Developing something new and innovative is at the heart of many small businesses, startups and entrepreneurships, but finding companies to turn that vision into an actual product component or part can be a challenge.
There are some companies that specialize in prototype machining. These are machining services with the best in equipment as well as journeymen machinists on staff to not just complete the production of the prototype but also to provide support, technical services and advice to assist in all aspects of the design and development.
This is very different than going to a machining shop that is just able to produce the actual prototype from the plans. These shops will simply work from your requirements and specifications, which leaves you to either hire an engineer to create the CAD or CAM designs and then transfer it to the machining company.
Help with the Design
Without the technical knowledge of machining and the possibilities for creating just the part or component needed, coming up with an efficient and effective design is a challenge. Working with a top company that specializes in prototype machining takes all of the stress out of the critical design phase. They will work with you to attend to the smallest detail of the part or component, and in many cases, they can make suggestions that will make the part more practical, simpler and lower in cost to produce.
In some cases, it may be important to make adaptations to the design at this phase to limit any possible complications during and after production. This is where the experience and the expertise of the machining company really pays off. Small changes in the design based on past experience in working with the material or the specific part will save you time and money.
The Actual Production
In most cases, working with a company for prototype machining is just the first step. The top companies will treat the prototype as a production run, ensuring full quality control, inspection documents and other necessary steps in the process are fully fleshed out and developed.
This attention to detail with the prototype means the company is already to go into production mode when required. With all of this in place, there are virtually no production delays and no concerns about the process, all of that has been addressed during the prototype development and manufacturing steps.
