**CURRENT STATUS OF RAPID PROTOTYPING**
Initially, Additive Manufacturing was called "rapid prototyping" and was primarily used for rapid production of conceptual models. New products for form and fit assessment. It could be an architect. By designing and 3D printing a new building on a computer, a model can be made to show it to a client or to further refine the design. An automotive engineer can design and print a front-end prototype for a vehicle. It can be improved by material properties and repeatability as a process. The use of Additive Manufacturing technologies has improved. From simply building prototypes to creating parts, functional testing for tooling for injection molding, finally sand casting, parts were made to produce direct end use. In 2009 Wohlers, 16% of the Additive Manufacturing process was for use direct part production, 21% for functionality. Models were for 23% tool and metal casting molds. Industrial success stories of partially using Additive Manufacturing are as follows, by industry:
- **Automobile components:**
While Additive Manufacturing is not yet suitable for mass production, more and more high-end are also used to create custom components for cars. For example, engine parts for Formula 1 race cars are manufactured using direct metal laser sintering.
- **Aircraft components:**
It turns the aerospace industry with low volume production into another market. Preparing for cuts from Additive Manufacturing. Parts that originate directly from metal Additive Manufacturing processes are not exactly at the critical component level, there are many examples of Additive Manufacturing parts used in aircraft. An example is an environmental control system. Channel on the F-18. The complexity offered by Additive Manufacturing allowed the assembly to be redesigned and the number of parts involved was reduced from sixteen to one. A traditionally manufactured part must be adapted to fit the assembly design. The capabilities of the machine tools used to manufacture parts are built to fully fulfill the Additive Manufacturing part.
- **Custom orthodontics:**
Align Technology, Inc. Thousands of patients worldwide are using Additive Manufacturing to create clear, custom braces for hundreds of people. Specifically, a stereolithography file is obtained using the 3D scan data of each patient. It is then poured into molds to create FDA-approved polymer strands.
- **Custom hearing aids:** Manufactured by Siemens and Phonak. It uses laser sintering to quickly produce custom hearing. The canal is based on 3D scans of impressions of the ear, the resulting hearing aid fits perfectly. And it has an almost imperceptible appearance on the ear.