With the advent of 3D printers, the product design and developing industry saw an unprecedented revolution. Where traditional product designing techniques took days and even weeks to create a prototype, 3D printers allowed designers to have the concept in their hands from computer screens in a matter of hours, and in some cases, even minutes.
From conceptualization to creating prototypes and even end-user products, 3D printers play an important role in product designing and development. Here, we’ll discuss the uses of 3D printing in product designing and how it has benefited the entire industry.
How 3D Printing Plays an Important Role in Modern Product Design Development
3D printers have several applications in product designing. Here are some of the important ones:
Physical Conceptualization
To set the direction of your product idea, a physical model is necessary for the preliminary stages of product design. 3D printers provide an opportunity for designers and engineers to turn their ideas into a physical model without having to break the bank for it.
With a physical model in hand, designers can better analyze it by comparing and testing the visual and structural aspects of their product design. If the design is supposed to have different parts, with the help of a model, you can compare the proportions to validate the structural design.
Creating Prototypes
Once the ideas are conceptualized, designers can work on creating a product design prototype. Compared to any other prototyping process, 3D printers create prototypes the fastest. With the help of rapid prototyping, transitioning from ideas to prototypes becomes very quick, which helps designers launch their functional prototypes into the market to have the edge over their competition.
3D printers have increased the productivity of designers by allowing them the freedom to test, compare and modify the designs at their will. The long wait for a new prototype after each modification is the thing of the past.
Producing End Products
The role of 3D printers isn’t only restricted to producing working models and prototypes. With the advancement in technology and the industrial-grade materials available, 3D printing designers can even produce end-user products. In case of high demand where the regular manufacturing unit is working at its full capacity, 3D printers can come in handy by sharing some of the load and producing functioning products for end-use.
Additionally, designers can also produce jigs, tools, and other supporting materials that’d help manufacture the product using 3D printers. 3D printers can create supporting pieces for any product design into the manufacturing phase, irrespective of whether 3D printers were used in the initial design.
If you want to reap the amazing benefits of 3D printers for your product design, Connekt, LLC has expert designers and equipment to provide 3D printing services in Auburn. We also provide 3D printed prototypes and engineering design services in Auburn. To avail of our services, contact us today.
