NIST's support of rapid prototyping standards

Article Abstract:

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has decided formal standards for rapid prototyping (RP) would stimulate growth and advancement of technologies involved. The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) was the first organization to set some formal standards for the field. The STL format, a data format first set up for stereolithography, has been a de facto industry standard for the CAD-RP interface. Four NIST four areas of standards development have been defined. Two areas are methodologies for measuring RP parts and for evaluating RP systems performance. The others are improvement in the STL-based CAD-rapid prototyping (RP) data interface and developing an alternative to the STL-based data interface, the alternative to be known as the Solid Interchange Format (SIF). Strong industry participation will be crucial if standards are to be set up and consensus is lacking so far, so format is a research topic. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has announced effort in Mesoscopic Integrated Conformal Electronics (MICE), as well.

Product standards, safety, & recalls, Government domestic functions, Administration of General Economic Programs, Printed Circuit Assembly (Electronic Assembly) Manufacturing, Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing, Electronic Components and Accessories, All Other Miscellaneous Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing, Electronic components, not elsewhere classified, Military Electronics, Printed Circuit Boards, Natl Bureau of Standards, Plastic Electrical Parts NEC, Standards, Engineering services, Engineering firms, Science and technology policy, Electronic components industry, United States. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Military electronics industry, Stereolithography, ASTM, United States. National Bureau of Standards, Plastic electrical parts

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Rapid prototyping of geometric sculptures

Article Abstract:

Brent Collins, a Missouri artist who creates abstract geometrical wood sculpture with shapes close to minimal surfaces, has begun to work with a computer scientist at the University of California, Berkeley, on creation of a computer program based on the artwork of the sculptor and related to solid freeform fabrication (SFF) used in industry prototyping. The family of shapes the artist had used was extended to a degree of complexity the prototyping process he used could not achieve. The artist used a solid freeform virtual model from the software for proof of concept before working for a long period on a design. The files from the sculpture-generating program are sent to firms that make small models in a few days, among them Plynetics, Metalcast Engineering, Malmberg Engineering, 3D Systems, Z-Corp, and Stratasys. Various uses have been found for SFF and it has similarities to the very large-scale integration (VLSI) industry, as data exchange formats are standardized and SFF may do for mechanical design/manufacture what VLSI has been able to do for electronics.

Prepackaged software, Software Publishers, Product information, Use of services, Contracts & orders received, New Products/Services, Nonmanufacturing technology, Graphics Software Pkgs (Micro), Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries, Visual Arts, Usage, Graphics software, Computer aided design, Art, Applications software, CAD-CAM systems industry, Sculpture, Very-large-scale integration, Very large scale integration

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