Describes applications of rapid prototyping in the automotive, healthcare and jewellery industries. Explains how Ford Motor Co.’s use of RP technology has evolved since it first…
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Describes applications of rapid prototyping in the automotive, healthcare and jewellery industries. Explains how Ford Motor Co.’s use of RP technology has evolved since it first used stereolithography in 1988. Outlines the benefits of RP applications in jewellery design and how RP helped Smith & Nephew to arrive at the optimum bottle shape for a new healthcare product.
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Analyses the market for rapid prototyping equipment and reports on the rapid growth that this market has experienced over the last ten years. Highlights the companies that are…
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Analyses the market for rapid prototyping equipment and reports on the rapid growth that this market has experienced over the last ten years. Highlights the companies that are winning business and the technologies that are influencing growth. Describes applications of rapid prototyping for automotive parts, pharmaceutical pill bottles and jewellery design. Reports on new technology used by recently introduced low‐cost 3D printing machines for concept modelling and outlines new materials that have been developed to improve the performance and functionality of prototypes.
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Identifies trends in the rapid prototyping market worldwide, reports on new rapid prototyping techniques, reviews the latest developments in 3D printers, highlights new metal…
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Identifies trends in the rapid prototyping market worldwide, reports on new rapid prototyping techniques, reviews the latest developments in 3D printers, highlights new metal spraying and direct metal deposition processes.
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Charles Hull, Michael Feygin, Yehudah Baron, Roy Sanders, Emanuel Sachs, Allan Lightman and Terry Wohlers
Recent developments in rapid prototyping provide evidence of the maturing of some areas of application. New applications continue to surface and new systems/processes are being…
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Recent developments in rapid prototyping provide evidence of the maturing of some areas of application. New applications continue to surface and new systems/processes are being introduced on a regular basis. The Fifth International Conference on Rapid Prototyping (Dayton, Ohio, 1994) provided an opportunity to bring together leaders in the commercial development and application of RP technology and to hear their perspectives on the current capabilities and future directions. A “Manufacturers round table” provided the forum for the audience to submit questions. Relates participants’ responses.
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Highlights the future potential of rapid prototyping (RP) andmanufacturing around the world. The US manufacturing industry may be onthe rebound; this will help accelerate the sale…
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Highlights the future potential of rapid prototyping (RP) and manufacturing around the world. The US manufacturing industry may be on the rebound; this will help accelerate the sale of RP systems. Strong market growth in the US and, to a lesser extent, Europe and Japan, will come as a result of awareness, erasing myths, technical enhancements, personnel and organizational issues, complimentary processes and technologies and CAD solid modelling. The ratio of price to performance will continue to improve, but not as dramatically as it has in the past. New RP products will be made available in 1994 and 1995. As the market expands, entrepreneurs will identify niche opportunities for after‐market products. The prospects for growth in the RP industry are now better than ever.
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Rapid prototyping (RP) technology, the physical modeling of a design using digitally driven additive processes is having, and will continue to have, a major impact on…
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Rapid prototyping (RP) technology, the physical modeling of a design using digitally driven additive processes is having, and will continue to have, a major impact on manufacturing industry and the way products are modeled, prototyped, tooled and even manufactured.
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Attempts to answer the frequently asked questions “where is rapid prototyping now?” and “where is it going?”. Begins by assessing the state of the worldwide market for rapid…
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Attempts to answer the frequently asked questions “where is rapid prototyping now?” and “where is it going?”. Begins by assessing the state of the worldwide market for rapid prototyping (RP) systems, and goes on to detail the factors that will determine the level of future growth. Some of these are technical issues, others are human factors. Provides an overview of how RP technology is developing, and concludes with an upbeat view of the potential for growth in the industry.
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Rapid manufacturing – defined as the direct production of finished goods from a rapid prototyping device – remains at present more a goal than reality for industry. The…
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Rapid manufacturing – defined as the direct production of finished goods from a rapid prototyping device – remains at present more a goal than reality for industry. The application of 3D printing technologies, however, promises to merge rapid prototyping capabilities with the high‐volume throughput of conventional manufacturing. Proponents believe that these processes may soon lead to the tooless production of finished goods and the mass production of individually customized parts.
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David G. Alciatore and Terry T. Wohlers
Focuses on the development and testing of software for reading and formatting digitized data and exporting it to rapid prototyping (RP). Research and development over two years…
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Focuses on the development and testing of software for reading and formatting digitized data and exporting it to rapid prototyping (RP). Research and development over two years has involved the implementation of special computer‐aided sculpting software that runs on UNIX workstations and which imports 3D polygonal mesh data in STL, OBJ and DXF formats, then re‐shapes it, much like the pushing and pulling on the surface of a rubber membrane. Specifying a wall thickness gives the model volume, prior to exporting an STL file. Describes how data has been imported form laser digitizing systems, had its shape changed and then how RP parts have been created from the model data.