Three-Dimensional Rapid Prototyping

The beauty of the RP technique is the rapid turnaround time from design to a final model, a process that manufacturers claim can be accomplished in approximately four days. Researchers at the University of Dayton are using rapid prototyping to produce fiber-reinforced 

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While there are many choices and options for engaging in rapid prototyping, we ll cover the basic steps involved in stereolithography—an additive technique by which plastic models are built thin layer upon thin layer, resulting in a three-dimensional prototype created by a machine with very little human involvement. 

There is as yet no established rapid prototyping process for MID technology. However, near-MID, three-dimensional prototypes can be used for assembly checks and function tests (Chapter 7). Typical faults identifiable with the aid of prototypes include... 

Anderson J.R., Chiu D.T., Jackman R.J., Chemiavskaya O., McDonald J.C., Wu H.K., Whitesides S.H., Whitesides G.M., Fabrication of topologically complex three-dimensional microfluidic systems in PDMS by rapid prototyping, Anal. Chem. 2000 72 3158-3164. 

Rapid prototyping or stereolithography or three-dimensional object curing is a photochemical process used to produce solid three-dimensional objects, such as models, masters, or patterns with any shape directly from a design. 

Cyclohexyl phenyl ketone was used by Johnson et al. (3) to photocure intermediates for three-dimensional articles using rapid prototyping techniques. The product exhibited stable tensile properties over time. 

Part I, Chapter 12). Other examples are commercially available desktop inkjet printers modified for biological purposes, and filled with cells and a biocompatible ink [56, 57]. Three-dimensional thin layers of alternately printed cells were deposited, which initially formed clumps and later fused into vascular structures [58]. Given that the formation of vascular structures in artificial organ replacements is a very challenging task (see also Part I, Chapter 15), these rapid prototyping approaches promise significant rewards in the tissue engineering field. 

Stereolithography is a technique widely adopted in industry in conjunction with computer-aided design, CAD, and computer-aided manufacturing, CAM, i.e. micromachining [32, 37, 38]. Stereolithography allows the fabrication of solid, plastic, three-dimensional (3-D) prototypes or models of products and devices from CAD drawings in a matter of hours. Rapid prototyping by means of stereo-... 

Rapid Prototyping is the construction of complex three-dimensional parts using additive manufacturing technology. 

Three-dimensional printing 3D printing or 3DP) is a rapid prototyping (RP) technique that was developed in 1992 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) [109]. In contrast to 3D plotting of hot polymer melts, 3DP uses CAD models that can be obtained with a personal computer [110]. 3DP is a layered fabrication process in which a layer of powder is spread onto the powder bed on which the model will be created. Then a print head ejects... 

A further application using microdroplets is the rapid prototyping of three-dimensional industrial objects making use of the ejection of high-temperature liquid metals, ceramic suspensions or hardenable polymers. 

Laser-Based Micromachining, Fig. 2 Schematic of laser micromachining system for rapid prototyped three-dimensional channel netwoiks using a femtosecond laser. The femtosecond laser provides intensities that overcome the ablation threshold at the tightly focused heam waist... 

Ke K, Hasselbrink EF Jr, Hunt AJ (2005) Rapidly prototyped three-dimensional nanofluidic channel networks in glass substrates. Anal Chem 77(16) 5083-5088... 

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