Rapid manufacturing is a new mode of operation that can greatly improve the competitive position of companies adopting it. The key enabling technologies of rapid manufacturing are rapid prototyping (RP) and rapid tooling (RT). This paper classifies the existing RP processes and briefly describes those with actual or potential commercial impact. The paper then discusses five important RP applications: building functional prototypes, producing casting patterns, making medical and surgical models, creating artworks and fabricating models to assist engineering analysis. Finally, the paper gives an overview of indirect and direct RT methods for quickly producing up to several thousand parts together with examples illustrating different applications of RT.
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