Rapid Prototyping for Product Development

Have you ever had a great product design in mind, but could only wonder if it would be successful? Did you ever struggle to explain your vision and product design to co-workers, investors, or even external clients? Rapid prototyping is revolutionizing the plastic parts manufacturing design process by allowing engineers and designers to create high-quality prototypes that look, feel, and function as the final product should.

What is Rapid Prototyping?

Within the design process, it all starts with a concept or idea, then a hand drawn or digital design, and it is finally tested through a prototype. Rapid prototyping is the process of accelerated development of a prototype to demonstrate and showcase a product design. Rapid prototyping relies on three-dimensional computer-aided design data (CAD) for layout and typically uses 3D printers for production. Since prototypes are not usually produced from the same materials as the final product, the durability of the design cannot be determined.

Benefits


  • Clear Visualization of Design Concepts

    With rapid prototyping, designers and engineers can clearly demonstrate
    and share their design concepts with co-workers, investors, or clients.
    It is now easier to explain their ideas and visually see if there are
    any adjustments needed in the design.

  • Improved Efficiency

    Before rapid prototyping was developed, designers and engineers had to
    wait a long time for prototypes to be built, and if a new prototype
    needed to be developed, it was expensive to produce. With rapid
    prototyping, companies are saving money, time, and effort by using the
    same machine to create different prototype design concepts.

  • Customizable Designs

    It allows designers and engineers to quickly alter models and concepts
    to meet the client’s needs. Small parts that were previously hard to
    include are now easy to produce within a prototype design concept.

  • Speed up Time to Market

    With rapid prototyping, companies can speed up their time to market
    through enhanced technology and quick and easy revisions of the design
    based on physical testing and feedback.

Applications


  • Concept Prototypes

    If you need to generate many different ideas quickly, concept
    prototyping is your solution. This process helps designers and engineers
    showcase their design as well as test a product’s functionality. Due to
    the quick turnaround and the need to test more concepts, 3D printers
    are the ideal solution to produce concept modeling.

Functional Prototypes

Functional prototypes allow designers and engineers to show how a part
will function under stress or in the field. Functional prototyping makes
it easy to review the design, fit, function, and maneuverability of the
product before proceeding with production. Depending on the end goal, a
prototype can be 3D printed with various engineering plastics to test
the success in a specific environment.

Fields Utilizing Low Volume Manufacturing

The title is more than self-explanatory in itself to give a few ideas about the further details stored in the further segments of the article. Nevertheless, for the sake of formality itself, let us begin with a definition and understanding of what we are going to discuss. Low volume, as the name suggests is the total opposite of bulk manufacturing. The more pertinent question over here, however, is that why any manufacturer in their right mind would actually prefer to go for low volume manufacturing services instead of bulk manufacturing, especially when the latter leads to more profit owing to the reduced cost due to buying off materials in bulk.

  1. In a world of constant changes, clients more often than not suddenly
    change their minds about some or the other aspect of their good.
    Altering the same on a low scale is easier and economical as compared to
    that in bulk production.
  2. Again, in a world with constant and new types of demands, the need to
    satisfy customer wishes is always the priority. As such, keeping the
    market stocked with the appropriate inventory and stock becomes tedious
    as hell if the manufacturers insist on bulk production.
  3. Money is obviously the cause of all things. Every individual is always
    running behind money making it a very sensitive issue. And so, investing
    a lot of it in a single go in bulk productions always puts it at a risk
    until being delivered. Low volume manufacturing in that aspect thus
    keeps the investor money at risk for time durations that are acceptable
    to them as well.

Some of the fields that utilize low volume manufacturing services fully fledged are:

Injection Molding manufacturing companies are some of the biggest consumers of low-volume manufacturing services because-

  1. Plastic if and when exposed to the atmosphere for prolonged times
    without being maintained start giving off smells and showing signs of
    bacterial and fungal growth- getting rid of which is only a whole other
    set of overheads.
  2. For nature-friendly purposes too. Plastics, as we all know, are only a
    bane for nature owing to them taking millions of years to decompose.
    Hence the mass production of the same (when not needed) and polluting
    the atmosphere at the same time is totally senseless.

Another field that makes intensive use of low-volume manufacturing services is Injection Molding die making. This field is the partner in crime of injection molding manufacturing companies for the tools used to produce plastic and plastic parts actually come out of the molding die making companies. The terminology over here (particularly between molds and die) is really confusing, so let us try and clear some of them:

A mold can be considered to be a cavity that is used to produce products (plastic, metal, or anything else)

    A die is nothing but a block of metal that conforms to a particular and
    special shape that is used for giving shape to other pieces of tools and
    products.

