Understand the scales of production
Explore the different scales of production factors that influence them and the manufacturing methods that are best suited to each stage.
Read articleYou’ve come to the right place. Hubs is now Protolabs Network.
The same broad capabilities, exceptional quality and competitive pricing under a new brand.
EN
Want to learn about several of the challenges our customers face while prototyping, as well as solutions, tips, and tricks to circumvent them? Our article on prototyping pitfalls might be for you!
The prototyping phase of part design is as crucial as it is tricky. Go through it too quickly, and you risk ending up with a finished product that does not perform as required or expected. However, if you spend too long perfecting your prototype, you may run into costly delays that eat away at your budget.
In this article, we’ll take a look at seven of the most common pitfalls that our customers experience while prototyping, as well as provide you with useful tips on measures you can take to ensure that you can transition into full-on production as seamlessly as possible. Â
First, however, we’ll start with a brief overview of prototypes themselves, offering several examples of what you can use them to achieve.
A prototype is an early version of a part or product you can use to evaluate and refine ideas before moving into production. Depending on your final part’s application, prototype are often used for one of the following:Â
Proof of concept. Demonstrating that a part is feasible and can be manufactured.
Functionality testing. Will your part or product perform as intended?
User experience evaluation. Assessing how your part or product will be used, allowing you to identify potential issues before they arise.
Cost reduction. By identifying design flaws or inefficiencies before full-scale production, you can take steps to minimize costs.
Market validation. Gauging interest and collecting feedback from potential customers to determine market demand for a product.Â
In the following sections, we’ve identified seven of the top issues our customers face after creating a prototyped part or product. We’ll also offer suggestions for how you can avoid these issues, so you can enjoy the smoothest prototyping phase – and overall production process – possible.
Without clear goals and objectives for your prototype, it's easy to lose focus and end up with a part or product that doesn't effectively address the problem or fulfill the intended purpose.
You should work to clearly define the goal of both your finished part and the prototype itself. The part’s overall purpose will allow you to efficiently plan for the entire production process, while discerning the prototype’s purpose will help you create a prototype that gives you the clearest picture of a potential end product.
Here are a few questions to ask yourself as you begin the prototyping phase:
What problem does the part/product aim to solve?:
Who is the target audience or end-user?
What are the performance requirements and specifications?
What are the constraints and limitations?
What are the desired outcomes or objectives for the prototype? Will you be validating a specific design concept, testing functionality, or gathering user feedback?
How will you measure success (i.e. usability metrics, performance benchmarks, or stakeholder satisfaction)?
Â
Prototyping can sometimes lead to overcomplicated solutions. For example you might get carried away with the technical aspects, or focus too much on aesthetics, diverting attention that would be better paid to your product’s practicality or functionality. The opposite could also hold true, if the goal of your prototype serves an aesthetic purpose.
A good rule of thumb here is to design a prototype with simplicity in mind: if a feature isn’t absolutely necessary, don’t include it in your prototype. With this in mind, aim to design and create a prototype that:
Prioritizes the features you need to evaluate and iterate on
Has a manageable scope, allowing you to avoid over-complexity
Balances aesthetics and functionality, but never forsakes usability
Â
A lot of assumptions go into the creating of a prototype. You may think it will solve a problem, or that there will be a strong demand for the final product once it hits the market. This is why validation is so important.
Validation reduces potential risks in creating a new product by helping you be sure that you are investing your resources wisely – and that your final product has a genuine chacne of success. Skipping validation, on the other hand, can be a costly mistake, from both a time and financial standpoint.
Proper validation may include user feedback, which we will touch on below, but is also broader in nature, encompassing:
Market research
Competitor analyses
Feasibility studies
Â
Failing to gather and incorporate feedback from potential users early in the prototyping process can result in building a product that doesn't meet their needs or expectations.
Remember that a prototype is supposed to provide you with a clear idea whether your product’s design is feasible. Without the input of those who will eventually use your product – whether they are consumers you want to purchase your product or mechanics who will use a part or tool you are developing on the shop floor – you risk misalignment with their needs and expectations.  Â
To ensure that you are satisfactorily integrating user feedback into your prototype, consider:
User surveys or interviews
Prototype testing with target users
Integrating feedback into design iterations
Â
Prototyping is an iterative process. Failing to properly iterate so can result in a product that falls short of its potential, as you will miss opportunities for improvement. Â
This means you should expect to go back to the drawing board and create a new prototype after your first attempt, even if that first attempt yielded a viable product. This does not denote a failure on your part, but a commitment to a final product that is as effective and efficient as possible.
That said, you should also aim to iterate as rapidly as possible, so you don’t spend too long in the prototyping phase – thus causing delays to overall production. A few tips for rapidly iteration include:
Implementing agile development methodologies
Encouraging cross-functional collaboration from various team members or departments
Including time for prototype iterations into your overall production timeline.
