| Summary: | Rapid Prototyping technologies, besides producing pieces with complex geometries and with high dimensional accuracy, can optimize the development process of a product by providing tests and improving communication among the people involved in the project. This article presents and discusses two Rapid Prototyping technologies, one additive and another subtractive (CNC milling), used in the production of two pieces from the same digital file. These pieces were compared, considering parameters such as: production time, cost, material and fidelity regarding the original file. The results show that additive technology is recommended for models with complex geometries or that require internal details, whereas the subtractive technology is characterized by lower production cost, better surface finish and diversity of material use, making the choice of one or another technology for a specific project depend on the objectives for which the prototype is being produced.
|
|---|