subject: Transforming Ideas Into Reality [print this page] Imagine having an idea and then in a matter of minutes, you can make your idea a reality. Does this sound too farfetched for you? In the past years, it may not be true but today, with the presence of rapid prototyping, this is actually a reality. With the use of 3D rapid prototype printers, building your idea in its actual form is now possible in a matter of days, hours and even minutes depending on the size.
The process goes like this; you take an idea and then draw it. The drawing must be two dimensional. The next step is to take the two-dimensional drawing to a model maker before making it into a prototype. What the model maker does is it interprets the design or the drawing in order to determine the type of process the prototype will have to accomplish.
So, how does the design become an actual model within minutes? The answer lies in the equipment and the process used. A 3D modeling software is used as well as a 3D printer. The printer will build the model one section at a time. The bottom part is created first all the way up to the top. Water soluble supports are placed on necessary areas.
With the use of modelmakers and 3D printers, having an idea from the mind into the hands of the engineers can now only take minutes at its quickest. The dimensional accuracy of the final product is really something to be proud of as well. If there is dissimilarity in size, you can expect it to be only a fraction of a millimeter.
All of these may sound too good to be true, but this time, it is not. From modelmakers, to 3D printers to actual output within minutes is a possibility you can now grasp. It is effective and affordable too.
Rapid prototyping is being used to test brand new ideas, inventions and innovations. It is used to test new models of membrane keypad, industrial equipment and other products. It is a cost-effective and timely process worth considering if you have new products to introduce to the market.
