1 – Chance to Innovate
While conventional prototyping has many restrictions in regards to tooling and producing components, rapid prototyping doesn’t. With rapid prototyping, designers can create complex and intricate models that conventional prototyping would deem impossible to develop and provide.
2 – Saves Time
With rapid prototyping, there is now no need for moulds, patterns, and tools that conventional modelling requires. With the time between initial design and analysis cut, designers can quickly and easily modify and adapt their product based on a constant stream of feedback. A quicker, more automated process means a more significant competitive advantage by allowing the company to push out products faster than their competition.
3 – Cuts Costs
Unlike conventional prototyping, where new tools are continually being made to create new products, rapid prototyping only uses the same software for everything. With the use of CAD and a 3D printer, this automated process cuts down costs on waste products. It only uses the exact amount of material it needs, unlike conventional methods where extra bits have to be chipped off. The automation of the rapid prototyping process also cuts costs for staffing.
4 – Easy to Visualise
Instead of staring into a 3D model on the screen, 3D printers now pump out the product into reality. This allows anyone who needs to understand and see the product to be able to give feedback. At the same time, input from a physical model is usually more detailed and accurate than one of a digital model. This allows the product development process to proceed far more efficiently and effectively with real, usable data.
5 – Reduces Risk
With accurate and usable feedback early on in the developmental stage, it mitigates the chances of an expensive mistake later on in the production. Faults and usability issues can be quickly identified, and modifications are done rapidly. As rapid prototyping is a repetitive process, the model produced is accurate and precise, reducing any chances of production issues.
6 – Customisable Production
Rapid prototyping is a repetitive cycle, an iterative process. This makes it easy for the designers to incorporate customer requirements and cost-effectively build custom made products. They do not need to start from scratch every time an element is modified, or a new one pops up. With greater flexibility, competitive advantage increases substantially.
Rapid-prototyping, then, sounds like a no-brainer for any company out there looking to beat their competitors in terms of speed and production quality. With all the above advantages, you wouldn’t want to be missing out on implementing the rapid prototyping process. If you’re looking for a rapid prototyping service, get in touch with us today to see how we can help!
