Rapid Prototyping Using CNC Machining

Although current rapid prototyping methods have had a significant impact on product and process design, they are often limited in both accuracy and choice of suitable materials. Also, the current methods share little similarity to typical manufacturing processes. In this paper, a method for using CNC machining as a Rapid Prototyping process is described in order to exploit the creation of functional prototypes in a wide array of materials. The method uses a plurality of simple 2 1/2-D toolpaths from various orientations about an axis of rotation, in order to machine the entire surface of a part without refixturing. It is our goal to automatically create these tool paths for machining, and eliminate the complex planning traditionally associated with CNC machining. The current approach to process planning involves calculating all the necessary data from the slice information of an STL model. An overview of the CNC-RP process and the process planning methodology is presented.