The world has gotten used to a breakneck pace on all things - delivery of the news, communication, and technology advancements. Similarly, so has the expectation for the design and manufacturing processes to occur at a faster rate in recent years, particularly if you want to secure a competitive advantage in your industry. Consumer tastes are fleeting and those first to market usually cement their brand and make the sale before attention has shifted to the next fad. In a world looking for a solution to the latest trending products and shorter timelines on custom manufacturing, rapid prototyping has answered the call.
Faster Manufacturing of Prototypes
The process of making items all start with concepts and prototypes. Rather than taking a long time and using more resources to make multiple prototypes, rapid prototyping cranks out the prototype quicker, often overnight. With less materials needed and the ability to iterate your design more in less time, rapid prototyping can reduce RnD costs, shorten time to market and ensure your product is better when it gets there. The ability to create 3D models in a short period of time can be invaluable to most companies regardless of industry..
At RapidMade, due to our state-of-the-art 3D printing equipment, prototypes are manufactured typically within two to five days. Additionally, RapidMade offers expedited prototyping machining, thermoforming, and finishing services to ensure your prototype is a useful and usable representation of the final product. Many of these technologies, including the 3D printers, are production technologies, which means you are prototyping in the eventual technology and material that you will mass manufacture in. This adds greater certainty to your design, since you do not have to convert it again when you move into production.
Instant Quoting and Easy Ordering
In addition to quick turn of high quality parts, equally important to getting your parts fast is a rapid quoting process. RapidMade offers an amazing instant quote tool where you can upload a part, get a price and place an order within minutes, instead of waiting hours or days to get a quote and get your time sensitive project initiated. RapidMade offers 2 and 5 business day lead times on prints and has an on time percentage of over 95% so you can trust your order will ship on or before its due date.
Seamless 3D Printing
A prototype used to be typically a single material replica that is less-durable and faster to make than the end product. The concept of the prototype is to create a visual representation of the final product. That paradigm has changed and now the 3D print technologies available have improved enough where the mechanical properties and finish rival that of a mass manufactured part. With the 3D printing process, prototyping is seamless, with less materials used and less time wasted, money can be saved as you’re putting out better products much, much faster. Also, RapidMade offers industry leading price on prototypes and production prints, so you will always have the certainty that you are saving money on every order.
Industry-Specific Prototyping
From the automotive industry, to the medical field, to aerospace, robotics and beyond, 3D printing is being used to speed up the manufacturing process. With additive manufacturing, the product you produce is fast, high quality, accurate and repeatable. The days of batch to batch 3D print quality inconsistency are in the past. 3D printing really has become a technology where customers can enjoy production quality with orders as low as a single unit. These are real mechanical parts that can withstand heat, stress and chemicals exposure.
Rapid Thermoforming, Machining and Casting
Rapid Prototyping does not just have to include 3D printing. It can also mean quick turn short run manufacturing via traditional technologies like thermoforming, machining and casting. RapidMade prides itself of making parts and tools fast, no matter how low the quantity or how soon the deadline. With a team of engineers, CNC programmers and 3 manufacturing shifts running nearly 24/7 our shop works around the clock to deliver parts for you fast.
Prototyping Options
RapidMade offers more than dozens of plastics, many metals, and a variety of finishes. With our constant investment in new technology and machinery, we have a variety of new materials ready for use as well include high speed SLA and TPU rubber options. Contact us for a free quote for your prototyping, 3D printing, thermoforming, engineering, or other manufacturing needs. Our experienced team will put together a manufacturing plan to ensure you get the most efficient experience using the best possible materials and processes for your project.
Engineering Services
Sometimes you need a prototype but don’t have one designed yet. Sometimes, you have a design on a napkin or fashioned a crude prototype in your garage out of wood or foam. That’s OK! RapidMade’s team of engineers can help you take your early phase design and refine it and produce a prototype that will wow investors or let you test out a use case before investing thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours into manufacturing tooling.