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SUMMARY
Feature-based design (FBD) has the potential to optimize several aspects of the design and manufacturing process. One such aspect that has not been fully investigated is the link between FBD and rapid prototyping (RP). Using features that contain information specifically tailored to the requirements of the RP process, it is possible to optimize this link. This paper describes a methodology designed to achieve this and discusses several examples of its use. The main benefit of using the methodology is the creation of RP models that reflect more precisely the designer's original intent. Future work required to support the application of the methodology is outlined.