January 3 - 9, 2008 - This week's search of the week is Prototyping. In plastic part design, technology has given us a variety of prototyping options. Rapid prototyping (RP) includes stereolithography, selective laser sintering, fused deposition modeling, laminated object manufacturing, and three dimensional printing.  Each of these builds parts, one-by-one, from 3D-CAD models, joining layers of material to create the finished prototype.  Rapid tooling (RT) uses rapid prototyping to create an initial part and then creates, from that part, a mold in which additional parts can be made.  Mold materials can range from silicone rubber to composites.  A third prototyping option is rapid injection molding (RIM), which works directly from a 3D-CAD model, using CNC machining to mill aluminum molds in which true injection-molded parts can be made.  Finally, there is traditional injection molding, which is used primarily for production, but could conceivably be used to create prototypes.

In this demo, we'll also provide a brief overview of The Plastics Store™ at the end of the video.