Industries that use Rapid Prototyping
Benefits to Industry from Rapid Prototyping
Aerospace
Aerospace is a fast paced competitive industry where a single day can have a significant impact on production timelines. Prototypes are used to reduce the time to market and properly check fit and design of the 3d Model. In some cases the aerospace models themselves have been used in the production unit to avoid tooling costs all together.
Architecture
Architectural prototypes are used to sell ideas to clients, increase visibility for prolific Architects and also build a comprehensive portfolio for Architects that have not built many of their designs. Prototypes are popular with Architects because of the flexibility and time savings these 3D Models provide. A concept that may be impractical or expensive or difficult to prove can easily be made using a CAD model to show proof of concept. Prototyping can also be used to gain approval from clients on specific design aspects of a Model.
Medicine
The medical industry uses many scans to determine the underlying physiology of people, 3D Cad Models can give an over all picture of the situation. 3D physical parts are generated from drawings to produce accurate Prototype models of various bone structures to produce the medical models and important features needed to make critical life saving decisions. Doctors and Surgeons are able to see the results from CAD Models and 3D Modeling Prototypes to ensure they give the most appropriate and best quality of treatment.
Automotive
With ever increasing competition in the automotive industry, rapid prototypes play a key role in automotive development. CAD Models are used to provide prototypes with a very “production like” such as chrome plated models or soft models that replicate rubber prototype parts. Automotive Prototypes can also be sent around the world when there is a distributed design team working on a automotive prototyping project requiring physical models to be reviewed my many parties.
Academic Research
University students find prototypes invaluable as tools to test and fit their designs from scientific research to design school projects. They fit in well to the development cycle, CAD Models five instant feedback on design and function features that cannot be seen in a 2D environment such as a paper printout or computer screen.
Saving Time and Money
Plastic prototypes are routinely used to improve existing product designs or create entirely new product prototypes. These plastic prototypes can be used to highlight design flaws and increase consumer acceptance before spending any money on tooling that is time-consuming and expensive to fix if made incorrectly.
Many Prototyping Technologies are used to produce prototypes.
- FDM - Fused Deposition Modeling Services
- PolyJet - 3 Dimensional Printing Services
- SLA - Stereolithography
- Z corp.- 3D Printing Services
An increasing amount of prototypes are used throughout today’s design process, if you are not putting these amazing technologies to work for you, chances are your competitors are. Consider the cost savings and time savings that can be achieved by prototyping.
You can read about how Blue Lounge a leading California design firm has used rapid prototypes to increase their edge and build award winning products online here.
