Rapid prototyping is the rapid production of samples, models, and prototypes from digital drawings (2D or 3D CAD drawings).
Rapid prototyping can be extended to include the terms rapid tooling and rapid manufacturing.
- The aim of rapid tooling is the fast production of tools and tool molds.
- Rapid manufacturing is the rapid production of final products. When looking at production time in this approach, not only pure production time is taken into account, but also the development and construction of the production facilities.
The manufacturing processes used in our Makers Lab are additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing, and material processing using a laser engraving machine.
Additive manufacturing
To realize the digital concepts, there are a number of 3D printers to choose from that operate on different principles, such as material extrusion (MEX, FFF, FDM) and stereolithography (DLP).