RAPID PROTOTYPING

SEMINAR REPORT
Submitted by

NIMESH CS (TCR18PE020)

To

APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University

in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the
award of B.Tech Degree in Production Engineering.

DEPARTMENT OF PRODUCTION ENGINEERING

GOVERNMENT ENGINEERING COLLEGE THRISSUR
KERALA – 680009

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 GOVERNMENT ENGINEERING COLLEGE
THRISSUR
THRISSUR, KERALA STATE, PIN 680009

CERTIFICATE

Certified that this report entitled ‘RAPID PROTOTYPING’ is the report of seminar
presented by NIMESH C S, TCR18PE020 during 2021-2022 in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the award of the Degree of Bachelor of Technology in Production
Engineering of the APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University.

Staff- in-charge

Head of the Department

Dept. of Production Engineering.
Govt. Engineering College, Thrissur
Date:

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 DECLARATION
I, NIMESH C S hereby declare that, this project report entitled Rapid Prototyping
is the Bonafide work of mine carried out under the supervision of D r . Manjith
Kumar, Department of Production Engineering. I declare that, to the best of my
knowledge, the work reported herein does not form part of any other project report
or dissertation on the basis of which a degree or award was conferred on an earlier
occasion to any other candidate.

The content of this report is not being presented by any other student to this or any
other University for the award of a degree.

Signature:

Name of the Student: NIMESH C S

Uni. Register No: TCR18PE020

Signature(s):

Name of Guide(s): Dr.MANJITH KUMAR

Place: Thrissur
Date

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I express my sincere gratitude to Dr. MANJITH KUMAR B,

Professor, Department of Production Engineering for his excellent
guidance, positive criticism and valuable comments. I am greatly
thankful to Dr. Sujatha I, Head of production Engineering Department
for his support and cooperation.

I am extremely grateful to all the other faculty members for helping me

to complete the Seminar.

Place:Thrissur Nimesh C S
Date:

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 ABSTRACT

Rapid prototyping (RP) can be defined as a group of techniques used to quickly fabricate a scale
model of a part or assembly using 3-dimensional computer aided design (CAD) data.

The first commercial process of Rapid Prototyping was presented at the AUTOFACT show in
Detroit (US) in Nov 1987, by a company called 3D systems, Inc. At that time, the process was very
in accurate, the techniques involved wave less and the choice of materials was limited. Since then,
RP has taken enormous? Now it has become one of the most widely used manufacturing technique
in industries would wide.

The paper gives an insight to what is RP, the basic process and the important techniques involved
in RP, the need and application of RP in prototyping, manufacturing as well as in tooling. As a case
study, the paper discusses the impact of Rapid Prototyping in one of the most vibrant forms of
Indian economy, the handicrafts sector... The problems faced in this sector and the socio-economic
impacts are discussed in detail and the way RP, along with other techniques have been able to help
alleviate the problems faced by this sector.

Many Industries in India as well as the developing countries are still vary using RP in their
manufacturing process as they have certain misconceptions about RP. This paper attempts to clear
some of the misconceptions about R.P

In short, the paper attempts to prove, beyond doubt, that rapid prototyping is now a necessity rather
than a luxury.

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 LIST OF CONTENTS

TITLE

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER 2 BASIC PROCESS
CHAPTER 3 SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS
CHAPTER 4 NEED FOR SPEED
CHAPTER 5 RAPID PROTOTYPING TECHNIQUES
Stereo lithography
Laminated Object Manufacturing
Fused Deposition Modeling
Selective Laser Sintering
Solid Ground Curing
CHAPTER 6 APPLICATIONS OF RP
CHAPTER 7 CASE STUDIES OF RP IN HANDICRAFT
INDUSTRY
CHAPTER 8 MISCONCEPTS IN RP
CHAPTER 9 FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS
CHAPTER 10 CONCLUSION
REFERENCE

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vi
 CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
Rapid Prototyping (RP) can be defined as a group of techniques used to quickly
fabricate a scale of a part or assembly using three-dimensional computer aided design
(CAD) data.

