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Rapid Prototyping eBook: Making Things

Designers, makers, and engineers are developing new methods for fabrication and are creating things today that weren’t possible 10 or 15 years ago. Bringing rapid prototyping in-house, expands those possibilities even more.

Historically, the process of taking a digital design and creating physical parts and products made with real materials was complicated by physical limitations, like the number of unique parts required to make complex shapes.

By now, fabrication methods have surpassed the capabilities of digital design tools, expanding the possibilities of what can be built, how it can be built, and how to design for it.

Additionally, 3D modeling—and its implications on real world manufacturing—is changing very rapidly. Emerging tools allow designers to collaborate with their design programs to make smart decisions, leverage data to inform design choices, and integrate fabrication constraints earlier in the design process. As our material choices evolve and new fabrication methods emerge alongside an increasingly fluent digital workforce there are opportunities for the manufacturing industry to meet the future head on.

Expanding What’s Possible

Current 3D modeling allows for completely new design approaches like computational design and the Autodesk Technology Centers team is learning learning how to harness their tools (both digital and physical) to optimize them for specific purposes.

Companies like Autodesk are unlocking the ability to create previously incalculable designs while the industry is also expanding its view beyond design and manufacturing to workflow optimization; or how to create products more efficiently and effectively.

Designers and engineers are focusing on finding answers to practical questions like:

  • How does the weight reduction of a part impact the amount of jet fuel used across an airline fleet?
  • How can the design of a bracket improve structural integrity with less material?
  • How can optimizing tool paths and cutting parameters reduce cycle time and tool wear?

When these questions can be answered on a large scale, with computer facilitated decision making, great new opportunities arise. Designers and engineers are setting their tools—and sights—towards new and different metrics to drive measurable outcomes that will impact the manufacturing process and Industry 4.0.

Making Industry 4.0 and Beyond

If you’ve ever driven a high-performance car, admired a towering skyscraper, used a smartphone, or watched a great film, you’ve already experienced some of the possibilities provided by Autodesk software.

Autodesk has strengthened their software and services by collaborating with like-minded organizations to deliver a comprehensive end-to-end manufacturing solution.

Digging deep into Industry 4.0, Autodesk advances the future of manufacturing, automation, and how to modernize work environments to meet the needs of people who want to make things. Anything.

Part of this advancement involved establishing the Residency Program at three Autodesk Technology Centers across North America to provide the training, tools, and space for both small startups and big brands to solve tomorrow’s problems, today.

Why Bring Rapid Prototyping In-House?

If you’ve found value in this ebook and prefer a printed document, we’ve included a nicely formatted and printable PDF for you to download.