History & Type of Rapid Prototyping
Rapid prototyping services are more popular than ever and for a good reason. They allow you to quickly create a prototype of your idea that can be tested with potential customers. This can help you gain feedback and make changes to your project before it becomes too far along.
History of Rapid Prototyping
Rapid prototyping is a process that helps designers create working models of products or concepts quickly and efficiently. The practice has been around for years, but it’s recently gained popularity in the design community to speed up product development and improve communication between designers and engineers.
The history of rapid prototyping goes back to the 1960s when researchers at Xerox PARC developed the first computer-aided design (CAD) software. CAD tools enabled designers to create accurate representations of products before they built them. In the 1980s, 3D printing technology became available, and rapid prototyping began to gain traction in the engineering community. Engineers could now create physical prototypes of designs much faster than traditional methods allowed.
Today, rapid prototyping services are widely available and used by designers throughout the world. They can be used to create full or partial models of products or concepts, including simulations and visualizations. Rapid prototyping can also be used for testing before final product development begins.
Types of Rapid Prototyping
Rapid prototyping (RP) is the process of quickly creating a working model or prototype of a product or service using various technologies. RP can be used to test feasibility and concept, create low-cost prototypes, and develop rapid-response products. There are three types of RP: physical prototyping, software prototyping, and mixed-reality prototyping.
Physical prototyping is the use of physical tools and materials to create prototypes. Common tools include 3D printers, CNC machines, laser cutters, and water jets.
Software prototyping uses computer-based tools to create prototypes. Common software tools include Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, SolidWorks CAD/CAM software, Sketch 3D software, Android Studio development environment for mobile app development, and Webflow web animation software.
Mixed reality prototyping uses real-world data and digital files to create interactive 3D models that can be viewed in virtual reality headsets such as Oculus Rift or Samsung Gear VR.
Your Rapid Prototyping Service Supplier
KAIAO is a professional technical enterprise providing customers with new product design stage verification, trial production, and low-volume production of your parts. Our services include rapid prototyping, CNC machining, reaction injection molding, low-volume manufacturing, vacuum casting, and sheet metal fabrication services. Our sales and engineering services are available whenever you need us.