The term rapid prototyping (RP) refers to a class of technologies that can
automatically construct physical models from Computer-Aided Design. data These
three-dimensional printers" allow designers to quickly create tangible prototypes of
their designs, rather than just two-dimensional pictures. Rapid Prototyping has also
been referred to as solid free from manufacturing: computer automated
manufacturing. and layered manufacturing. The first commercial process was
presented at the AUTOFACT showing Detroit (US) in November 1987, by a
company called 3D systems, Inc. At that time, the process was very inaccurate and
the choice of materials was limited. Therefore, the parts obtained where considered
prototypes.

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2
CHAPTER 2
THE BASIC PROCESS

Although several rapid prototyping techniques exist, all employ the same basic

five-step process. The steps are:

1. Create a CAD model of the design

2. Convert the CAD model to STL format

3. Slice the STL file into thin cross-sectional layers

4. Construct the model one layer atop another

5. Clean and finish the model.

First, the object to be built is modeled using a Computer-Aided Design (CAD) software package. Solid
modelers, such as Pro/ENGINEER, tend to represent 3-D objects more accurately than wire-frame modelers
such as AutoCAD, and will therefore yield better results. The designer can use a pre-existing CAD file or
may wish to create one expressly for prototyping purposes. techniques. This is identical for all of the RP
build

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CHAPTER 3
SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS
Rapid prototyping systems depend on CAD data to produce the parts. This is a critical requirement.
The rapid prototyping system creates a physical duplicate of the computer-aided design. Any lack
of precise geometric description in the design will show up in the physical model. There is no room
for approximation. The 3-D CAD solid or surface model is the starting point of the rapid
prototyping process. The CAD model must be completely bound on all sides. The solid model is
preferred; it is a geometric representation of a bound volume. The surface model often lacks the
data that connect the part's skin into a completely bound volume. Also, the surface model lacks the
capability to describe interior part geometries. All holes in the surface model must be i sewn to
enclose the volume. The most widely used solid modeling systems include:

• CATIA

• Unigraphics II

• Pro/Engineer

• Alias Designer

• STL File

The CAD data are then converted to the STL file format through a translator. The STL file is an
industry standard interface between 3-D CAD solid models and the rapid prototyping system. The
STL format was developed by the Albert Consulting Group for the 3D Systems, Inc.,
Stereolithography Apparatus (SLA), the first commercial rapid prototyping technology. The STL
file consists of X.Y.Z coordinates, which represent triangles. These triangular facets describe the
shape of a closed 3-D CAD model. The faceted surface of this model must be completely bound.
Any holes in the model can cause. STI. translator failure or defectively built parts.

A major concern with the STL format is in its representation of curved surfaces. Triangular facets
can precisely describe planar surfaces, but can create some complexity when representing curved
surfaces. A large number of facets will accurately describe a curved surface but will require an
extremely large file size. Using a smaller number of triangular facets would create an efficient file
size, but the model would lack accuracy and show the facets. Specifying excessive precision will
create an enormous. STL file and result in long processing times, whereas less precision will create
a less than accurate model. The challenge lies in finding the "happy medium".

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SUPPORTS

Most parts built with a rapid prototyping system require some form of support structure. These
supports sustain the part in place as it is being generated. The laser photopolymer-based systems
build the supports independent of the part. They are thin walls usually arranged in a web or grid
pattern. When materials change from liquid to solid, they shrink. This loss in volume results in curl,
which necessitates support structures. Also, any overhanging part geometries must be supported.

Solar Concepts (Loss Angeles, CA) is a third-party vendor of a product known as Bridgeworks.
This software evaluates the STL file model and automatically creates supports wirerever necessary.
Some rapid prototyping technologies do not require supplementary software to generate support
structures. Rather, they may use the raw material or secondary material for support.

