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Rapid Prototyping

prototypes

Rapid Prototyping is a group of techniques used to quickly fabricate a product. This essentially consists in transforming 3D CAD data into real parts. Parts can thus be produced during design and can be used to help communicate on a product, solve design problems, test a product functionalities, or be used as a visual medium.

Rapid prototyping integrates three essential concepts: time, cost and complexity of shapes.

  • Time : the objective of rapid prototyping is to quickly make models, with the aim of reducing product development time..
  • Cost : rapid prototyping enables prototyping without the need to expensive tools, while ensuring the performance of the final product. It is therefore possible to explore different variations of the product being developed in order to select the most appropriate solution.
  • Complexity of shapes : additive manufacturing machines are able to achieve extremely complex shapes (inclusion, cavity...), unachievable by conventionnal methods such as machining for example.

Rapid prototyping covers a variety of technologies that are increasingly used to produce physical models, prototype workpieces and thus test them "in real". The materials used vary according to the technology used, and include a wide range of plastics, epoxy or urethane resins, metals and foam panels.

The technologies generally associated with rapid prototyping include 3D printing, HSM , or resin/ metal casting. However, the term rapid prorotypage is typically associated with layer additive manufacturing techniques used by 3D printers.

The democratization of rapid prototyping extends its use to the manufacture of production parts in small series. This is known as rapid manufacturing.

Layer additive manufacturing includes, among others, stereotography (SLA), plastic or metal powders sintering (SLS), fused deposition modeling (FDM) or Polyjet.

The casting of resin or metal (under pressure or under vacuum) consists, as the name suggests, to pour directly into a mold (in silicone for resin, and in plaster for metal) the desired material. Small series can be produced by this technique.

Each technology has its advantages and drawbacks (more or less precision, printing duration, parts dimensions, cost, etc.) that must be considered, that is why we recommend to seek advice from us for your projects intended for 3D printing.