Rapid Manufacturing, or rapid product development, is the coordinated activity of a team to bring a product to market as quickly as possible. Solid Concepts focuses on a critical component of that process – turning 3D CAD data into real parts to help your team realize their vision. We use rapid prototyping processes to develop physical objects from computer generated data. When prototyping is applied early during the product development process, teams realize greater success in their projects. Parts produced early in the design process are frequently used to help communicate a vision, fix design issues, test product function, or as visual aids.
The term "rapid product development" has often been applied to rapid prototyping processes, and encompasses a variety of technologies widely used to produce physical models, test designs, prototype parts, create patterns for cast urethanes, and for use as production parts. Materials differ depending on the technology but can include a wide range of plastics, urethanes, metals, and foam boards. Technologies typically associated with rapid prototyping include PolyJet high precision 3D printing, Stereolithography (SLA), and Selective Laser Sintering (SLS). CNC machining and cast urethanes are also frequently used for prototyping and for production parts, but aren’t included among the layer additive technologies typically associated with rapid prototyping.
Rapid Manufacturing can generally be broken down into processes that either generate rapid prototypes or production parts in limited quantities (short runs).
Rapid Prototyping quickly provides parts to be used for design verification, form and fit tests, concept tests, and presentation models. It frequently leads to building more robust prototypes and can move to producing short-run production parts. Whether you’re building your first concept model or need to get 50 units out quickly, a variety of technologies are available to produce prototypes, models, and parts during different stages of the design process.
Rapid prototyping processes are chosen for their ability to quickly turn CAD data into real parts. They’re most often used to create a small number of parts at high frequency early in the design process. Layer additive technologies include Stereolithography (SLA), Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) and PolyJet processes, among others. These additive technologies construct parts layer by layer. They are considered layer additive because they build from the bottom up, stacking and fusing each layer atop the previous layer. Unlike layer additive processes, CNC (Computer Numerical Controlled) machining creates parts with a subtractive process. Just like artists creating sculptures from marble, large blocks of material are "carved" until the final product is revealed. Cast urethanes (Solid Concepts utilizes their QuantumCast™ advanced cast urethane process) take the prototyping process one step further by producing production- quality parts from platinum-cured silicone soft tools (molds).
Some of these processes are also utilized for production parts. SLS is frequently used as a Direct Digital Manufacturing process. CNC parts and QuantumCast cast urethanes are often used when a short run of parts is required for a limited distribution or to begin production while tooling is being cut. Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic (FRP) is also used to produce short runs of large parts. FRP is a process in which fiberglass and an epoxy resin material are applied to a single sided mold resulting in large, accurate, strong panels.
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