A layer-based virtual prototyping system for product development

This paper proposes a layer-based virtual prototyping (VP) system, which builds virtual or digital prototypes to facilitate product development. The approach resembles the physical fabrication process of laminated sheet-based rapid prototyping (RP) systems. It simulates such an RP process to create a virtual prototype of a product design. Thus, the designer can perform design validation and accuracy analysis easily in a virtual environment as if using a physical prototype. In addition to numeric quantification of the RP process, the system provides vivid visualizations of the prototype for studying its characteristics. The prototype may also be superimposed on the original model, and the areas with dimensional errors beyond the design limits may be clearly highlighted for subsequent improvement. Hence, the designer can analyze and compare the surface texture point-by-point of the prototype with the product design. Furthermore, the virtual prototypes can also be transmitted via the Internet to customers to facilitate global manufacturing. As a result, both the lead-time and product development cost can be significantly reduced. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.