What is a prototype and why do you always have to make them?

A prototype is an early model of a product, handmade or through rapid prototyping, with which the forces occurring, the functioning or fit of parts are tested and production is prepared. Having a prototype made can have many advantages and is also very instructive.

rapid prototyping is a collective name for various techniques that make it possible to quickly (English: rapid) to produce physical prototypes.

Rapid prototyping is based on computer information obtained through the CAD process, which is translated into a physical product. This conversion takes place in various ways. Depending on the type of translation, the following subdivision is possible:

• Stereolithography (SLA or STL): Uses a laser or other (UV-rich) light sources to polymerize liquid resins.
• fused deposition modeling (FDM): building up the physical model layer by layer, with plastic coming from a nozzle. Most commercially available 3D printers for home users are of this type.
• laminated object modeling (LOM): Physical cross-sections of paper or plastic are made of the virtual model. These are then glued together. The final product resembles wood.
• Selective laser sintering (SLS) or laser engineered net shaping: a laser melts, based on the cross-section of the virtual model, metal powder. In this way, the entire model is built up layer by layer.
• CNC: Where the techniques mentioned above are so-called (CNC based) additive processes, in typical CNC use, material is actually removed by milling/drilling/grinding/cutting, making this a subtractive process

The first rapid prototypingtechniques were widely adopted in the 1980s with the advent of powerful computers. Whereas in the past the use of rapid prototyping was only applied to the manufacture of the first model, now it is rapid prototypingprocess also produced small series.

rapid prototyping is a collective name for various techniques that make it possible to quickly (English: rapid) to produce physical prototypes.

Rapid prototyping is based on computer information obtained through the CAD process, which is translated into a physical product. This conversion takes place in various ways. Depending on the type of translation, the following subdivision is possible:

• Stereolithography (SLA or STL): Uses a laser or other (UV-rich) light sources to polymerize liquid resins.
• fused deposition modeling (FDM): building up the physical model layer by layer, with plastic coming from a nozzle. Most commercially available 3D printers for home users are of this type.
• laminated object modeling (LOM): Physical cross-sections of paper or plastic are made of the virtual model. These are then glued together. The final product resembles wood.
• Selective laser sintering (SLS) or laser engineered net shaping: a laser melts, based on the cross-section of the virtual model, metal powder. In this way, the entire model is built up layer by layer.
• CNC: Where the techniques mentioned above are so-called (CNC based) additive processes, in typical CNC use, material is actually removed by milling/drilling/grinding/cutting, making this a subtractive process

The first rapid prototypingtechniques were widely adopted in the 1980s with the advent of powerful computers. Whereas in the past the use of rapid prototyping was only applied to the manufacture of the first model, now it is rapid prototypingprocess also produced small series.

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