Rapid Prototyping on the PROTIQ Marketplace

What is Rapid Prototyping?

The term rapid prototyping covers various original moulding processes with which sample components are produced directly from design data. In addition to additive processes, in which techniques for layer-by-layer production are used, this also includes ablative production techniques such as milling or CNC turning.

Nevertheless, rapid prototyping is increasingly being used as a synonym for a wide variety of 3D printing processes. The reason: additive manufacturing is particularly well suited for prototyping. Already in early phases of product development, functional models and small series can be produced quickly and economically, which significantly shortens the time to market.

With the various manufacturing techniques and options in prototype construction, you are supported in every development phase of your manufacturing process.

Advantages of Rapid Prototyping

Rapid prototyping is revolutionising modern manufacturing and is used by diverse industries, from automotive to medicine. But what makes this approach so advantageous?

Rapid design correction

At its core, rapid prototyping allows for the rapid production of prototypes through additive manufacturing technologies. This flexibility makes it easier to identify and correct design flaws early on.

Improved communication

In the early design phase, rapid prototyping ensures better coordination between different departments such as development, marketing and sales. The tangible visualisation of a prototype allows expectations and specifications to be synchronised more efficiently.

Cost efficiency and time savings

The automated processes of rapid prototyping minimise the need for manual labour and reduce material waste. This leads to significant cost savings and allows more product variants to be developed, delivery times to be shortened and deadlines to be met.

Versatility

Rapid prototyping is not only useful for product development, but also offers the opportunity to present a realistic picture of a product or development to customers, investors and stakeholders. This facilitates the decision-making process and encourages productive feedback.

Customer-oriented flexibility

Because it is an iterative process, customer-specific requirements can be cost-effectively integrated into the prototypes. This saves redesigning from scratch and gives the customer more choice and flexibility.

Our Rapid Prototyping service

Realising meaningful prototypes in the shortest possible time is the core promise of rapid prototyping - and it is precisely this promise that we fulfil at PROTIQ Marketplace. With a wide selection of now over ten 3D printing processes, we offer you the opportunity to design your prototype individually and precisely according to your requirements. Whether plastic, metal or ceramic, we offer the right manufacturing process for every starting material.

But our service goes far beyond the selection of materials. We place particular emphasis on detailed consultation to ensure that your prototype is not only fast, but also of high quality and functional. Our experts are at your side from the brainstorming to the completion of the prototype and can support you in all phases of the development process.

Another advantage of our offer is the possibility of scaling. Whether it's a single item or a small series, we flexibly adapt production capacities to your needs. In addition, we also offer optional post-processing procedures to further increase the quality of your prototype.

Take advantage of reliable prototypes early on

Using prototypes in early development phases that come very close to the properties of the final product saves valuable time. With rapid prototyping, possible errors in the design can be identified and rectified without having to drastically setting project development back in terms of planning.

When are 3D-printed prototypes suitable for use?

• To visualize a design based on a real model
• For functional testing under realistic conditions
• To check the fit directly in the application
• To improve established products

The term "rapid prototyping"

The term "rapid prototyping" originated in the late 1980s and has its roots in engineering and product development. The word "rapid" stands for the rapid production of physical components, while "prototyping" describes the development process of early models of a design or a product. So in the context of rapid prototyping, it is about the rapid production of prototypes with the aim of testing design and functional concepts quickly and cost-effectively.

Since then, rapid prototyping has evolved into a broader category of processes, encompassing various technologies such as fused deposition modelling (FDM), selective laser sintering (SLS) and many others. The term has also grown in importance as it is no longer used only in the context of product development, but also in other industries such as medicine, architecture and even art.

In modern manufacturing, rapid prototyping is considered an essential part of the iterative design process. It enables companies to react quickly to market demands, shorten product cycles and develop innovative solutions efficiently. With the advancement of digitalisation and the integration of artificial intelligence and other technologies, the term rapid prototyping has taken on even greater relevance as it makes the transition from the concept phase to the physical prototype phase seamless and efficient.