RAPID PROTOTYPING AND MANUFACTURING FOR INVENTORY REPLENISHMENT: ISSUES AND DIRECTIONS

Many inventory replacement problems could be overcome if a replacement part could be made quickly and inexpensively. The technologies of rapid prototyping give such a way to make parts. The advantages of rapid prototyping for this use are discussed, as are its limitations. The discussion is focused on what rapid prototyping can do now and what technological advances need to be made for it to be an inventory replacement technology for the future.