    The Incredible Benefits of Using Steel in Buildings Like Metal Railing

    It doesn’t warp. It doesn’t twist. It doesn’t buckle. The list goes on when it comes to the benefits of steel. It is easy to bend because of its flexibility and easy to install. Moreover, stainless steel is an eco-friendly product. It is entirely recyclable, so much so that for new construction projects one can purchase recycled steel.

    Example:

    Let’s take an example of a stainless-steel gate to grasp how valuable steel is for construction. Unlike wood or bricks, a steel gate has immense strength to it. The use of superior quality steel can create aesthetically pleasing gates that require almost nil maintenance. You don’t have to worry about mould or mildew plaguing it in the rainy season like in a wooden gate. Lastly, the steel makes the gate sturdy and hardy enough to withstand natural disasters such as:

    1. Tornadoes
    2. Hurricanes
    3. Earthquakes

    It can even withhold against human-made accidents like fire.

    Leveraging a Stainless-Steel Railing During Construction

    A staircase railing, a deck railing or a roof railing, it may take any avatars, but the importance of a stainless-steel railing remains the same. They are subtle products that keep people, animals and things safe on:

    1. Ledges
    2. Stairways
    3. Roofs
    4. Balconies
    5. Decks

    Safety may be the primary value of a railing, but their benefits extend further. They even add beauty and prettiness to a home or building. Let’s take a look at how railings advantage a construction:

    • Accident Avoidance

    When construction workers walk on decks and ledges during the building process, a fence around it can prevent hazardous falls from heights. During severe weather like snow, rain or sleet, the railing offers added support to them to transfer construction material. A railing encompassing a staircase can even prevent a person from slipping.

    Railings also impact a person who has weak muscles or prone to imbalance. Clinging to the barricade can offer the firmness required to navigate from one place to another.

    • Peace of Mind

    It is not just workers that railings aid. For people who suffer from vertigo, they can provide electric fence stability needed while treading stairs in an office or walking around a balcony at home. Pets, children, and strangers who are not aware of a drop can safely play or sit in deck thanks to the railing barrier. The barricade provides comfort and peace to the mind of an adult.

    • Indirect Assistance

    Safety is the definite payback of railings. One understated value is the support it provides when carrying heavy loads up a ramp, stairway or along a deck. Steel railings also keep debris off your porches, roofs, and balconies. They prevent the sofa, plants, and chairs from being pushed over accidentally from the roof or patio.

    Benefits of a Steel Staircase

    In a home, the staircase can be the most versatile structure. In some abodes, they are lavish, classical and elegant statement pieces right at the grand entrance. In some dwellings, they are functional elements that blend into the background. Irrespective of the preference, a staircase should always enhance the beauty of the home while being 100% safe. Let’s see how a stainless-steel spiral staircase positively affects a building.

    • Space

    In residences where space is a constraint, a spiral steel staircase is an excellent option to save floor area. As compared to traditional wood or marble stairs, spiral treads capture minor square footage. Their footprint is small because they each tread is built onto another. There is no width extension.

    • Accessibility

    Homes are filled with inaccessible places. The attic and the basement are just the most apparent. A spiral steel staircase can help you reach these spots. A stair tucked away in the corner could be your path to a whole bedroom on the mezzanine floor. Because spirals can fit into small and tight areas, they can also be your entrance to a basement. All you need is to drill a hole into the floor.

    The design doesn’t spoil the floor plan and provides the flexibility required to reach a lower ground floor. When conventional staircases are not the ideal solution, steel stairs come to save the day.

    • Material

    Steel is a highly functional material. It can be easily customised to meet the vision of the homeowners. From the frame to the steps, every part of the stainless-steel staircase is tailorable.

    Durable with Better Insurance

    There is no material that doesn’t have a few drawbacks. Stainless-steel also suffers from this affliction. It demands a high upfront investment, and if not installed correctly, it becomes prone to corrosion. Plus, it conducts heat and cold which means keeping the temperature at an appropriate level can be hard.

    Even though it is more expensive than conventional building materials, it still is a better option. The strength of steel lies not only in its durability but the elasticity it offers architects when designing houses and buildings. The resilience and pliability insure a sturdier structure, commercial or private.