In the world of research and development, where new technologies and ideas are born every day, one of the points is how quickly we can output them as products to the world.What is required in the world of such product developmentRapid prototypingIt is a method to realize.
Rapid prototyping is a way to quickly shape an idea, and in order to achieve its "fastness", it is also important how "easy" the prototype itself is.In the past, specialized and large-scale prototype machines that were owned by specific companies and research institutes have been developed, but recently, desktop-type machines that have been miniaturized and can be obtained by individuals have been developed. Is accompanied.I also feel the privatization of technology that what was previously done with machines that cost tens of millions of yen can now be done with devices that can be purchased for tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of yen.
This time, we will introduce rapid prototyping to accelerate the speed of product development and desktop type prototyping equipment, which is one of the easy ways to realize it.
table of contents
About prototyping
Before full-scale mass production of a product, first try making a small number of products as a prototype-prototyping.It's a way to get ideas into shape and get more people to know about them, and it's also a way to see if there are any design issues.
The trial production itself is a method that has been practiced for a long time. For example, the design judgment, which is one of the reasons for the trial production, is judged by CAD or simulation software using the data without making a trial production of the actual product. Is now possible (CAE).For example, designing parts such as fan blades as data (CAD) and simulating the effects on the surrounding environment when it operates and rotates (fluid analysis) ... It can be said that it has become possible to make a good evaluation.
However, there is also information that can be obtained by getting or seeing the real thing.For example:
- A feeling of scale
- Easy to hold
- State when placed in real space
- Experience to move it
- Confirmation of combination with another existing product
In other words, in order to confirm the usability and impression when actually using it, it will be necessary to prepare something close to the real thing.When it is finally commercialized, it will be mass-produced, but at the prototype stage, it is necessary to make a single item with slightly different shapes and specifications while making a lot of fine adjustments.
Therefore, how to make ideas visible quickly, how to repeat trial and error trial production to create what should be aimed at, "high-speed trial production", that is, rapid prototyping is required. I will.
How to achieve rapid prototyping on your desktop
There are many companies that have a business of making prototypes.Of course, there are many merits of asking such a company for trial production. For example, we have a specialized machine that costs tens of millions of yen and we are good at the fine processing that can be realized, and we are familiar with trial production. It is possible to create the ideal product through meetings with skilled staff.
However, it can be said that there are some time issues and it is difficult to make timely fine adjustments in terms of quickly putting ideas into shape.In such a case, a desktop type device that allows you to act as an operator and make a prototype at your own hands will be very effective as a rapid prototyping (high-speed prototype) method.
Below, we will introduce desktop-type devices according to the prototype method and materials used.
3D printer
Examples of materials that can be used: plastic / liquid resin / clay, etc.
It is this 3D printer that has revolutionized rapid prototyping in recent years.In particular, 3D printers that melt materials with heat called the FDM method and stack layers to form, and 3D printers that solidify and mold materials by irradiating light called the stereolithography method have a large installation area. It is a small type, highly available materials (available on Amazon, etc.), and easy to introduce.
Plastic (resin such as PLA / ABS)
Plastic is often used in desktop 3D printers FDM (FDM)Fused Deposition Modeling) It is a material that can be used in the method.A material such as PLA (polylactic acid) or ABS, which is called a filament, is melted by applying heat to it and squeezed out from the nozzle. It will be formed in a stacked form.
In addition to the PLA and ABS mentioned above, there are various types and colors of filaments, and flexible trial production such as changing the material and color for each part is possible.In addition, by using a filament manufacturing machine, filaments with favorite colors and characteristics can be made from favorite plastic pellets, and products that are no longer needed during repeated trial production can be crushed, melted, and reused. The eco-friendly point is also a point of interest.
Liquid resin (resin)
Stereolithography 3D printers use liquid resin that hardens when exposed to light (laser).In the stereolithography method, the liquid resin that fills the tank is irradiated with a laser step by step according to the data such as 3D CAD, which is a design drawing, and the resin is cured to form it. ..
One of the characteristics of liquid resin products is that they have a smooth surface.Liquid resin is also suitable when you want to make something with high transparency.
