Rapid prototyping is a process where physical objects are created through additive manufacturing. Basically, when automakers want to test out a new part for one of their vehicles, they literally grow the part one layer at a time out of polymers until it creates a three-dimensional object.
The process is painstaking. Designers render a new part using 3D software and then use rapid prototyping equipment to create a physical model of the part. From there, designers and engineers can see if the part fits or operates properly. If the part doesn’t meet the requirements of the designers or engineers, the design process is started again and a new model must then be fabricated.
Bradley Hasemeyer of Translogic recently got a rare tour of GM’s Warren Tech Center to get a closer look at this automotive design process. The video below may change the way you may think about how cars are designed and built.
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