In some industries, over 70% of 3D printing occurs courtesy of the product prototyping sectors. Such product prototyping is a popular and effective method of iterating on designs. So, how do you make such a process faster to save more money?
Here are five tips that you can use when developing a product prototype. As you read, you will understand how to make a product prototype in a faster and more effective way.
1. Collaborate With Machinists Early
It is very useful if everybody in the development flow for a prototype is up-to-speed at all times. Talk to, and collaborate with, your 3D printer machinists. They are the ones who are going to inform you of any concerns or problems that might crop up during the prototype-production process.
By intercepting these issues early, you save time later on. You will not need to end up chasing up bottlenecks when you start making the prototypes.
2. Define a Prototype’s Requirements
The clearer that you define things about the requirements for a prototype, the easier it will be for your machinists and others to make the product. Talk to those who will produce the item when creating these specifications. They will be able to tell you if there is anything else they need at any point.
You can use any specifications you create as a baseline to make changes moving forward. It is also possible to track every section of your design and any iterations made to understand the design’s legacy. If you do not define things clearly enough, you cannot make judgments based on previous decisions.
3. Demand a Purpose For Each Prototype
Sometimes it might seem like you should be making prototypes regularly for the sake of it. Instead, make sure that every prototype has a purpose.
The simplest way to ensure this is to ask questions. Have all your questions about a product been answered? If not, have each prototype seek to answer that question.
The following URL has information on the prototyping process from experts in the field. They may help you understand why the step is so important.: https://www.rapidpsi.com/prototyping/
4. Do Not Go Too Deep Too Often
During the design process, only design and prototype the bits you need to prototype then and there. If you change too much too often, you may end up confusing the reasons behind why something got better or worse. Was the change in user behavior because of the intended change or the one that was added afterward?
5. Design For Manufacturing
You should also understand that product prototype design challenges will exist based on how easy the product is to make. You may sometimes have to design something differently because of how much it will cost to produce otherwise.
This may be disappointing to hard-line designers and prototypes. Still, it can save you time from creating unnecessary prototypes that will never get made.
Extra Info on Product Prototyping
You should now have a better understanding of how to speed up your in-house product prototyping. If you have other questions, such as the benefits of a prototype vs minimum viable product, or how to prototype a product, we can still help. Our blog contains answers to many queries that you might have.
Check out our articles, and continue growing your knowledge base.