Rapid Prototyping

Introduction

• Rapid Prototyping (RP) techniques are methods that allow

designers to produce physical prototypes quickly.

• It consists of various manufacturing processes by which a

solid physical model of part is made directly from 3D CAD
model data without any special tooling.

• The first commercial rapid prototyping process was brought

on the market in 1987.

• Nowadays, more than 30 different processes (not all

commercialized) with high accuracy and a large choice of
materials exist.

• These processes are classified in different ways: by

materials used, by energy used, by lighting of
photopolymers, or by typical application range.
 The Rapid Prototyping
Technique

• In the Rapid Prototyping process the 3D CAD data is sliced

into thin cross sectional planes by a computer.

• The cross sections are sent from the computer to the rapid
prototyping machine which build the part layer by layer.

• The first layer geometry is defined by the shape of the first

cross sectional plane generated by the computer.

• It is bonded to a starting base and additional layers are

bonded on the top of the first shaped according to their
respective cross sectional planes.

• This process is repeated until the prototype is complete.

 Rapid Prototyping Technique

• Process Flow

3D Solid Data
Part Building Pass
modeling preparation

Reject

Redesign
Prototyping- What is
it ?

. Physical Model of the product

. Degrees of Prototyping
. Full Complete scale Model - functional model
. Scaled Model - functional/ simulated material
. Geometrical configuration
. Partial ….
Prototyping- Why?

 Visualization
 Design Change (iterations)
 Free Form Prototyping (complex
object fabrication/ visualization)
 Testing Fit/ Packaging
 Cost, Time, and resource estimation
 Process Planning
 First to Market -- Critical for today’s
industry
 Rapid production (concurrent
activities)
 JIT concept (0 Inventory)
 Rapid tooling / no tooling -- trend in
technology
Prototyping- Why?

Design verification
 Design for manufacturability
 Design for assembly
 Design for maintainability
 Design for reliability
 Design for Quality
 Design Parameters (Tolerances/ allowances)
 Concurrent Engineering
 Tooling
. Reverse Engineering
. Die fabrication
. Tool Path generation
 Limited Production
Classification of Prototyping Technology

 Subtractive Processes (Material Removal)

 Ex : Milling, turning, grinding,-- machining
centers .., when used for prototype
production
 Degree of automation vary
 Additive (Material Build-up)
 Ex : Stereolithography
 Degree of sophistication vary
 Formative (Sculpture)
 Ex : Forging, Casting, ..
 When used for Prototyping, it is usually
manual
Sophistication of Prototyping
Technology

Such Technology is known by different

terms, such as :
 Desktop Manufacturing
 Rapid Prototyping
 Tool-less Manufacturing
 3-D printing
 Free form Fabrication (F3)
Sophistication of Prototyping
Technology

 Fabrication process :
The process must take a material in some shapeless
form, and turn out solid objects with definite shape
 Degree of Automation :
High degree of automation. Since Prototyping is a stage
in a cycle, it is expected that the technology will enable
“automated chaining” to the before and after links in
the cycle.
 Ability to build complex objects
The more complex the build object, the more
sophistication in the technology.
Sophistication of Prototyping
Technology
 Tooling (no Tooling): Less tools is better
 One shot operations: No assembly of
parts, ..etc.
 Time: The less time the better it is
 The closeness to serve the purpose of the
prototype: Accurate representation of the design
 Flexible: Modifications, addition of parameters,
scaling
 Equipment: size, weight, maintenance..etc
 Economical: Both equipment and operating costs
 Clean, safe operation
 User friendly
Rapid Prototyping Processes

 SLS --- Selective Laser Sintering

 SLA --- Stereolithography

 LOM --- Laminated Object Manufacturing

 FDM --- Fused Deposition Modeling

 Others
Rapid prototyping Processes-
SLS
Selective
Selective Laser
Laser Sintering
Sintering
 Rapid prototyping Processes-
SLS

Application Range
 Visual Representation models
 Functional and tough prototypes
 cast metal parts

