Mechanical Engineering Department

Center of Excellence
in
Rapid Prototyping
Our vision: Enhance progress, prosperity and strong communities through advanced
manufacturing.
Our mission: Develop and deploy rapid prototyping technologies and

applications through education, research and service.

Our purpose: Be an internationally recognized center for Rapid Prototyping
research and education excellence.

Rapid prototyping was introduced in 1987. This technology is an additive process

which builds an object by joining particles or layers of raw material. Materials
used for the additive process are photopolymer, thermoplastic and adhesives. It is
very important to guide a new product from concept to market quickly and
inexpensively. Rapid Prototyping technology aids this process. Conventional
Prototyping takes weeks or even months, depending on the product and the method
used. It is a method to make these prototypes much quicker and also more costeffective from three-dimensional computer-aided design (CAD) drawings.
Furthermore the method is capable of making parts with very small internal cavity
and complex geometrics. It is possible to see the real product in an early stage of
the process of bringing a new product to the market. Common elements of the
Rapid Prototyping Center typically include a formalized structure; people and/or
assets with expertise and a focus around a specific process or product; a shared
business goal; and a focus on developing and sharing best practices. Center will
have its location in New Mechanical Engineering Block. The Prototyping Center
will be staffed with a highly experienced machinist and lab technicians to fabricate
designs and provide 3D printing and scanning for students, faculty, and local
industry partners.

APPLICATIONS
The applications of Rapid Prototyping techniques range from racing cars to
furniture design and also comprise medical, goldsmith, dental and metalworking
sectors. Reported below are the descriptions of target areas where rapid
prototyping services are mainly employed. Many others do also exist.
Automotive Rapid Prototyping
Rapid Prototyping is being used in just about all industrial sectors, although there
are probably more applications in the automotive industry than any other. Since its
introduction Rapid Prototyping has become an important tool in the automotive
design process, allowing designers and engineers to identify production pitfalls,
and gauge consumer reaction early in the product development cycle. A physical
model of automotive parts can be produced within days providing engineers with
the opportunity to discuss the pros and cons of a design. Fully finished prototype
vehicle interior parts that resemble manufactured parts can be easily made with our
3D printing technology and expertise.
Medical Rapid Prototyping
Rapid prototyping is a promising powerful technology that has the potential to
revolutionize certain areas in the ever changing and challenging field of medical
science for:
Orthopedic and Spinal Surgery
Maxillofacial and Dental Surgeries
Oncology and Reconstruction Surgeries
Custom Joint Replacement
Patient Specific Instrumentation
Implant design Testing and Validation
In the medical instrument area, examples of using the Rapid Prototyping include
retractors, scalpels, surgical fasteners, medical diagnostic and display systems and
other devices. Engineers collaborating with doctors and surgeons are able to see

the results from 3D modeling prototypes to ensure they give the most appropriate
and best quality of treatment.
Consumer Product Rapid Prototyping
Toys, pet products, sporting goods, bicycles, containers, electronic devices; the list
of possible applications of 3D printing is limitless in consumer products. 3D
Systems build prototype parts with outstanding surface smoothness, feature
resolution, edge definition and tolerances. They are ideal for designing a vast array
of consumer products.
Aerospace Rapid Prototyping
The aerospace and defense industries have some of the toughest performance
standards and, with the need to produce complex, lightweight parts, aerospace
engineers have long adopted 3D printing services. Space manufacturers often make
very expensive parts in small amounts and tooling for such items will never be
used again. Rapid Prototyping is perfect for such tasks. Our plastic prototypes are
routinely used to improve existing product designs or to create entirely new
components.

BENEFITS
Opportunities for Innovation
Rapid Prototyping opens new opportunities for innovation by eliminating the
restrictions of conventional prototyping, which requires production of prototype
tooling and physical components to exacting tolerances.. Designers can create
models incorporating complex shapes and surfaces that would be difficult or
impossible to reproduce by conventional prototyping.
Time Savings
By eliminating the time needed to produce molds, patterns and special tools
required for conventional modeling, Rapid Prototyping reduces time between
initial design and analysis. An accurate model is quickly available for testing form,
features, performance and usability. Rapid Prototyping is a highly automated
process that enables designers to quickly modify products in line with feedback.

