It is not unusual in the manufacturing sector for companies to use different partners at different stages of the production process – including outsourcing the prototyping stage. Although this may have short-term cost benefits and other advantages, it also introduces the potential for problems to arise and can make it harder and more costly to resolve them too.
The importance of prototyping
Prototyping is a critical stage of production and gives customers the opportunity to turn what has until that stage been a technical concept into a physical, tangible object that can be inspected and tested. This allows the design and manufacturing specifications to be verified and essential ‘fit, form and function’ testing to be conducted.
Any design flaws can be identified at this stage and improvements made, which will improve the quality of the final product, ensure it fully meets the requirements of the end user and help to eliminate problems occurring downstream due to issues that have been able to continue into the production stage unchecked. Eliminating potential issues early on can not only speed up production times and the associated costs but can also reduce the risks of costs being incurred at later stages as a result of returns, recalls or even a need for re-engineering.
Ensuring that a perfect prototype is achieved helps manufacturers to maintain exceptional quality standards in their final products, which in turn helps to enhance their reputation and offers increased security and stability in the future – all key factors for survival in today’s volatile manufacturing sector.
A background in design
Teamed with our excellent operators and programming engineers, our in-house team is able to ensure that your product is optimised before it evens starts the manufacturing process, meaning we can provide you with the most accurate representations of your designs within both a competitive time frame and price window.
Our experts are able to work with a range of file types including
- DXF
- DWG
- STEP
- SAT
- IGES
- Solidworks, Inventor
Expert production input
A key advantage of prototyping in-house with Hitherbest is that our experts can assist in product evaluation with their extensive knowledge of the exact machines and processes that will be used for production, meaning that any flaws or issues that may arise during production can be immediately identified and rectified with the actual production environment in mind. This takes the guesswork out of prototype evaluation and adds another dimension that is not otherwise available.
Our experienced shop floor operators can express feedback on the manufacturing process of the prototype based on the specific material properties required and how best to streamline the part for production i.e welding jigs, assembly builds, etc.
Whatever processes your part or product will require, from punching or laser cutting, folding or forming, fabrication and welding to painting and assembly, we can provide professional input on every aspect, ensuring that you have the knowledge to make the right decisions at the right time and ensure profitable production.
Quality Assured
Although we’d like to think our reputation for quality and customer service speaks for itself, we are proud to hold BSI accreditation, demonstrating that we truly represent the best in British sheet metal manufacturing. This, coupled with our track record for employee retention, trust and teamwork gives you the peace of mind of knowing that you are dealing with a true leader in the field.
To discuss your prototyping requirements with one of our experts now, call us on Telford 01952 632100 or alternatively click here to contact us online.
