Rapid prototyping is the process of using computer aided design or CAD software to create a model from a solid sketch. There are pros and cons to using this technique. It can help you develop new products and parts quickly, but it has some drawbacks. Often the designs that you get through rapid prototyping do not look like the final products because they are too close to the drawing process. In addition, the process can be expensive.
A lot of companies are turning to companies that provide rapid prototyping services as an alternative to traditional modeling. A part from being fast, they are also inexpensive. There are also many examples of rapid prototyping success stories. If you think about it, the main reason why you would need to use a rapid prototyping service is because you are dealing with solid concepts that require a great deal of thought before you can get started on a piece.
A rapid prototyping service will ensure that the concept you come up with is workable. If there are any problems, the operator will be able to fix them immediately. Often, the faster you can start working on a part of a product after it is designed, the more likely you are to make the move to production. If you are buying parts, you will want to have them ready in advance.
Rapid prototyping looks at the big picture when it comes to manufacturing. Instead of simply moving on to the next step, it is looking ahead to the best alternative. With additive manufacturing, this is easy. The machines work in teams and the concept will already be mapped out before the first machine hits the milling machine. You can then run the machines precisely until you have the end result you want.
If you have a large part that you have to create, or even a large group of parts, then you might need to move the production line for a couple of days while the additive manufacturing process runs its test run. But then you can turn around and go back to your original idea and get another large part made. Because the product is done, the time you spend testing it will be time spent on making sure that it works and not wasted on trying to perfect the design before production.
The entire process, from conception to delivery, takes just a few days from start to finish. The whole point of rapid prototyping is to get a product created fast so you can move forward with your plans to manufacture that product. You should have a rapid prototyping service in place to help you with this process.