Prototype to Production Services

At Advanced Prototype Molding, we understand the importance of taking your concept from prototype to production. Our team can provide a comprehensive solution for all your product design needs! We focus on helping clients successfully move their designs through the entire process to get quality products quickly and efficiently.

Our foundation of designing high-precision custom moldings means every detail is noticed when creating the final product. Expert guidance and a commitment to excellence are two reasons our customers trust us as their go-to partner in development, manufacturing, and delivery. Let us show you how we can help bring your unique ideas into reality.

Rapid Prototyping is an important tool in the product design and development process. This method enables designers and engineers to quickly create a working model of their product idea, allowing them to assess the feasibility of their concept without spending significant resources on full-scale production runs.

It can also test different design features and see which ones work best. Rapid Prototyping is usually done using 3D printing, RTV molding, laser cutting, vacuum forming, or CNC milling technology.

At Advanced Prototype Molding, our prototyping process begins with the design team working on a concept and creating the product's 2D sketches or 3D CAD models. Once we have the basic idea in place, we can use Rapid Prototyping techniques to bring their concept to life.

This could involve printing parts of the model in different materials and colors, testing out various configurations, or even going through several iterations during which changes are made and refined until they achieve their desired result.

Our rapid prototyping uses 3D printing, which revolutionized the design and prototyping process for many industries, offering a range of benefits over traditional manufacturing methods.

Here are some advantages that come with using 3D printing in prototyping:

• Speed: 3D printing allows companies to quickly produce prototypes and parts in hours or days rather than weeks or months. This provides significant time savings and can help get products to market faster.
• Cost-effective: By eliminating tooling costs associated with traditional manufacturing techniques, 3D printing can save costs when producing prototypes or low-volume production runs.
• Complex Design Possibilities: With 3D printing, more intricate designs are possible compared to those achievable with conventional machining processes. This allows for greater freedom of design and more complex geometries that would otherwise be impossible to fabricate.
• Reduced Waste: With 3D printing, the material is only used precisely as needed, eliminating most waste associated with traditional manufacturing methods. This helps reduce costs and environmental impact.
• Versatility: Depending on the printer type, 3D printing can be used for various materials, including plastics and metals. This enables companies to prototype or manufacture virtually any part or product imaginable with the right technology.

Once the prototyping phase has been completed, we move on to production using injection, compression, transfer, roto, and RTV molding.

Our injection molding production process is as follows:

• First, we select the precise material needed for your product – from various types of plastic to rubber and metal alloys. We then obtain the raw material and melt it into liquid form for easy molding.
• The molten material is then injected into our specialized injection molds at high pressure, enabling us to produce copies of your prototype accurately. Once these have cooled and hardened, they are removed from the molds and checked against strict quality control standards before being passed onto the finishing stages.
• From here onwards, your product can be sanded, polished, and decorated as required – you can even add color logos with our specialized printing techniques. After all of these processes have been completed, it’s simply a matter of packaging and delivery to prepare your product for its intended use.

At every stage of our production process, we strive to ensure maximum quality in all aspects of the fabrication process. With this commitment to excellence, you can rest assured that our products will meet your standards.

The materials most commonly used in injection molding processes include:

• Thermoplastics: These are the most common materials used in injection molding processes, as they offer a wide range of properties, flexibility, and durability. Thermoplastics can be melted down and reused multiple times, making them an ideal choice for mass production of parts. Commonly used thermoplastics include polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS).
• Thermosetting polymers: These materials are generally more rigid than their thermoplastic counterparts, making them ideal for parts that require more strength and durability. Epoxy is a common thermosetting polymer used in injection molding processes, as it offers excellent resistance to heat, chemicals, and wear.
• Elastomers: Elastomers, such as silicone and natural rubber, are often used in injection molding processes due to their ability to stretch and return to their original shape when subjected to pressure or force.
• Metals: Aluminum and steel are commonly used for injection molds due to their strength and durability. They can be machined with extreme precision, making them ideal for producing highly detailed parts in mass-production quantities.

The injection molding machine must also be carefully chosen and configured for optimal performance with the material used.

Injection-molded products are seen in consumer, industrial, and commercial products because they create highly accurate outcomes with repeatability and fast turnaround times.

Examples of injection-molded products range from:

• Everyday items such as toys, electronics, packaging materials
• Medical equipment
• Automotive components
• Structural supports

The end product can be shaped in various sizes and colors depending on the chosen material.

In general, our injection molding enables us to create complex plastic components with superior accuracy and quality quickly. This manufacturing process has become the go-to solution for countless industries across the globe due to its many advantages over traditional manufacturing

We take extra care to ensure that all products are securely assembled and packaged with the highest quality standards, designed to protect them from any damage during shipment. Our team also takes the time to carefully inspect each product for accuracy and quality assurance before packing it for shipping. This helps guarantee that your order arrives safely.

By having our own assembly and packaging process, we can quickly respond to customer demands without delay, ensuring maximum satisfaction with each purchase. We also employ leading-edge technology that tracks orders throughout the journey – from production until delivery.

The journey from prototype to beginning production can be daunting, but with Advanced Prototype Molding, it doesn’t have to be. Our more than 40 years of experience, quality control standards, and premium materials will help you smoothly transition between your project's prototype and production stages.

We understand that each product is unique and has different needs and specifications, and we are happy to work closely with you throughout the process. Whether it's sophisticated prototyping of intricate parts or actual production runs of various components, Advanced Prototype Molding is dedicated to helping to make your dream a reality.

Contact us today to discuss how we can streamline the prototype-to-production transition for your next project!