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CHAPTER 4
NEED FOR PROTOTYPING

During the development process, one is frequently faced with the choice of either extending the
development time or increasing the resource in order to meet the deadlines. Under these
circumstances, time to market has been identified as a key factor in profitability; it is the
development time and not the cost that is critical for the results.

Different groups design, engineering, marketing, production must cooperate more closely towards a
common goal and work concurrently. The goal must be clear to everyone involved, and if
cooperation is to be effective, it is essential to avoid communication problems RPT allows a
physical model to be available a soon as a 3D CAD model ready. The physical model is a perfect
communication tool; if a picture is worth a thousand words, then a physical model is worth a
thousand pictures.

In addition, parts via RPT are more and more frequently being used for functional tests and for
obtaining tools that can be used for pre-series production tests. In this way. errors can be found at
an earlier stage when changes are not so costly. Requirements can be refined and better understood
leading to better products that meet the market demands. It has been estimated that using RPT
effectively, the development time for tooling can be reduced by half.

Another important aspect is the cost of introducing changes in the design of a product. In this
respect, development of a physical product does not differ from software development: the cost of
introducing changes increases significantly as one reaches the final stages of development. RPT can
be an effective means for evaluating a design before costly commitments are made, commitments
that affect manufacturing. In addition to prototypes, RP techniques can also be used to make
tooling (referred to as rapid tooling) and even production-quality parts (rapid manufacturing).

RP has obvious use as a vehicle for visualization.

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In addition, prototypes can be used for design testing. For example, an aerospace engineer might
mount a model airfoil in a wind tunnel to measure lift and drag forces. RP models can be used to
create male models for tooling, such as silicone rubber molds and investment casts. In some cases,
the RP part can be the final part, but typically the RP material is not strong or accurate enough.
When the RP material is suitable, highly convoluted shapes (including parts nested within parts)
can be produced because of the nature of RP.

The techniques are often collectively referred to as solid free-form fabrication, computer automated
manufacturing, or layered manufacturing. The latter term is particularly descriptive of the
manufacturing process used by all commercial techniques. A software package "slices" the CAD
model into a number of thin 0.1mm) layers, which are then built up one atop another. Rapid
prototyping is an "additive" process. combining layers of paper, wax, or plastic create solid object.
In contrast, most machining processes (milling, drilling, grinding, etc.) are "subtractive" processes
that remove material from a solid block. RP's additive nature allows it to create objects with
complicated internal features that cannot be manufactured by other means.

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CHAPTER 5
RAPID PROTOTYPING TECHNIQUES

Stereo lithography

Patented in 1986, stereolithography started the rapid prototyping revolution. The technique builds
three-dimensional models from liquid photosensitive polymers that solidify when exposed to
ultraviolet light. As shown in the figure below, the model is built upon a platform situated just
below the surface in a vat of liquid epoxy or acrylate) resin. A low power highly focused UV laser
traces out the first layer, solidifying the model's cross-section while areas liquid leaving excess.

Next, an elevator incrementally lowers the platform into the liquid polymer. A sweeper re-coats the
solidified layer with liquid, and the laser traces the second layer atop the first. This process is
repeated until the prototype is complete. Afterwards, the solid part is removed from the vat and
rinsed clean of excess liquid. Supports are broken off and the model is then placed in an ultraviolet
oven for complete curing.

Stereolithography apparatus (SLA) machines have been made since 1988 by 3D Systems of
Valencia, CA. Because it was the first technique, stereolithography is regarded as a benchmark by
which other technologies are judged. Early stereolithography prototypes were fairly brittle and
prone to curing-induced warpage and distortion, but recent modifications have largely corrected
these problems.

