Research and Development in Rapid Prototyping and Tooling in the United States

摘要

This paper reviews the recent progress in the research and development of Rapid Prototyping and Tooling in the United States. Current Rapid Prototyping, also called Solid Freeform Fabrication or Layered Manufacturing, processes are categorized according to the form of material preparation prior to fabrication of parts. limitations of Rp and keys to the improvement of part accuracy, part size, build speed, and material diversity are discussed. Several RP based rapid tooling technologies and recent development in Rp equipment are also presented.