Whatever the item a person or a company intends to produce, creating a prototype is a crucial step in the design process that cannot be glossed over. Why is prototyping important? There are several main reasons; testing and evaluating the design, clarifying production issues and costs, selling it to others, as well as making clear any patentable details.

Evaluating and Testing the Design
Unfortunately, ideas and drawings of a design can sometimes be a far cry from the real world in which the product will be used. By creating a prototype it is possible to sit down with a real version of the product and determine which aspects are worthwhile and which parts need to be revised, changed, or discarded. In the process, it may be possible to find glaring omissions that, on paper, weren’t noticeable.

Additionally, creating a prototype will allow the design team to not only evaluate, but also test the product before going into full production. Imagine ordering tens of thousands of units, only to discover one part isn’t as strong as it needs to be. If corporate giants can make mistakes, it is all the more important for smaller companies to not forget the importance of prototyping before beginning production.

Clarifying Production Costs and Issues
Once production begins, it is costly and time consuming to make changes. By prototyping before production begins, it is possible to take a glimpse at the production process and see if any steps can be changed, combined, or even removed. This not only streamlines production, but keeps the?cost of the actual production to a minimum. Subsequently, if there are any difficulties in production or perhaps processes that can create problems for the final product, it is much better to see these before production starts. It can also help the design team ascertain the optimal method for production; injection-molding, silicone molds,?stamped metal, etc.

Selling the Product to Others
Just like it is far easier to see if there are any problems with a design by holding an actual working model, it is also far easier to sell to potential customers when they have a prototype to hold and manipulate at a marketing presentation. Without a prototype it’s only a concept. It can be difficult to get a?client to commit to a purchase of a concept. With a prototype in hand, the concept instantly becomes real and it is far easier to sign a purchase order.

The customer needs to be taken into consideration during the prototype phase as well. No matter how great the designers and testers think a prototype may be, real consumers may not like certain aspects of it. If the end customer doesn’t like it, they won’t buy it, which is why focus groups and external testing with prototypes needs to be addressed before production begins.

Patents
If a product is new enough or unique enough, patents need to be considered. It’s no use to design and manufacture a great product only to have another company start producing a remarkably similar product because the original company failed to patent key aspects of the design. By having a working prototype, it is much easier to sit down with a patent attorney and see what design aspect may be patentable. On the reverse side, it is possible to see what parts of the prototype and design violate patents of other individuals and how they can be changed before production, and the chance of a lawsuit, begins.

Contact TenX today and get a high-quality prototype fast! 715 235-8474.

Rapid Prototyping is a term used to describe many manufacturing processes that are able to quickly convert 3D CAD models into physical parts. Some of the technologies used in rapid prototyping are stereolithography (SLA), CNC machining, urethane casting and quick-turn tooled injection molding. Many of these rapid prototyping processes produce parts that are at or near production quality, which can be very beneficial at many points during product development.

The greatest benefit of rapid prototyping is the ability to test various part concepts quickly. Even the best engineers and designers are regularly surprised by what can be learned by evaluating and testing a representative part. Details that may not be apparent on a CAD system or on paper will show up readily in a rapid prototype. This eliminates costly mistakes, improves the quality of the design, and allows more valuable iteration cycles of concept to prototype.

Rapid prototyping is often a very low cost option for constructing prototypes, especially when the cost of the time to manufacture a prototype using more traditional methods or waiting for first tooled pieces is factored in. While the cost for rapid prototype parts is almost always higher than production parts, tooling outlays are minimal. When it is time to move to production tooling, rapid prototyping will likely have minimized mistakes that would otherwise have resulted in costly tooling revisions or remakes.

Rapid prototyping also provides the opportunity to conduct market studies with prototypes that have a realistic look and feel. Gaining early data on how the market accepts or reacts to the product is valuable information which can be used to improve the design and ultimately increase sales.

Product development is often very sequential, but rapid prototyping places efforts in parallel. Once a design has been completed, rapid prototyping can be used to push a product to market quickly capitalizing on any window of opportunity while long lead-time tooling is underway. This yields greater control over a product’s launch and early market adoption.

Rapid prototyping should be an integral part of almost any modern manufacturing organization’s new or sustaining product plan. The benefits of speeding iteration, improving design quality, lowering costs, providing a tool to evaluate the market, and going to market quickly provide more efficient development cycles which will result in better products with better profits and revenues.

The old saying, “first come first serve” can hold true in many scenarios, and it is clearly evident in the competitive marketplace we function in today. That’s why being the first one to market with a new product has proven to be a winning move, and its being done by utilizing cutting-edge rapid prototyping methods. A big buzz word in the ‘Rapid Prototyping World’ right now is 3D-Printing, if you haven’t heard of it by now, you’re living under a rock! The process isn’t exactly new, but the advancements in technology over the last 30 years have been substantial, and the forecast for the next 5-10 years looks to be nothing short of amazing. 3D-Printing has quickly evolved into the most commonly used form of prototyping for companies looking to push their new products to market, but it’s certainly not the ONLY.

In the shadow of 3D-Printing we’ve lost some sight of some tried and true methods that continue to give companies a competitive advantage in the manufacturing process, and probably the most overlooked and unknown is Urethane Casting.

• Urethane Casting & it’s benefits
  • This process starts with a 3D Printed part to create a master pattern, the master is then encapsulated with silicone, once the silicone is parted into 2 halves and the master removed, the ‘soft tool’ is created. That ‘soft tool’ can now be used to create urethane parts; urethanes can be of nearly and durometer and mimic most injection molding materials. The casting process allows for difficult geometries due to the forgiveness of (silicone) soft tooling.
  • The cost and creation time of a soft tool is significantly less when compared to a standard injection mold.
  • The limitations companies experience with some lower-end 3D-Printers yield to the advantages of Urethane Casting in terms of material, size, & color.
  • Small or Large cast parts can produced in one solid piece, as opposed to many
  • One ‘soft tool’ can be used to produce the same part in numerous materials and in-office 3D-Printers that have small build platforms. colors.

In the ‘market-race’ keep in mind that time peels off the clock at the same rate for everyone, and the person who utilizes every tool possible to save time will often be a step ahead of the competition.