Prototyping has become an essential part of product development. It helps to strengthen the design and specification of a product and test the viability of a product. Product development is a complex process. And while people might think they can do everything in-house, this is simply not always feasible as it requires a lot of capital, space, and time to manage the project and maintain an in-house team.
Because of this, in recent years, we have seen an increasing number of businesses and startups outsource their prototyping to save time and resources. These companies will help you design and create the prototype for your product. You can then use this prototype for testing and your marketing materials.
Here are some important considerations when working with these companies.
Benefits of Rapid Prototyping
Rapid prototyping reduces risk because you can test designs in advance before putting your products into production. If a design fails during testing, you can modify it and test it again until it works as intended. This gives you more control over the development process and helps ensure that production runs smoothly with fewer errors or problems.
One of the biggest reasons rapid prototyping is becoming so popular is because it helps a business save time and money. It allows you to send your designs to a company with the equipment and expertise necessary to quickly turn those designs into working prototypes, which you can then use for testing purposes.
Creating prototypes requires specialized knowledge and skills that can take months to develop. By outsourcing your project, you can benefit from the expertise that third-party service providers have developed over years of working in this field. You will be able to get your prototype within days as opposed to weeks or months when you try to build them yourself.
Set Your Requirements
Your requirements will depend on the industry you are in and what kind of product you want to create. For instance, if the product is hardware-related, then you will need resources that have experience with CNC machining and injection molding. If the product is software-related, then you will need resources that have experience in rapid application development and rapid prototyping.
A rapid prototype is created quickly using 3D printing or other processes. This allows you to test out the core functions of your product quickly. The goal is to see whether or not the overall concept works.
If you want to create a prototype that looks like your final product, then you should work with an appearance prototype company. Once again, this can be done by 3D printing the product, but it usually requires more steps and more materials to make it look right. You also need to consider how many prototypes that you want to create before moving forward with the mass production of your product. Some people create just one prototype, while others create several so that they can test out different designs and different materials before making a final choice.
Whatever your needs are, be sure to communicate them so your prototyping service provider can give you a quote on how long it will take and how much it will cost.
Understand the Costs
When outsourcing your prototyping needs, make sure you understand the costs associated with it. Most prototyping service providers quote their work based on how long it takes to complete the project or how many iterations are needed for the prototype. Make sure you put everything in a legal document so that there isn’t any problem that can arise. Try to have a budget in mind so that there aren’t any cost overruns that can jeopardize the viability of your project.
Choose an Experienced Company
There are a lot of different methods for creating prototypes with 3D printing technology, each with its benefits and drawbacks. If you’re new to the technology, learning which methods are best for what purposes can take time. An experienced prototype development agency will know all of the different methods available and have in-depth knowledge of which ones work best for specific designs and applications. This will eliminate a lot of guesswork on your part and help ensure your final product is created efficiently and effectively every time.
Working with an experienced rapid prototyping company will free up your staff, allowing them to spend more time coming up with new ideas and creative solutions for improving your products instead of being tied down with the tedious aspects of product development such as creating prototypes by hand.
Whether you’re a startup or an established company, outsourcing your rapid prototyping projects to an experienced and trustworthy 3D printing service can help you launch your products faster and improve your bottom line.
Equipment
The costs associated with rapid prototyping include buying equipment, software licenses, and hiring skilled staff. These costs can be prohibitive for small businesses. Outsourcing the project helps you avoid these costs while still enjoying the benefits of rapid prototyping. Make sure the company you decide to work with has state-of-the-art equipment.
Get Rapid Prototyping Services
As a business owner, you know how important it is to get your products to market as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, some of the most important steps in the process take longer than they should and hold up the entire operation. If you want to speed things up and reduce costs, it may be time to outsource your rapid prototyping.
At Connekt, LLC, we help fast-track your products development process. We provide top-notch rapid prototyping services in Northern California as well as electro-mechanical packaging design, FEA consulting, 3D printing, and plastic injection molding.
Contact us today.
