Prototyping Your Product
With access to several prototyping capabilities including CNC machining, injection molding, 3D printing, and sheet metal prototyping services, we have the ability to prototype so you can test your parts, perform market research, and refine your design.
Why You Should Prototype Your Product?
Once you have manufacturing designs ready the next step should be to get prototypes made.
It is not possible to know if your designs will work how you want them to without testing them with a prototype. Designs made by even the most talented of engineers will often have to go through one or two revisions to iron out any kinks.
There are several ways that designs can be fixed or improved upon. It could be that the standards for your drawings, also known as tolerances, are too tight or too loose. If they are too tight, then either it won’t be possible to mass produce, or you’ll be spending more money than needed since manufacturing companies will charge more to hold the stricter standard. If they are too loose, then your parts probably won’t fit together properly. The material might need to be changed because it’s not strong enough or not flexible enough, or it’s too heavy. You won’t know if any of these changes need to be made without a proper prototype in your hands.
Another way prototypes will help you is through market research. You’ll be able to show your prototypes to potential customers and gather their feedback on how to improve your idea. You’ll be able to get a good idea on how receptive people will be to your product without having to invest too heavily in time and money with production.
How We Help You with Prototype Manufacturing
We will need manufacturing files in the form of 2D PDFs with complete dimensions, materials, tolerances, finish, etc. We also accept 3D models in step file format. Sometimes parts will require both types of files to produce, so it’s always better to have each when possible. If you need help with getting those files made, we can assist you in getting those drafted.
We would then take those files to our partners overseas who would provide a quote from a prototyping company. Our prices have been as much as 5-8x cheaper than domestic prototyping companies. This varies from the production method used, but we make prototyping as affordable as possible for our customers. We have access to a wide range of prototyping capabilities and can produce products in several materials such as plastics, metals, and some rubbers. Our team of experts will help you in choosing the best prototyping production method for your product so you don’t have to worry about choosing the wrong one.
Quality Assurance
We can source our prototype manufacturing from ISO 9100 certified factories. Any parts made outside of tolerance will be replaced. Prototype production methods can differ from mass production methods, so sometimes the material and finish are not always the exact same as those made from large volume production methods. This is normal for prototypes. If you need help with product testing from a laboratory, our engineer partners can help find one that can perform stress tests and get your product certified with the right agency. For example, all children’s products have to be approved by a Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) laboratory. Safety products generally have to be approved by OHSA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration). Depending on the type of product, there are also some optional additional certifications you can get to help prove to your customers that your invention is safe to use.
Manufacture Your Product Prototype & More
Not only do our partners overseas have access to affordable prototyping companies, we also have access to companies that can make your part in large quantities. Contact us to see how we can help you.