How Does China Rapid Prototyping Operate

China Rapid Prototyping, also known as 3D printing technology, is the process of joining materials to make objects from 3D model data, usually layer upon layer, as opposed to subtractive manufacturing methodologies.

The process start with taking a virtual design from modeling or computer aided design (CAD) software. The 3D printing machine reads the data from the CAD drawing and lays down successive layers of sheet material — building up the physical model from a series of cross sections. These layers, which correspond to the virtual cross section from the CAD model, are automatically joined together to produce the final shape.

China Rapid Prototyping uses a standard data interface, implemented as the STL file format, to translate from the CAD software to the 3D prototyping machine. The STL file approximates the shape of a part or assembly using triangular facets.

Typically, China Rapid Prototyping system can produce 3D models within a few hours.