Computer

7 Pages 1747 Words

Rapid Prototyping

Rapid Protoyping Table of Contents Introduction………………………………………Page 3 Discussion………………………………………..Page 4 Conclusion………………………………………..Page 10 Appendix…………………………………………..Page 11 Foot Notes…………………………………………Page 14 Bibliography………………………………………Page 15 Introduction Today many companies are under pressure to reduce lead time for new product introductions. This is especially true in a market such as computer parts where the lifetime of a product is short. Companies are always searching for a way to create products faster and more efficiently. One tool that allows companies to cut the time between a product concept to launching the product is rapid prototyping. The rapid prototyping (RP) process generally consists of seven steps. These steps are listed below: 1. The RP equipment imports model data from a CAD/CAM file 2. The RP equipment creates a cross-section of the model using different techniques 3. The RP equipment uses the cross-section to build up the model layer-by-layer 4. The process is repeated until the model is complete 5. The model is removed from the RP equipment 6. Depending on the technology used, some models need to cure in ultraviolet ovens 7. Models are then machined to their final finish Rapid prototyping allows models to be created within hours. The hand carved models of the past could take weeks, even months to complete. Currently RP is only used for prototyping. Many people hope that someday it will replace the traditional production line. Discussion The declining cost of computers has changed the way a factory works. An increase in use of computers has aided in the advancement of computer-related areas such as computer-aided design (CAD), computer-aided Manufacturing (CAM) and Computer Numerical Control (CNC). Rapid Prototypi...