Digital Prototyping - History of Digital Prototyping

History of Digital Prototyping

The concept of Digital Prototyping has been around for over a decade, particularly since software companies such as Autodesk, PTC, Siemens PLM (formerly UGS), and Dassault began offering computer-aided design (CAD) software capable of creating accurate 3D models.

It may even be argued that the product lifecycle management (PLM) approach was the harbinger of Digital Prototyping. PLM is an integrated, information-driven approach to a product’s lifecycle, from development to disposal. A major aspect of PLM is coordinating and managing product data among all software, suppliers, and team members involved in the product’s lifecycle. Companies use a collection of software tools and methods to integrate people, data, and processes to support singular steps in the product’s lifecycle or to manage the product’s lifecycle from beginning to end. PLM often includes product visualization to facilitate collaboration and understanding among the internal and external teams that participate in some aspect of a product’s lifecycle.

While the concept of Digital Prototyping has been a longstanding goal for manufacturing companies for some time, it’s only recently that Digital Prototyping has become a reality for small-to-midsize manufacturers that cannot afford to implement complex and expensive PLM solutions.