Rapid Prototyping With Xometry

Rapid prototyping is a product development method that utilizes turnkey manufacturing technologies to quickly produce multiple iterations of a component for testing and evaluation. In other words, it is a method of making parts as quickly as possible for hands-on reviews. 3D printing is most often chosen for rapid prototyping because of its affordable price point—typically between $5-50 for a prototype—and its quick turnaround time of 1-3 business days. Other common rapid prototyping processes besides 3D printing include CNC machining, sheet metal fabrication, and rapid injection molding.

Speed and affordability are the key principles of rapid prototyping and allow multiple designs of a prototype to be manufactured at once, or one prototype to be revised and re-made in quick succession. These prototypes provide critical information that helps engineers make design decisions before moving to higher fidelity models for functional testing and production.

Rapid prototyping services can be used to test a full range of designs and materials since the usual financial and time risk is removed from the equation. This mitigates the risk that would occur from moving a project forward without enough information.

3D printing is the most common rapid prototyping process. The key advantage of using a 3D prototype service is that it is fast and affordable. At Xometry, some 3D printed parts can be built and shipped in as little as a single day at for a few dollars.

The three most commonly used 3D printing processes for rapid prototyping are selective laser sintering (SLS), stereolithography (SLA), and fused deposition modeling (FDM).

SLS is one of the most versatile methods for rapid prototyping due to a blend of speed, functional mechanical properties, good detail resolution, and low costs.

SLA has the best surface finish of any 3D printing process and the highest detail accuracy as well as tolerances. SLA is also great at prototyping clear parts, particularly with the QuickClear finish on some materials.

FDM offers a wide variety of engineered thermoplastics such as ABS, PC, and ULTEM. FDM can rapidly produce larger, bulky parts, up to 36” in a single piece.

Rapid sheet metal fabrication can be a great option for quick-turn flat parts that require the prototype to be evaluated in its final metal material. These parts can be turned around in a week or less and can often be cost-effective enough to manufacture two or more prototype designs in parallel. Aluminum 5052 is the most common sheet metal material for rapid prototyping, but Xometry also offers a variety of alloys including steels, copper, and stainless.

Rapid sheet metal parts have a comparable lead time to rapid CNC machined parts, but have a longer lead time than 3D printed parts. Much like CNC machining, sheet metal fabrication requires additional machine set-up and run time.