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 Laminated Object manufacturing

In this technique, developed by Helisys of Torrance, CA, layers of adhesive - coated sheet material
are bonded together to form a prototype. The original material consists of paper laminated with
heat-activated glue and rolled up on spools. As shown in the figure below, a feeder/collector
mechanism advances the sheet over the build. platform, where a base has been constructed from
paper and double-sided foam tape. Next, a heated roller applies pressure to hone the paper to the
base. A focused laser cuts the outline of the first layer into the paper and then crosshatches the
excess area (the negative space in the prototype). Cross-hatching breaks up the extra material,
making it easier to remove during post-processing. During the build, the excess material provides
excellent support for overhangs and thin-walled sections. After the first layer is cut, the platform
lowers out of the way and fresh material is advanced. The platform rises to slightly below the
previous height, the roller bonds the second layer the first, and the laser cuts the second layer. This
process is repeated as needed to build the part, which will have a wood like texture. Because the
models are made of paper, they must be sealed and finished with paint or varnish to prevent
moisture damage.

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Highlights of Laminated Object Manufacturing

• Low cost: Raw material is readily available.

• Large parts: Because there is no chemical reaction involved, parts can be made quite large.

• Accuracy in Z is less than that for SLA and SLR. No milling steps.

• Outside of model, cross-hatching remove material

• Models should be sealed in order to prohibit moisture.

• Before sealing, models have a wood-like texture.

• Not as prevalent as SLA and SLR.

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The excess material supports overhangs and other weak areas of the part during fabrication. The
cross-hatching facilitates removal of the excess material. Once completed, the part has a wood-like
texture composed of the paper layers. Moisture can be absorbed by the paper, which tends to
expand and compromise the dimensional stability. Therefore, most models are sealed with a paint
or lacquer to block moisture ingress

The LOM developer continues to improve the process with sheets of stronger materials such as
plastic and metal. Now available are sheets of powder metal (bound with adhesive) that can
produce a "green" part. The part is then heat treated to sinter the material to its final state.

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Fused Deposition Modelling

In this technique, filament of heated thermoplastic is extruded from a tip that moves in the X-Y
plane. Like a baker decorating a cake, the controlled extrusion head deposits very thin beads of
material onto the build platform to form the first layer. The plat form is maintained at a lower
temperature, so that the thermoplastic quickly hardens. After the platform lowers, the extrusion
head deposits a second layer upon the first. Supports are built along the way, fastened to the part
either with a second, weaker material or with a perforated junction.

Stratasys, of Eden Prairie, MN makes a variety of FDM machine ranging from fast concept
modelers to lowers, high-precision machines. Materials include ABS (standard and medical grade),
elastomer (96 durometer), polycarbonate, polyphenol sulfone, and investment casting.

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Highlights of Fused Deposition modeling

• Standard engineering thermoplastics, such as ABS, can be used to produce structurally

functional models

• Two build materials can be used, and latticework interiors are an option

• Parts up to 600x600x500mm (24 x 24x 20 inches) can be produced

• Filament of heated thermoplastic polymer is squeezed out like toothpaste from a tube

• Thermoplastic is cooled rapidly since the platform is maintained at a lower temperature

• Milling step not included and layer deposition is sometimes so "plane" can become.skwed

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Selective Laser Sintering

Developed by Carl Deckard for his master's thesis at the University of Texas selective laser
sintering was patented in 1989 The technique uses a laser team o selectively fuse powered
materials, such as nylon, elastomer, and metal into solid object. Parts are built upon a platform,
which just below the surface in a bin of the he fusable powder. A laser traces the pattern of the first
layer, sintering together. The platform is lowered by the height of the next layer and powder is
reapplied. This process continues the build. DTM of Austin, TX. produces SLS machines

Its chief advantages over Stereolithography (SLA) revolve around mal properties. Many varying
materials are possible and these materials can in the properties of thermoplastics such as
polycarbonate, nylon, or glass-filled nylon

An SLS machine consists of two powder magazines on either side of the work area. The leveling
roller powder over from one magazine, crossing over the work area to the other magazine. The
laser then traces out the layer. The work platform moves down by the thickness of one layer and the
roller then moves in the opposite direction. The process repeats until the part is complete.

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Highlights of Selective Laser Sintering

• Considerably stronger than SLA; sometimes structurally functional parts are possible.

