The process of object’s model creation is called rapid prototyping technology. The main purpose of such technology is testing of functionality, design and features of the future product. Rapid prototyping process is inalienable part of any object production nowadays and can be hardly overestimated. It helps designers to examine all possible features of a product, to find all mistakes and disadvantages of a product before it is produced or released. Such technology was hardly affordable a couple of decades ago because production was implemented manually taking much time and money to approve it. Working stuff that was needed for a proper work of any prototyping establishment had to be well paid or prototyping manufacturers risked losing their workers. There was a reasonable excuse for a high salary that had to be paid to people. The production was not provided with an appropriate equipment and machines, used for creation of prototyping models were very simple and some of them were even outdated. Prototyping machines carried out the actual production of prototyping model; however, due to the very few functions of these machines, models coming out of them were very imperfect. As you have already understood all further manipulations with the model had to be done manually. Such operations were additional tooling or carving, depending on the requirement of a client and the final look of a model. Manual work has been estimated highly since ancient times. Even now if you buy any souvenir or object and it has an inscription ‘handmade’ on it – it is going to cost you a pretty penny. The same story was occurring in the end of 1980’s when it was becoming more and more obvious that manual work was too expensive and imperfect to pay for it. Prototyping technology was very unpopular because of the high production and cost price and many manufacturers preferred to release poorly tested product than to waste a great sum of money on ordering one or several prototyping models. The situation was difficult until 1988 when a new prototyping technology called rapid prototyping was invented. It happened due to the development of computer technologies, which were growing popular at that time. A new technology was based on the interconnection with a computer with preinstalled 3D graphical programs. This program displayed an image of a future prototyping model. A special function divided an image on cross-section that could be moved. These virtual cross-sections were seen as layers by a prototyping machines. As computer program deleted cross-sections from the image on the screen, a prototyping machine was growing them with special material. This technology was great comparing to the previous one because it provided designers with a ready-made model, needed no carving or additional tooling. It was a great success and this technology is widely used up till now.

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