MANUFACTURING PROTOTYPES USING A FREE FORM FABRICATION (FFF) PROCESS IS RAPIDLY REPLACING INJECTION MOLDING, WOOD OR PLASTER CARVING, AND WELDING OF MACHINED SUBSTRUCTURES FOR PRODUCING COMPONENTS USED FOR DEMONSTRATION, MANUFACTURABILITY STUDIES, AND TESTING. THE USE OF FFF- DERIVED PLASTIC AND WAX PATTERNS IN CASTING AND MOLDING PROCESSES IS ALSO BECOMING WIDELY ACCEPTED, PRIMARILY FOR PROCESS ENGINEERING, SHORT PRODUCTION RUNS AND COMPONENTS FOR HIGH-TEMPERATURE TESTING. THE USE OF FFF IN THE CONCURRENT ENGINEERING (CE) ENVIRONMENT HAS RESULTED IN REDUCED PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT CYCLES AND THE AVOIDANCE OF MISTAKES DURING THE DESIGN PROCESS. ISSUES SUCH AS THE LACK OF STANDARDIZED CAD SYSTEMS AND TRANSLATORS MAY NEED TO BE ADDRESSED BEFORE ALL THE BENEFITS OF CE ARE REALIZED, HOWEVER.