• Laser beam selectively fuses powder materials: nylon, elastomer, and soon material

• Advantage over SLA: Variety of materials and ability to approximate common engineering
plastic materials.

• No milling step so accuracy in Z can suffer

• Process is simple: There are no milling or masking steps required.

• Living hinges are possible with the thermoplastic-like materials.

• Powdery, porous surface unless sealant is used. Sealant also strengthens part.

• Uncured material is easily removed after a build by brushing or blowing it off.

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Solid Ground Curing

Developed by Cubital, solid ground curing (SGC) is somewhat similar to stereolithography (SLA)
in that both use ultraviolet light to selectively harden photosensitive polymers. Unlike SLA, SGC
cures an entire layer at a time. Solid ground curing, is also known as the solider process. First,
photosensitive resin is sprayed on the build platform. Next, the machine develops a photomask (like
a stencil) of the layer to be built. This photomask is printed on a glass plate above the platform
using an electrostatic process similar to that found in photocopiers. The mask is then exposed to
ultraviolet. light, which only passes through the transparent portions of the mask to selectively
harden the shape of the current layer.

Apart from these techniques there are various other techniques like 3-D Inkjet Printing.

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CHAPTER 6
APPLICATIONS OF RAPID PROTOTYPING

Rapid prototyping is widely used in the automotive, aerospace, medical, and consumer products
industries Although the possible applications are virtually limitless, nearly all of them belong to the
following categories: prototyping, rapid tooling, or rapid manufacturing

Prototyping

As its name suggests, the primary use of rapid prototyping is to quickly make prototypes for
communication and testing purposes. Prototypes dramatically improve communication because
most people, including engineers, find three-dimensional objects easier to understand than two-
dimensional drawings, such improved understanding leads to substantial cost and time savings: As
Pran & Whitney executive Robert P. Deliste noted. "We've seen an estimate on a complex product
drop by $100.000 because people who had to figure out the nature of the object from 50 blueprints
could now see it. Effective communication is especially important in this era of concurrent
engineering. By exchanging prototypes early in the design stage, manufacturing can start tooling up
for production while the art division starts planning the packaging, all before the design is finalized.

Prototypes are also useful for testing a design, to see if it performs as desired or needs
improvement. Engineers have always tested prototypes, but RP expands their capabilities. First, is
now casy to perform iterative testing: build a prototype, test it. redesign, build and test, etc. Such an
approach would be far too time-consuming using traditional prototyping techniques, but it is easy
using RP

Rapid Tooling

A much-anticipated application of rapid prototyping is rapid tooling, the automatic fabrication of

production quality machine tools. Tooling is one for the slowest and most expensive steps in the
manufacturing process, because of the extremely high quality required. Tools often have complex
geometries, yet must be dimensionally accurate to within a hundredth of a millimeter in addition,
tools must be hard, wear resistant, and have very low surface roughness (about 0.5micrometers root
mean square) Molds and dies are traditionally made by CNC-machining, electro discharge
machining. or by hand. All are expensive and time consuming so manufacturers would like to
incorporate rapid prototyping techniques to speed the process. Peter Hilton, president of
Technology Strategy Consulting in Concord, MA, believes that tooling costs and development
times can be reduced by 75 Percent or more" by using rapid tooling and related technologies. Rapid
tooling can be divided into two categories, indirect and direct.

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a) Indirect Tooling

Most rapid tooling today is indirect RP parts are used as patterns for making molds and dies. RP
models can be indirectly used in a number of manufacturing processes. It is used in Vacuum
Casting Sand Casting, Investment Casting, Injection Moulding etc.

b) Direct Tooling

To directly make hard tooling from CAD data is the Holy Grail or rapid tooling. Realization of this
objective is still several years away, but some strong strides are being made

A DTM process that selectively inters polymer-coated steel pellets together to produce a metal
mold. The mold is then placed in a furnace where the polymer binder is burned off and the part is
infiltered with copper. The resulting mold can produce up to 50,000 injection moldings.

