Four Steps to Making Your First Prototype

May 14, 2019 3:18 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

You have an exceptional idea for a new product that you’re certain will make a huge profit for your company. The only problem is getting everyone else as excited about this new idea as you are. While the steps from conception to bringing a new product to market may seem out of reach, you just need to take this journey one step at a time. What’s your first step? Making a prototype.

At D&D Plastics, a local development company that specializes in plastic fabrication in Utah, we pride ourselves on being able to turn your vision into a reality. If you’re ready to make your idea into a prototype, here are the first steps you should take.

Sketch it out

The first step in making a prototype is to just get your idea down on paper with a sketch. There’s software for this if you don’t have the artistic skills for sketching by hand. The idea is to turn your concept into something you can share visually. Sketching will also help you discover any problems with your design early on. It’s much easier to erase a pencil line than it is to recreate a prototype.

Go virtual

Once you have a clear sketch of your idea, it’s time to take it to the next level. You will want to make a 3D rendering of your product. There are several design programs and tools you can use for this, but the standard tool used by most engineers is AutoCAD. A 3D image of your design allows you to analyze it on an another level and view it from all angles. Again, what looks good on paper may not work once you turn it into an actual 3D object. At this stage, you can still make changes and solicit any external feedback necessary to take your project to the next stage.

Prototype time

Once you are satisfied with your 3D renderings, it’s time to start building your first physical prototype. This is where your project really starts to come to life. If you have the skill and tools, you can build your first prototype yourself. If not, there are other alternatives. You can hire a designer or engineer to make your prototype for you. This is your final opportunity to identify any flaws in your design and to test your product to make sure that it functions the way you need to in a variety of environments and scenarios.

Building together

Now that you have your prototype, it’s time to start building your design on a larger scale. To do that, you will need to find a manufacturer. A manufacturer will take your 3D renderings and prototype and turn them into a high-quality finished product.

If you are looking for a manufacturer that specializes in plastic fabrication in Utah to help you develop your next product, you’ll want to work with D&D Plastics. To learn about how our experts can turn your vision into a reality, just give us a call today!

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