What the rapid prototyping is? You may define Rapid Prototyping or RP as a combination of techniques. The techniques are used to fabricate a fast scale model of a part or the assembly using the 3-D aided design. Stereo-lithography is commonly considered to be the first of the prototyping techniques. It was introduced by the 3D systems of Valencia CA in United States. Since their arrival on the scene way back in 1986, the company has been bringing up divergent techniques for prototyping.

Rapid prototyping is known with various names. One of them is solid free-form of manufacturing. The second one is the computer automated manufacturing. And the third one is the layered manufacturing. Each of them is a form of RP that is one of the most potent medium of visualization. You can also use the RP models for experiments, research and analysis. Sometimes they are also used for creating the male tooling models such as the models made of silicone rubber or investment casts.

Sometimes rapid prototyping parts can become final. However ordinarily they are neither very strong nor accurate enough to be taken as the final model. The essence is speed and getting a near perfect model. That is what the world’s fastest rapid prototyping aims at. If the RP material becomes fit to be used for highly convoluted shapes, they can of course become the original parts. Such originals may be stand alone or nested.

In these days of computer technology, rapid prototyping is not one of the most complicated affairs. On the other hand the facilities they provide in getting the accurate design, make them almost indispensable for designers.