definitions of rapid prototyping

Posted by Roger

Our definition:

A prototype is the first or preliminary realization in hardware, thus touchable, of a product idea. This realization can made from one or more materials and is made by a specific manufacturing technology. There are also software prototypes, but we don't consider these on our website.

Rapid Prototyping: is also called Computer-controlled additive fabrication. Commonly used synonyms for Rapid Prototyping  are: 3-D (D for dimensional Printing), additive fabrication, freeform fabrication, solid freeform fabrication, stereo lithography. Note that most of these synonyms are imprecise.

Efunda has the following definition: Rp  will be defined as technologies  used to fabricate in a fast way a scale model of a part or assembly using three-dimensional CAD data. What is commonly considered to be the first RP technique, Stereo lithography, was developed by 3D Systems  in California. Since then, a number of different Rapid Prototyping technologies have become available.

Oxford defines RP as:

Definition of prototype

noun

  • 1a first or preliminary version of a device or vehicle from which other forms are developed:the firm is testing a prototype of the weapon
  • the first, original, or typical form of something; an archetype:these objects are the prototypes of a category of rapidly spinning neutron stars