Model maker

Last updated

A Model maker is a professional Craftsperson who creates a three-dimensional representation of a design or concept. Most products in use and in development today first take form as a model. This "model" may be an exacting duplicate (prototype) of the future design or a simple mock-up of the general shape or concept. Many prototype models are used for testing physical properties of the design, others for usability and marketing studies.

Contents

Mock-ups are generally used as part of the design process to help convey each new iteration. Some model makers specialize in "scale models" that allow an easier grasp of the whole design or for portability of the model to a trade show or an architect or client's office. Other scale models are used in museum displays and in the movie special effects industry. Model makers work in many environments from private studio/shops to corporate design and engineering facilities to research laboratories. [1]

The model maker must be highly skilled in the use of many machines, such as manual lathes, manual mills, Computer Numeric Control (CNC) machines, lasers, wire EDM, water jet saws, tig welders, sheet metal fabrication tools and wood working tools. Fabrication processes model makers take part in are powder coating, shearing, punching, plating, folding, forming and anodizing. Some model makers also use increasingly automated processes, for example cutting parts directly with digital data from computer-aided design plans on a CNC mill or creating the parts through rapid prototyping. [2] Hand tools used by a model maker are an exacto knife, tweezers, sprue cutter, tape, glue, paint, and paint brushes. [3]

There are two basic processes used by the model maker to create models: additive and subtractive. Additive can be as simple as adding clay to create a form, sculpting and smoothing to the final shape. Body fillers, foam and resins are also used in the same manner. Most rapid prototyping technologies are based on the additive process, solidifying thin layered sections or slices one on top of each other. Subtractive is like whittling a solid block of wood or chiseling stone to the desired form. Most milling and other machining methods are subtractive, progressively using smaller and finer tools to remove material from the rough shape to get to the level of detail needed in the final model. [4]

Model makers may use a combination of these methods and technologies to create the model in the most expeditious manner. The parts are usually test fitted, then sanded and painted to represent the intended finish or look. Model makers are required to recreate many faux finishes like brick, stone, grass, molded plastic textures, glass, skin and even water.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prototype</span> Early sample or model built to test a concept or process

A prototype is an early sample, model, or release of a product built to test a concept or process. It is a term used in a variety of contexts, including semantics, design, electronics, and software programming. A prototype is generally used to evaluate a new design to enhance precision by system analysts and users. Prototyping serves to provide specifications for a real, working system rather than a theoretical one. In some design workflow models, creating a prototype is the step between the formalization and the evaluation of an idea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Machinist</span> Technician

A machinist is a tradesperson or trained professional who operates machine tools, and has the ability to set up tools such as milling machines, grinders, lathes, and drilling machines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Machining</span> Material-removal process; Manufacturing process

Machining is a process in which a material is cut to a desired final shape and size by a controlled material-removal process. The processes that have this common theme are collectively called subtractive manufacturing, which utilizes machine tools, in contrast to additive manufacturing, which uses controlled addition of material.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Printed circuit board milling</span>

Printed circuit board milling is the process of removing areas of copper from a sheet of printed circuit board material to recreate the pads, signal traces and structures according to patterns from a digital circuit board plan known as a layout file. Similar to the more common and well known chemical PCB etch process, the PCB milling process is subtractive: material is removed to create the electrical isolation and ground planes required. However, unlike the chemical etch process, PCB milling is typically a non-chemical process and as such it can be completed in a typical office or lab environment without exposure to hazardous chemicals. High quality circuit boards can be produced using either process. In the case of PCB milling, the quality of a circuit board is chiefly determined by the system's true, or weighted, milling accuracy and control as well as the condition of the milling bits and their respective feed/rotational speeds. By contrast, in the chemical etch process, the quality of a circuit board depends on the accuracy and/or quality of the mask used to protect the copper from the chemicals and the state of the etching chemicals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metal fabrication</span> Creation of metal structures

Metal fabrication is the creation of metal structures by cutting, bending and assembling processes. It is a value-added process involving the creation of machines, parts, and structures from various raw materials.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fab lab</span> Small-scale workshop for digital fabrication

A fab lab is a small-scale workshop offering (personal) digital fabrication.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">3D printing</span> Additive process used to make a three-dimensional object

3D printing or additive manufacturing is the construction of a three-dimensional object from a CAD model or a digital 3D model. It can be done in a variety of processes in which material is deposited, joined or solidified under computer control, with material being added together, typically layer by layer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sheet metal</span> Metal formed into thin, flat pieces

Sheet metal is metal formed into thin, flat pieces, usually by an industrial process. Sheet metal is one of the fundamental forms used in metalworking, and it can be cut and bent into a variety of shapes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Design for manufacturability</span> Designing products to facilitate manufacturing

Design for manufacturability is the general engineering practice of designing products in such a way that they are easy to manufacture. The concept exists in almost all engineering disciplines, but the implementation differs widely depending on the manufacturing technology. DFM describes the process of designing or engineering a product in order to facilitate the manufacturing process in order to reduce its manufacturing costs. DFM will allow potential problems to be fixed in the design phase which is the least expensive place to address them. Other factors may affect the manufacturability such as the type of raw material, the form of the raw material, dimensional tolerances, and secondary processing such as finishing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rapid prototyping</span> Group of techniques to quickly construct physical objects

Rapid prototyping is a group of techniques used to quickly fabricate a scale model of a physical part or assembly using three-dimensional computer aided design (CAD) data. Construction of the part or assembly is usually done using 3D printing or "additive layer manufacturing" technology.