Direct Shell Production Casting, ACES Injection Molding etc. are other achievements in this area

Rapid Manufacturing

A natural extension of RP is rapid manufacturing (RM), the automated production of salable

products directly from CAD data Currently only a few final products are produced by RP machines,
but the number will increase as metals and other materials become more widely available. RM will
never completely replace other manufacturing techniques, especially in large production runs where
mass-production is more economical.

For short production runs, however, RM is much cheaper, since it does not require tooling RM is
also ideal for producing custom parts tailored to the user's specifications. A University of Delaware
research project uses a digitized 3-D model of apron's head to construct a custom-fitted helmet
NASA is experimenting with using RP machines to produce spacesuit gloves fitted toe ach
astronaut's hands. From tailored golf club grips to custom dinnerware, the possibilities are endless.
The other major use of RM is for products that simply cannot be made by subtractive (machining,
grinding) or compressive (forging, etc.) processes.

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CHAPTER 7

CASE STUDIES OF RAPID PROTOTYPING IN HANDICRAFT INDUSTRY

Handicraft products constitute a significant part of the informal sector of the Indian economy.
Product innovation and improvements in design technologies is necessary for keeping this sector
economically sustainable. We here discuss, with the help of a case study, how design tools and
products can be developed for some applications.

The economy of any nation, in general, and of a developing country like India, in particular,
consists of two parts. The formal sector dealing with areas like manufacturing. power generation,
transportation, urban infrastructure, high technology and communication. The second part is the
informal sector involving areas like agriculture, handicrafts, rural services, and rural infrastructure.
The informal sector is as much a sizeable component of the overall economy as the formal sector.
However, the informal sector does not get as much attention. This has resulted in a wide gap of 19 -
status between these two streams in terms of economic strength as well as technological quality.
The handicraft product is a major activity of the informal sector in India.

Handicraft products maintain a commanding presence in India. The footwear and saddlery from
Kanpur are well known all over the world. The carpets from Mirzapur attract attention from far and
wide places. The glassware from Shikohabad, the brassware from Muradabad, the carved-wooden
furniture from Saharanpur, the ceramic products from Chinhat, the CHIKAN embroidery from
Lucknow, the stoneware from Agra and the silk fabric from Varanasi are all famous for their
designs, quality and elegance. One can extend this list to every region of India and the overall
inventory of handicrafts from the country will become an impressive collection of products.
Bamboo products from Northeast, terracotta from Central India, wood-inlays from Mysore,
handloom shawls from Himachal, handloom blankets from Maharashtra and colorful dresses from
Gujarat and Rajasthan are attracting as well as revenue in the informal sector of Indian economy

There are some serious signs of weakness in this informal sector. The novelty of material and
design had brought in the first wave of success. However, the global competition and the
continuous demand for novelty in design have slowed the growth of this sector. As the competition
becomes more intense, there is a need to use the productivity tools of design and manufacture.
Unfortunately, this sector has not kept pace with the changes in the technology. The design culture,
in particular, depends heavily on a small set of ideas. This results in repetition and subsequent loss
of market share.

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Socio-economic aspects

Even though the informal sector of the economy in India is large, it is not growing in a sustainable
manner. This state of affairs is due to several socio-economic factors. The technology and practices
of design and production are outdated and training. mechanisms are informal. This results in a
gradual shrinkage of the number of skilled workers. It is necessary to keep the design and
production means as good and affordable
as possible. Product innovation is a key driver for sustainability. This factor remains singularly
absent.

Fear of technology is another factor. Many designers have got their training in their trade in an
informal manner. They are usually very good in their skills and understanding. However, any new
approach or any new methodology is always looked upon with reservations. In many cases, some
pilot projects were carried out to convince the designers about the new design tools. Even after
seeing the results and agreeing to the advantages, the designers continued to use the traditional
methods. The cultural inertia to change is a major hurdle in this informal sector. Another
psychological factor against any introduction of a new technology is the fear that it will make the
human designer obsolete or redundant. The fear of automation in terms of machines replacing
humans plays on the minds of many artisans,

There is a long chain of middle-men in the supply chain in the informal sector. It has been found
that the economic returns to the designer and manufacturer of handicraft products are less as
compared to a host of in-between agencies who bring these products to market and sell them
successfully. The co-operative movement has helped to alleviate this situation. In case of
handlooms and textile, a number of local and regional co-operatives are able to give the appropriate
returns to weavers. However, it still remains unsatisfactory in many areas.

