Content 2023-07-02
Rapid prototyping and low-quantity manufacturing—once considered expensive and impractical—are now commonly used tools to materialize new designs. This is an opportunity to introduce products in the market and test them with lower risk and investment.
The term “prototype” refers to the functional or aesthetic reproduction of a product used to evaluate and test the product before full-scale production.
Low-volume manufacturing is batch production involving tens to hundreds or even thousands of units with the final product’s aesthetic and functional characteristics.
Access to low-quantity production is now more commonplace, partly due to advances in several technologies and production processes. Here, we will mainly focus on the most commonly used technologies for processing plastic parts.
Additive methods
These are techniques popularly known as “3D printing.” FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) printing is the best-known method. It stands out for its relatively low cost and speed but has limitations when reproducing details and complex morphologies. SLA (Stereolithography) printing allows us to manufacture very complex parts. It achieves excellent quality results, with good finishes and precise tolerances. It stands out because it can use translucent materials. Finally, SLS (Selective Laser Sintering) printing enables the production of highly complex parts with good quality and high mechanical resistance. Both rigid and flexible materials can be used.
Subtractive methods
First, there is laser cutting. This method makes it possible to cut and engrave different types of flat materials quickly, precisely, and at a low cost. Second, CNC machining makes it possible to manufacture complex parts with a good surface finish and excellent mechanical properties. Although suitable for mass production, CNC machining for plastic parts is used mainly to manufacture low quantities.
Molding methods
This category includes two techniques. First, urethane casting, which is inexpensive and provides excellent aesthetic and mechanical quality. Each mold can yield approximately twenty parts and work with various plastics. Second, low-cost metal injection molding, which is ideal for quickly manufacturing parts of varying complexities with greater reproducibility and production-grade materials. Low-cost molds can be made with low-hardness steel (up to 50,000 cycles) and aluminum (up to 10,000 cycles). Each system has specificities regarding the materials used and finishes achieved. However, both are excellent solutions for initial production runs since the investment required is significantly lower than traditional molding.
These technologies provide alternatives and opportunities tailored to everyone’s needs when validating, testing, or manufacturing final products.
These services are provided worldwide. However, they have developed more fully in the United States and China, where various companies focus exclusively on providing rapid prototyping and low-quantity production services.
These technologies provide alternatives and opportunities tailored to everyone’s needs when validating, testing, or manufacturing final products. Using these technologies efficiently requires designing the product considering the project’s needs, the scale of production, and other product requirements from the start. Knowing each method well and finding the right time to use it is also essential.
At proyector, we help our customers along this journey based on our extensive experience using these and other technologies. We design each product according to its strategic short, medium, and long-term objectives to achieve viable, efficient, and scalable results.