Because it’s still a molds, as opposed to creating parts through other alternative methods, it means that very accurate parts can be made from production materials and mimic real product strength, etc. Rapid tooling generally creates an injection mold from a less durable material than hardened steel used in mass production tooling.Due to the smaller investment in this kind of tooling, it’s possible to make relatively small runs of prototype parts to check the part design, tolerances, finish, production processes, and more, before going into mass production where mistakes would be a costly disaster.The word rapid has been mentioned and creating molds created via prototype tooling is very fast, often taking just hours or days to make rather than several weeks.Here’s a summary of some of the key benefits of prototype tooling: These are legitimate rapid prototyping methods, but they have drawbacks in comparison to soft tooling, especially the cost-effectiveness of using them for larger numbers of pieces. Yes, it’s possible to create prototype parts using 3D printing (additive manufacturing) and CNC machining. What can be used to create rapid tooling?Īt most these molds will be made in a couple of weeks or so, which compares favorably with the 60 days it will averagely take to create mass production hard tooling. Also, during the prototyping process, it may be necessary to tweak the product or part design a number of times and create quite a few prototype pieces, and the more durable soft tooling will stand up to this extended use very well. Prototype tooling, also known as soft tooling or rapid tooling, is a method to create the tooling for, primarily, plastic injection molding without the great expense or lead time required for the final hard steel tooling for the final mass production run.Īs the name suggests, the parts created from this tooling will often be near-production prototype parts using the same materials as planned for final products that are manufactured at low cost (thanks to cheaper tooling) to allow the manufacturer to validate and test them during the early stages of the new product development process.īecause we’re mimicking the final injection molding process and materials used in production, we have a very good idea of how ready the parts are for mass production. The New Product Introduction Process (for hardware startups).EU MDR Compliance Guide for New Medical Device.Packaging Guide (for importers of small products).IP Protection in China when Developing a New Product.Co Packing for Buyers with Local Suppliers.China Fulfillment Center (Shenzhen/Dongguan).Our 2 Facilities For Receiving Your Products & Components & Services Provided At Each.How We Support Your NPD Project (Milestones).Examples Of Product Development Projects.
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