The Prototype Photography Shack Guide
The Prototype For A New Product
By Sylvia Adolvana
The prototype is one of the first things that a design
team will develop when considering a new product idea.
It allows them to review their options and see what
the new product will look like, as well as whether the
function and design is feasible.
Engineers and product designers will both use the working
prototype to determine what materials will be best for
construction, what surface designs will be desired,
and whether the product is safe and will last.
Many times the new prototype is so close to the finished
product that the customer is given a chance to view
it and evaluate it to see if the design appeals to them.
Major Differences To Final Product
Contrary to popular belief, a prototype is not going
to be a perfect replica of the finished product. There
will be some major differences. The biggest difference
will probably be the materials used to make it.
Most of the time, it will be made of materials that
will not be used in the actual manufacturing process.
Other differences may include the processes used to
make the archetype versus the ones that will be used
to manufacture the finished product.
Creating Appeal For Investors
Because the materials used to construct most prototypes
are of lesser quality, the integrity is also of lesser
quality. The opposite can also be true.
Sometimes, in order to create appeal for investors
or potential customers, a manufacturer will actually
produce a higher quality prototype than what the finished
product will be. This is not considered to be a good
business practice.
Testing For Major Flaws
Testing is often done on the prototype of new products
as a means to finding problems with the assembly or
design. Sometimes, extreme conditions are used during
prototype development to test the trial product.
These extreme conditions are simulated to bring to
light any major flaws or safety problems that may arise
after the product has been sold or distributed. Finding
these problems before they are sold on the market will
save the company a large amount of money from recalls
and replacements.
The Rapid Prototype Machine Helps Reduce Costs
Producing the prototype of a new product can be very
expensive. If you look at the timeline of the design
process, then you will see that a new product is redesigned
and modified many times before the final product is
accepted.
This can get incredibly expensive for the manufacturer.
This has led to the development of the rapid prototype
machine. A rapid prototype machine uses selective laser
sintering, and this allows the design team several
options.
They can create a replica of the entire design, or
just the parts that they wish to test. Not only does
this save time, but it also saves a ton of money for
the manufacturer.
About the Author:
Sylvia Adolvana is an author of articles on design, digital photography and software including
Adobe Upgrade,
Photo Albums,
Photo Enhancement,
Small Digital Cameras,
Create DVDs,
DVD Burner Software,
Family Web Site,
Bridal Portraits,
Wedding Photos,
Wedding Announcements.
Keep a lookout for more articles coming soon.
More Prototype Facts....
Does everything created require a prototype?
Most things do require a prototype
but it may not be a physical. Thanks to the advances
in computer modeling, many prototypes can be tested
on a computer without the need to build actual physical
prototypes. This saves on money.
The automotive and the aircraft
industries have begun to rely heavily on computer modeling
due to the expensive of creating a working model that
will more than likely be broken down during testing.
If there has to be prototypes developed, the prototypes
are not made of the finalized material to keep costs
low.
|
