Rapid Prototyping Technologies and Applications in Modern Engineering -A Review

Rapid prototyping is a group of methods used to rapidly manufacture a scale model of a physical part or assembly using three-dimensional computer aided design (CAD), Computed Tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) data. Construction of the part or assembly is usually done using 3D printing technology. Rapid prototyping techniques are often referred to solid free, computer automated manufacturing, form fabrication. Rapid Prototyping (RP) is layer-by-layer material deposition started during early 1980s with the massive growth in Computer Aided Design and Manufacturing (CAD/CAM) technologies. Since 1988 there are more than twenty different rapid prototyping techniques have emerged. Today, they are used for a much wider range of applications and are even used to manufacture production-quality parts in relatively small numbers. The widely studied RP techniques include selective laser sintering (SLS), three-dimensional printing (3DP), 3D plotting, stereo lithography apparatus (SLA), solid ground curing (SGC), multiphase jet solidification (MJS), laminated object manufacturing (LOM),fused deposition modeling (FDM). Different techniques are associated with different materials and/or processing principles and thus are devoted to specific applications. This paper reviews the application of rapid prototyping technologies and applications in modern engineering as well as the current limitations. Keywords—Prototyping, layer-by-layer, CAD/CAM, product Design, Rapid Prototyping (RP), Computer Tomography (CT)