{"id":164452,"date":"2022-02-26T15:22:42","date_gmt":"2022-02-26T07:22:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/?post_type=kb&p=164452"},"modified":"2022-11-22T16:49:00","modified_gmt":"2022-11-22T08:49:00","slug":"what-is-3d-prototyping-simply-explained","status":"publish","type":"kb","link":"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/kb\/what-is-3d-prototyping-simply-explained","title":{"rendered":"What Is 3D Prototyping? \u2013 Simply Explained"},"content":{"rendered":"

Prototyping a product can be costly and slow, but using 3D prototyping, or rapid prototyping, you can iterate efficiently. Explore this method in the following guide.<\/p>\n

What Is It?<\/h3>\n
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Prototype iterations using different materials. (Source: lejsl.com)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Rapid prototyping, also known as 3D prototyping, is not only limited to 3D printing. It actually refers to a process of iterating through a design by quickly manufacturing physical prototypes and making small changes at each step to improve it.<\/p>\n

Traditional prototyping techniques like injection molding require weeks or even months to manufacture each iteration. And that\u2019s not to mention the extra expense compared to other methods like 3D printing or laser cutting.<\/p>\n

Thanks to digital fabrication technologies, we\u2019re now able to do rapid prototyping relatively quickly\u00a0using a variety of materials with differing properties, such as cheap PLA, impact-resistant ABS, durable nylon,\u00a0and more.<\/p>\n

But rapid prototyping can be carried out using multiple distinct\u00a0technologies, each with different use cases.\u00a0In this article, we cover which technologies are available for rapid prototyping and what can be achieved with\u00a0them.<\/p>\n

3D Printing<\/h3>\n
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A model being 3D printed using FDM. (Source: kpt-moulds.co.uk)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Rapid prototyping is one of the most common applications for\u00a03D printing<\/a>, which offers a great deal of flexibility in terms of speed and material selection. 3D printing allows the manufacturing of low-to-medium performance objects at a low cost, but it\u2019s not suitable for mass production.<\/p>\n

3D printing is considered an additive manufacturing method, meaning\u00a0material is added until a specific shape is formed. Depending on the level of accuracy required, there are different kinds of 3D printing\u00a0processes available:<\/p>\n