Rapid Tooling Is An Engineering Necessity

Basically, Rapid Tooling or RT is used to describe a process called rapid prototyping otherwise known as RP. The RT or RP tool quickly creates a pattern intended to be a model for a mold or the RT uses the process to directly create a model for a specific number of prototypes. The reason for the distinction between rapid prototyping and conventional tooling is that RT take much less time to form prototypes than than a conventional tool.

Additionally, besides the quick formation time for prototypes the cost can be a fraction of conventional tooling. Literally, the price to pay for RT will be 5% or less than what it costs for conventional tooling. The tolerance for different types of model materials is much larger with rapid prototyping than with conventional tooling.

For example, RT can come up with models that are made of silicone rubber, as well as, composite types of molds, in addition to direct and injection molding. For those in the engineering and manufacturing fields, RT is expanding fast and new information on the variety of methodologies is changing all the time.

Rapid prototyping technology reduces the creation of very complex items to a manageable time frame and makes the manufacturing process much faster. Engineers in many fields use the RT technology to bring products to market much faster than ever before. Other professionals who find RT a necessity are doctors, surgeons, architects, many types of artists and the list goes on.

Rapid prototyping technology is the only way to go when your company is ready to take an item or product into production. With this technology you can create the hard metal tools necessary to accomplish the job you want done or you can have the entire item made exactly to your specifications. Once the prototypes are made it becomes very easy to get your product to market quickly. From a small hand held item to large machinery, Rapid Tooling technology is an absolute necessity in today's world.

Back to tool making articles