Virtual prototyping is growing to be a cost-effective approach used in screening new products and techniques. It really is an important part of existing rapid prototyping methods wherein virtual designs produced from computer aided design (CAD) or animation modeling software are widely-used and after that transformed directly into cross areas in a still virtual environment.

A particular machine is next used to generate each virtual cross segment in then takes actual form layer after layer right up until an identical prototype model is made. The entire process allows the virtual model to end up a physical model with equivalent identical features.

With the additive manufacturing of virtual prototypes, the rapid prototyping (RP) machine scans the data from a CAD drawing, and forms successive layers of liquid or powdered materials in respect to the virtual data attained. It carefully builds up a physical model from a series of cross sections.

These kinds of different layers, that match up with the virtual cross sections created from the CAD model, are then glued or fused with each other to make the ultimate three dimensional prototype model.

All the rapid prototyping technologies in present use have several things in common. All help make utilization of additive processes. Rapid prototyping helps make use of additive construction as being the means of producing solid prototype objects which includes the specific advantage of creating nearly any figure or form that even the best machining and tooling techniques will not be able to achieve. While in the ensuing development, virtual prototyping should go through a number of stages that gradually turns designs into fully testable three dimensional models.

Every one of the rapid prototyping machines being utilized slowly and gradually form the three dimensional models by putting together thin, two-dimensional layers one at a time. The three dimensional manifestation of the virtual design is formed through the bottom up. Models are made with an elevator-like system from virtual CAD designs. The platform is reduced a layer-height at a time after a layer is finished. The finer the layer, the softer the finish would be on the completed prototype model. Now that the model is completely formed, it may be sanded, plated or painted, based on material used.

Rapid prototyping technologies can also be a "dry" or a "wet" process. The majority of machines develop prototype models by solidifying some sort of loose powder, liquid, or semi-liquid material. A machine may be able to trim through adhesive-coated sheets of prototype fabrication materials. The dry powdered materials can sometimes be some type of polymer, powdered metal, or wax. Some machines could even have the ability to use starch as the building material for forming the prototype model.

A number of of the powders utilized may also need to have a binder. The liquid materials largely used tend to be photosensitive polymers that firm up when exposed to possibly a laser or ultraviolet (UV) light. Wet rapid prototyping methods usually involve a curing phase.