rapid prototyping
ABSTRACT
Rapid prototyping is a revolutionary and powerful technology with wide range of applications. The process of prototyping involves quick building up of a prototype or working model for the purpose of testing the various design features, ideas, concepts, functionality, output and performance. The user is able to give immediate feedback regarding the prototype and its performance. Rapid prototyping is essential part of the process of system designing and it is believed to be quite beneficial as far as reduction of project cost and risk are concerned.
The main objective of this paper is to highlight the merit, demerits, remarkable features and applications of rapid prototyping. The first part of this paper is a general overview of the rapid prototyping. The second part is about the types of methods involved in this process. Third part is about the advantages and limitations of rapid prototyping. Fourth part explains the future developments and applications. Fifth and the last part include the concluding remarks.
INDEX TERM
Rapid Prototyping
Methods
Advantages & Challenges
Future developments
Applications
INTRODUCTION
Rapid prototyping refers to a class of processes that enables physical realization of a shape without the use of any tooling or material removal. It automatically generates physical objects layer by layer, either depositing material or by changing the phase of material, directly from 3D CAD data. These "three dimensional printers" allow designers to quickly create tangible prototypes of their designs, rather than just two-dimensional pictures. They make excellent visual aids for communicating ideas with co-workers or customers. In addition, prototypes can be used for design testing. Designers have always utilized prototypes; RP allows them to be made faster and less expensively.
The first rapid prototyping technique became accessible in the later eighties and they were used for production of prototype and model parts. The
ABSTRACT
Rapid prototyping is a revolutionary and powerful technology with wide range of applications. The process of prototyping involves quick building up of a prototype or working model for the purpose of testing the various design features, ideas, concepts, functionality, output and performance. The user is able to give immediate feedback regarding the prototype and its performance. Rapid prototyping is essential part of the process of system designing and it is believed to be quite beneficial as far as reduction of project cost and risk are concerned.
The main objective of this paper is to highlight the merit, demerits, remarkable features and applications of rapid prototyping. The first part of this paper is a general overview of the rapid prototyping. The second part is about the types of methods involved in this process. Third part is about the advantages and limitations of rapid prototyping. Fourth part explains the future developments and applications. Fifth and the last part include the concluding remarks.
INDEX TERM
Rapid Prototyping
Methods
Advantages & Challenges
Future developments
Applications
INTRODUCTION
Rapid prototyping refers to a class of processes that enables physical realization of a shape without the use of any tooling or material removal. It automatically generates physical objects layer by layer, either depositing material or by changing the phase of material, directly from 3D CAD data. These "three dimensional printers" allow designers to quickly create tangible prototypes of their designs, rather than just two-dimensional pictures. They make excellent visual aids for communicating ideas with co-workers or customers. In addition, prototypes can be used for design testing. Designers have always utilized prototypes; RP allows them to be made faster and less expensively.
The first rapid prototyping technique became accessible in the later eighties and they were used for production of prototype and model parts. The