Prototyping a product is an extensive pursuit that can drain business resources because there is a lot that goes into it. The traditional method of using in-house resources takes a lot of time and can get expensive. In some cases, it can take months or even years to create a prototype for a new product. Then, it takes even more time to make changes.

This whole process can be slow, and it bogs down the production process. However, if you utilize 3D printing and scanning technologies, it can cut this time down considerably and save money. The process is a lot more streamlined, and if you outsource this, it can also save money. Here’s how:

Don’t Need Tooling and Molding

When you use traditional prototyping methods, it requires creating molds and tooling, which can be expensive. When you use 3D printing, you can skip this step entirely since you prototype directly from a 3D CAD file. This means that you can skip the tooling and molding steps, which speeds up the whole production process. This saves time and gets the prototype created quickly.

Reduce Material Waste

Traditional prototyping methods cause a lot of materials waste, and the costs associated can really add up. Traditional methods use a subtractive process, which means you remove materials from a larger block to create a prototype. This doesn’t occur with 3D printing, which uses additive processes where the material used is only what is required to create the prototype.

Ability to Scale Production

Because you can prototype at a low cost with 3D printing, this means that it can be easily scaled up for mass production. This enables you to test and perfect your prototype, allowing you to make changes along the way before you commit to mass production. This not only saves you money in the long run but also ensures that you get the final product that meets all the required specifications.

Experience Time and Cost Savings

With 3D printing, the product prototyping process is much faster compared to traditional methods. This can save you money because, with faster prototyping, you can iterate more quickly, refine your design, and get your product to market sooner, which means earlier revenue. By reducing the time and cost needed for prototyping, 3D printing can have a significant impact on your bottom line.

Experience Collaboration and Communication

One of the things that can really cause costs to add up during the prototyping process is poor communication. Communication issues are minimized when using 3D printing and scanning because it creates better collaboration and communication between designers and engineers. This is because there is a better visual representation of the product when involving these technologies. This allows all the stakeholders to understand the design and identify any potential issues early in the process which also helps you avoid costly mistakes during the production process.

Because of 3D printing and scanning technologies that are out today, this has revolutionized the product prototyping process, enabling businesses to streamline the process and save money. Please get in touch with Celero Partners to work with us for your prototyping needs!