Connecting the dots between Prototyping and 3D- printing

What is prototyping ?

It is a collective and multilayered process which includes developmental evolution and product fixes(Editing). This process is generally carried out before a product is released into the market.

 

Types of prototyping:

Prototyping can be classified into two sections namely function and form. Form is when you make a prototype to see how it looks and feels but it doesn’t function and likewise function is when you create a prototype that works and serves its purpose without actually having a certain desired physical form.

While creating a product, by the time when the designs are verified and edited both the form and function are combined together to form the final product.

 

How prototyping plays an integral role in product development:

Product development is an extremely complicated and multi layered process. This is the sole reason behind companies looking for better scopes which would make product development more  effective.

Prototyping is one of the most important phases in product development as it is during prototyping that the design of a particular product us verified and edited. In order to shortlist some of the most common ones, it can be said that in order to understand the working and physical structure of any product, prototyping is the key. We also require a physical product to show it to an investor or while asking for management approval. Lastly we can test the prototype in the market and analyze the feedback of the audience.

 

Rapid prototyping:

Rapid prototyping is the most effective form of prototyping for product development as during a full scale model for product development it is quite natural that a bunch of flaws will be reflected and rapid prototyping helps resolve this issue it also has introduced methods like CNC, 3D printing, SLA, SLS and a host of other production techniques. Which have been proved to be a lot more useful in product development in comparison to other traditional methods.

 

 

Role of 3D printing in prototyping:

There exists a myth in the market that 3D printing is only useful for the production of small scale products but it has been proved several times that 3D printing also helps In the process of prototyping and refining new products. Companies with big banners have been using this technology since several years, as the price of the printers dropped it became more accessible for companies to use 3D printing for prototyping and for creating large scale products. Some of the advantages of 3D printing in prototyping is listed below-

  • Cost effective-

3D printing not just saves a lot of time but also saves ample of money, it is both cost effective and affordable for large scale or small scale companies. Equal or better results can be achieved by companies by using 3D printing in prototyping.

  • Smooth usage of CAD-

CAD files can be directly loaded into the 3D printing software and can be read by the machine. The fact that files can be imported easily from a CAD program and read by the 3D printing software is one of the best uses of 3D printing in prototyping as it saves a lot of time and is a very easy approach.

  • Ability to edit and change rapidly-

Prototyping involves a lot of testing and editing, as a product rarely gets printed out as a copy of it’s first design, it undergoes a lot of changes and 3D printing is the best choice for any company in order to speed up this entire process of editing, as CAD files can be uploaded and read very easily by the 3D printing software.

  • Ample of materials to choose from-

The choice of 3D printer filament types have increased rapidly, the materials used include ABS, PLA, PETG thermoplastic and even nylon. The advantage of this in prototyping is that it helps in testing various materials before selecting the best.

 

Conclusion

3D printing is truly a key for prototyping, as it is cost effective, saves time, provides a plethora of options to choose from and also is very easy to operate. One can easily and effectively convert their ideas, test their products and update their pre made designs with the help of 3D Printing.

How can MELT help you in this aspect ?

MELT is definitely the one stop solution for all issues related to 3D printing. It caters to a variety of services like-

  • Complete product development solution from scratch
  • Physical model development using 3D Printing – On Demand Manufacturing
  • Wide variety of industrial quality materials to choose from.
  • Easy and quick modifications.
  • Delivery of desired product in no time.

MELT is one of the leading solution provider for prototyping and for the production of low to medium scale orders as it serves all your purposes taking the least possible time but by using the best possible materials.

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