Rapid Prototyping Revolution
The world of 3D printing is on the verge of a major change. Desktop 3D printers are becoming increasingly affordable and available, giving the ability to create relatively simple objects such as phone cases or coasters at home. And this accessibility has lowered the cost for prototyping molds, which will have a revolutionary effect on industries like automotive design, architecture and more. But how does it all work? What are some examples of success stories? Read further for a breakdown!
What Is Rapid Prototyping?
Rapid prototyping is an additive manufacturing process that creates three-dimensional models from digital data by building successive layers of material until fully formed. The process was invented in 1988 by Charles W. Hull and his son Charles B. Hull, Jr., mechanical engineers at the University of Michigan. The Hulls created a prototype model of their invention using a 3D computer-aided design (CAD) program, later demonstrated it to other engineers at General Motors and then demonstrated it to consumer magazines.
The term "rapid prototyping" may be used for many processes in which models are created from digital data by building successive layers of material until fully formed. The term is also used specifically for the process described above, which is mostly known as additive manufacturing (AM), but is also called 3D printing or selective laser sintering (SLS). As a technology and a manufacturing process, it is distinguished from other additive and subtractive manufacturing techniques, such as investment casting or metal injection molding (MIM). Rapid prototyping has also been called rapid tooling.
The term "rapid prototyping" was invented by the American entrepreneur Don Marineau while he was the President of Tekna Manufacturing, a Michigan-based custom manufacturer of prototypes and low– to medium-volume production plastic parts using SLA technology (as well as conventional machining, welding, forming and stamping). Marineau is also credited with coining the term "rapid manufacturing".
In 1983, Marineau began developing a new form of rapid manufacturing process and prototype manufacturing process, which was later named "SLA Rapid Prototyping". This new process changed the way engineers and product designers could efficiently evaluate designs with materials and parts. By using experienced CAD experts to design 3D models in a computer and then printing these models with a liquid resin printer, designers now had immediate access to prototypes that could be used to test their designs.
With their first "SLA Rapid Prototyping" machine being installed in the R&D operation of Tekna Manufacturing, Marineau's early SLA Rapid Prototyping techniques became part of the supply chain for many of Tekna's customers including companies such as General Motors.
By 1987, Marineau had moved to General Motors' research and development facility in Pontiac, Michigan. At General Motors R&D, Marineau worked with engineers on advanced projects including fuel cell systems, electric vehicle technology and other launch vehicles for NASA. As leader of the Advanced Manufacturing Group at GM's R&D Center in Pontiac, Marineau played a vital role in General Motors' continued investment in what are today some of the greatest manufacturing techniques in the world including additive manufacturing (AM) technologies such as 3D printing.
General Motors introduced its first 3D printed product to the public at a technology show held at The New York Academy of Sciences January 22–24, 1988. The show featured a concept car designed using 3D Computer Aided Design (CAD) software, implemented through rapid prototyping by Charles Hull and his son, Charles Hull, Jr. as well as several other engineers under the direction of Marineau.
The concept car included various features made possible by the SLA Rapid Prototyping process, including non-visible panels for speakers and other accessories fitted inside doors. Additional interior components that were made possible through rapid prototyping included a glove box door and storage bins in the cockpit area. The car also featured an integrated visor to shade the driver from sunlight. Other components, such as bumpers, were recycled into subsequent models of General Motors vehicles.
General Motors adopted the rapid prototyping technology and brought it to market. The first commercial production runs of parts using the SLA Rapid Prototyping process were in 1990, with many more applications emerging throughout the decade. By 1997, General Motors had produced over 1,000 different parts using this technology for a wide range of their products – from fuel tanks to suspension components.
One such product was a fuel tank for the sport utility vehicle, the Cadillac Escalade. Made primarily of plastic composite materials including glass-reinforced ABS plastic and carbon fiber-reinforced nylon, the full-scale prototype was built within 90 days and weighed only around ten pounds heavier than a conventional steel tank with comparable dimensions. This fuel tank was one of the first to be made with AM technology and was adopted by General Motors as the standard design for production models. It has been used in all Escalades since 1997 and is still in production today.
In 1989, Tekna started producing parts for the GM pickup truck line, including a new tailgate for the Silverado. The "SLA Rapid Prototyping" process allowed Tekna to quickly create hundreds of prototypes from computerized CAD data consisting of thousands of individual pieces of plastic resin. These parts were quickly manufactured using thermoplastics, epoxies and even metals such as aluminum and steel. Within 12 hours, the parts were created in a matter of minutes and less than a day after that, the finished product was ready for install in the truck. This was one of the first production runs to utilize SLA technology.
In 1992, Tekna received a contract from General Motors to produce over 1,000 thermoplastic bumpers and fenders for its Saturn SC2 sports car; this SLA Rapid Prototyping process allowed Tekna to create bare metal prototypes within less than three hours. The bumpers and fenders were installed into the final production car by General Motors as an alternative to traditional metal stamping or die casting processes.
Over the next few years, the technology became more widespread, with Tekna producing various components for GM's Saturn line of cars, as well as its Aurora and Nova models. As this technology progressed over time, users were able to design and fabricate objects at a much faster rate than before. In addition to increasing the speed through which products could be created, rapid prototyping began to create stronger parts that used less material. Replacing a ten-pound steel prototype with a one-pound plastic prototype created cost savings in terms of material costs while also reducing production costs due to less material used during manufacturing. These savings were passed along to General Motors and its customers.
By the mid-1990s, SLA Rapid Prototyping was becoming widespread throughout other automobile manufacturers as well. Ford Motor Company was using the technology in Detroit and Chrysler Corporation was using it in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. In 1994, Chrysler purchased Tekna's SLA Rapid Prototyping operations to be used within their Windsor facilities. The Tekna operation became a part of Chrysler's Advanced Product Design & Development (APDD) organization and provided production support for North American business units as well as overseas operations.
Conclusion
SLA Rapid Prototyping is a process that has many benefits for both the consumer and the supplier. General Motors, Tekna Plastic and others have opened the doors to AM parts that are not just cheaper to produce, but also more efficient at the same time. For suppliers like Tekna Plastic, when competing with companies who do not offer advanced printing services, such as 3D printing or SLA Rapid Prototyping technology, it can be difficult to compete with lesser quality products. However, with their rapid prototyping process coupled with other strategies designed to keep costs down and production times short, Tekna Plastic has been able to stay competitive in the consumer marketplace.