What is rapid prototyping? Which industries can it be applied to?
What is rapid prototyping?
Rapid prototyping, as the name implies, uses additive or subtractive technology to quickly produce product models, sample models, and design models, and the faster the delivery time, the better. Although rapid prototyping, there are high demands on quality, tolerances, surface finish, or surface treatment techniques. To sum up, it is necessary to make prototypes and deliver them to customers quickly while ensuring the quality of prototype products, which has specific requirements for rapid prototyping manufacturers.Principles of Rapid Prototyping
The principle of rapid prototyping is to make your design ideas, product ideas, CAD drawings, through rapid prototyping technology, to help you quickly complete the production. Rapid prototyping techniques include:Subtraction: CNC Machining, CNC Milling, CNC Turning, Sheet Metal Processing Cut a piece of material into a prototype sample of your imagination.
Additive: 3D printing, 3D printing is three-dimensional printing, additive manufacturing technology, trial computer-aided design, and printing design ideas into real prototype products through 3D scanning.
Compression molding: techniques such as vacuum casting, compression sintering, etc. to die-cast the material into the prototype product you imagine.
Commonly used rapid prototyping techniques
CNC machining
CNC machining is a process method for rapid prototyping parts processing through CNC machine tools. Your design drawings (CAD) are controlled by the programming program of the CNC machine tool to control the rapid prototyping of CNC machine tools. Commonly used rapid prototyping CNC machining includes CNC milling. machining, CNC turning, CNC machining centers, etc.
3D printing
3D printing is a type of rapid prototyping technology, also known as additive manufacturing. It is a technology that builds objects by layer-by-layer printing based on digital model files and using bondable materials such as powdered metal or plastic. Use your design ideas to quickly make the prototype you need through 3D printing technology.
Vacuum casting
Vacuum casting is one of the rapid prototyping technologies, also known as compression molding. It is the compression molding of semi-solid or liquid materials through a forming casting mold before solidification. Vacuum casting is widely used in rapid prototyping and is suitable for metal powder materials. or plastic liquid materials.
sheet metal fabrication
Sheet metal manufacturing is a technology in rapid prototyping, also known as sheet metal processing. The main processes include shearing, bending, bending, welding, riveting, etc. The sheet metal fabrication process is widely used in rapid prototyping services for metal rapid prototyping.
What are the advantages of rapid prototyping?
1. Reduce product development costs: Rapid prototyping services can quickly turn your design ideas into product design models, help you test, improve product use effects, and help you reduce product development costs.2. Test the material properties of the product: When you make the design idea into a product model, you can test and check whether the materials used in the product can meet the standards, such as durability and material usage in different environments.
3. Test some functions of the product: Rapid prototyping service can realize part of the function of the product, for example, through 3D printing technology, you can realize part of the function of the product prototype, experience the operability and applicability of the product, and the compliance of the product in use, Test whether the product can achieve satisfactory results, improve the user experience, and optimize the product customer experience.
4. Environmental protection: Whether the developed product will cause harm and adverse reactions during use and transportation, the product model that can be produced by rapid prototyping can help you test.