A method to formalize the rapid prototyping process

Facing the increasing complexity of the product design area (reduction of c ycle times, introduction of simultaneous engineering and of digital mock-up ,...) a research department which wants to define a rapid prototyping proce ss is confronted by the problem of the tools' choice. Therefore, we will pr opose in this article, a method allowing such a process. In a first Section . we present the rapid prototyping area in the product design environment, in a second Section we will propose our method illustrated by an industrial case.