| apid tooling promises to be a powerful solution in the | | | | * Tool life |
| quest to develop better products faster. In the future, | | | | * Accuracy |
| rapid tooling will commonly be used to slash the time | | | | * Surface finish |
| for the delivery of components in production intent | | | | * Resin selection |
| materials. | | | | * Tool configuration |
| Presently, there are barriers to the broad acceptance | | | | * Cycle time |
| and application of rapid tooling. However, if the | | | | * Part size |
| definition of rapid tooling is expanded, it can be a | | | | Each available rapid tooling solution presents limitations |
| powerful and beneficial tool. | | | | in at least two of these areas. When the strengths |
| Rapid Tooling Defined | | | | and weaknesses of the processes are presented, |
| The original, and most accurate, definition of rapid | | | | many elect to use traditional methods that may require |
| tooling is: A 3D CAD-driven process that generates | | | | more time. It certainly will be a dream come true if |
| tooling inserts in a layer-by-layer (additive) process for | | | | technology brings down cost of buildings. |
| the production of components in end-use materials. In | | | | Shopping for a designer house will be one of the |
| simpler terms, this means building tools from a rapid | | | | choices open to everyone, not the privilege of a few. |
| prototyping process. In the past few years, the | | | | A 10 to 15 year recycling time for a house will be |
| definition of rapid tooling has become broader and | | | | appropriate, because the recycling cost will be lower |
| somewhat unclear: | | | | than the renovation cost. |
| Any process, technique or technology that significantly | | | | Fast prototyping cannot replace our current building |
| reduces the delivery of a tool for the production of | | | | practice, but at least it will help to construct a mock-up |
| components in end-use materials. Translated, this | | | | to improve the design. It is a known fact that a full-size |
| means cutting an aluminum or steel tool can be | | | | building mock-up is necessary to eliminate errors and |
| considered rapid tooling. | | | | the need for future design modifications. Fast |
| When the search for a rapid tooling solution begins, it is | | | | prototyping can accelerate the mock-up process, bring |
| common to use traditional tooling techniques as the | | | | down the cost, and speed up the final construction |
| benchmark. The goal becomes the replication of all the | | | | time. |
| quality of a cut tool while slashing the delivery time and | | | | Full-size building component prototypes are not yet in |
| expense. With these standards, the options become | | | | production, because they require detailed connections |
| limited. These imposed limitations can make it best to | | | | and some modifications. It is not hard to imagine, that in |
| seek out a tool shop that is extremely fast and | | | | the near future an entire house will be manufactured |
| efficient at building cut tools in aluminum or steel. In the | | | | by an LOM machine or other RP processes directly. |
| evaluation of projects, Accelerated Technologies often | | | | Such a notion is exciting and will revolutionize the |
| finds that a machined tool is a far superior solution. | | | | building industry. Rapid tooling is a powerful process |
| Under the original, narrow definition, rapid tooling has | | | | that can definitely make the building process faster, |
| limitations in many areas. These include: | | | | cheaper, and better. |