Computer-aided manufacturing of laminated engineering materials

The high cost of tooling is often an obstacle to the implementation of design changes or material substitutions. The advent of rapid prototyping (RP), or solid freeform fabrication (SFF), has, to a large degree, eliminated this problem for design changes by allowing rapid fabrication of form-and-fit models without the need for tooling or extensive machining. Although a new class of technology--3D Systems Inc. introduced the first commercial machine, based on stereolithography, in 1987--RP has assumed a critical role in the activities of technologically advanced corporations, and it has become increasingly available to small businesses through service bureaus.