However the advantages of rapid prototyping and manufacturing are not limited by part size. Thus there is a need to be able to produce prototypes for models larger than one cubic metre, quickly and accurately. The methods they considered were, material removal, layer building, formative, and sculpturing. This paper will concentrate on layer building techniques, and how to increase their speed, and the surface accuracy of the models produced. There are a wide variety of rapid prototyping machines, most of which have a build envelope of less than one cubic meter.
Manufacturers often supply a number of models with different work volumes.
Generally the larger the machine, the greater the price. The largest machine they offer is the SOUP-850, with a work volume of 850 x 600 x 500 mm. An alternative to having a large machine is to split the model into several smaller parts and build them separately. The smaller parts can then be joined to form the object. To build an object such as an eighteen foot skiff by this method, would take a long time using the current technology.