Abstract: Several levels of a plurality (n) of design parameters of a product are inputted to means for designing trial products to output a trial product list based on a given orthogonal table (step 201). The products designed by the trial product designing are evaluated for a plurality (m) of evaluation items to afford evaluation data (step 203). A system range for each level is obtained from the evaluation data for the design parameter (step 204). The deducing means calculates an amount of information for each level from the system range and a design range for each level and adds the amounts of information for all of the evaluation items to find a total amount of information for each level (step 206). A characteristic curve for the design parameter is depicted based on the total amounts of information and a value of design parameter giving a minimum total amount of information is determined and employed as an optimum value of the design parameter (step 208).

Abstract: A rapid prototyping method utilizing a powder sintering process and an apparatus for fabricating a product, utilizing the method. The rapid prototyping method includes steps of slicing an image of a product to be fabricated into a number of layers, preparing a mold sheet for each of the slices of the product with a cavity adapted to the profile of the corresponding slice, laying the mold sheet in place on a one-on-the-other basis, feeding the cavity of the mold sheet with a powdery material, pressurizing the material, repeating the preceding steps for each slide to form a multilayer structure for a complete product, and sintering the multilayer structure to produce a finished product. The rapid prototyping method according to the invention provides major advantages over comparable known methods in terms of cost, processing time, and profiling accuracy.

Abstract: A toggle type punch drive apparatus having a strong output obtained by a simple structure so arranged that it drives a freely movable ram (1) used in punch driving. This toggle system (6) incorporates a first lever (11) that is linked to one end of the ram (1) so as to be freely rotatable, and a second lever (12) that is linked to the other end of the first lever (11) between its base end and free end so as to be freely rotatable and which is freely supported at the base end. The free end of that second lever (12) is linked to a nut (8b) of the feed screw apparatus (8) which is driven by a servomotor (7).