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About Rapid Prototyping
Rapid prototyping (RP), is the automatic construction of physical objects using 3D printing technologies.
The first techniques for rapid prototyping became available in the 1980s. Back then, a prototype served as a basis for discussion but could not be used for anything “serious”, i.e. in a real production environment. Today, the range of RP technologies has extended and they are used for a much wider number of applications. RP technologies are also increasingly being used to manufacture production quality parts in relatively small numbers.
For those unfamiliar with rapid prototyping technologies, it is easy to depict this technology by comparing it with familiar inkjet printing. Instead of building up text, this technology actually constructs a 3D object starting from a computer file by adding one slice on top of another using (semi-)liquid or powdered material. You will find a more detailed explanation in the specific technology sections on our website.
The past decades have witnessed a need for new manufacturing technologies that build parts on a layer-by-layer basis. These RP techniques reduce manufacturing time for parts – even the most complex ones – from days, weeks or months to hours. We don’t call it RAPID for no reason.