Our staff has been exposed to a wide range of manufacturing processes, which allows them to identify the absolute fastest process for the part our customers need. Once we identify the Fasterestest process to make customer parts the rest will soon be recent history!

Related Posts

1. Some Thoughts on the Future of Rapid Manufacturing
2. Speed to Market Solution in Metalcasting: Employee Selection
3. Clinkenbeard’s “Fasterestest” Lead Times Reflect an Industry in Transition and are Spotlighted in the June Issue of Foundry Management & Technology

Clinkenbeard, a Rockford, Illinois-based rapid manufacturing and prototyping company, was named by Aerospace eBusiness as “best in class” for its use of social media during the Paris Air Show, which took place June 15 through 21.

One of Clinkenbeard’s key markets is the aerospace industry and Clinkenbeard’s Ron Jr. “Reg” Gustafson attended the aerospace-dominated show and monitored and participated in the company’s social media networking, which included a Twitter page (www.twitter.com/Clinkenbeard) and a company blog (http://Clinkenbeard.info).

Other participants on the Clinkenbeard social channels included customers, prospects, the aerospace trade press, local Rockford, Illinois, media, economic organizations, individuals from the state of Illinois, a number of participants associated directly with the Paris Air Show, and more.

Aerospace eBusiness also reported ( http://ludozone.net/2009/06/22/social-media-at-paris-air-show-by-the-numbers/) that Clinkenbeard had the third most active Twitter account of all companies tweeting at the show, out-tweeting companies ranging from Raytheon to GE Tech Infrastructure.

A week before the show, in a news release, Gustafson encouraged all interested parties to “join the conversation and participate.”

This call for participation was one of the likely reasons involvement was so great, Gustafson said.

Gustafson added that, “One of Clinkenbeard’s key metrics of success is our adherence to meeting and exceeding the time-to-market requirements of our customers. Our company slogan is ‘Fasterestest.’ We think our having communicated in a real-time mode from the show is a form of our ‘Fasterestest’ way of doing business. ”

According to Aerospace eBusiness, “Most of the big companies used Twitter in a ‘traditional’ way, simply as a relay for the press releases they had posted elsewhere. However, there were two exceptions. GE started using their accounts early and was very active on the community boards and other social media outlets well before the show started. Clinkenbeard (Rockford, Illinois), a small US manufacturer of complex cast and machined parts, was the best user of the medium in the industry class and was rewarded with great coverage including a television spot back in Illinois.”

According to Gustafson, both sites will continue to be active components in Clinkenbeard’s integrated marketing mix.

Social media company D.D. Griffith Consulting assisted Clinkenbeard in launching the social media sites and will continue to provide consultation to Clinkenbeard with respect to Clinkenbeard’s ongoing social media communications.

#  #  #

About Aerospace eBusiness

Aerospace eBusiness is a website operated by Ludo Van Vooren, a 15-year veteran of the aerospace industry.  Mr. Van Vooren blogs about eBusiness, Social Media, Internet Marketing, International Business Development, and Online Supply Chain Management.  He now spends the majority of his time developing the Internet as a communications and news vehicle for the aerospace and defense industry.

About Clinkenbeard

Clinkenbeard is a worldwide leader in the rapid production of complex castings and machined parts using a wide variety of plastics and metals. The company’s principal markets include US defense and government, aerospace, aviation, automotive, truck, marine and agricultural. Some of Clinkenbeard’s aerospace and aviation clients include Hamilton Sundstrand, Pratt & Whitney, and Rolls Royce. The patented Clinkenbeard® Toolingless Process is industry renown for producing metal castings efficiently, affordably and extremely fast. The process is based on machining sand cores and molds without the expense of tooling. All machining is done using CNC, which produces superior speed and accuracy.

#  #  #

Mark A. Ricotta
815.708.7254
http://www.linkedin.com/in/markricotta

Related Posts

1. Clinkenbeard Will Blog and Tweet from Paris Air Show
2. Clinkenbeard to Attend Paris Air Show
3. Clinkenbeard’s Fasterestest Blog
4. Clinkenbeard Receives Official ITAR Registration from the US Department of State
5. President of Clinkenbeard featured in Product Design & Development

An article published in the June 2009 issue of Foundry Management and Technology declares an industry in evolution.  The article asserts that speed to market is increasingly becoming an essential measure of success for rapid manufacturing and rapid prototyping companies. . .and their customers.

The article titled,  “Rapid Prototyping Speeds Up,”  spotlights Clinkenbeard’s (Rockford, Illinois, www.clinkenbeard.com ) business practices and operations, such as the company’s patented Clinkenbeard ® Toolingless Process and its “Fasterestest” marketing slogan and lead times, as successful responses to the relatively new yet critically important speed to market requirements of the industry and its customers.

According to the opening paragraph of the story, which was written by FM&T staff:

“Among all the problems that metalcasters face – quality, cost, competition – time wouldn’t seem to be too critical. However, depending on the production program and the technologies in use, time can make the all the difference. In fact, one producer of metal castings (Clinkenbeard) is making a bit of news because it believes speed is the key to its success.”

The entire article can be found here.

For more information, contact Ron Jr. “Reg” Gustafson, 815.226.0291,
reg@clinkenbeard.com

#  #  #

Mark A. Ricotta
815.708.7254
http://www.linkedin.com/in/markricotta

Related Posts

1. Clinkenbeard Named “Best in Class” by Aerospace eBusiness for its Use of Social Media at Paris Air Show
2. Some Thoughts on the Future of Rapid Manufacturing
3. Welcome to Fasterestest by Clinkenbeard
4. Clinkenbeard Receives Official ITAR Registration from the US Department of State
5. Rockford’s Kaney Aerospace Finalist for Prototype Development

Clinkenbeard is the worldwide leader in the rapid production of complex cast and machined parts using a wide variety of plastics and metals. We couldn’t find a word in the American dictionary which accurately defined the speed at which we do business, so we developed a prototype …Fasterestest. We think it fits perfectly.

Time to market is a critical measurement for today’s OEM. It determines how efficient and effective manufacturers are in developing, implementing and producing ideas.

The Clinkenbeard® Toolingless Process is industry reknown for producing metal castings efficiently, affordably and extremely fast. The process is based on machining sand cores and molds without the expense of tooling. All machining is done using CNC, which produces superior speed and accuracy.

Related Posts

1. President of Clinkenbeard featured in Product Design & Development
2. Clinkenbeard Named “Best in Class” by Aerospace eBusiness for its Use of Social Media at Paris Air Show
3. Clinkenbeard Will Blog and Tweet from Paris Air Show
4. Clinkenbeard’s “Fasterestest” Lead Times Reflect an Industry in Transition and are Spotlighted in the June Issue of Foundry Management & Technology
5. Clinkenbeard’s Fasterestest Blog

Ron Gustafson, president of Clinkenbeard, was featured in Product Design & Development’s Electronic CEO Fireside Chat. He was asked and answered a series of ten questions, including “What is the future of rapid prototyping and additive manufacturing?”, “What is the Clinkenbeard Toolingless Process?”, “What’s this madness about being the Fasterestest?”, and more. Read more here.

Related Posts

1. Some Thoughts on the Future of Rapid Manufacturing
2. Welcome to Fasterestest by Clinkenbeard
3. Clinkenbeard Named “Best in Class” by Aerospace eBusiness for its Use of Social Media at Paris Air Show
4. Clinkenbeard Will Blog and Tweet from Paris Air Show
5. Clinkenbeard Receives Official ITAR Registration from the US Department of State