Prototyping processes

Construction and observation are two basic notions in Computer Science corresponding to precise dual mathematical concepts: those of algebra and coalgebra. This paper introduces a simple coalgebraic model for concurrent processes and discusses its animation in the declarative language Charity. It is argued that the ability to reason in an uniform way about data and behaviour, provides an unifying approach to functional prototyping of software speci cations

Characterization of beech wood pulp towards sustainable rapid prototyping

Wood has several advantages that are transferable to various derivates allowing the introduction of a sustainable material into the product lifecycle. The objective of this paper is to apply a design for manufacturing approach based on wood flour rapid prototyping, while associating the requirements of the ‘mass customisation’ in the implementation of a customised product. New collaborative software allows consumers to be involved in the design process. Prototyping processes allow direct manufacturing of products

RP Process Selection for Rapid Tooling in Sand Casting

The significant cycle-time improvements and geometrical capabilities of solid freeform fabrication systems have led to applications in sand casting industry for design verification and tooling. The time and cost effective deployment of rapid tooling processes using rapid prototyping technology has thus becoming an emerging area to be studied. To make full use of the advantages of rapid prototyping processes, the factors influencing the tooling approach must be identified and understood. This understanding is then used to develop a decision-making structure for RP process selection for rapid tooling in sand casting. In this manuscript we review our work in evaluating and building a framework for tooling process selection for sand castingMechanical Engineerin

The Materials Advantage of the SLS Selective Laser Sintering Process

The rapid prototyping market continues to progress in tenns of processes and materials used for the creation of conceptual and functional parts and prototype tooling. As this market continues to mature, the market leaders win be able to offer rapid prototyping processes and materials that provide parts which are accurate, have good surface finish, and provide properties which support fqnctional applications.. The materials used for these parts will be. polymers, metals, and ceramics. '. The strength oithe SLSTM Selective Laser Sintering Process is the. potential to use a wide variety of powdered materials for the creation of models, patterns, and some fonns of prototype tooling. ,This paper will cover the types of materials currently used in the SLS process and their inherent advantages.and discuss current research into the development of new materials.Mechanical Engineerin

Rapid Prototype for Foundry Tool Making: Curriculum and Industrial Projects

This paper presents the evolution of an experimental .courseat Cal Poly which applies rapid prototyping techniques, enabling a concurrent engineering approach to product development. This is applied within our manufacturillgenvironmentof foundry and machining processes. It focuses upon the.mainprobletnof rapid tooling for these processes. A contemporary problenlprovided by industry is used as the vehicle for illustrating rapidprototyping techniques within a concurrent engineering context.Mechanical Engineerin

The State of Prototyping Practice in the Industrial Setting: Potential, Challenges and Implications

Prototyping as a central method within innovation- and product development processes has a high acceptance in industry. Various prototyping tools provide impressive visualizations of product ideas in early development stages and especially low fidelity prototyping methods seem easily applicable. However, a closer look at prototyping in practice reveals a number of misunderstandings and barriers regarding effective prototyping, often related to different stakeholders’ (e.g., developer, designer, client) ideas about the purpose of prototyping. Based on a combination of literature analysis, adapting existing models and methods in user centered design (e.g., personas, double diamond design process) and empirical results from industrial research cooperation, we introduce a focus group format and a first model of prototyping maturity, which can help organizations to reflect on their state of practice in prototyping on an individual, team, and organizational level. The maturity model also forms a valuable theoretical lens for design research. Thus, our research aims at researchers in the field of prototyping as well as practitioners involved in prototyping and innovation processes

The application of metrics to industrial prototyping processes: An empirical study

A key problem in the development of information systems is understanding features of the development process. To this end, in recent years, considerable interest has been focused on modelling processes. In this paper, the results of an empirical investigation into the use of prototyping in information systems development is described. Nine prototyping processes across eight different sites of varying size were analysed and data relating to each process collected. The notation of Role Activity Diagrams (RADs) was used to capture each of the nine processes. Analysis of the interactions in each process revealed that the project manager interacted with the prototyper far more often in large developments than in small or medium-sized developments. However, significantly more interactions between the project manager and end-user were found in small-sized developments than for any other sized site. The study demonstrates how measures of business models can aid analysis of the process rather than the product and highlights the need for more empirical investigation into this and other facets of the development process. A number of lessons have been learnt from our analysis; these we also explain

Computer-Aided Design in Subtractive and Additive Prototyping

This paper concerns the use of a commercially available computer-aided design software in designing and manipulating the complex-shaped models for subtractive and additive prototyping processes. In the subtractive prototyping approach, the computer-aided design software was used to create surface models. The models were section-cut into multiple cross sectional layers. Then, the section-cut models were converted from graphic files into non-graphic files (neutral format files). In the additive prototyping approach, the computer-aided design software was used to create solid models with internal cavities (parent model). Multiple smaller diameter solid models were then derived from the parent mode!. The various diameter solid models were converted into surface models. The surface models were then section-cut and later changed into neutral format files. The computer-aided design software used in the project was AutoSurf, a commercially available product of Autodesk, Inc. The hardware which was used ;n the above processes were a four degrees of freedom precision robotic manipulator (for manipulating raw material), a ball-nosed end milling device (in subtractive prototyping) and a semi-liquid deposition tool (for additive prototyping). This study revealed the possibility of using cheap and general computer-aided design software to accomplish the complex-shaped model design and manipulation work in the prototyping processes instead of using expensive rapid prototyping software

Hybrids (2010) at the MIC Media and Interdisciplinary Arts Centre, Auckland, New Zealand.

MIC Toi Rerehiko is pleased to present Hybrids, an exhibition featuring nine local and international artists who integrate rapid prototyping processes with other media. Rapid prototyping technology has largely been used by industrial manufacturers and has since been adopted by architects and digital media artists. Considered within an artmaking sphere, the process raises issues over ontology, authenticity and place amongst others. The works in the exhibition seek to address these while still embracing their own materiality, in model making technology and digitalculture. As the title Hybrids suggests, the works comprise a combination of these ideas with a range of media including live performance, social and formal sculpture, video installation and painting. Hybrids articulates itself as an extension of Kosuth’s One and Three Chairs, which plays on the ontological properties of an object. His theory on the unification of concept and realisation has been re-interpreted, taking into account the undefined and evolving limitations of rapid prototyping. Kosuth’s statement that art is to embody an idea that remains constant despite changes to its elements will be tested within a digital framework. Concerns of the exhibition curators include existence and what constitutes the identity of an object, authorship of digitally created work, the fluidity of transformation from data set to three dimensional object, and the relational aspect between prototyping,audiences and real-time. Hybrids investigates the ability of rapid prototyping to blur the interface between manufactured truth and objective reality

Exploring Vacuum Casting Techniques for Micron and Submicron Features

A study of resolution limits in standard rapid prototyping vacuum cast molding processes and adaptation of this technique to reach submicron accuracy is proposed. Micro-fabrication technologies are used to fabricate micron and submicron high aspect-ratio patterns on the original parts. The molding of the original parts is optimized to allow replication of submicron features. In carefully exploring materials and surface treatments, cast parts are successfully replicated with submicron and high aspect ratio micron structures. These encouraging results enable the use of such processes for micro- and nano-systems applications and open the door to development and production of low cost, high resolution biochips.Mechanical Engineerin