Rapid Prototyping And The World Of Architecture

With the rate things are going for rapid prototyping

, having a building built from a computer became not that far fetched of an idea nowadays. The same concept is actually being utilized by industries in manufacturing and industrial designs. The foremost technology used for rapid prototyping, and still currently the most popular, is the stereo lithography.

Stereo lithography makes use of laser beam that is moved through a vat of UV sensitive liquid polymer. This will follow the contour of the digital 3D model. When the beam strikes the polymer, the thin layer is then solidified. This process will keep on repeating itself until the model is completed. Rapid prototyping is usually done in a factory and any secluded space because the process produces toxic fumes.

Basic rapid prototyping process just needs a few modifications for it to work in the building industry. It may require further modifications just to meet the needs of some specific building types. Some would argue that having the prototype done using the computer is foolproof since it is automated. Manual labor is seen to be imprecise thereby making rapid prototyping for architectural purposes more ideal. It reduces the cost of production as well that is why it is being pushed through in the industry.

What the rapid prototype manufacturer does is produce a physical model of the building directly from 3D CAD drawing. Note that in order for rapid prototyping to work, the extension file should always be STL. Only CAD systems can generate this extension file so the two necessarily works hand in hand.

One should not confuse rapid prototyping manufacturing with the use of CNC machines. Unlike the CNC machines, an RP machine is subtractive in nature. It is able to put together sheet, powder and liquid materials in order to build complex forms. It is also able to fabricate materials in wood, plastic ceramic and metal based from the cross sections of the 3D CAD model.

This is just the start for the industry of rapid prototyping manufacturing. There are even cases when it is used to manufacture finished parts. In the future, with some innovations, die-casting, injection molding and sheet metal stamping can also be done using this method.

by: Maria Tal

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