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Prototyping is the design verification phase of Product Development used to demonstrate or prove aspects of a design. Prototyping is simply taking the design from the virtual and imaginary realm to the physical world. There are many levels of Prototypes. Some are simple duct-tape and bailing wire to visualize how something might work; Others are highly polished but fragile representations for show and tell; Still others are functional representations that work. The kind of prototype used should fit the needs of the project -- especially since there is often a significant cost involved. Typical prototyping methods include clay (or other) mock-up, fabrication & machining, and rapid prototyping. Mock-ups are typically done very early in the design for visualization, feel, and to allow adjustments or fiddling with shape and size. Fabricated prototypes are typically functional versions that may or may not look like the final product but give the opportunity to test function and prove something works. The term "Rapid Prototyping" encompasses a large group of technologies that create 3D physical parts directly from the computer. This is becoming very popular because of the speed and accuracy available. These can be done in almost any shape and can be finished to look exactly like a production part -- though usually much more fragile. A whole host of service bureaus have sprung up to meet the need, so for more information, a quick web search will usually yield an overload of information. Regardless of the method, prototypes should be thought of as tools -- for learning, for visualization and for design improvement. Before diving into the prototyping phase, there are few questions to ask: Is a prototype desirable or necessary? Is there a need for design verification? Is testing needed for design improvement? Has the design been done to the best knowledge before prototyping? Depending on the product, a prototype may or may not be necessary -- or perhaps more importantly, it may be that only parts of the design need prototyping. This is not to say that prototypes should not be built, just to emphasize that prototyping is costly in both time and money so the need should be evaluated. In many industries the products are quite complex and require several iterations of design, prototyping and testing. The auto industry, for instance, uses several variations of prototypes to evaluate the design and to find areas of improvement. In the case of automobiles, the complexity of the design and the amount learned in testing from each version easily justify the time and cost.
A parallel process to be done with prototyping is Production Quotation. This is where manufacturer input is requested -- both for cost to produce as well as for ways the product can be made cheaper, easier, lighter, faster and better. This is especially valuable if the design is to be iterated. In practice, most products require at least one prototyping phase. Typically, the flow is from the design phase to prototype and testing then back to design for (hopefully) minor changes before going to production. Really, the Design and Prototyping steps of the Product Development Process can be blurred together with learning and insight coming from all these tools. Also, the final stages of both design and prototyping (especially the final stages) should include input from manufacturing.
Whatever the product, if it is to be sold, it will need to be produced, and that involves the next step of manufacturing. Our experience has taught that involving possible manufacturers early in the design phase and especially through the prototyping phase makes the transition from design to production much easier, faster and smoother.
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