So you have designs for a product, a piece of machinery or a small part of a much larger project that you need to bring to life. But you’re lacking in one essential skill. Engineering.
Isn’t it fantastic these days that you can simply jump on the internet, and look up prototyping services in your area? Outsourcing skills is the perfect solution when you recognise that the abilities needed to create something are beyond your expertise. But you can’t just get any old Tom, Dick or Harry to do the job. Finding an engineering company with a long history of prototyping, and working with various individuals to bring designs to life, is essential. We take a look at how your product will benefit from the assistance of an experienced engineering firm that specialises in custom prototyping.
Wowing investors
There aren’t many products out there that are 100% funded by the people creating it. Many rely on the financial assistance of investors. And to get investors, you need to convince them that the product is worthwhile. Having a sleek prototype is a positive step in this direction. An engineering company with a reputation for precision and perfection will fabricate a prototype which will easily wow your investors. Pouring over sketches and CAD drawings is one thing. But actually being able to hold a prototype and see how it works, will give investors a better idea of how consumers will react to the product.
Inspiring more ideas
A good engineering company will take your designs and make your prototype without any hassles. A great engineering company will sit down with you and discuss your options, review your requests, and suggest ways in which your product may be enhanced with different materials and methods of fabrication. Remember, if you have a very limited understanding of engineering, it’s always wise to confer with the professionals to see if there are ways to improve your product. An engineer with plenty of experience will have made prototypes for a vast array of products and know what materials will work, and what will not. Furthermore, this process of bouncing ideas off another professional may inspire adjustments to upgrade the user’s experience.
Encouraging feedback
Your first prototype will rarely ever be perfect. But it should be perfectly executed according to the final designs you present your engineering company. By this, we mean that you will always find ways to improve your product after seeing it in the flesh for the first time. But this shouldn’t be because of mistakes made by engineers during manufacturing. Choosing an engineering company who will construct your product with the utmost care, will lead to completely reliable feedback from investors and your future consumers. Even if there is a lot of negative feedback, it’s important that this is not due to an obvious fault in the manufacturing of the prototype. You want to make sure you are always putting your best product forward, and then altering it according to the feedback received. It’s all a part of the process!
Extensive testing to pinpoint and rectifying weaknesses
There are many engineering companies out there that will simply fabricate your prototype and hand it over with not so much as a backwards glance. These are not the kind of engineers you want working on your idea! Extensive product testing is key to your success. Your prototype needs to be tested for durability, pressure, tension and stress, to name a few! This process will hone in on any weaknesses in the design so that you can then discuss how to fix them. One of the worst case scenarios involves your prototype going into large-scale production with a glaring fault, or being incorporated into a bigger machine and jeopardising safety standards because it is not functioning properly. Needless to say, a lot is riding on your final product being completely accurate and reliable. So choosing engineers with a reputation for precision and care is of the utmost importance.
Prime Engineering are experts in the design, manufacturing and testing of prototypes. We have helped get many ideas off the ground, from concept to commissioning. With a reputation for accuracy and reliability, we have worked with numerous companies to improve designs and fabricate successful products. Contact us today to discuss your prototype idea.