Gary 
McCain

McCain Participates in Research Project:  
Solid Modeling and Rapid Prototyping

Dr. Gary McCain, professor of marketing, chaired the second Computer- Integrated Design and Manufacturing Conference held April 9, 2002.  The conference was the culminating activity of a two-year, $308,000 research grant.  The grant was awarded to engineering faculty Steven Tennyson and Rudy Eggert to investigate and develop solid modeling and rapid prototyping practices in Idaho industry.  Dr. McCain served as co-principal investigator on the project.

The matching grant was funded through the Economic Development Administration and Boise State University.  The project has enabled Boise State University’s TechHelp and College of Engineering to establish a rapid prototyping facility located in Boise State’s Micron Engineering Center.  The facility’s design software and rapid prototyping machine produce in a matter of hours or days conventional prototypes, or models, that often take weeks and sometimes months to make. The rapid prototyping facility will reduce the cost of production for established products and help bring new products to the market faster.

Idaho manufacturers have been quick to take advantage of the rapid prototyping service offered by TechHelp.  Since the launch of the service in late September 2001, over 20 companies or individuals have had parts built or received assistance in developing their design concept.

McCain Presents Article in Germany

Gary McCain, marketing, presented an article titled An Engineering and Marketing Collaboration for Live-Case Technology Transfer to rural Manufacturers at the World Association for Case Method Research and Application in Mannheim, Germany, July 1. Co-authors were Steve Tennyson, and Rudy Eggert of the Mechanical Engineering department.