Material and design considerations for rapid manufacturing

An investigation into how the advent of Rapid Manufacturing will influence an individual designer's approach to product design and materials selection is detailed. The assumption is made that Rapid Prototyping machines have evolved into viable manufacturing systems and all associated problems with accuracy, surface finish and repeatability have been resolved. Without the restriction of removing a product from a tool, designers will be free to design any complexity of geometry that they either desire or require. This tool-less approach to manufacturing will have profound implications on the way designers are accustomed to working and will eliminate most Design for Manufacture considerations. Design investigations are presented to highlight the potential importance and scope of Rapid Manufacturing. With advances in a new range of materials, some Rapid Manufacturing is happening today—albeit with existing Rapid Prototyping equipment. However, to enable designers to use existing Rapid Prototyping equipment for manufacturing purposes, there is a need for comprehensive information relating to the mechanical properties of the available materials. This is required to enable ‘Design for Rapid Manufacture’. The most comprehensive analysis to date of three new materials aimed for end-use part manufacture at differing ages, humidities and temperatures is presented.