Posted on: Sept 12, 2018, | By Vivi, WayKen Project Manager
Rapid Prototype Machining is a one of Rapid Manufacturing Technology, popular all over the world. It is well-received by industrial designers and engineers in the world, to help them turn their idea, thought, concept and design into reality and be tested for availability. Now, WayKen will do more related introduction with this blog.
1. What is Rapid Prototype Machining?
Rapid Prototype means a simple and inchoate model, between concept development and the evaluation of the thought, often used to test whether designers’ idea or design are feasible and the final product can act in the real environment. Besides, it comes from ancient Greek word πρωτότυπον prototypon.
Machining refer to a special process that using a governable material-removing technology to turn some raw materials into a real product. Rapid Prototype Machining is a technology of using material-removing technology to finish samples or models and verify the designs and ideas, in the help of CAD 3D data.
Rapid Prototype Machining should be like a quick formation or produce of a specific sample. Most of Industrial Designers and Engineers often take samples, models, prototypes to express any kinds of idea that they want to show. So they favor to use this rapid prototype machining technology in the process of verifying their designs.
Most prototypes just show what they are willing to express and build up with their idea. But some prototypes may be in connection with the products which are being built now. As prototype is being built, with using computer numerical control to explain the 3D model and input three-dimension information into a CNC machine for machining.
CNC Machines refer to using computer numerical control technology to cut the raw material with a guide from a computer program. Therefore CNC Machines can be used to manufacture a portion of prototypes with precision measurement.
2. What will Rapid Prototype Machining be in the future?
For the past few years, the development of rapid prototype machining technology has been greatly developed, and it has started developing into an extension of quick tools. Turning is also one of the most important uses of rapid prototype machining application. It can be regards as a great proving of quick tool application.
3. What industries are Rapid Prototype Machining applied to?
Rapid Prototype Machining is suitable for all walks of life. Most people are likely to test and verify their design with some models before production, in order to reduce failure losses of direct molding. They also need to produce a good quality prototype with a little time. So when the related projects are coming, they trend to using this rapid prototype machining technology to help them finish their projects. Some industries we have known and serviced are as follows：
Consumer Electronics Industry
It is also used to make the mock-up for consumer electronics before doing mass production. Normally, this kind of products has the demand for excellent appearance. So the surface treatment of painting is often used to produce these products. Its unit value is not big, but the design of a same product is often updating and it needs to make mock-up again after changing the design.
Vehicle/ Automotive Industry
When a company decides to develop a new type of car or vehicle, their designers and engineers must begin their design work totally again. It needs to cost a lot of time to finish the prototypes in Automotive/Vehicle, especially all kinds of lighting, like rear light, frog light, etc. Before claying model, the related prototypes will be finished to verify their design at first time.
In this industry, it is hard to see a whole design prototype product. We are often machining parts of some unknown products. It is more like a creative vision products. Prototypes from these industries often have special requirements for surface treatment, like salt-resistance etc.
In this field, normally, prototypes are coming from medical equipment. Plastic Raw Materials are often used to make the prototypes. After prototypes being finished, then the design feasibility has been proven, low volume production is often going to support by urethane casting.
Many Prototypes made in this industry are the products, which are often seen in our daily life. For example, Electric Cooker, Air Conditioner, Washing Machines are often appears in our machining list. These products are often machined in several parts and then be assembled together.
Besides these common industries, we also have done prototype for Locking, LED lighting and other industries.
What’s more, with the development of industry 4.0 and automatic system, more industries will need rapid prototype machining to support their production in the future. WayKen will also move forward to support our customers with these 2 technologies.
4. The Merit of Rapid Prototype Machining
Now the rapid prototype machining technology has been more and more mature, either meeting all kinds of requirements from different industries. With new technology development, rapid prototype machining could enlarge the scope of services to satisfy all customers.
As “Rapid” in their name, rapid prototype machining can produce custom prototype and end-using products in a short time. This can save a lot of time from research circle, indirectly save amount of money for our customers, just as the old saying goes, “Time is money.”
For ensuring good quality, total costs of the production are also critical from our customers. With the technology development, the costs of same product have reduced 10 times in the past 10 years, which leave more benefit space to the customers.
Whenever, the quality should be the most important element. With material industry developing and machining technology updating, our prototype become better in appearance and structure.
In the past years, our finished prototype has better precision to measure the product size, doing narrower tolerance to meet customers’ needs as well.
5. What can we do for you?
We specialize in dealing with customers’ 3D and 2D drawing data, and do programming to let CNC machines to handle custom prototype parts accurately, fast speed and at a low cost. Give us your CAD drawings, we will manage the whole project smoothly and can relax from placing order to receiving your products.