Rapid Prototyping: The Basics

Rapid prototyping is the unique and the fastest technology of creation the models of any object that can be later released to consumer market. Rapid prototyping technology is usually referred as RP, it is generally accepted abbreviation for rapid prototyping. Rapid prototyping is carried out using special prototyping machines that are capable of creating rapid prototyping models very fast – from several hours to several days, depending on the complexity of the object produced. The rapid prototyping technology has several names that are commonly used by those who are engaged in RP. Among these names are:

- Solid freeform fabrication

- Computer-aided (computer-automated) manufacturing

- Layered manufacturing

Rapid prototyping technology has many benefits and advantages, such as:

- Irrespectively of the type of the object being produced, the process takes less time than any other technology will ever do. Being intercommunicated with the computer, the machine will do everything ‘single-handedly’.

- The materials used for rapid prototyping can vary and even be mixed, depending on the desired result. Those materials can be RP wax, metals, liquids, powders, etc. They can be used separately or mixed in order to get the best result, which is a solid model that can be tested aggressively.

- The economy provided by RP technology is great. Creation of the rapid prototyping model can show all possible minuses of the product not after, but before a mass-production of the merchandise, which is very important.

Rapid prototyping machines are sometimes called 3D printers. The rapid prototyping process is based on the CAD that is deciphered as computer-aided design. The machine assisted by a computer uses 3D graphical model of the product to produce a real object. The whole process is being done with a laser that shapes the desirable features of a future physical object (model). As we have already mentioned, material used in the process of rapid prototyping modeling are different. Ceramic material, rapid prototyping wax, paper, plastic, metal, powders and so on and so force. There is no end to the list of materials used for rapid prototyping modeling.

The RP is an additive technology. Layers of materials are combined in order to create a 3D solid model of the needed product. The process of rapid prototyping is divided into several steps listed below:

Step 1. Creation of the potential model by means of CAD.

Step 2. The converting of the created model into stereo lithography format (STL).

Step 3. Slicing of STL file into layers (0.01 mm to 0.07 mm) depending on client’s requirements.

Step 4. The actual creation of the real model. A machine uses the material you have chosen to create a proper model by means of layer-by-layer technique that has been already presented above.

Do you know that rapid prototype can solve lots of technological problems about your business? Find out more about what rapid prototype is and how rapid prototype services can help to meed your technical needs.

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