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There is also a slightly unusual 3D printer made of clay.When making a prototype of a precise design or structure that is difficult to faithfully reproduce by human hands with pottery, clay is extruded and stacked based on data such as 3D CAD as in the case of FDM 3D printers. I can.
There are also 3D printers that can make prototypes using metal as a material, but for example, even with a type that stacks materials like the FDM method, materials other than metal are removed from the output (defatting) and sintered. It is often the case that the equipment is a little large.
Although it is not 100% metal, if you want to achieve a "metal-like appearance", you can create a prototype with a metal-like texture by using the following plastic filaments containing metal powder. Is possible.
■ ColorFabb's Bronze Fill A work made in.Polishing gives a unique luster
Milling machine
Examples of materials that can be used: metal / wood / plastic, etc.
A milling machine is a method (machine) that creates a shape by carving out a block of material such as metal with a rotating end mill.Among them, the computer-controlled one is called a CNC milling machine, and like a 3D printer, the machine automatically cuts out according to the preset settings based on the data created by 3D CAD.More complicated processing is possible without the need for manual work of precise shaving by the operator.
For example, in the video below Pocket-NC Operates on a total of 5 axes, "Vertical (X)", "Horizontal (Y)", "Depth (Z)", "Slanting (A)", and "Rotating (B)", and finely carves out the target.
* The types of materials that can be used vary depending on the milling machine, so please check if the material to be processed is compatible.
Vacuum forming machine
Examples of materials that can be used: Plastic
It is a method of molding by warming a thin plastic sheet with a heater, softening it, pressing it against a mold, and cooling the plastic in a state where the air is evacuated (vacuum).It may be easier to understand if you imagine that you can make a character mask that is sold at fairs or something like a plastic tray inside a candy bag.
Three-dimensional modeling that fully reproduces unevenness is possible, and it is also convenient when making a large number of the same things (parts, etc.) from one mold.Since it is necessary to prepare the original mold, the mold itself must be made with the above-mentioned 3D printer or the like.
The following is a desktop vacuum forming machine Vaquform DT2 This is a video of the usage example of Vaquform DT2 released by the manufacturer of.A case where a shoe designer outputs a design part based on a sketched image with a 3D printer, molds it with Vaquform DT2, and makes shoes as designed is introduced according to the procedure.
Laser cutter (laser processing machine)
Examples of materials that can be used: wood / metal / glass, etc.
It is a method of cutting out thin and hard materials such as wood, metal plates, and glass by irradiating them with a laser.In addition to prototyping flat plate-shaped objects, it is also possible to cut out and combine parts to create a three-dimensional object.
It is often used to engrave illustrations and logos on the target material, but if you look at the following video around 8:23 (Muse introduction part), you can imagine the possibility of trial production with a laser cutter. think.
Extra – Rapid Prototyping in Application Development
User interface design is an important factor in application development.In particular, the interactive operation feeling that the user's operation action is reflected in the application is inseparable from the evaluation of the good impression / bad impression that the user feels about the application. It is important not to "just perform the desired operation" but to "how the user can execute it with a satisfactory operation feeling".
Normally, the operation feeling of such an application is implemented by programming, but at the stage of prototyping that tells "what, how, what kind of movement occurs", programming is not necessary more easily. It is desirable to be able to achieve it.There is also software that enables rapid prototyping of such applications.
For example, ProtoPie The software is a prototyping tool that allows you to quickly turn your UI / UX design ideas into interactive prototypes.You can prototype an interactive application with the intuitive operation of specifying three elements: object (what), trigger (what triggered), and response (what happens) without the need for code.
Summary
The speed of product development is accelerating, and the timing of release to the world has become different depending on whether or not there is a means to quickly shape, scrutinize, and output glowing ideas.Rapid prototyping is just that.
The 3D printers and vacuum forming machines introduced this time were originally large and expensive machines owned by companies specializing in processing, but as the times progressed and the technology spread, they became smaller and easier to obtain. have become.More convenient and more types of techniques for achieving rapid prototyping are likely to continue to appear on our desks.
Our Overseas product procurement service for R & D "Unipos"So, we will help you to obtain such newly released prototyping equipment all over the world.If you have a product you would like to obtain, please feel free to contact us with information such as the product name and URL.We will check the availability and make a quote.
