Rapid Prototyping Plastic

The Importance of a Plastic Prototype

Prototyping, as you may know, is a powerful tool for entrepreneurs and businesses. It helps to assess a physical product before full-scale production begins. A plastic prototype enables you to work with the physical representation of your plastic product as quickly as possible.

You also have the opportunity to present your ideas to potential investors and allow them to test them out. Prototype plastic parts are those you put out to your potential customers to help you gauge their interest in the product before launching.

This process gives designers with the support of prototyping companies the chance to make appropriate changes before making plastic products. In the end, both the manufacturer and the end-product user benefit. Other advantages include:

★Tests various design features on the plastic prototype

★Verifies design functionality

★Creates a testing benchmark for developing additional features

★Facilitates customer feedback

★Identifies possible defects and irregularities with prototype plastic parts ahead of mass production

★Allows refinement of define for efficiency of manufacturing

The Processes of Making Plastic Prototypes

Plastic prototype fabrication is one of the most flexible processes in rapid prototyping. You can choose between an extensive array of procedures to effectively fabricate your prototype plastic parts. In this section, we will be discussing four of the most effective methods for plastic prototyping.

Vacuum Casting

With vacuum casting, fabricators can duplicate several prototype plastic parts. It involves the use of a master model to create parts that are suitable for testing. When using vacuum casting for plastic prototype fabrication, the process involves the injection of the raw material into a silicone mold. However, before creating a silicone mold, there needs to be a master model.

Master models can be created using 3D printing or CNC machining. Upon completion of the master model, there is the development of silicone-based casting molds. The raw materials are injected into the mold cavity using a vacuum bell jar. It often takes about 30 to 40 minutes to harden the resulting cast to give a precise duplication of the prototype.

Vacuum casting is compatible with a wide range of materials, ranging from transparent to opaque. Furthermore, fabricators can reuse the silicone mold to produce up to 25 prototypes. This process helps you to actualize your design quickly to have the product development and mass production in closer proximity.