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How to get a prototype made
For a lot of inventors, entrepreneurs’ and start-ups the process of making a prototype product is unclear and often confusing. You have spotted a gap in the market, or considered an existing product and think you have a new and improved way to solve a specific problem, you are potentially a start up company or an entrepreneur looking to develop a range of products and wanting to get the process underway.
Often clients come to us asking “How do i get my prototype product made? ” many with no knowledge of the prototyping process or how to get a physical product prototype made.
Looking for steps to get your prototype made?
Step 1
Find a prototype designer
There are many prototyping companies in the UK offering to create a physical prototype. It is one of the richest countries for these technologies and you can often be spoiled for choice. We think you need to focus on finding the right fit for your project. One of the most important aspects to consider is, whether you are being offered a passive process.
Passive in the same way you send a document to a printer. Flynn instead pride ourselves on our active approach as a Prototype Designer we will guide you through the prototype development process.
Step 2
What is the prototype for?
Prototyping can be a significant part of your overall development budget. So at Flynn we want to ensure that your spending your budgets wisely. We will certainly ask you why you need a prototype?
This is a leading question, because most inventors, entrepreneurs’ and established companies prototype as part of the product development process. Often a client is asking for a prototype when actually what they require is a Product Designer. Clients want a prototype as they seek validation of the current design thinking.
At Flynn we will help you understand, that overall the answer to why you need the prototype is because your looking to take a product to market. This is to say, your looking to enter product development. So we recommend a review of your current design, the problem its aimed at solving and understand if this is an optimal pathway. We don’t take a passive approach, we don’t want you to loose budget on design work that is going nowhere fast.
Step 3
Product development or simply prototyping?
If you have CAD already and you wish to get that realised in 3D to scale, to tolerance we have the tools to do this to the highest standards, happy to help you prototype. For example existing manufacturers or SME might well have conducted product development and they might already be working with a product designer , in that case, the design is likely optimised and forms a legitimate part of the product development process
We can then offer prototyping techniques, from FDM printing, to SLS, SLA, CNC and Metal Sintering, Vacuum Casting, RIM Casting etc. However most clients that are new to product development, might be seeking prototyping prematurely, remember ; you are likely looking to make a product not just a prototype, therefore this is simply one step in a wider process, which needs our attention as early in your development cycle as possible. This saves you time and money and helps maximise your chances in market.
Step 4
Leave the rest to the expert
Once the course of your product development and where the prototyping intersects, has been established, we can get to work. Getting a prototype product made is essentially a step in the road to product development. At Flynn we will guide you through every step of the process, which is different for each and every project.
The common stages to getting your prototype product developed are to establish; The Brief > Offer Concept solutions > Assess those > Take some to prototype > Assess those > Take an successful design through to product design for manufacture > DFM is critical to successful product development. To Find our more check out our other pages and reach out if you have questions, we are here to help guide you towards success. Read Prototype – AZ of product development for more on how we approach prototyping.
“Prototyping is essential to validate pre production design”
