Prototyping software is gaining popularity in all industries without exception. That is not so surprising. The development process, even for a small product, is often costly. In an effort to reduce process times and late reiteration cycles and, consequently, development costs, many engineers and developers resort to various rapid prototyping tools to create prototypes and mock-ups of products during the planning and concept phase before starting the actual development. Recently-appearing prototyping tools are quite powerful and some beyond any imagination. Here are some examples of innovative prototyping tools from different industries.
A prototyping tool that caused a manufacturing revolution
3-D printing is a new prototyping tool that is used today in many areas, such as industrial design, architecture and civil engineering. The New York Times said in an article last year that 3-D printing caused a manufacturing revolution. This prototyping tool is based on additive manufacturing technology, where layers of material are added gradually to form a shape. First, 3-D printing was only used in manufacturing but thanks to its relatively low cost and efficiency it rapidly became a prototyping tool used across industries. 3-D printers can create prototypes of almost anything: bottles, iPad cases, bags, furniture… According to the New York Times, there is even a company in California that does 3-D printing of houses. The 3-D printer they use is big enough to produce layers of concrete to form walls of a house, all based on preset designs. Prototyping software that goes with 3-D printers allows designers to create a digital prototype at home, send it to a 3-D printing company and receive the printed product in the mail the next morning. Use of a prototyping tool that took months and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars before is now available to anyone.
No comments:
Post a Comment