Rapid prototyping in South Africa: past, present and future

This paper aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the development of rapid prototyping (RP) within the Republic of South Africa (RSA).

The paper is a general review of the RP research and development effort within South Africa. It begins by looking at the progressive development of RP in the RSA to date. Next, the current situation is appraised in terms of the facilities that are now available, important emerging research areas and the development of human resources. Future prospects are then evaluated through a SWOT analysis.

The main lessons have been learnt in South Africa are as follows: it is never too late to get involved in RP; strong governmental support can enhance the growth of RP; an effective RP association can help to co‐ordinate HE and industry activities leading to a pooling of scarce resources rather than wastage through duplication of efforts; research must be aimed at local priorities to ensure industrial support and government funding; human resource development is crucial and can be promoted through international partnerships.

Readers from several backgrounds (industrial, academic and governmental) will be able to learn important lessons from the experiences and successes of South African RP practitioners.

The authors believe that the development of RP in RSA represents good practice in both the application of RP and also the national strategies introduced to promote the technologies.