Digital modeling and fabrication is a design and production process that combines 3D modeling or computing-aided design (CAD) with additive and subtractive manufacturing. Additive manufacturing is also known as 3D printing, while subtractive manufacturing may also be referred to as machining, and many other technologies can be exploited to physically produce the designed objects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electron-beam freeform fabrication</span> 3D printing technique

Electron-beam freeform fabrication (EBF3) is an additive manufacturing process that builds near-net-shape parts. It requires far less raw material and finish machining than traditional manufacturing methods. EBF3 is done in a vacuum chamber where an electron beam is focused on a constantly feeding source of metal, which is melted and applied as called for by a three-dimensional layered drawing - one layer at a time - on top of a rotating metallic substrate until the part is complete.

Solid Concepts, Inc. is a custom manufacturing company engaged in engineering, manufacturing, production, and prototyping. The company is headquartered in Valencia, California, in the Los Angeles County area, with six other facilities located around the United States. Solid Concepts is an additive manufacturing service provider as well as a major manufacturer of business products, aerospace, unmanned systems, medical equipment and devices, foundry cast patterns, industrial equipment and design, and transportation parts.

Digital manufacturing is an integrated approach to manufacturing that is centered around a computer system. The transition to digital manufacturing has become more popular with the rise in the quantity and quality of computer systems in manufacturing plants. As more automated tools have become used in manufacturing plants it has become necessary to model, simulate, and analyze all of the machines, tooling, and input materials in order to optimize the manufacturing process. Overall, digital manufacturing can be seen sharing the same goals as computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM), flexible manufacturing, lean manufacturing, and design for manufacturability (DFM). The main difference is that digital manufacturing was evolved for use in the computerized world.

Three-dimensional (3D) microfabrication refers to manufacturing techniques that involve the layering of materials to produce a three-dimensional structure at a microscopic scale. These structures are usually on the scale of micrometers and are popular in microelectronics and microelectromechanical systems.

Design for additive manufacturing is design for manufacturability as applied to additive manufacturing (AM). It is a general type of design methods or tools whereby functional performance and/or other key product life-cycle considerations such as manufacturability, reliability, and cost can be optimized subjected to the capabilities of additive manufacturing technologies.

Agile tooling is the design and fabrication of manufacturing related-tools such as dies, molds, patterns, jigs and fixtures in a configuration that aims to maximise the tools' performance, minimise manufacturing time and cost, and avoid delay in prototyping. A fully functional agile tooling laboratory consists of CNC milling, turning and routing equipment. It can also include additive manufacturing platforms, hydroforming, vacuum forming, die casting, stamping, injection molding and welding equipment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Applications of 3D printing</span>

In recent years, 3D printing has developed significantly and can now perform crucial roles in many applications, with the most common applications being manufacturing, medicine, architecture, custom art and design, and can vary from fully functional to purely aesthetic applications.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">3D printing processes</span> List of 3D printing processes

A variety of processes, equipment, and materials are used in the production of a three-dimensional object via additive manufacturing. 3D printing is also known as additive manufacturing, because the numerous available 3D printing process tend to be additive in nature, with a few key differences in the technologies and the materials used in this process.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fusion 360</span> Computer-aided design (CAD) software application

Fusion 360 is a commercial computer-aided design (CAD), computer-aided manufacturing (CAM), computer-aided engineering (CAE) and printed circuit board (PCB) design software application, developed by Autodesk. It is available for Windows, macOS and web browser, with simplified applications available for Android and iOS. Fusion 360 is licensed as a paid subscription, with a free limited home-based, non-commercial personal edition available.

References

  1. ↑ "Definition of a Model Maker". www.modelmakers.org. Retrieved 2016-02-05.
  2. ↑ "Custom Sheet Metal Fabrication - HPL Stampings". HPL Stampings. Retrieved 2016-02-05.
  3. ↑ Joel Z. Williams (2012-10-29), Basic Tools for Beginning Model Builders-Tutorial 1 , retrieved 2016-02-05
  4. ↑ "Definition of a Model Maker". www.modelmakers.org. Retrieved 2016-02-05.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.