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A prototype proves a product concept. It may be purely functional, aesthetic or both depending on its purpose. Rapid prototyping is a range of new technologies which produce a variety of models using 3D solid or fully surfaced CAD data of a design.
These models can be built rather quickly usually in just a couple of hours or days instead of weeks and months. Size is the most common factor rather than complexity, the size of the model will determine how long it will take to build.
All rapid prototyping systems including solid modeling and surface modeling use the CAD software's stereo lithography interface to produce a. STL file. All the technologies use the same .STL file format as their basis for building models.
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Stages of Prototyping  |
Common Prototype Questions
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What is the purpose of the prototype?
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How many are needed?
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How large is the prototype?
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Are strength and durability concerns?
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At what temperature will it be used?
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What is the budget?
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What surface quality is required?
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Will it be used for testing?
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