How Rapid Prototyping and Manufacturing Is Facilitating Innovation
In today´s era, defined by rapid technological advancements, the ability to innovate quickly and effectively is key. Rapid prototyping and manufacturing have become indispensable tools for modern businesses, transforming how products are designed, tested, and brought to market. By enabling faster design iterations, reducing production timelines, and enhancing flexibility, rapid prototyping technologies, such as CNC machining, 3D printing, and Injection moulding, are shaping the future of product development across industries.
This article explores the role of rapid prototyping in modern industries, highlighting their impact on innovation, efficiency, and market competitiveness.
What is Rapid Prototyping?
Coined in the 1970s, rapid prototyping is a relatively new term which essentially describes the process of creating prototypes quickly to visually and functionally evaluate an engineering product design.
These prototypes are created using additive manufacturing techniques, such as 3D printing services or subtractive manufacturing techniques, such as CNC machining services) – and we’ll get into the differences between these two approaches shortly.
In terms of where rapid prototyping is used, the method is commonly applied in software engineering to try out exciting new business models and application architectures – Whether it's using strong rapid prototypes for aerospace or rapid prototype development for healthcare, the method allows faster iteration and feedback.
Fun fact: Rapid prototyping processes have even made it possible to build and test advanced robotic systems within months!
What are The Benefits of Rapid Prototyping?
At Geomiq, we believe that rapid prototyping has essentially nothing but upsides! Whether you’re looking to save time and money or create more accurate prototypes, rapid prototyping is your friend.
Here are just a few major advantages of using modern manufacturing technology to level up your engineering game:
#1 It’s fast
Perhaps the biggest benefit of rapid prototyping is that it helps engineers reduce product development time significantly.
The time it takes to create a part can vary from a few days to a number of months, depending on the project and the methods used, but it’s almost always faster than using more traditional methods to create your prototypes.
#2 It’s cost-effective
Rapid prototyping is an affordable and cost-effective way to create high-quality prototypes because it is, above all, an automated process.
The process requires less staff to work on projects manually, as 3D printers and CNC machines can do most of the work—and, unlike people, can run for hours, days, and even months without any breaks!
#3 It’s extremely precise
There is generally far less room for error in rapid prototyping, as manufacturers are able to use computer-aided design (CAD) to quickly review the details of every file, reduce material wastage and get each prototype right the first time every time.
Of course, there is also far less room for human error when you leave it to the machines to do what they do best.
#4 It allows for more flexibility in the design process
Rapid prototyping allows for a more complete picture of how a product will look or perform in the early stages of the design and manufacturing cycle. This allows for changes or improvements to be implemented far earlier in the process.
As rapid prototyping is an iterative process, it also allows customer requirements to be incorporated into designs cost-effectively.
Now that we’ve covered some of the key benefits of rapid prototyping, let’s take a look at two of the most popular ways of going about it:
Image from Formlabs, Fuse 1: The First Benchtop Industrial SLS 3D Printer
Using 3D Printing for Rapid Prototyping
3D printing is an additive manufacturing process whereby three-dimensional objects are created layer-by-layer using 3D object scanners or CAD (computer-aided design). This technology uses materials such as plastic filaments (FDM 3D Printing), resins (SLA 3D printing), metal powders (DMLS 3D Printing), and plastic powders (SLS 3D Printing and MJF 3D Printing) to create parts.
There are a few reasons why engineers might choose 3D printing over CNC machining (subtractive manufacturing). For example:
- It’s cheaper to create low volumes of parts
If you’re looking to create 80 or fewer parts or prototypes, 3D printing tends to be slightly cheaper on average.
- 3D printing reduces waste and is more environmentally friendly
Since additive manufacturing forms an object on the build platform from material fed into the machine, there is far less unused waste than in CNC machining (which involves cutting material away from an original block). This makes 3D printing the more ethical of the two methods – as it’s far kinder to our planet!
- It’s super speedy
3D printing is generally the more appropriate choice if you need your prototypes or parts made very quickly.
- 3D printers can handle higher levels of geometric complexity
While supports may be required for some projects, 3D printing is well-known and loved for being able to create parts with geometries that no traditional manufacturing method can replicate.
It’s worth noting that 3D printing tends to be the most popular method for rapid prototyping (you can find more information about 3D printing in our 3D printing guide).
However, rapid prototyping is absolutely not a one-size-fits-all process, and it’s important to consider other options too:
Using CNC Machining For Rapid Prototyping
The key difference between 3D printing and CNC machining is that while 3D printing is a form of additive manufacturing, CNC machining is subtractive.
This means CNC machining starts with a block of material (called a blank), and fast-moving cutters are used to carve away material and create the finished part quickly.
Some advantages of CNC machining include:
- It’s cheaper to create large quantities of prototypes and parts
For larger quantities of mechanical parts (from the higher double digits into the 100s), CNC is likely to be a more cost-effective choice compared to 3D printing.
- CNC machines can work with more materials
While 3D printing is largely focused on plastics, CNC machines are relatively indifferent to what they are cutting – so long as the material is rigid enough not to deform or melt under the pressure of the cutting action. Commonly used metals include aluminium, stainless steel, magnesium alloy, zinc alloy, titanium and brass.
3D printing vs CNC machining for Creating Prototypes?
The answer is simple – it completely depends on your project!
While both 3D printing and CNC machining methods are extremely effective, the most appropriate one for your project will depend on the material you’re looking to use, the geometric complexity of your project, the manufacturing volume and – of course – your budget.
For example, if you’re looking to create a low volume of affordable prototypes, 3D printing is probably your best bet, whereas if you are looking to create higher quantities of parts (100+), CNC is likely to be your most cost-effective option.
To find out which method is right for you and what your project’s unique requirements are, we’d advise you to speak to a trustworthy manufacturing platform or provider and ask for their advice.
Here at Geomiq, we champion both 3D printing and CNC machining services for different rapid prototyping and manufacturing projects, connecting engineers with world-class manufacturers to ensure each job is done right the first time, every time.
Final Thoughts
Thanks to modern manufacturing technology, the future of rapid prototyping and manufacturing is looking bright.
Rapid prototyping technologies allow engineers to work faster, smarter, better and more flexibly.
Plus, with online platforms like ours allowing you to source these expert services both locally and globally, the right rapid prototyping is only ever a few clicks away.
Next time you’re in the market for some high-quality mechanical parts, why not give rapid prototyping a try? The only way you’ll look back is to appreciate how far you’ve come!
To learn more about how our manufacturing platform can help deliver the highest–quality parts on demand and at scale, contact the team at Geomiq today. We’d love to hear from you!