How to speed the plastic prototype process?

When developing a plastic part, the prototyping stage of product development is crucial to the success of a project. However, this stage of development is oftentimes rushed and / or underfunded. Prior to a product’s launch, plastic prototype parts can be used for marketing & communications, engineering studies, market studies/promotions, and evaluate product manufacturability and assembly characteristics. Regardless of the prototypes intended use, it is central to the communication between product marketing, engineering, and manufacturing.

 

It is not uncommon in the development process of a plastic prototype for a manufacturer to be unsure exactly what features will be needed to make a part ready for production. Oftentimes, small design tweaks can make all the difference in the optimal functionality of the final part. In some prototyping situations, design tweaks are not permitted without costly mold changes that can set a manufacturer behind schedule in regard to time to market, and over the budget initially allocated for the project.

 

Engineering Resource Center’s Strategy

 

When working with experienced design engineers and mold development experts, they will understand that timing is key to your project’s success. A manufacturer presented the ERC with a project that had an extraordinarily tight timeline for prototype development (one week), and of three design iterations created, the team was unsure which would be best for final production. Given the tight timeline for the project, there was not enough time (or funding) to make design tweaks or produce three separate molds to test three different prototypes. However, testing of all three design iterations would have to be completed at the same time, with the best prototype selected to meet the final production deadline.

 

Results

 

There are many technologies available for the manufacturing of rapid prototype models, some which that can be completed in a matter of hours. These processes may require the manufacturer to make sacrifices in the areas of strength, finish, usability and ultimately – cost. There are many other factors that come into play when deciding what is going to get your product to market on time and within budget. Oftentimes, when a prototype is developed without completing an injection molded process, compromises will be made to the parts overall functionality and probability of use. 

 

The ERC representatives wanted their manufacturer’s prototype parts to be ready for immediate functional testing and ultimately, final production. They knew the characteristics for the part needed to mirror the same performance requirements of the intended production part particularly in regard to comparative strength, finish and design elements.

 

The solution for the manufacturer’s tight timeline and design challenges was to create one mold which incorporated all three design iterations – resulting in quick testing, final design decision and production turnaround. With access to the best technology, engineering and tooling resources, the manufacturer was able to compress timelines and get the ideal working part within a week.