Rapid prototyping is coming of age

摘要

During the last decade, a class of technologies has emerged by which a computer-aided design file of an object can be converted into a physical model through special sintering, layering, or deposition techniques. Called rapid prototyping (RP), or solid free-form fabrication, the major application for this technology has been early verification of product designs and quick production of prototypes for testing. Multiple prototypes can now be reproduced more economically by using the RP master as a pattern for creating molded or soft tooling. Interest in desktop (or more accurately, office) rapid prototyping for visualization and design verification is growing, but it is not yet easy to cost-justify.