Understanding the Product Prototype to Production Process

The process of giving shape to your idea starts from the Product Prototype. You can understand all the functionality, size, weight, advantage, and viability of the product at this stage. Hence one must give utmost importance to the product prototyping. Now everyone knows how hard it is to create a new hardware product. The challenges one has to go through from the conception stage to proof -of- concept, prototype to its launch, production to complete support, everything comes with a set of new challenges.

What is the prototype to production process?

Many people have a misconception that prototype to production is the same for every company and inventor. Hence, you can find many step-by-step guides online to complete this process seamlessly. However, in reality, prototype to production involves different steps for different products. Even if you have previously done the product design and product prototype, you may need to go through various stages for your following product. Nevertheless, having this point in mind, let us look at the standard locations generally one can see in the product design to the production process.

3D modeling

The first stage in this process is to generate the product idea. Once the concept is developed, the next step is drawing or creating a blueprint of your product. In the traditional method, this process used to be tedious since one needs to use paper and pencil to make the product sketch, and if there is a minor change, one had to invest more time to redesign. Nowadays, people are using CAD technology to develop 3D modeling until the model looks fully functional, the redesigning and creating of the 3D model repeats.

Creating prototype

Once you are perfect with the 3D modeling, the next and vital stage is creating a prototype. Now making the prototype is easy with the help of 3D printing technology. But for small startups and inventors, it is not easy to find a manufacturer who helps produce a prototype.

Comparing prototype with the actual product’s specification

Once you create a prototype, make sure the product prototype must include all the specifics. The prototype must exactly match your final product to access all the aspects of the product such as quality, size, measurement, weight, cost, and most importantly, its viability.  Once the prototype is ready, it must go through several testing, and if any defects are detected, the next prototyping should eliminate this problem and retest. It will continue until you are satisfied with the prototype.

Product Manufacturing

In the next stage, the actual production starts, and here the producer needs to determine the production quantity and design molds depending on the quantity. Later decide what all tooling need to be used in the production. Next, sign the manufacturing contract and start the manufacturing. In manufacturing, constant quality control testings are needed and if everything is as per your design, continue the process.

If you are not happy with the final outcome or mismatch between the prototype and outcome, start the production process again.