Customer Reviews

Rapid Prototyping: Principles and Applications

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Well, there is quite a lot of useful information in this book. However, it
is not well written or well structured. Some specific problems are as follows.

Chapters 3, 4 and 5 (amounting to nearly 100 pages) that review specific systems
for Liquid-, Solid- and Powder-Base RP systems, respectively, present a survey of
proprietary systems. Unfortunately, very much of the text here is directly cut and
paste from the websites of the companies that produce those systems. The results
of this include very much repetition (since there are many instances of the same
text being provided on the web sites for different models by each manufacturer,
together with some really quite useless descriptive terms such as 'hardness, flatness,
and smooth surface finish', 'ease of installation', ease of finish', 'fast, efficient
and economical', etc. etc.. Unfortunately, without numbers all of these descriptions
amount to nothing more than vague marketing hype and this should not be present in
an academic text written by a professor in mechanical engineering. One would expect
much more objective descriptions, an more overall processing and restructuring of
the information to avoid so much repetition.

On a similar note, there are very many references to Wohlers report on RP. I really
wonder if the cut and paste materials from manufacturers websites, and the Wohlers
derived content, were taken out of the book, how much shorter would it be?

The introductory chapter provides brief summary material for each process that makes
the later, more detailed chapters seem quite repetitive.

The chapter on materials for RP is quite good, apart from a persistent error in
giving densitites in mg/m^3. Hence we are told that the density of copper (for example)
is 8.94 mg/m^3. In fact this is the density in g/cm^3.

Finally, the exercises and problems would, I believe, be difficult for students to
complete if this book were the only resource available.

The overall impression left by these deficiencies is that the book has been
rushed out. It would be nice to see a future edition without the cut and paste material
and with more careful thought, analysis and data given instead of the vague qualitative
terms used by marketing departments.

Rafiq Noorani made a perfect job by creating introductory book on rapid prototyping and he used very effcetively his unqie 25 years experience in teaching rapid prototyping. It is well organized, creafully systematized, elegantly written, richly illustrated introductory textbook on rapid prototyping. This book is very easy to read to newcomers and non-specialists. All specific terminology are well defined and carefully explaned. It provides all necessary information for newcomers. Chapters about medical applications and new technologies are especially interested. References material provides practically all necesary information and contact addresses. Carefully formulated questions in the end of every chapter represents an excellent didactic material for teaching and self-control. Author not just loves his subject but somehow he "transduces" his love to rapid prototyping technology to reader. Excellent job. It is one of the best introductoty textbok on rapid prototyping. Highly recommended for students and everybody who is interested in this amazing technology.
Highly recommended. This book deserves special award. Introduction of color illustrations in second edition could make this excellent book even better.