{"id":41042,"date":"2020-10-19T12:05:04","date_gmt":"2020-10-19T16:05:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shapeways.com\/blog\/?p=41042"},"modified":"2020-10-19T12:07:49","modified_gmt":"2020-10-19T16:07:49","slug":"leveraging-rapid-prototyping-from-concept-to-final-product","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shapeways.com\/blog\/leveraging-rapid-prototyping-from-concept-to-final-product","title":{"rendered":"Leveraging Rapid Prototyping – from Concept to Final Product"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

All manufacturing companies have prototyping<\/a> needs. Whether demonstrating product use, creating a proof of concept model or refining products through iterations, the prototype phase has long played an important role in the path to finished goods. Inevitably, business is unpredictable and prototyping gets you to the end product quicker. Gaining the ability to quickly react and change features can mean the difference between failure and success. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To meet the growing need for businesses to\nquickly get to market, regardless of their industries, Shapeways has a wide variety\nof materials leveraging industrial 3D printing technology. Selective laser\nsintering (SLS) is one of many technologies that are perfect for prototyping. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is SLS?<\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

SLS is an additive manufacturing (AM)<\/a>\u00a0technology that uses a laser to sinter powdered plastic material into a solid structure based on a 3D model. SLS 3D printing has been a popular choice for engineers in product design for decades. It is both low cost and highly productive making it the ideal technology for rapid prototyping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the past,\nSLS rapid prototyping was limited to a small handful of large high-tech companies.\nShapeways\u2019 unique advances in machinery, materials, and software have revolutionized\nSLS making it now accessible to a wider range of businesses. This now enables a\nmore diverse cross section of companies to access the many advantages industrial\n3D printing has to offer!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Developing Product Concepts with Rapid Prototyping<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Product changes occur frequently during the\nearlier phases of product design. In an ideal situation, designers can take\ntheir time designing and refining new product to meet their company\u2019s needs\nwhile still hitting key metrics such as cost, consumer value and functionality.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is not uncommon for time to be the most\ncritical factor during the design phase. The need to have a functioning\nprototype in hand quickly (and affordably) often becomes the priority of the\nproject.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, when pitching for new business the\nability to quickly create 3D models of your proposed product concept can be the\ndifference between a winning pitch and lost business. New client pitches often\noccur with little notice or prep time. That is exactly why having access to an industrial\n3D printers to design and create a physical model is key. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Prototyping for Product Assembly and Functionality <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The benefits of additive manufacturing is not at\nall limited to just the concept phase. SLS machines can produce parts that not\nonly delivered quickly, but are also highly durable; making them ideal to\nreview assembly and functionality. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As design and parts evolve, quickly creating\niterative design changes to physically evaluate the assembly can reduce the\ntime getting from concept to final product. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether you are working with simple moveable\nparts, or more advanced product like robotics and drones, 3D printing provides replicas\nof any single piece in a highly durable material. As you test out assembly, the\nability to quickly produce durable 3D samples of newly modified parts gives\ncompanies a huge competitive advantage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rapid Prototyping Assists with Final Product Fit and Form<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

An additional benefit to rapid prototyping is\nthe benefit it provides in terms of final fit and form. This can be seen across\nmultiple industry disciplines such as medical diagnostic machines, drones, and robotics.\nAssuring a functional part fits within a medical diagnostic machine, such as a\ncooling fan, is critical to ensuring the machine works consistently. In\naddition, with drones and robotics, combining multiple parts into one by\nleveraging 3D printing can make the final product lighter in weight. However,\nif the complex geometry of the additive manufactured part doesn\u2019t fit the final\nproduct, the issue of weight is irrelevant. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, rapid prototyping has other\nadvantages for product fit. 3D models can be created to physically analyze\nfinal sizing without needing all internal components to be finalized. This is\ndone by designing a hollowed out \u201cshell\u201d of the products exact form and size to\nverify fit. This size replica of your design is ideal for testing fit without\ncreating a full model. The results are the same, but the speed and benefits are\ngreatly improved. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keeping Up with the Speed of Business<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The ability to use 3D printing has revolutionized\nbusiness. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The innovative SLS process to give any business\nthe capabilities that were once limited to large high-tech firms. The\nadvantages of additive manufacturing quickly allows companies to customize\nconcepts, make changes for assembly, and ensure a perfect fit for final product\nassembly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shapeways can partner with you throughout the prototype phase to quickly get your concept to a final product. Understanding the different material characteristics with various 3D printers is what our team takes pride in. To find out more, contact our 3D printing experts and have Shapeways help with your next prototype.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"learn<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

All manufacturing companies have prototyping needs. Whether demonstrating product use, creating a proof of concept model or refining products through…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":165,"featured_media":41043,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[510],"tags":[668,563,1107,2545,720],"class_list":["post-41042","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-3d-printing-industry","tag-product-design","tag-product-development","tag-prototyping","tag-rapid-prototyping","tag-sls"],"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.shapeways.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/shapeways-additive-manufacturing.jpg","yoast_head":"\nLeveraging Rapid Prototyping - from Concept to Final Product - Shapeways Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"All manufacturing companies have prototyping needs. 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