Rapid foam prototyping is the process of creating a foam model of a product to be tested in the real world environment and to serve as a basis for the manufacturing process. This process allows changes to be easily and quickly made, thus saving time and money in the design process.
Prototyping is the design verification and adjustment phase of product development which proves and demonstrates the design. We want to be able to touch and feel, test and demonstrate a product prior to actually manufacturing it either in mass production or from an expensive material and we want to make sure our design suits our needs and applications.
So, how does a traditional “old school” prototype differ from one created using the rapid process? The traditional prototyping method includes a mock-up fabrication of different materials, including clay, foam, wood, plastics and metal. It can have additional materials to it such as wires, tape, etc. The prototype can either be created by hand – cutting, gluing and taping which is a lengthy and expensive process – or we can fabricate it with CNC (computerised numerical control) 3D milling machines.
Rapid prototyping includes technology that creates the 3D part from the CAD file itself (no paper designs) on a computer and 3D printer or mill using materials such as ABS, PLA, PETT, HIPS, HDPE, PVA, resin, ceramics, nylon, stainless steel and more. Once the design has been evaluated, any changes can be rapidly made using the CAD software and the 3D CNC process restarted to reflect the change.
All of this cuts down massively on the fabrication cost of prototypes and helps you to bring your new product to market faster. Contact Riayk to discuss how we can help you to realise your next prototyping project.