Some of the reasons why the business model of a handicraft designer manufacturer is not good are
related to the credit policy, cash-flow problems, prices of raw materials, lack of knowledge about
market conditions and similar such socio-economic reasons. It is felt that if the awareness of a
person who actually produces the goods is enhanced and if that person is empowered with cost-
effective tools, the economic sustainability of the handicraft sector will improve.

The macro-economic situation for the informal sector including the handicrafts component remains
subdued. The state and central governments have set up several agencies for promotion of this
sector.

20
However, most of these agencies are not in good financial health. Their own survival becomes
critical rather than these agencies helping the individual entrepreneurs. There are several successful
traders and middle-men who are able to market these products successfully However, these
agencies do not invest in either technology of product innovation or infrastructure-This results in
some sort of economic stagnation. In order to bring in innovation and improve the infrastructure,
the handicraft sector needs to evolve an appropriate macro-economic model. For white goods,
electronics, cosmetics, and similar such fast moving consumer goods category. one sees the macro-
economic model in place. However, the situation is not similar for the handicraft sector.

21
CHAPTER 8

MISCONCEPTS IN RP

Luxury

There have been cases where people have had to go through a series of management appevals
before getting a sanction for a new design to be prototyped by using the RP techniques. Once the
"unjustifiable" cost was incurred the entire team of designers and the management saw the more
than justifiable" benefits. The entire set of parts was re-ordered incurring double the expenditure to
ensure that the mistakes of the first set were not repeated.

The "industry for this argument is classified into two categories viz. scale wise and product service
wise. Each industry can utilize the RP techniques in different ways. The broad benefits of RP are
Form, Fit, Function and Tooling. The extents of benefits of RP derived by a company depend upon
the following factors:

1. Extent of Newness" in the development-The more original the new design, the more it can
benefit from the RP techniques. Major modifications in the existing designs have also reaped good
benefits from RP techniques.

2. Project Situation-The cost of change increases as the project advances. Hence RP is most useful
in planning stage itself. May be product conceptualization, tool planning, bid planning or any other.

22
3. Part Geometry-The more complex the part geometry in terms of shape, number and orientation
of features the more economical is the use of RP techniques. It is in such situations that the cost of
manufacturing the part by conventional methods exceeds the RP techniques.

4. Management Vision-Irrespective of the size or type of industry, the companies that emphasize on
innovation and doing things right the first time have made the most of the RP techniques.

Rapid production

Since the RP yields parts that appear very similar to the end product, the expectation of properties
from it also goes higher. However, once the RP part is accepted as a "prototype" or a "sample", the
true benefits are easier to accept, as of now, there are limitations in the RP techniques in terms of
the materials, the accuracy and the surface finish achieved on the parts. These aspects do limit the
extent to which the parts produced by RP Techniques can be used as functional products.

However, the techniques are extremely useful even within these limitations and in many cases the
parts have been put to functional trials

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Permanent mould

For simpler part geometries, at times, the permanent mould can be done in the same cost as that a
RP part. But may not be always possible to match the time factors. Besides, as the part gets
complicated the economics set in. The Part Geometry drives the selection of the right production
process even in conventional cases and RP techniques too have to be applied with due
consideration.

3d cad

Advances in 3D CAD modeling soft wares have reduced the number of prototypes that that may be
required to evaluate a particular alternative. A part in hand, at times, is easier to understand than
reviewing a number of views/sections. Evaluating the accessibility of critical areas during
assembly, taking valuable inputs from non-CAD professional etc are some of the advantages of a
physical model over a CAD image.

