Web-based quotation system for stereolithography parts

RP service bureaus or providers constantly face urgent requirements for price and delivery quotations on complicated RP parts. They are challenged to respond quickly and accurately with bids that are tailored to each customer's specifications. In order to satisfy the current quotation requirements of RP service bureaus and providers, this paper investigates and develops a web-based automated quotation system which can provide instant price quotations for stereolithography (SL) parts. Two quoting approaches which include the rough quotation based on weight and precise quotation based on build-time were proposed to determine the price quotation for SL parts. Furthermore, a Java-enabled solution together with web techniques was employed to develop the on-line price quotation system. Implementation of precise quotation method, as a typical module, was used to demonstrate the development of the system. The system offers a new choice for RP customers to allow them to quote instantly and compare multiple rapid prototyping processes.