Is Rapid Prototyping a thing?

Rapid Prototyping (cutely seldom called RP) is a very common Additive Manufacturing (well, while we are at it - AM) application. In fact, it is mentioned so many times by AM solutions providers, that one might think that quick prototyping was invented after, and as a result of, AM.

In fact, engineers in the olden days were making prototypes for their new products, in order to test and validate their concepts and feasibility, even before AM. They also needed, and got, those prototypes quite quickly. It was just a matter of finding the right manufacturer.

So why RP is so cherished in the AM market as a major application?

It’s because in most cases AM is still not a good fit for serial production.

Why?

COST is usually the first reason that comes to mind. I believe that like everything in life, cost is tied to value and for the right value proposition people are willing to pay the price. Prototypes, though, are less cost sensitive.

THROUGHPUT is a close second. Serial production usually requires mass production. Most AM methods are too slow for Rapid Manufacturing (RM, of course). So what one can get relatively quickly is a small quantity, i.e. prototypes.

All that said, I think the main reason for the glorification of RP as an AM application is that most MATERIALS USED IN AM do not fit products that require long service life. If the physical properties of the manufactured parts, like strength and dimensional stability, cannot be guaranteed, the solution is to make parts that have a short and less challenging service life. Again, these are prototypes.

For AM, including RM, let’s have the right materials. Those materials can also be used for RP. And RT (Rapid Tooling. Sorry, couldn’t resist…)

P.S.

In the picture: RP that went horribly wrong :-)