TL;DR
- A prototype is an investment, just not in production tooling yet.
- The prototype phase is where we test shape, material, technique and construction.
- We fine-tune along the way, while changes are still quick and cheap to make.
- Only then do we build the production mould for series manufacturing.
Why not start with a production mould straight away?
A production mould is something you build for a product you're certain about.
A new design usually still carries open questions. Will the material behave the way you expect? Is the construction strong enough? Could the lay-up be simpler, or more sustainable? You only find out once a design makes the leap from paper to material.
That's why we prototype first. We make decisions while they're still easy to change.
Fair enough, but... surely a prototype isn't free?
Correct, it isn't.
A prototype is an investment in your product's development. The difference is where the money goes first: into refining and testing your design, rather than into tooling. That sequence lets us adjust while adjusting is still simple. Once the design is proven, we move on to the production mould.
What does the prototyping process look like?
It starts with your idea. A sketch, a technical drawing, a 3D model, or an existing product you want to take further. Together we review the design, its application and the technical points that matter.
Then we build a first prototype. The prototype mould is CNC-machined from EPS foam or MDF, and we form the part using vacuum pressing or a similar mould from our existing tooling library. Worth knowing: vacuum pressing works at lower pressure than series production, so strength and load-bearing capacity won't match the final part. What you do get is a realistic feel for shape, material and look, and the insight to make the right calls for production.
From kick-off to delivery, count on roughly six weeks. A typical run is around twenty pieces, enough to compare solutions side by side. We test materials, constructions, bonding, lay-up, manufacturability and load capacity.
Did you know we 3D print scale models? A portable prototype of your prototype, ready to pass around at your management meeting or take along to your sales pitch.
Sometimes a few prototypes already show the way forward. Even then, we often keep testing. Better to explore every option now than to discover a better solution mid-production.
Only after that comes the production mould. The prototype delivers the insight; the mould turns it into series production. That order keeps the risk of costly tooling modifications to a minimum.
Fair enough, but... my design is already fully engineered.
It may well be.
Even so, a drawing rarely tells the whole story of a finished part. Materials behave differently than expected, some products need an extra operation, or a shape proves harder to form than it looked on screen.
Our advanced design software gives us a solid read on how the material will respond to the shape. But wood is a natural material, and not everything reveals itself behind a screen. Some things only become clear once the design becomes a physical part.
Which is exactly why we prototype first.
Am I involved during prototyping?
That's entirely up to you.
Some clients like to come to our workshop to review the prototypes, compare materials and make decisions together. Others prefer to leave development in our hands. In that case our sales and development manager brings the prototypes to you, or we ship them carefully packed.
Which approach works best depends on the project. Part dimensions, materials, design complexity and the stage you're at all play a role.
So we don't run a one-size-fits-all process. We shape the prototyping phase around your project, and around the way you prefer to work with us.
Three examples from practice
One client wanted to reproduce an existing solid wood product in plywood. The shape was fixed, but the construction had to deliver the same strength. During prototyping we explored several solutions and fine-tuned step by step.
In another project the challenge wasn't the construction but the material. The client's design turned out to be less cost-effective in plywood. Rather than reworking the design, we showed the client alternative materials that suited it better, such as felt and flax. The design stayed untouched, and we found a material that worked both technically and commercially.
A third client wanted to gauge internally whether a product had potential before green-lighting further development. Using a single mould, we pressed the same design in several materials: plywood, felt and hemp. The client could see and feel how each one performed, and had physical samples to build the internal business case. Real insight, without a major upfront investment.
Insight first, production second
A production mould isn't a starting point. It's the next step. More on tooling here.
First we want proof that a design is feasible. That's what the prototype phase is for: testing materials, constructions and techniques. Once those choices are made, we invest in the production mould and series production begins.
Got an idea, a sketch or a technical drawing? We'd be glad to look at it with you and work out how to turn it into a prototype, and from there into a product that's ready for production.
