Dear list,
Just continuing this still interesting thread:
Terry Wohlers wrote:
>More food for thought: Is a grinding wheel a part of the technology that
>many of us refer to as RP? Of course it's not ...
Examples like these do help in focusing on what makes RP special,
so on the differences between RP and other technologies.
I do completely agree that the grinding wheel is no RP, but not because
of the technology of grinding, but because it requires a skilled operator
to manually grid a model with it: the automatic process is not there
(or in case of an automatic grinder it will just be one of the many processes
needed to create the part).
For RP some (almost) automatic process from 3D CAD data to physical
model is needed, and I feel this should be the kernel of the definition.
Just as it is in the contributions of both Charles Thomas and Elaine Hunt.
Charles Thomas wrote
>My definition of RP would be quite short, focusing on the meaning of the
title:
>A class of techniques that rapidly and automatically produce physical
>prototypes from a 3D geometry file without the need for skilled operator
>participation.
Elaine Hunt started the thread with
>The Fabrication of a physical, three dimensional part of arbitrary shape
>directly from a numerical description (typically a CAD model) by a quick,
>highly automated and totally flexible process.
Best Regards again,
Lex Lennings.
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