Friday, October 12, 2007

Simple Ways To Do Refactoring With Prototype Building Materials

Many years ago, people used to rely on Lotus 123 to get work on the computer. WordStar was the program of choice when preparing documents. Years later, Microsoft hit the market that was followed by other operating systems such as Linux and Macintosh.

Ever since Microsoft started in the 1990s, various improvements have been made and the latest edition to the family is Windows XP. Why the upgrades some may ask This is to satisfy the requirements of businesses and end users who are not satisfied with the current systems.

How does the company know that people are not satisfied When systems fail, a report is generated that is then sent to the corporate office. Software designers will then find answers to this problems and then release product updates or a new program to the public, which is what prototyping, is all about.

But there are many ways to create a new prototype. The most common, which is making a few alterations to the program, is what is called prototype refactoring. After all, computer codes are identified in numbers such as 1 or 0 and most users want he problem fixed rather than going out and buying a new one.

This case also applies for automobiles so a customer who had a problem for example with the automatic transmission system will go back to the dealer to have this repaired instead of buying a new car.

Software developers usually try to solve two contradictions in order for it to work. This is like hitting two birds with one stone so a lot can be achieved with less effort and here are a few ways how this is done. The first is by reviewing the HTML application that can be edited using Macromedia Dreamweaver. When the changes have been made, this can be saved and an update can be sent to the end user.

The second is by using MS Visio. This is better known as a drawing tool but those who are experts in making programs also use this to make alterations in the settings panel to make it work.

The last is by doing something with the worksheet compiler. Believe it or not, developers can make improvements by simply using tools such as Microsoft Word or Excel.

The three just mentioned proves that there are ways to conduct prototype refactoring without doing a major overhaul of the system. The fact is, the system works and the software developer has to fix a few glitches.

Rapid prototyping is the process used to generate three-dimensional models that do not require any machining or tooling. Instead, rapid prototyping makes use of cutting edge technology that allows a physical object to be formed by adding a material layer by layer until the desired shape is achieved. This additive process is being used instead of building prototypes by cutting away material through machining which is subtractive.

Rapid prototyping allows more flexibility than machining because the even complex model designs does not suffer any limitations during its production. Rapid prototyping enables engineers and product designers to generate three dimensional models quickly and accurately.

Different rapid prototyping systems make use of a variety of materials to create different three dimensional objects. A common material used is prototyping wax. This material is usually ideal when engineers and designers require small quantities of casting parts to create intricate patterns without the use of tooling.

Prototyping wax can also be used together with other types of prototyping materials in order to make the resulting prototype work better with different casting methods that make use of metals as well as non-metals. Combining prototyping wax with other materials to create the models will also be ideal for low-temperature furnaces and vacuum plaster casting methods.

A rapid prototyping modeling process utilizing prototyping wax to create a wax pattern can be advantageous in some ways. Forming and de-waxing a shell mold made from prototyping wax can be done quite rapidly using normal casting procedures. Using this type material simplifies in a way the model-making process that helps you to get your products to be developed and be released in the market faster.

Aside from prototyping waxes, there are also other materials being used for a number of rapid prototyping processes. One such material is thermoplastics. If product engineers are looking forward in creating durable prototype parts that might require aggressive functional testing, thermoplastics can be the ideal material to use for rapid prototyping. Thermoplastic materials have effective heat and chemical resisting properties that make them the best choice for models that undergo aggressive product testing procedures.

Not only that, thermoplastics also provide excellent surface finish to prototype models. They are also machinable and weldable when required. Thermoplastics can also be joined mechanically or with the use of special adhesives. Other prototyping material choices available include powdered metals for injection molding, and for directly creating metal prototype parts, Polycarbonate and polyphenylsulfone materials for forming durable, high-strength, and functional prototypes that are to be used for testing and final design verification.



http://www.articleco.com/Article/Simple-Ways-To-Do-Refactoring-With-Prototype-Building-Materials/48655