When you reach the stage of prototyping, it’s vital to the success of the project that your product is fully tested for aesthetics, functionality, investment and more. To do that, you need a physical prototype; a rendered model just doesn’t cut it.
You could utilise the expertise, experience and technical prowess of a prototype bureau, such as Prototype Projects. You could, but let’s be honest, sometimes the temptation to 3D print your own prototype is overwhelming. We get it, who doesn’t love toys? We’ve got a whole 3D Printing suite full of them! You have the budget to buy a decent 3D printer and you justify the purchase by concluding that your colleagues will also benefit from your kit.
Sound familiar?
The 3D printer arrives. You fire it up, load your CAD design and wait for the cogs to start whirring.
A few hours later, the print is finished. You whip that baby off the print bed with glee and admire your creation! It’s fantastic.
Well, if you’re completely honest, it might be a little rough around the edges. The tolerance is, well, ok, the surface smoothness will need some work and the threads will also need a bit of tidying up, but, hey, it’s your first go and you’ve got a prototype.
A few more hours later… a few more projects later… a few more months later… and more than likely, a lot of failed prints, you arrive at the conclusion that your 3D printer isn’t up to the job. Not to worry though, there are plenty more fish in the sea and so you buy another printer, the same again or you go for something different, maybe a little more expensive this time.
A year goes by, and you’ve got a stockroom full of discarded 3D printers. There’s no need to be embarrassed by your ever-expanding 3D printing wasteland, you’re not alone! We’ve seen our fair share of 3D printing collections with a heavy coating of dust in many of our customers’ premises. But there does come a point when enough is enough, doesn’t there?
Is this article a bit of a plug for professional prototyping bureaus such as Prototype Projects? Sure! But it’s also about recognising that, while there are some great mid-range 3D printers on the market, if you work in a professional environment, as nearly all our customers do, isn’t a professionally printed prototype better?
Why not donate your 3D Printers to your local secondary school or college so tomorrow’s engineers can benefit from your investment. We’ll still be here for you when you’re ready to get back to work; no judgement, just the best prototypes, service, turnaround times, not to mention the treats in your delivery boxes!
Visit our website to find out more about us and our industrial 3D printing technologies (as well as CNC Machining, Vacuum Casting and Model Making).
