RAPID PROTOTYPING

1.0 INTRODUCTION

 In many situations, especially those involving cutting-edge technology, new designs have unanticipated problems that are difficult to predict by modeling or simulations. When the performance of a new device is uncertain, an early development of a prototype can be useful for testing key features of the design, exploring design alternatives, testing theories, and conforming performance prior to starting production. Prototyping is typically an iterative process, in which a series of products will be designed, constructed, and tested to progressively refine the final design. It is thus essential to minimize the latency of each prototyping cycle so that projects adhere to the original design schedules.

Rapid Prototyping (RP) can be defined as a group of techniques used to quickly fabricate a scale model of a part or assembly using three-dimensional computer aided design (CAD) data.

Rapid Prototyping has also been referred to as solid free-form manufacturing; computer automated manufacturing, and layered manufacturing. RP has obvious use as a vehicle for visualization. In addition, RP models can be used for testing, such as when an airfoil shape is put into a wind tunnel. RP models can be used to create male models for tooling, such as silicone rubber molds and investment casts. In some cases, the RP part can be the final part, but typically the RP material is not strong or accurate enough.

2.0 WHY RAPID PROTOTYPING

 The reasons of Rapid Prototyping are

• To increase effective communication.
• To decrease development time.
• To decrease costly mistakes.
• To minimize sustaining engineering changes.
• To extend product lifetime by adding necessary features and eliminating redundant features early in the design.

Rapid Prototyping decreases development time by allowing corrections to a product to be made early in the process. By giving engineering, manufacturing, marketing, and purchasing a look at the product early in the design process, mistakes can be corrected and changes can be made while they are still inexpensive. The trends in manufacturing industries continue to emphasize the following:

ü  Increasing number of variants of products.
ü  Increasing product complexity.
ü  Decreasing product lifetime before obsolescence.
Decreasing delivery time.

Rapid Prototyping improves product development by enabling better communication in a concurrent engineering environment.