Benchmarking for comparative evaluation of RP systems and processes

A geometric benchmark part is proposed, designed and fabricated for the performance evaluation of rapid prototyping machines/processes. The benchmark part incorporates key shapes and features of better-known benchmark parts. It also includes new geometric features, such as freeform surfaces, certain mechanical features and pass-fail features that are increasingly required or expected of RIP processes/systems. The part is suitable for fabrication on a typical RP machines. In this paper, the application of the benchmark part is demonstrated using relatively common RIP processes. The ability of the benchmark part to determine achievable geometric features and accuracy by the aforementioned RIP processes is presented and discussed.