Rapid prototyping is a great economic decision when it comes to creation of qualitative products in a short period. This technology is very useful for those industries that need additional details and parts of mechanisms to be produced fast and qualitatively. Due to the rapid prototyping technology, this fantasy of the past times eventually became a reality. Industries are supplied by the needed parts in due time and the quality of models is indubitable.
Different factors make it difficult to implement the rapid prototyping technology in a wide number of industries, despite its broad possibilities and efficiency.
The rapid prototyping process can be defined as the process of automatic creation of a prototyping model with the usage of computer-assisted technology, fulfilled by the different types of materials such as prototyping wax, powders, and fluids. The process would be also impossible without so called ‘layered technology’. It means that prototyping model is created by means of the growing of layers. Prototyping machine builds up these layers gradually until the model is finished. The layers are bonded by the layers of a special prototyping glue. There are some cases when prototyping machine creates three-dimensional model specifically. The process is based on two stages. The first stage is creation of the outer shell, which is hollow inside. The empty space is then filled with another material. After a model is done it undergoes the heat treatment which melts the outer shell down. As the inner and outer parts are done from different materials (the inner shell is usually made of solid materials, whereas the outer one is from softer material) the finished model is accurate and very solid. Due to the solidness of models, this technology is good for those models, which will be tested aggressively.
If a client wants to get more solid model, he or she should understand that better quality and solidness require more time. That is why rapid prototyping technologies can be different. If the future model is needed for demonstrational purposes, it is going to take less time than those, which will undergo aggressive treatment or will be tested in severe environment. So, what is the difference between these two technologies? The final result mostly depends on the type of material used for prototyping. That was the main reason, when rapid prototyping designer faced the problem of insufficient solidity and decided to try mixing of material. Nowadays the material composition is the key to rapid prototyping process. RP specialists have the basic formulas for getting the best results in prototyping. This approach lies in the basis of the mixed prototyping mentioned above, when the shell and the inner part are done of different materials.
To sum up, there are many techniques used in RP technology and the final choice, done by a client usually depends on the conditions of RP model usage.

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Tags: prototyping, rapid prototype