ABSTRACT
Constructing a physical prototype has been seen as a very time consuming and costly activity. However, additive manufacturing (AM) technologies have changed such prospective for a great deal. Today’s highly intense competition pushes manufacturing companies within different industries to apply world-class manufacturing practices. However, these practices require more investment in new technological knowledge to bring high quality and sophisticated products satisfying user requirements not only faster but more economical. In general, the CNC machining process can be thought of as a prototyping process to rapid prototype parts. Stereolithography files translate the part geometry from a CAD system to the AM machine. All CAD systems build parts and assemblies, store geometry, and generally do many things in their own independent and proprietary way. Current research indicates that several efforts have been made toward the standardized representation of heterogeneous objects. The major advantage of AM processes is that any geometrical shape can be made with virtually no limitation.