Â
“Scalability” refers to a part’s or product’s ability to be manufactured at increased volumes without sacrificing quality, resulting in disproportionate cost increases, or running into production difficulties.
When prototyping, it’s important to consider how your final product will perform when scaled up. Ignoring scalability issues during prototyping can lead to significant problems down the line, and result in parts that are inordinately expensive or time-consuming to manufacture – or completely unviable.
To avoid this, consider the following scalability-related issues when creating a prototype:Â
Use DFM principles to design parts that are as easy to manufacture as possible
Design with modularity and standardization in mind
Evaluate supplier capabilities and production capacity to ensure they can scale alongside you
To get an instant quote for any type of custom part or prototype, upload a CAD file. If you have a special request, contact networksales@protolabs.com for personalized advice.
Prototypes validate ideas and allow you to gather feedback, increasing your chances of a successful final product.
They allow for experimentation, iteration, and refinement, so you can capitalize on opportunities to create the best product possible.
You may miss opportunities to validate or test your product’s functionality.
Through iterative testing and refinement.
Â
Explore the different scales of production factors that influence them and the manufacturing methods that are best suited to each stage.
Read articleWant to learn about several of the challenges our customers face while prototyping, as well as solutions, tips, and tricks to circumvent them? Our article on prototyping pitfalls might be for you!
Read articleLearn the definition of decentralized manufacturing and how it can help you strengthen your supply chains and launch products faster.
Read articleThese are the steps involved in manufacturing electronics, as well as recommended technologies and materials used to create them.
Read articleThese are the steps involved in manufacturing consumer products, as well as recommended technologies and materials used to create them.
Read articleOlder systems and equipment sometimes require parts that are no longer on the market. Because legacy parts can be tricky to source, manufacturing your own can be an ideal solution. Find out about manufacturing processes for legacy parts, selecting the right materials and tips for maintaining compatibility with existing infrastructure.
Read articleManufacturing parts for industrial machines requires special attention, as their performance directly impacts productivity. Find out about the industrial parts our customers manufacture, the materials used to create them, design considerations, and more.
Read articleAre you interested in taking 3D printing to the next level? Learn about the 3D printing technologies that are best suited for bridge and high-volume production.
Read articleWhat is a functional prototype, and how do you most effectively create one? This article covers the purpose of functional prototypes, common materials, manufacturing processes used to create them, tips on reducing cost and lead times, and more.
Read articleIn this article, we’ll take a look at several of the technologies and materials used to manufacture parts for production, their benefits, things to consider, and more.
Read articleWhat are the best manufacturing processes for creating initial prototypes? This article covers the key benefits of prototyping with technologies like FDM, SLA and sheet metal fabrication and how to save time and money with these processes.
Read articleLearn about the processes used to manufacture medical devices and which applications they're relevant to, as well as best practices to follow when designing medical devices.
Read articleExplore the different scales of production factors that influence them and the manufacturing methods that are best suited to each stage.
Read articleWant to learn about several of the challenges our customers face while prototyping, as well as solutions, tips, and tricks to circumvent them? Our article on prototyping pitfalls might be for you!
Read articleLearn the definition of decentralized manufacturing and how it can help you strengthen your supply chains and launch products faster.
Read articleThese are the steps involved in manufacturing electronics, as well as recommended technologies and materials used to create them.
Read articleThese are the steps involved in manufacturing consumer products, as well as recommended technologies and materials used to create them.
Read articleOlder systems and equipment sometimes require parts that are no longer on the market. Because legacy parts can be tricky to source, manufacturing your own can be an ideal solution. Find out about manufacturing processes for legacy parts, selecting the right materials and tips for maintaining compatibility with existing infrastructure.
Read articleManufacturing parts for industrial machines requires special attention, as their performance directly impacts productivity. Find out about the industrial parts our customers manufacture, the materials used to create them, design considerations, and more.
Read articleAre you interested in taking 3D printing to the next level? Learn about the 3D printing technologies that are best suited for bridge and high-volume production.
Read articleWhat is a functional prototype, and how do you most effectively create one? This article covers the purpose of functional prototypes, common materials, manufacturing processes used to create them, tips on reducing cost and lead times, and more.
Read articleIn this article, we’ll take a look at several of the technologies and materials used to manufacture parts for production, their benefits, things to consider, and more.
Read articleWhat are the best manufacturing processes for creating initial prototypes? This article covers the key benefits of prototyping with technologies like FDM, SLA and sheet metal fabrication and how to save time and money with these processes.
Read articleLearn about the processes used to manufacture medical devices and which applications they're relevant to, as well as best practices to follow when designing medical devices.
Read articleShow more
Show less