RE: your opinions

From: Ian Gibson (University of Hong Kong)
Date: Friday, July 7, 1995

From: Ian Gibson (University of Hong Kong)
To: RP-ML
Date: Friday, July 7, 1995
Subject: RE: your opinions
In response to Al, and his comments.
>I'm anxious to see processes for physical prototyping move towards
>that of software prototyping.  That is, the result of learning how to
>...
>
>Anybody else thinking along these lines?

I actually think that most people are thinking along these lines. You will
notice that most people are unhappy with the term Rapid Prototyping, and
that the indication is that the term to a certain extent stifles the
development of the technology. The abbreviation, RP, I think is one we are
stuck with and, like the previous messages re: IBM, 3M, etc., allows the
flexibility to develop beyond the initial intention. 

Analogies are always a worry to me but I think what you are saying is 'when
will RP move down to the shop floor?'. Like all manufacturing processes,
this one has advantages and disadvantages but I think it can be looked upon
now as a manufacturing process. TI (Texas Instruments - do they only make
instruments in Texas?) have said, I believe, that they use RP to manufacture
some of their small batch products (millitary, space hardware - casings and
the like), tus avoiding the burden of fixturing and tooling. Im sure there
are others.

I feel there is some way to go. If software prototyping is 15 years old and
yet only catching on now, then how long should we give RP? One thing in
particular may be the development of software, hardware systems (like VR
based design systems, FEA, etc.) to replace some of the initial uses of RP
for visualisation, testing, etc. This will allow RP to be looked on in a
different light. How many people are thinking along those lines?

IG

Dr Ian Gibson


Previous message | Next message
Back to 1995 index