Manufacturing Disciplines Index

Click on a discipline below for more information and links to frequently used tasks.

• Assembly
• Castings
• Engineering & Design
• Fabrication
• Forging
• Heat Treatment
• Machining
• Machining-CNC
• Metal Finishing
• Mold Making
• Pallets
• Plastic & Rubber
• Prototyping
• Tool & Die Making

Manufacturing Disciplines

Prototyping - An Overview

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A prototype is a visual or functional model of a product that is made before the product goes into production. Prototypes are an essential tool in the product development process because they allow you to spot mistakes and make corrections before investing in mass production. In some cases, several prototypes are required before a product is perfected.

Depending on the desired quality, making a prototype usually costs much more than the product will cost when it is mass produced, but this expense is almost always justified, since correcting a design mistake once the product is in mass production is bound to be far more costly. Prototypes allow engineers to make sure the product will work as expected and not break, designers to make sure the product looks attractive, and future customers to tell you what they think.

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Prototype Processes Supported

Electromechanical Mechanical Plastic & Rubber Rapid