| A | B |
|---|
| 3D Printing | Rapid prototyping process that builds a part by ejecting adhesive bonding material onto successive layers of powders. Note that this term is often used to describe all rapid prototyping processes. |
| Additive Process | Fabrication of a part by adding material. |
| Assembling | The process of putting a product together out of separate parts. |
| Built Time | Length of time for the physical construction of a rapid prototype, excluding preparation and post-processing time. Also known as run time. |
| Casting | The process in which a solid material is made into a liquid, poured into a mold, and allowed to harden in the shape of the mold. |
| Ceramics | Any of various hard, brittle, heat-resistant, and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing a nonmetallic mineral, such as clay, at a high temperature. |
| Conditioning Process | Process in which the properties of a material are changed using mechanical, thermal, or chemical means. |
| Die Casting | Similar to permanent mold casting except that the metal is injected into the mold under high pressure. |
| Exhaustible Resources | Resources of which there are a limited supply. |
| Finishing Process | Machining a surface to size with a fine feed produced in a lathe, milling machine, or grinder. |
| Forging | A process by which metal is heated and shaped by plastic deformation by suitably applying compressive force. |
| Forming Process | A process that changes the size and shape of a material by a combination of force and a shaped form. |
| Grinding | An operation that removes material by rotating an abrasive wheel or belt against the work. |
| Industrial Material | Material that has been changed from raw material so that it is ready to be used in manufacturing. Also referred to as standard stock. |
| Metals | Any of a category of electropositive elements that usually have a shiny surface, are generally good conductors of heat and electricity, and can be melted or fused, hammered into thin sheets, or drawn into wires. |
| Molding | A manufacturing process in which the industrial material is made into a liquid. The liquid is then introduced (poured or forced) into a prepared mold of proper design. |
| Plastics | Materials that undergo a permanent change in shape or size when subjected to a particular amount of stress. |
| Post Processing | A common practice that includes clean up and finishing procedures on models after they are removed from the rapid prototyping machine. It may also include mechanical or chemical removal of support structures, powder removal, and surface finishing. |
| Primary Processing | The first step in manufacturing where raw materials are processed into a usable form for further manufacture. |
| Raw Materials | Basic substance in its natural, modified, or semi-processed state, used as an input to a production process for subsequent modification or transformation into a finished good. |
| Separating | A process that removes excess material to change the size, shape, or surface. |
| Subtractive Process | Processes that remove material to change the size, shape, or surface of a part. There are two groups of separating processes: machining and shearing. |
