The major problem with conventional forms of production was the amount of time taken. Procedures like CNC machining and plastic injection molding, as capable as they were, took up a lot of time. Solutions based on additive manufacturing came into existence, which were first limited to development purposes only. A prototype or blueprint design would be developed, only to be scrapped later on for better designs.

Here’s a look at what rapid prototyping entails.

The Process

Rapid prototyping is commonly achieved with the help of additive manufacturing techniques such as 3D printing. First, with the help of Computer Aided Design (CAD), the initial design of the product is developed. It can also be scanned and pushed onto CAD software for ease of use.

Later on, the design is fabricated with the help of a 3D printer. Various parameters, such as the polymer being used, the density of the structure, the weight it can support are all calculated.

Benefits

Removing Inefficiencies

The major advantage of rapid prototyping is that because of the cheaper additive manufacturing, it’s more than easy to reproduce the material in case of any design flaws. Iterative manufacturing is enabled with the help of rapid prototyping.

Any inefficiencies that are detected can easily be fixed in the next iteration, and it’s only a matter of coming up with an effective solution to begin working on the upcoming model. Until you get the job right, you’re free to repeat the process.

Faster and Cost-Effective

Rapid prototyping is commonly performed using 3D printing, which is easily the cheapest form of fabrication due to lower initial investment for machines and printing material. For low volume production, it’s easily the best alternative. Additive manufacturing takes up significantly less time than CNC machining or plastic injection molding due to a simpler process and requiring shorter heating, cooling down of production materials.

Get Started on Rapid Prototyping

At ConnektLLC, we enable businesses to easily take part in rapid prototyping for their new designs or overhaul of older versions. We’re operational in Grass Valley and Auburn, helping out with mechanical and engineering design services, custom injection molding, custom plastic parts, finite element analysis and consulting services.

You can reach out to us for your rapid prototyping as well as other engineering and design needs.