Anyone with experience out there either first hand or dealing with service providers? Advice, hints tips etc.?
I have picked a few more customers for the product design side of my business and will need to provide some prototypes. I'd love to own a machine eventually, but first things first.

Cheers,

Alan

I've used Arrk a few times, good, quick service. I my experience, you can buy a load of rapid prototypes for the cost of a basic machine, plus different parts may be best made by different processes.

I have done quite a bit over the past year using the two machines we have in university. One is a powder and the other is a plastic. Pretty accurate if you get the job put through when the nozzles are new!

The guide vane and turbine disk in this turbine were made on a RP machine :-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yhb3lWJSIYc&feature=feedu

[Edited on 7/11/11 by tegwin]

I've recently bought stuff from this place:

Shapeways

They're in the Netherlands, so maybe not too convenient for you!