Industrial design prototyping is an essential part of the product creation and design process. However, it can sometimes be pushed aside by some companies in favor of faster development of finished products.
And yet, this industrial process offers many significant advantages for the professionals who use it. It saves time and money, while producing more precise results. Prototyping should be an integral part of any industrial design strategy.
In this article, the industrial mechanics experts at HARtech explain what prototyping is, its benefits and the right time to use it.
Industrial design prototyping definition
Industrial prototyping is an integral part of a product or machine design phase. The purpose of this process, as its name indicates, is to rapidly validate industrial design choices with project managers and customers through prototype visualization.
Rapid prototyping helps companies demonstrate the feasibility of their designs and develop them into prototypes that look and function almost exactly like the finished products. This entire design phase takes products through a series of proof-of-concept stages in preparation for mass production.
What are the benefits of industrial prototyping?
Prototyping offers an increasing number of advantages to companies that make use of it. With the rise of Industry 4.0, prototyping tools are becoming more efficient than ever. Discover 3 major benefits of this industrial process below!
Eliminate design errors
Product design and manufacturing is an engineering challenge. Finding the right balance between functionality, aesthetics and cost effectiveness can be difficult for industrial design specialists. Which is why these professionals use prototyping to reduce the number of potential industrial design errors.
Rapid prototyping is a very effective way to accurately test prototypes that look and perform like the final products. If an error or defect is found on the prototype, it will be easier to correct it than on a full production run.
Better communication between project stakeholders
Physical models (prototypes) allow machining companies to share their concepts with their collaborators and customers in a more direct way. This ease of communication allows engineers to convey their ideas more concretely rather than projecting their designs onto a screen.
Rapid prototyping provides clear feedback from users, allowing designs to be refined and improved if necessary, while giving a glimpse of what the final products will look like.
Save time and money
Often done with 3D printing, prototyping does not require expensive facilities or tooling. In addition, the same prototype can be used multiple times to produce different shapes.
All of these possibilities make rapid prototyping a cost-effective solution, eliminating high costs and reducing production time. For more information, contact our machine maintenance professionals.
When should prototyping be used?
Industrial prototyping of a product or machine should start as early as possible in the design phase. Since anything can be prototyped in any situation, starting this process as early as possible is the key to getting to the final product faster and more confidently.
Throughout the creation process, the prototype will evolve to become increasingly concrete and detailed. However, validation with customers or real users will be necessary at the end of the process, when the prototypes are sufficiently advanced.
Contact HARtech for high quality prototyping
Creating a prototype is a prerequisite for producing a product or a machine that will meet your needs and requirements. For over 20 years, HARtech has been offering its expertise and skills to all companies seeking high quality results in industrial design and mechanics.
HARtech is the prototyping company you need for all your projects. Contact our team now for more information! We will gladly answer all your questions.
