A serious request, please help if you can.

[Chris - Nexus Eclipse]

As many of you know I am a student, I am currently studying Design & Technologyand for my final year project I have chosen to design and build an advanced paintball loading system, similar to a Warp Feed but a single unit.

I am currently in the research stage of the project and am looking for information on a whole range of things. These are based around the paintball market in general and not just the loaders themselves. Some of the information I am looking for:

Market value for paintball as a whole,
Market values for individual product areas, products or brands (markers, loaders etc),
Market size and growth by number of players,
Ratios of tournament to recreational players,
Company product information, catalogues,
Any other market research information,

I understand that market research information may be sensitive so any help you can offer on any of the above areas would be very gratefully received.

Or if anybody knows addresses of companies or people i could get in touch with that too would be great

thanx, Chris Summers

 

[SPARKLIE CHICK]

Chris ask Bully he has some of this for you I would also ask all the big industry guys ie diablo zap wdp also try air gun designs ect good luck with it see you at shoot the rainbow sparklie

 

[Chris - Nexus Eclipse]

yup, party at my tent. and i got a pic of you at campaign, but it makes you look shy.

mayby you could use it to deny any future alligations of outrageous activities

 

[Chris - Nexus Eclipse]

c'mon guys, your all on the pulse of paintball and must know a few people i could talk to about market figures??????

guys!!!?!?!!, c'mon guys.....

 

[Buddha 3]

Well, it's not really our business to publish someone else's figures. Why don't you try getting them straight from the horse's mouth? Get in touch with companies, send some mail to Steve Bull, he seems to be in the know about the UK. Drop a line to Chuck Hendsch via the NPPL site, he might be able to shed some light on the US market.

Hope that helped at least a bit.

 

[Chris - Nexus Eclipse]

yeah i have two plans of attack, on is to email companies and one is to ask on here.

but chuck, i never thought of him, if id thought id have mentioned it at campaign...durrr

thanx dude

 

[Munkeh]

Chris... Build a loader??? theyre kinda complicated! I was just wondering how you would build the shell? Because im pretty sure theyre done by injection moulding! The only way we could build a shell in my School for D&T would be to vacuum form it! Not the Easiest of ways to do it! Let me know how ur gonna do it! Would be interesting!

 

[Chris - Nexus Eclipse]

lol, least somebody is on the ball, yup, they are produced by injection moulding.....and yes i am going to do it by vacuum forming.

but i have a back up plan......to make a mould to vacuum form im gonna basicaly make the model out of MDF then cut it in half for the two moulds..........as a back up im going to then stick em back together and make it up as a concept model.

the electronics i will make up and have on a stand on theit own if i cant get the plastic shells to work.

is gonna be hard but thats y i chose the project in the first place, it used to be just an agitation system for hoppers in general (grain etc.)

so yeah thats about it.

P.S. any information that may help that you dont want to put up on this thread but are still willing to give me in confidence you can send to

P8ntball2k@hotmail.com

meeee

thanx

 

[Munkeh]

See if you can get your hands on some styrofoam for the Prototype! Its nice and easy to work with! Make your prototype out of that, paint it and stuff then see if it would be possible to vacuum form it with a MDF copy! Im pretty sure you wouldn't be able to vacuum form that kinda shape! But its worth a try

 

[Chris - Nexus Eclipse]

i will be able to vacuum form a shape as long as it has no "under cuts" as long as i drill air channles in the mould then any shape is almost possaible.

plus im already doing mock ups in foam, helps me to re-arange the bits i need to have in the design.....well no need to tell you that because you obviously know.....lol