RAPID PROTOTYPING –
EXPERIENCE HAPTICALLY HOW IT SHOULD BE
Until recently, anyone wanting to build something new needed a lot of imagination. When the idea matures with the inventor, it is only visible to them.
However, as soon as it comes to presenting the planned result to others, things become difficult. For a long time, either quick hand-drawn sketches or expensive clay models were available for this purpose.
Both approaches always lacked the precision required to fully understand an idea. Until a few years ago, only technical drawings were available. However, these are only of limited use for interdisciplinary communication.
Only engineers and draughtsmen can draw conclusions about the finished product from a technical drawing. A controller or marketing specialist is overwhelmed with the interpretation of line drawings including dimensions, surface specifications and tolerances.
But where there is a need, a solution is not long in coming. Rapid prototyping arose from precisely this approach.
Almost priceless beginnings
In earlier times, the presentation of a new car model was always worthy of intensive reporting. Recordings of the first clay and sheet metal models were always included.
However, these traditional methods were anything but rapid prototyping and they were also incredibly expensive. But then came 3D.
3D animations were a huge step forward in rapid prototyping. At last, visual plastic models of the finished project could be derived directly from the technical drawing. Arbitrary rotation and zooming made it possible for even non-technical laypersons to understand what was to be created in the end. However, the 3D graphics projected onto a 2D screen had its limitations.
The feeling for the scale was almost no longer tangible in the freely scalable graphics. Ultimately, only the truly haptic, tactile, tangible is suitable for gaining a valid impression of the sample components. And this is where 3D printing comes into play in rapid prototyping.
Enormous progress
The first 3D printers were marveled at as miracle machines. However, their performance was inadequate by today’s standards. Rough surfaces, a high error rate and slow printing processes made this revolutionary new technology a real waiting game. However, like any innovative technology, 3D printers have developed enormously.
The professional machines used today allow the production of sample components that can hardly be distinguished from the series product.
In addition, 3D printing has long since expanded beyond plastics and ceramics: metals, glass, concrete and even pasta can now be processed into almost fully-fledged pre-models in excellent quality and with the corresponding 3D data.
Perfect for rapid prototyping
Rapid prototyping has only reached the level of maturity it really needs thanks to precise, fast and 3D printing. With the right 3D geometry, the production of prototypes and sample components becomes a quickly customizable process.
From the idea to the haptic product within a few minutes – that is what modern rapid prototyping must be capable of today. Being able to hold the first samples in your hands during the project meeting is no longer a challenge with a high-performance 3D printer.
The only limiting factor is generating the 3D data required for 3D printing. But there are innovative, fast and high-precision solutions for this too.
Not only out…
…but first into the computer – this is how the process of rapid prototyping and obtaining 3D scan data can be outlined. 3D printing is absolutely dependent on valid 3D data.
Only when the 3D geometry is correct can the computer with the 3D printer produce the finished sample components.
However, the production of 3D data remains a task for specialists. Ultimately, this is a good thing – the development of a functional, resilient end product should remain the responsibility of the engineers.
However, if a template is already available, innovative processes can be used to significantly simplify the extraction of the 3D geometry.
Scanning is faster than designing
Alongside the development of 3D printers, scanning processes have also improved. Today, it is possible to determine the 3D geometry of an existing product using various tracking methods.
Just a few years ago, 3D scan data could only be determined using slow and expensive laser scans. These less user-friendly methods have now been supplemented by new approaches that are in no way inferior to them in terms of precision, but are much faster. The approach is as simple as it is obvious – determine 3D scan data using photometry.
Traditional process for rapid prototyping rediscovered
Photometry is an ancient method for obtaining extensive measurement data from simple photos. All you needed was a perspective-correct image and a reference dimension. Any size building, mountain range, valley or other large object could be measured at the desk.
This approach can be found today in photometry: the object intended for rapid prototyping is simply photographed from the outside. The software uses this 3D scan data to calculate the finished model, including the 3D geometry with maximum precision. 3D printing for rapid prototyping can therefore be produced within seconds.
