2Phase Technologies Enables Custom Manufacturing at the Cost of Mass Production

Plastics and composite fabrication realize quiet revolution

LONG BEACH, CA, May 12, 2003 - 2Phase Technologies, the developer and manufacturer of reformable tooling systems (RTS™) for casting, molding, repair or fabrication of plastic and composite components, announces the availability of the RTS1000 and the RTS2500 systems. These systems provide tools in four hours or less with dimensional tolerances better than ±.005 that can be processed at temperatures up to 350F. The RTS1000 system boasts a tooling bed for tools up to 14"x 28" with a 8" depth. The RTS2500 system can form a tool as large as 42" by 60" to a depth of 18".

Established in 2001, 2Phase Technologies has been developing, manufacturing and selling RTS solutions to the time-consuming and expensive processes of tool-making, custom manufacturing and repair of molded parts. 2Phase's reformable tools utilize a state-changing material that in its liquid state conforms to the exact contours of any shape. The shaped state-change material can then be transformed to a solid and used immediately to cast a part or hardened within a few hours to form a stable ceramic like tool for high temperature or autoclave processing. The hardened tool can be maintained permanently or returned to the liquid-like state to be reshaped into another tool.

John Crowley, 2Phase president and founder notes, "We have been quietly changing the 50-year old economics of the fabrication and repair of composites and plastics businesses. Our customers are astounded at the simplicity, speed and accuracy of this system, and quickly see the flexibility it provides in short-run manufacturing, prototyping, and repair."

"Our tool eliminates the need for part-specific tool retention and storage for many industries, including for aerospace and aftermarket automobile parts," comments Ted Jacobson, founder and chief technical officer at 2Phase. "As a former product designer, I am envious of those product designers who are now able to quickly and inexpensively prototype their designs to better evaluate their viability and acceptance into the market."

2Phase Technologies is headquartered in Dayton, Nevada, with engineering and manufacturing facilities in Santa Clara, California. RTS technology was developed by a team of experts with diverse engineering backgrounds in composite materials and polymers, process and product design and manufacturing equipment development. 2Phase has several development programs underway for various branches of the U.S. Department of Defense, as well as with the Automobile Composites Consortium and the National Center for Manufacturing Science (NCMS).