Thus 3D CAD software's do not eliminate the need of prototyping. On the contrary, they ease the
process of a making a Rapid Prototype.

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With the Indian industry accepting the global challenge. the fundamentals of survival and growth
have changed from production centric to innovation centric. Product developments are being
undertaken at various levels, after the initial sceptism, companies from various industries that range
from small to corporate are incorporating RP techniques into the product development cycle. In
fact, some companies have even made a policy to get even the smallest bush or pad prototyped by
RP methods before the tooling is ordered for it.

Thus, many Indian companies have traveled their RP journey from Luxury to necessity

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CHAPTER 9

FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS

Rapid prototyping is starting to change the way companies design and build products. On the
horizon, though, are several developments that will help to revolutionize manufacturing as well
know it

One such improvement increased speed: "Rapid prototyping machines are still slow by some
standards. By using faster computers, more complex control systems, and improved materials, RO
manufactures are dramatically reducing build time.

Another future development is improved accuracy and surface finish. Today's commercially
available machines are accurate to 0.08 millimeters in the x-y plane, but less in the z (vertical)
direction. Improvements in laser optics and motor control should increase accuracy in all three
directions. In addition, RP companies are developing new polymers that will be less probe to curing
and temperature-induced warpage.

The introduction of non-polymeric materials, including metals, ceramics, and composites,

represents another anticipated development. These materials would allow RP users to produce
functional parts. Today's plastic prototypes work well for visualization and fit tests, but they are
often too weak for function testing. More rugged materials would yield prototypes that could be
subjected to actual service conditions. In addition, metal and composite materials will greatly
expand the range of products that can be made by rapid manufacturing.

Many RP companies and research labs are working to develop new materials. For example, the
University of Dayton is working with Helisys to produce ceramic matrix composites by laminated
object manufacturing.

Another important development is increased size capacity Currently most RP machines are limited
to objects 0.125 cubic meters or les larger parts must be built in sections and joined by hand. To
remedy this situation, several large prototype techniques are in the works. The most fully developed
is Topographic Shell Fabrication from form us in San Jose, CA. In this process, a temporary mold
is built from layers of silica powder th9gh quality sand) bound together with paraffin wax. The
mold then used to produce fiberglass, epoxy, foam, or concrete models up to 3.3 mx 2 mx12mi
size.

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At the University of Utah, Professor Charles Thomas is developing systems to cut intricate shapes
into 1.2m x 2.4 m sections of foam or paper. Researchers at Penn State's Applied Research Lab
(ARL) are aiming even higher to directly build large metal parts such as tank turrets using
robotically guided lasers.

All the above improvements will help the rapid prototyping industry continue to grow, both
worldwide at home.

One future application is Distance Manufacturing on Demand, a combination of RP and the internet
that will allow designers to remotely submit designs for immediate manufacture. Researchers at
UC-Berkeley, among others, are developing such a system

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CHAPTER 10

CONCLUSION

The Rapid Prototyping Process has evolved greatly from the time it was put into practice for the
first time.

The accuracy has improved significantly, and the choice of materials is relatively large, to the
extent that the term prototype is becoming misleading, the parts are more and more frequently
being used for functional testing or to drive tools for pre-production testing. It is very likely that a
now term, or one of the numerous other expressions that are floating around, will replace it in the
future. This is not to say RP has become perfect for all its potential applications. Still there are
some faults to be rectified, such as the accuracy in the z-direction

The accuracy in the x and y co-ordinates are to the extent of08 mm. With applications in almost all
fields of manufacturing tooling and design to become a reality in the near future, and with other
potential fields of applications emerging like the Bio-medical Field. Rapid Prototyping has
emerged as an essential entity for this sector rather than a luxury.
REFERENCE

• IITK case studies

• www.u.utah.edu
• www.sme.org/rapid
• www.cs.hut.fi
• www.howstuffworks.com/sterolith1.html
• www.milparts.net.
• www.protosystech.com

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