The time savings can help organizations gain competitive advantage by bringing
new products to market quickly, ahead of competitors.
Cost Reduction
Rapid Prototyping helps to reduce the costs of product development. There is no
need to develop special tools for each new product. Rapid Prototyping uses the
same CAD and printing equipment each time. The automated prototyping process
also reduces staff costs. The costs of waste are lower, because the prototyping
technique only adds modeling material where needed. Conventional prototyping
techniques create waste through cut-off material or chippings as the tools create the
finished model.
Easier Visualization
The ability to create a realistic three-dimensional scale model helps present new
product concepts to stakeholders, such as board members, clients or investors who
need to understand and approve the development program. Designers can also gain
feedback from potential users and customers that are based on physical products,
rather than concepts, thus enabling them to incorporate realistic usability data into
the later stages of development.
Lower Risk
By enabling detailed physical analysis at an early stage in the development
program, Rapid Prototyping can reduce the risk of costly errors. The development
team can identify design faults or usability problems and make any modifications
quickly. The iterative process provides a precise model for production tooling,
reducing the risk of later manufacturing problems.
Support for Customization
Rapid Prototyping is an iterative process, so it is easy to incorporate individual
customers requirements and create customized products cost effectively.
Development teams do not have to design each customized product from scratch.
Customization can provide a competitive advantage by offering customers greater
choice and flexibility.

PEOPLE
The RPC will have people to support research and development programs,
industrial services, and provide student instruction in the application of these new
technologies. Their will be Faculty Research Engineers, Facilities Manager,
Computers and Software Manager, Machinist, 3D Printing Lab Assistant. Other
staff resources include an administrator, technicians, post-doctoral, doctoral, and
graduate students. The role of technology transfer and new business development
is fueled by interaction with the industrial consortium members and emphasizes the
utilization of RPC resources to enhance job growth.

BUILDING
The Rapid Prototyping Center will be housed in the existing 11,000 sq. ft. space
and is expected to expand to 15,000 to 20,000 sq. ft. by 2017 in a new building.

EQUIPMENT
Tool room Mill
CNC milling machine introduces production milling

40" x 16" x 16" machining envelope

7.5-hp drive

0.0004" positioning accuracy

0.0002" repeatability accuracy

Tool room Lathe

CNC lathe introduces production turning

16" x 30" cutting envelope (X x Z)

7.5-hp drive

75"/min feed rate on X

150"/min feed rate on Z

Micro Kinetics Express Mill

Instructional CNC mill for prototyping CAD software

17" x 7" x 5" machining envelope

2-hp drive

2500 rpm max spindle speed

150"/min max feed rate

0.00025 resolution

Micro kinetics Express Lathe

Intelitek CIM Cell
Robotic arm and CNC milling machine simulate automated work cell

12" x 6" x 9.5" machining envelope

6000 rpm max spindle speed

75"/min max feed rate

SCORBOT-ER 4u Robot

5 rotational axis + gripper

Injection Molding Machine

Create plastic parts in a low-volume production environment

8" x 11" mold plan area

6 inch3 (4 oz) max single shot

12,000 psi max injection pressure

20-ton max clamping force

800-deg F temperature control

Dimension U-Print plus 3-D Printer

3-D printer allows to economically produce a design prototype

Build size: 8" x 8" x 6"

Layer thickness: 0.010"

Material: ABS plastic

3-D Laser Scanner LPX-60

3-D scanner allows to quickly reproduce an existing part into a detailed
CAD file

Table diameter: 8"

Plane scanning: 8" x 12" (w x h)

Rotary scanning: 8" x 12" (d x h)

Operating speed: 10.1 rpm (table rotation); 4.98 rpm (head rotation)

Scanning method: Spot beam triangulation

3-D Laser Scanner LPX-1200

3-D scanner allows to quickly reproduce an existing part into a detailed CAD
file

Table diameter: 5.1"

Plane scanning: 5" x 8" (w x h)

Rotary scanning: 5" x 8" (d x h)

Operating speed: 9 rpm (table rotation); 4.48 rpm (head rotation)

Scanning method: Spot beam triangulation

Center will also have the following workshop facilities:

 Mechatronics
CAD/CAM
Welding
Fabrication and assembly
Paint booth
Laser Cutting
Manual Milling and Turning
Estimated cost of Equipment and Facilities is Rs. Five Million.