How Rapid Prototyping Helps Save Money and Time

Rapid prototyping is quickly becoming an essential part of investment casting’s development process. Before a part gets to production, it must first be conceptualised and designed; prototyping helps companies understand if there are any changes to be made before committing to manufacturing that part. Not only does it just open up the ease of change for production parts, it also allows parts to be made in one off’s for clients who don’t have the normal capital to start such projects.

At Dean Group, we offer rapid casting prototyping to help you save time, money and open up the market to all clients small and large – take a look at all the benefits you get when you opt for this service.

Creates a Concept Faster

It is unclear from the start of a project if a part will function correctly once cast as all designs and material react slightly differently when we cast them. The usual process of casting can take 6 weeks from when the hard tool is cut.

With rapid prototyping, however, this stage can be done quickly. Manufacturers can easily analyse a design and better understand how it will behave once produced. Companies like Dean Group can offer faster turnarounds because of this, so you no longer have to wait to see if your part can be produced successfully or not.

This allows you to produce a part in a much more efficient time frame saving you the precious time and money to get the parts to market.

Allows for Changes at the Start

With many of our customers, time is key.

The flexibility of this process allows for many variations of the design to be undertaken with no penalty. We, however, support you from the start to get the best design possible from the first-time round samples are produced. We can quickly recreate samples if the design needs to be tweaked but, as a norm, we aim for a first time round correct design before we start to manufacture any part.

Finds Problems and Solutions

Another reason rapid prototyping saves you time and money is that it helps you see the flaws in a concept or design. It also lets you see solutions. By refining the prototype, testing it and changing it as needed, we can help you avoid costly mistakes.

This leads to a high-quality product, since issues have been corrected by the time the part is mass manufactured. Rapid prototyping also allows you to create several prototypes you can run through destructive tests to ensure the durability and functionality of the part. This way, you can be sure your concept meets all specifications.

Helps Clients Get a Customised Product

Because each project is different, clients often require parts tailored to specific end uses. Rapid prototyping is a great way to achieve this. We can create a prototype in order to validate a concept or design, so you don’t have to compromise on your vision.

It's important to note that our rapid prototyping process also uses your own CAD data, so it’s a very convenient service for your project.

Allows Comparison Between Designs

Whether you want to make sure a specific design will work or want to choose between several iterations, rapid prototyping easily allows you to do so. You can perform direct comparison testing of alternative concepts, ensuring you get the right one for your project and that time – and money – won't be spent re-designing the part once production begins.

Works with Genuine Materials and Processes

Being able to use real materials and processes for rapid prototyping is crucial because it helps you understand how the part will work once it’s manufactured. You'll be able to see how stainless steel will behave in a particular situation, for example, or whether aluminium is the right metal for your project.

By doing this, you save a lot of time because you can validate a part early on – and, most importantly, before full-scale rollout.

Saves Resources

This is important for businesses of all sizes, but mostly so for small and medium companies who need to stay within budget. A design error can be costly if production has already started, as it will consume a lot of resources but, by validating the concept ahead of time – and testing it if need be – businesses with small budgets can be confident that we’ll get the product right on the first try.

If you have a short production time, rapid prototyping is a fantastic solution. It allows you to test several concepts, providing you with all the information you need on how a specific component will perform. Whether you need this method during the development stage or to compare several designs, we can help.

Get in touch with us on 0161 775 1633 (or send us an enquiry to sales@deangroup-int.co.uk) today and we’ll be happy to discuss your project details.