Rapid Prototyping

Rapid Prototyping is more important than you think...

From medical devices such as stints to custom-made human implants used in reconstructive surgery, the use of rapid prototype models is rapidly growing in popularity among designers and engineers, due to new and innovative technology-and the reasons are evident.

Looking at anatomical parts as one example:

Rapid prototype models allows for an accurate fabrication of a patient's implant-whether it's for bone replacement or prosthesis. Because it's customized to fit the patient, the benefits of utilizing rapid prototype models allow for the surgeon to conduct preoperative planning and practice in advance of the actual surgery. The surgery thereby becomes less invasive for the patient, reduces reconstruction time, and provides better esthetic results.

Due to this proactive approach facilitated by rapid prototyping, it has also been found to alleviate a patient's pre-surgery psychological stress, as they have more confidence that the surgical complications will be minimized if not eliminated.

But the benefits of rapid prototyping don't end there, as it also aids in eliminating risk of product failure. And for engineers and designers who are working to improve product performance, rapid prototyping facilitates faster manufacturing and produces higher quality end products.

After a rrapid prototype model is developed, it can be evaluated as to its shape, size and general feel. The level of quality control that rapid prototype models provide allows the design team to answer questions such as: Is this providing the feel we want? Will the prosthesis attach easily? Is there anything obstructive about its design? Will it deliver maximum performance?

Given the design flexibility of rapid prototype models, these questions can be quickly answered and products can be improved more cost-effectively and rapidly.

Built Tough with ABS 3D Printing

Few manufacturing techniques can offer companies with boundless opportunities to perfect a product or piece of equipment such that ABS 3D Printing
provides.

And while industries ranging from medical devices to consumer products have benefitted from advancements in ABS 3D Printing technology, its use in the automotive industry has enhanced innovations in design.

In one such instance, General Motors turned to AMP Research, a tier-one supplier to the automotive industry, to develop concepts for an alloy fuel door for its Hummer H2 sport utility vehicle.

According to a report, due to the design flexibility of ABS 3D Printing, AMP Research engineers could quickly provide GM with a variety of physical models of the fuel door that were easily produced with the aid of ABS 3D printing. Getting prototypes in front of GM faster for review and approval allowed AMP to move through the design process of the fuel door for testing and evaluation much faster.

Wonder how 3D Printing
helped?

By creating an ABS prototype, engineers could refine designs and cut time from development schedule as it now how the time to test form, fit and functions, while also exploring as many design options as they needed to meet performance specifications. The benefit is that they could readily detect flaws and take corrective steps to deliver excellence to their customer before a costly error was made. So ABS 3D Printing
helped to keep the project ahead of schedule and improved the overall product development process.