Turning your idea in a patented product is something that requires a lot of work, as well as a lot of money. Probably the most difficult part of the entire process is finding investors to fund your product. Even though the internet allows inventors to get in touch with investors no matter where they might be, it’s still not easy to convince them to give you’re their money.
Creating a concept sketch is simply not enough to make people interested in your idea. Even if you decide to take it a step further and develop a virtual prototype, it still probably wouldn’t catch the eyes of investors. The best thing you can do is present them a physical prototype.
The good news is that turning your idea into a physical prototype is not as difficult as it way only a few decades ago. Today, you can hirerapid prototyping companies to do all the work for you. And the best thing is that they will do it at excellent rates, something which makes these kinds of companies very attractive to startups.
How Rapid Prototyping Works?
Rapid prototyping is not a single technique; it is actually an umbrella term referring to a number of different processes that create product prototypes based on computer-aided design (CAD) projects. We’re talking about techniques such as CNC machining, 3D printing, vacuum casting, and so on.
Regardless of the technique, the process of prototype creation is pretty much the same in every case. Basically, how it works is that you just need to create a visual representation of your idea using a CAD software tool and let a rapid prototyping company build a scale model based on that.
Being able to create a physical prototype based entirely on the CAD data you’ve provided is not the only advantage of rapid prototyping. These techniques are getting more and more popular because of the fact that they can speed up the entire process. The clue is in the name – rapid prototyping builds prototypes at a super-fast rate.
Another big advantage of rapid prototyping is that this is a cheap way to test your idea in real life. Instead of building a real-size model that would cost you a lot of time and money, you can make a smaller version which would have exactly the same features. This way, you get to see whether your invention needs any changes before going into production.
Rapid Prototyping for Mass Production
The job of rapid prototyping companies does not end with making prototypes of your product; you can also use their services for large-scale manufacture. Of course, whether you’ll be able to build your entire product this way or only some parts is something that depends on many factors.
The size of the product is one of those, as well as the materials used in its construction. Still, there’s no doubt that these techniques can save you a lot of money, consequently bringing a lot of profits your way.
