As a pioneer in additive manufacturing, ATI brings a rich base of knowledge and experience in process and materials, which ensures you get the right part at the right time. From concept models to functional prototypes, ATI consultants partner with design professionals to find the right balance of process, material, speed, quality, and price to deliver the right parts for the intended function. ATI delivers physical representations of your complex designs in as little as one day.

Common Rapid Prototyping techniques include:

• 3D Printing (3DP)
• Stereolithography (SLA)
• Selective Laser Sintering (SLS)
• Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM)

Rapid Prototyping - Historical Reference and ASTM Committee F42

Historically, Rapid Prototyping has been used broadly in reference to the use of additive fabrication technologies for a variety of purposes. However, ASTM International established Committee F42 in 2009 in part to standardize the industry lexicon. The following terms are specifically adopted by ATI.

Additive Manufacturing (AM) – The collective term (“family name”) for those technologies that, in an automatic process, produces three dimensional objects directly from a digital model by the successive addition of material(s), without the use of specialized tooling. AKA: Additive Fabrication, Solid Freeform Fabrication. Contrast with subtractive and formative manufacturing.

Rapid Prototyping (RP) – The use of AM in the product “design process” from concept to fit and functional testing.

Rapid Tooling (RT) – The use of AM techniques for tool development. This includes, for example, SLA patterns used in investment casting, and RTV. One could also directly fabricate tooling from the inverse CAD part model.

Rapid Manufacturing (RM) – Direct production of “Finished Goods” through the process of Additive Manufacturing. AKA Direct Digital Manufacturing (DDM), Direct Part Production.