Rapid Prototyping

• Used in the final proposal stage and the idea development stage
• Used to check any flaws
• Used to have discussions with the client
• Used for direct manufacturing
• Used to check ergonomics, aesthetics, function, moving parts etc.
• Methods of Rapid Prototyping

  • Stereolithography
  • Three Dimensional Printing
  • Selective laser sintering
  • fused deposition modelling
  • laminated object modelling
• An advantage of Rapid Prototyping is reduced lead times meaning its quicker to the market
• An advantage of Rapid Prototyping is accuracy of the model
• An advantage of Rapid Prototyping is the ability to edit and make changes to the design relatively quickly
• An advantage of Rapid Prototyping is model/components are made in actual material for testing
• A disadvantage of Rapid Prototyping is that they can be costly to set up and train staff
• A disadvantage of Rapid Prototyping is that they are unsuitable for large sized applications
• A disadvantage of Rapid Prototyping is that some important development steps could be omitted to get a quick working model