If you have a brilliant idea for a potential product that you’d like to try out in a few different ways? To show investors, you may need to produce several samples of your offering especially in the case of Plastic Prototype.
Rapid plastic prototyping, in any case, would assist you in developing your product and making the transition from concept to mass production with less risk. Learn about the various forms of rapid plastic prototyping services available, how each manufacturing process functions, and which one is better for you.
What is rapid prototyping?
Rapid prototyping is the practice of making a scale model of a physical part using a range of techniques, the most common of which is 3D printing.
The whole production process is sped up with rapid prototyping. Rapid prototyping is used by engineers and product designers for all types of product creation. However, since most 3D printers can only print plastic, they often use it for developing plastic parts.
What are the benefits of rapid plastic prototyping?
It’s best practice to make at least one sample, whether you’re designing a device in your workshop or a state-of-the-art production plant.
Rapid prototyping is a specialized service that has a cost attached to it. So, if you’re a helpful independent inventor who can create a project by hand, you’re better off doing it yourself. After all, it’ll just take you time and money.
Rapid prototyping, on the other hand, will save you a lot of time if you’re producing a fully plastic component. A rough design is often all that is required for a rapid prototyping company to build a computer model and begin the prototyping process.
The Advantages of Using Rapid Plastic Prototyping
Low Cost: Cost of a Plastic Prototype Plastics have a low melting temperature, are easy to maintain and are generally simple to work with. As a result, the manufacturing of plastic prototypes is relatively inexpensive.
Longevity: Plastics are very long-lasting. They are stable, fatigue resistant, and have low friction. However, you can keep them away from UV light and cold temperatures because certain polymers become brittle in these environments.
Continuity: Plastic prototyping strategies have improved dramatically. Every day, a large number of specialist injection molding services use such techniques. If you’re unsure about which approach is better or how to implement it, you should still seek advice from professionals.
The opportunity to compost: The era in which plastic waste was the most serious environmental problem has passed. Modern industrial plastics are engineered to be recyclable, with minimal harmful waste produced during processing.
There is a lead time: Current rapid prototyping methods are suitable for making small batches of plastic components. By ordering injection molding services, you can be able to get the project in as little as a week. All of this is because plastic prototyping necessitates very little post-processing.
Additional Important Material Characteristics
Biocompatibility: While not all plastics are appropriate for medicinal use, those that are deemed biocompatible. Some plastics have no harmful side effects as used in the body.
Most of such products will be injection molded, extruded, or thermoformed in some other way. For certain uses, nylon and Viscera are also appropriate.
This article provides a more detailed reference. Remember that even if a substance has the potential to be biocompatible, further safeguards must be in place to ensure that it is. This is why Stratasys sells both accredited and uncertified variants of ULTEM 1010.
Antimicrobial: An antimicrobial substance prevents microorganisms from growing or even kills them. It is typically a plastic surface treatment that is grafted onto the surface using advanced methods. It may also be influenced by the roughness of the surface and its tendency to lose water.
Manufacturability and Processability: This is a general concept that refers to a plastic’s ability to be produced using multiple processes. PEEK may be injection molded, extruded, CNC sliced, pultruded, among other processes.
Liquid Silicone Rubber will mostly be used for molding. Thermoplastics will normally be rendered in more forms than thermosets, although this is not always the case.
Temperature Tolerance: When opposed to metals or ceramics, plastics have a small working temperature range. As a consequence, it’s important to pick a plastic that can tolerate the working conditions. High-temperature alternatives include 3D printed ULTEM and PPS, for example.
Optical Properties: Certain components can include the ability to relay or block light. You’ll also want to avoid light emission or propagation in the housing that houses the light pipes. A useful post on how to build light pipes can be found here.
