Rapid prototyping and manufacturing technology: Principle, representative technics, applications, and development trends

TLDR

Rapid prototyping and manufacturing technology (RPM) integrates multiple disciplines, originated in the 1980s, and uses a dispersed‑accumulated forming principle to produce complex, non‑homogeneous parts, with traditional techniques such as stereolithography, 3‑D printing, laminated object manufacturing, and fused deposition modeling primarily serving as prototypes in product development. RPM builds objects by layering material according to digital model sections and then stacking the layers sequentially. Advances in materials and enabling technologies have spawned new RPM methods now used for rapid tooling, direct part fabrication, nano/micro‑RPM, and biomanufacturing, positioning this highly flexible digital manufacturing approach as a potential all‑purpose forming technology.

Abstract

The rapid prototyping and manufacturing technology (RPM), is an integration of many different disciplines. It is based on an advanced dispersed-accumulated forming principle and originated from 1980s. It generates an entity by first forming a series of layers according to the dispersed section information of the digital model, and then piling the formed layers sequentially together. It is capable of forming parts with complicated structures and non-homogeneous materials. Traditional RPM techniques are mainly used as prototypes in product invention process, such as stereolithography, three-dimensional printing, laminated object manufacturing, and fused deposition modeling. Later, with the progress of material and enabling technology, many new RPM techniques emerged out and have been already applied in the fields such as rapid tooling/moulding, direct formed usable part, nano-/micro-RPM, and biomanufacturing. This high flexible digital manufacturing method has a likely ability to become an almighty forming technology.