IOSR Journal of Mechanical and Civil Engineering (IOSR-JMCE) e-ISSN: 2278-1684,p-ISSN: 2320-334X, Volume 13, Issue 4 Ver. VI (Jul. - Aug. 2016), PP 71-78 www.iosrjournals.org DOI: 10.9790/1684-13040647178 www.iosrjournals.org 71 | Page Selection of Rapid Prototyping Technology Using an ANP Based Approach Vineet Kumar 1 , Lalit Kumar 2 , Abid Haleem 3 1, 2 Research Scholar, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, INDIA 3 Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, INDIA Abstract: Multi-criteria decision making Analytical Network Process Approach (ANP) is used in selection of Rapid Prototyping technology for University/Institute for performing research work because buyer may has low degree of experience in decision making with respect to machines. A frame work is developed by considering qualitative and quantitative attributes in the selection of rapid prototyping machine. This paper represents the relationship among the qualitative and quantitative attributes. For validity of framework a Sensitivity analysis is also done to analyse the effect of weight age which may be varies according to expert experience. Keywords: Rapid Prototyping, Analytic network process, Sensitivity analysis, machine selection, Benchmarking. I. Introduction Rapid prototyping processes belongs to the generative or additive production processes. In contrast to abrasive or subtractive processes such as lathing, milling, drilling, grinding, eroding, and so forth in which the form is shaped by removing material, in rapid prototyping the components is formed by joining volume elements. In strict sense, rapid prototyping process are therefore 21/2D process that is stacked up 2D contours with constant thickness. The layer is shaped in x-y plane two dimensionally. The third dimension results from single layers being stacked up on top of each other, but not as a continuous z- coordinate. The models are therefore three dimensional parts, very exact on the build plane x-y direction and owing to the described procedure the stepped in the z- direction whereby the smaller the z- stepping is, the more the model looks like the original. The special characteristic features of rapid prototyping processes are that the physical models are produced directly from computer data. In principle it is thereby unimportant where the data are provided long as they describe a 3D volume completely. Data from CAD design, from the processing of measurements and reverse engineering or other measurements computer tomography (CT), magnetic resonance tomography (MRT) may be used equally well. Fig. 1.Generalized illustration of data flow in RP (after Gebhardt, 2003)