Significance of choosing the right kind of product prototyping company

Janifha Evangeline

Developing a prototype is a highly essential part of any product development process when any business plans to bring a new product idea to market. Be it an inventor who is looking to prototype his invention idea or even a startup founder who wants to get his product manufactured for crowdfunding & demo purposes, it is crucial for them to first off understand the various types of prototypes & what type of a prototype development company or service can help them build their prototype without any hassles.

The task of translating an idea into a physical prototype differs based on the kind of product & purpose of the prototype. POC of simple products could be done using materials that are available at home whereas more complex technology products & higher quality prototypes need the expertise of designers, engineers, and advanced manufacturing facilities. Most often, the process begins with a designer turning the idea into a 3D design concept that displays all the product features, materials, as well as functionality. The concept is then given to engineers from various streams such as mechanical, electronics, or hardware who create files & documentation that are ready to be sent to a manufacturer. The manufacturer leverages various processes that include 3D printing, CNC machining, silicone molding, & others for creating a physical prototype of the product according to the product description given in the documentation.

One such product design and prototyping company that has helped startups, investors, as well as brands across more than 15 countries to translate their ideas into several ‘World-Firsts’ & award-winning products is Outdesign Co. The company provides complete prototype development as well as manufacturing services that help in turning new product ideas into actual physical prototypes.

Guy Yair, EVP, EMEA & APJ, Stratasys states, “The 3D printing industry is on a growth trajectory and we expect high double-digit growth in India during the next five years, despite the economic slowdown. This will be driven by strong engagements across key industry verticals such as automotive, healthcare, education, and aerospace.”

Several types of prototype makers & companies build prototypes for translating their client’s sketches into a physical product. These include 3D printing companies, rapid prototyping services, machine shops, manufacturers,

product development companies, as well as engineering firms. Although there are various companies that can help in building prototypes, how can one know which one is the right option? Therefore, we have come up with a comparison of the different types of services organizations can utilize for getting their prototype made and it includes the pros and cons of each type.

Rapid prototyping/3D printing services

Small 3D printing shops which render rapid prototyping services have become very common and organizations may find several of these organizations easily. Most often, they possess FDM/FFF, SLS, and SLA 3D printers, all of these require 3D CAD files as input.

The major drawback is that they do not have professional product design engineers who would help in improving the ideas of clients and support clients all the way to mass production in the later phases. This option is best suited when the client has an engineer on your team who can develop your idea if the idea is very simple.

While the advantages include quick turnaround, and readily available in most major cities, the disadvantages include the lack of professional engineers for the development of the clients’ ideas from scratch, and cannot to assist with mass production or injection molding later, as well as lack of DFM expertise, which cannot take on multi-disciplinary projects that includes hardware/electronics.

One such company that offers Rapid prototyping services is RapidPro Design, whose 3D Printing team has one of the broadest 3D printing capabilities in Australia & Asia. Whatever project challenges clients to come up with, RapidPro Design has the right technology to bring it to life. This is because the highly skilled team of designers & engineers of the company knows which 3D printing technology is right for the projects of the clients.

Manufacturers

Manufacturers rarely help the inventors or startups in developing a new prototype right from scratch as manufacturers are more interested in obtaining huge volume orders for keeping their machines running. The most they can do is make very few adjustments to their existing/current products & render clients with a sample as they are not interested in custom development for startups/entrepreneurs.

Big design firms

Big product design companies have their own team of engineers & designers on board along with in-house prototyping abilities which can help clients in building a prototype of almost any idea. They can assist them through the complete product development process right from the idea phase to mass production but unfortunately, their price keeps them out of the reach of many startups and entrepreneurs.

The advantages include that all teams of engineers, designers, and prototyping can be available under a single roof. However, the disadvantage would be that the prototypes can cost a few hundred thousand dollars hence they may be suitable for established companies mostly.

The road ahead

The product prototyping market is anticipated to reach USD 45.60 billion by 2031. The major factors driving the growth of this market include the surging demand for product prototyping in manufacturing industries, which include automotive, aerospace & defense, consumer electronics, and medical devices.