When you need a physical part, assembly, or model, you don’t have to spend hours building one from scratch using old-school manual methods. Rapid prototype tooling lets you accomplish that faster out of a three-dimensional computer-aided design (CAD). The part is manufactured using methods like additive manufacturing or 3D printing to ensure results are accurate to your CAD and guarantee a high-fidelity prototype.

Understanding prototyping methods

Depending on your project, rapid prototyping can include other manufacturing technologies, such as CNC machining and plastic injection molding. CNC machining is a subtractive manufacturing method where a billet or block, or material is carved using grinding, turning, or milling to create the desired shape. Injection molding is a compressive manufacturing method where the liquid material is forced into a custom mold and solidified to create the part.

Rapid tooling with 3D printing

Additive manufacturing lets you accomplish a range of rapid prototype tooling projects with high precision and quality parts. It involves different technologies, such as stereolithography (SLA), which lets you build rapid prototypes and accurate aesthetic models, and selective laser sintering (SLS), which is practical for low-volume end-use parts and functional prototypes.

SLA 3D printing is among the oldest 3D additive manufacturing technologies and the most versatile. It builds parts one layer at a time from a photocurable resin cured using a high-powered UV laser in a build platform. SLA builds parts from a range of materials with a good surface finish.

SLS 3D printing crafts prototype parts fast from nylon (PA12) powder. Like other 3D printing technologies, it builds parts one layer at a time by fusing the powdered nylon with a laser. The process can build prototypes with complex features and overhangs quickly without support structures.

More benefits for your project

Product designers, engineers, and manufacturers rely on rapid prototype tooling to aid their design, development, testing, and visualization processes before going into mass production. Rapid tooling is widely used in various industries, such as automotive, aerospace, and medical, because it provides a cost-effective and faster way to build accurate prototypes with minimal human labor.