Title: A study on a general rapid prototyping software based on distributed technology

Authors: Lida Shen, Jianfeng Zhao, Yinhui Huang, Zongjun Tian

Addresses: College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 29 Yudao Street, Nanjing 210016, China. ' College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 29 Yudao Street, Nanjing 210016, China. ' College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 29 Yudao Street, Nanjing 210016, China. ' College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 29 Yudao Street, Nanjing 210016, China

Abstract: As a key component of Rapid Prototyping & Manufacturing (RP&M) technology, Rapid Prototyping software (RP software) was used to transform three dimensional (3D) CAD models into the CNC files needed to run the RP system. With the development of RP&M technology and rising of market application, many non-functional characteristics of RP software have been put forward. Developing cheap, general, robust, scalable, reusable, rapidly responsive and web-based RP software is necessary to meet the RP&M enterprise applications. New software concepts, like open distributed architecture, component, object-oriented and network computing have been put into the practice of RPA (RP software proposed in this paper). RPA is well combined RP software with current prevailed software technologies and has advantages of manufacturing on the network, generality, rapid response, reusability and portability. Excellent features of advanced RP software have being achieved.

Keywords: rapid prototyping; rapid manufacturing; multi-tier applications; web-based RP software; J2EE; component; distributed technology; 3D CAD; CNC programs; open distributed architecture; object-oriented computing; network computing; internet.

DOI: 10.1504/IJISE.2008.015911

International Journal of Industrial and Systems Engineering, 2008 Vol.3 No.1, pp.18 - 30

Published online: 02 Dec 2007 *

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