Prototyping Services
Southern Model Inc. is in the business of bringing your vision to life.
If you have an architectural design that you would like to see in the flesh, we can help make that happen for you. Our prototyping services can turn the architectural plans you have drawn on paper or mapped out inside your computer and materialize them.
We are confident that our prototyping services can be very beneficial to your current and future. Allow us to further detail how we can be of assistance as you move forward with your architectural goals.
How We Work
Here at Southern Model Inc., our focus is on offering full-service prototyping. It starts with your vision. We take your 2D or 3D drawings and work on bringing them to form via prototyping.
From there, we utilize different techniques to accurately depict your plans and make them whole. The techniques in question include Computer Numerical Control (CNC) milling and 3D printing.
We utilize four CNC milling machines to create the most accurate scale models possible.
These machines are capable of recreating details accurately even if they are no bigger than 1/2000th of an inch. We are committed to fully and accurately recreating your architectural plans and that is why we have specialists on our team who are focused on getting the most out of our CNC milling machines.
At Southern Model Inc., we also rely on additive manufacturing to recreate the client-submitted plans as best we can. It is a process known better as 3D printing.
By utilizing both CNC milling and 3D printing, we can produce a wide variety of architectural models. These include models of corporate campuses, sports facilities, and high-rise buildings.
We can also present clients with a closer look at the interior of the structure they want to build. You can also hire us to create replicas of crime scenes to be presented in court. If you have something you want to build, we can help you make it.
What Is Rapid Prototyping?
Rapid prototyping is a more advanced form of the services we described earlier. In some instances, you may not have the time to wait around for your model because you have a presentation to make later in the week to potential lenders and/or investors.
This is where rapid prototyping can prove immensely helpful.
Depending on what size model you are looking for, rapid prototyping can produce it within a week. Larger models will obviously need more time, but you will still receive it earlier than you would via other means.
Since speed is the main selling point of rapid prototyping, it typically employs technologies such as computer-aided design (CAD) and 3D printing to get the job done. The CAD programs will usually guide the components used in the 3D printing process to create the accurate models you requested.
What Are the Different Rapid Prototyping Techniques?
The goal with rapid prototyping is to produce a model that is highly representative of a client’s plans as quickly as possible. Though the goal is similar, different techniques can be employed to reach that end goal.
TWI Global notes that up to seven techniques can be utilized for the purposes of rapid prototyping. These techniques include vat photopolymerization, selective laser sintering, fused deposition modeling, powder bed fusion, laminated object manufacturing, digital light processing, and binder jetting.
What you will notice about the techniques is that they involve the creation of layers with the help of all kinds of materials. The layers are created by either cutting materials down to size or by spraying them on to a designated surface. Once the layers have been made, they are then combined through various techniques to create the model.
Are Rapid Prototyping and 3D Printing the Same Thing?
You will often hear people interchange the terms 3D printing and rapid prototyping often. It is important to note here that they refer to different things.
3D printing is also known as additive manufacturing. It involves the creation of a 3D model using materials such as liquid molecules and powder grains and a special program is also involved in the process. To complete the process of rapid prototyping, you often need to rely on 3D printing.
Basically, 3D printing is a component of rapid prototyping although it is not necessarily limited to that. 3D printing can also be used by hobbyists and artists who want to bring their own creations to life.
Contact Southern Model Today!
Do not hesitate to enlist our help whenever you need an accurate scale model of your architectural plans produced in a hurry. We at Southern Model Inc. are dedicated to creating the best and most useful scale models and we are confident that our skills can prove helpful to you. Reach out to us today to find more about our services.