Title: Execution of rapid prototyping technology - an Indian manufacturing industry's perspective

Authors: Rajesh Kumar; Rupinder Singh; I.P.S. Ahuja

Addresses: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Institute of Engineering & Technology, Bhaddal (Mianpur), Ropar 140108, Punjab, India ' Department of Production Engineering, Guru Nanak Dev Engineering College, Ludhiana 141 006, Punjab, India ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College of Engineering, Patiala 147 002, Punjab, India

Abstract: Since independence, India has endeavoured to bring economic and social change through science and technology. While India's economic growth in the recent years has been impressive, many challenges remain to be met to create a strong and vibrant innovation eco-system. This requires a culture and value system which supports both basic and applied research and technology development. One of those technologies, rapid prototyping (RP) technology, is the automatic construction of physical objects using additive manufacturing technology. It can be defined as an automated and patternless process which allows solid physical parts to be made directly from computer data in a short time. RP acts as the 'manufacturing middle' to link up the computer-aided design (CAD) process and manufacturing processes. It includes the making of prototypes for design verification and even the making of tooling for production. With the trend towards concurrent engineering and the widespread use of CAD, RP has quickly become a booming business in the past few years. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the execution of RP technology in India and the critical decision factors in executing RP for the Indian manufacturing industry.

Keywords: rapid prototyping; India; manufacturing industry; Rapid Prototyping Society; AHP; analytical hierarchy process; culture; CMERI; Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute.

DOI: 10.1504/IJICBM.2013.052012

International Journal of Indian Culture and Business Management, 2013 Vol.6 No.2, pp.162 - 184

Published online: 30 Nov 2013 *

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