Designing for Performance: Chapter 5 Metal to Plastic Conversion

Validate with Prototypes

This is the fifth chapter on Designing for Performance: Validate with Prototypes. Our previous blog covered Optimize for Manufacturability. After being optimized for manufacturability, the part should be completed on paper with a CAD model that has been subjected to finite element analysis. Based on the market, customer expectations, and part field requirements, a decision is needed; does the part need to go directly to production or is a prototype needed instead?

In some cases, going directly to production is appropriate, and it is the cheaper route. In other cases, it's more appropriate to test a prototype first. There's no better way to visualize your idea's potential than to see it, hold it, and watch it perform. Heading straight from design into production isn't always a good idea. When you want the most economical option to produce a one-off sample, hundreds of parts, or if you're struggling to make a new idea work—a prototype may be your solution.

Customer Expectations

The customer's voice is usually heard through complaints after a product failure, but rarely in the pre-production stage. If this is a radical redesign, it may be useful to give a sample or prototype part to a set of customers that are vocal and highly familiar with your product. Customer responses from use can open many opportunities and new ideas. Even disappointments will be a success and keep you from stumbling in the entire marketplace. A part rarely exists alone. There are human, component, and environmental interfaces that all deserve consideration. Allowing select customers to preview a prototype may give you an advantage in the marketplace. For example, a customer may use your product to achieve a purpose that may not align exactly with your design. Have you ever used a wrench as a pry bar before?

For some parts, prototypes are a necessity for testing purposes. Fans or impellers are great examples. There are software programs that will calculate the flow potential. Often these programs are estimates and the flow quantity or pressure developed cannot always be predicted accurately. In these cases, a prototype is crucial for testing. This type of real validation of the environment can save the expense, labor and bad press involved in field failures, warranty costs, customer complaints, and unanticipated quality issues.

Prototypes can be made economically with a polymer SLA or a more robust polymer SLS. Metal is even available in SLS for a corrosive or a difficult test environment. Once a plastic prototype is complete, we can assemble, add chrome, paint, or apply other finishes. You can use the completed prototype to gather functional test data and feedback from your customers before moving into production.