Industry Briefing
September 2001

Have you ever wondered how most companies are using rapid prototyping (RP)? Nearly 41% of all RP models and prototype parts are being used for fit and function applications. An estimated 27% are used as visual aids for engineering, toolmaking, quote requests, and proposals. More than 23% are being used as patterns for prototype tooling and metal casting, as well as for tooling inserts. These estimates were taken from Wohlers Report 2001. (Information on the report is attached.) Fourteen RP system manufacturers and 43 RP service providers worldwide provided the data used to produce the above information. 

The diversity of applications of rapid prototyping is limited only by the imagination. The obvious, conventional applications of the technology are easy to see and appreciate. However, when rapid prototyping is applied to more than one aspect of product development, or it is applied in a manner that creates new ways of thinking and alternative approaches, the power can be unimaginable.

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You may be interested in knowing that Accelerated Technologies, Inc. (ATI) is sponsoring an international contest for users of the new WaterClear stereolithography resin from DSM Somos. The material permits you to design and build parts and assemblies that are clear. If you would like to win a trip to EuroMold 2001 in Frankfurt, Germany, $5,000 in rapid prototyping, and many other prizes, visit http://www.atirapid.com to learn more. The deadline for submission is October 15, 2001. 

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