Rapid Prototyping Services

Rapid prototyping plays a very important role in product development, it means making a physical sample of a new product design idea and helping to verify the design concept and mechanical perspective before releasing to the next step, also is most helpful when verifying that the finished product for a series of testing as needed. including functional testing, approvals, design iterations, campaigns, and trade show models, it can be a bridge to low-volume manufacturing.

Without making prototypes, it would be not easy to make sure the product specification as intended, which maximumly eliminate the risk of design changes, process changes, and quality standard as well. so rapid prototyping is used often to inspire re-designs, improvements, and other modifications that may not have been obvious merely from a computer graphic, and committing the overall aspects to larger volume production in the following. this is a wise investment for cost reduction and the whole project time management.

There are some types of manufacturing methods that are usually used for making rapid prototyping, besides vacuum casting, rapid tooling for injection molding, and CNC machining. More high-fidelity prototypes use modern processes and materials, including various 3D printing technologies

Stereolithography (SLA) or Vat Photopolymerization

This fast and affordable technique was the first successful method of commercial 3D printing. It uses a bath of photosensitive liquid which is solidified layer-by-layer using a computer-controlled ultra violet (UV) light.

Selective Laser Sintering (SLS)

Used for both metal and plastic prototyping, SLS uses a powder bed to build a prototype one layer at a time using a laser to heat and sinter the powdered material. However, the strength of the parts is not as good as with SLA, while the surface of the finished product is usually rough and may require secondary work to finish it.

Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) or Material Jetting

This inexpensive, easy-to-use process can be found in most non-industrial desktop 3D printers. It uses a spool of thermoplastic filament which is melted inside a printing nozzle barrel before the resulting liquid plastic is laid down layer-by-layer according to a computer deposition program. While the early results generally had poor resolution and were weak, this process is improving rapidly and is fast and cheap, making it ideal for product development.

Selective Laser Melting (SLM) or Powder Bed Fusion

Often known as powder bed fusion, this process is favoured for making high-strength, complex parts. Selective Laser Melting is frequently used by the aerospace, automotive, defence and medical industries. This powder bed based fusion process uses a fine metal powder which is melted in a layer by layer manner to build either prototype or production parts using a high-powered laser or electron beam. Common SLM materials used in RP include titanium, aluminium, stainless steel and cobalt chrome alloys.

Laminated Object Manufacturing (LOM) or Sheet Lamination

This inexpensive process is less sophisticated than SLM or SLS, but it does not require specially controlled conditions. LOM builds up a series of thin laminates that have been accurately cut with laser beams or another cutting device to create the CAD pattern design. Each layer is delivered and bonded on top of the previous one until the part is complete.

Digital Light Processing (DLP)

Similar to SLA, this technique also uses the polymerisation of resins which are cured using a more conventional light source than with SLA. While faster and cheaper than SLA, DLP often requires the use of support structures and post-build curing.

An alternative version of this is Continuous Liquid Interface Production (CLIP), whereby the part is continuously pulled from a vat, without the use of layers. As the part is pulled from the vat it crosses a light barrier that alters its configuration to create the desired cross-sectional pattern on the plastic.

Binder Jetting

This technique allows for one or many parts to be printed at one time, although the parts produced are not as strong as those created using SLS. Binder Jetting uses a powder bed onto which nozzles spray micro-fine droplets of a liquid to bond the powder particles together to form a layer of the part.

Each layer may then compacted by a roller before the next layer of powder is laid down and the process begins again. When complete the part may be cured in an oven to burn off the binding agent and fuse the powder into a coherent part.

How can partnering with Step Rapid to quickly manufacture rapid prototypes help you and your business? Here are a few ways:

1. Ability to experiment with physical objects regardless of its complexity, in a short time
2. More organic and sculptured shapes can be accommodated
3. Easier to detect flaws in the early developmental stage
4. Consumers can contribute ideas to the design
5. Consumers can buy products that suit their needs better
6. Savings in the cost of the final product

There are three common rapid prototyping services Step Rapid provides.