Advantages
 Flexibility of materials used
 PVC, Nylon, Sand for building sand casting cores, metal
and investment casting wax.
 No need to create a structure to support the part
 Parts do not require any post curing except when
ceramic is used.
Disadvantages
 During solidification, additional powder may be
hardened at the border line.
 The roughness is most visible when parts contain
sloping (stepped) surfaces.
Rapid prototyping Processes- SL
Stereolithograp
Stereolithograp
hy
hy
 Rapid Prototyping Resin
 Basic Polymer Chemistry
 SL Resin : It is a liquid photocurable resin
 Characteristics
 Fully 100% reactive component
 Energy efficient requiring 50 to 100 times less
energy than thermally cured coatings
 Polymerization : It is the process of linking small
molecules (monomers) into larger molecules (polymers)
comprised of many monomer units.
 As polymerization occurs (chemical reaction) many
properties changes, shear strength increase, density
increased as resin changes from liquid to solid
(shrinkage)
 Polymerization occurs in SL through the exposure of liquid
resin to laser. The layer thickness to be polymerized is
given by the amount of liquid which has been recoated
onto the part, and any excess laser radiation that
penetrates this layer acts to slightly increase the curing
of the previous layers.
 The important properties for selecting the resin has to do
with posture shrinkage and the resulting posture
distortions.
Desirable features of SL resin

 Improved Impact resistance (less brittleness)

 Greater Flexibility
 Improved photospeed
 Increased Strength
 Better overall part accuracy
 Electrical conductivity
 High temperature resistance
 Solvent resistance or vice versa
Some measures to reduce distortions

 Use high exposure and slow scan speed such that

polymerization is essentially complete under the
laser spot.
 Use resin with a faster rate of polymerization
 Decrease laser power to decrease scan speed for
a given exposure.
 Use low-shrinkage resin
 Increase layer thickness to increase the strength
Rapid prototyping Processes- SL

Application Range
 Parts used for functional tests
 Manufacturing of medical models
 Form –fit functions for assembly tests

Advantages
 Possibility of manufacturing parts which are
impossible to be produced conventionally in a single
process
 Can be fully atomized and no supervision is required.
 High Resolution
 No geometric limitations

Disadvantages
 Necessity to have a support structure
 Require labor for post processing and cleaning
Rapid prototyping Processes-
LOM
Laminated
Laminated Object
Object
Manufacturing
Manufacturing
 Rapid prototyping Processes-
LOM

Application Range
 Visual Representation models
 Large Bulky models as sand casting patterns

Advantages
 Variety of organic and inorganic materials can be
used
 Paper, plastic, ceramic, composite
 Process is faster than other processes
 No internal stress and undesirable deformations
 LOM can deal with discontinuities, where objects are
not closed completely
Disadvantages
 The stability of the object is bonded by the strength
of the glued layers.
 Parts with thin walls in the z direction can not be
made using LOM
 Hollow parts can not be built using LOM
Rapid prototyping Processes-
FDM
Fused
Fused Deposition
Deposition Modeling
Modeling
Rapid prototyping Processes-
FDM
 Rapid prototyping Processes-
FDM

Application Range
 Conceptual modeling
 Fit, form applications and models for further
manufacturing procedures
 Investment casting and injection molding

Advantages
 Quick and cheap generation of models
 There is no worry of exposure to toxic chemicals,
lasers or a liquid chemical bath.
Disadvantages
 Restricted accuracy due to the shape of material
used, wire is 1.27 mm diameter.
 Rapid prototyping Processes

• Other Processes
• Ballistic Particle Manufacturing (BPM)
• This process uses a 3D solid model data to direct
streams of material at a target.
• 3D Printing
• It creates parts by layered printing process. The
layers are produced by adding a layer of powder to
the top of a piston and cylinder containing a powder
bed and the part is being fabricated.
• Model Maker
• It uses ink jet printer technology with 2 heads. One
deposits building material, and the other deposits
supporting wax.
Rapid Prototyping Products