The original procedures for rapid manufacturing were accessible in the 1980s.



Back then, a pilot model was as a base for reflection but could not be used for anything serious, i.e. in a real industrial production.

Now, the range of Quick manufacturing sphere has expanded and they are used for a much wider range of functions.

Quick manufacturing technologies are also more often being used to fabricate industrial high quality parts in relatively small volume.

For those unknown with rapid prototype building techniques. it is more easy to represent this service by comparing it with similar inkjet printing.

Instead of building up text, this processing technique actually makes a 3D item starting from a computer file by joining one slice on top of another using (semi-) liquid or powdered material.

The last 10 years have shown a need for new construction technologies that construct models on a layer-by-layer base. These RP techniques abbreviate building continuance for models even the most difficult ones - from days, weeks or months to hours. We dont call it PROMPT for any reason.

There are some most known rapid prototype building technologies, such as polyjet, selective laser sintering, stereolithography .

Lets feature stereolithography (SLA) shortly:

Starting from a 3D image, a pattern is made slice by slice from lower part to top part, in a vessel of liquid polymer that solidifies when influenced by a laser ray. SLA is a rapid prototype building process using a 3D CAD model to produce a material item which can be used as a conceptual pattern or a exemplary pattern.

SLA can be showed as a process capable of manufacturing copies of firm or surface prototypes in plastic materials. SLA process uses a PC controllable ultra-violet Helium-Cadmium or Argon laser to trace cross-sections of the pattern onto the surface of a container of a photocurable polymer, solidifying the substance.