Definitions

Definitions vary and may differ at different organizations, but the definitions below may be used as a starting point.

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Concept Model: a physical model made to demonstrate an idea. Concept models allow people from different functional areas to see the idea, stimulate thought and discussion, and drive acceptance or rejection.

Prototyping Attributes
Speed: turnaround time to convert a computer file into a physical prototype

Appearance: any visual attribute: color, texture, size, shape, etc. 

Assembly/Fit Testing: making some or all of the parts of an assembly, putting them together, and seeing if they fit properly. At the gross level, this checks for design errors, such as placing two tabs at 2 in. spacing and the mating slots at 1 in. spacing. At the fine level, this is a matter of minor dimensional differences and tolerances. Obviously, any test involving tolerances needs to use the actual manufacturing process or one which has similar tolerances.

Prototyping Attributes
Form: the shape of the part: features and size

Fit: how the part mates with other parts

Functional Testing: seeing how a part or assembly will function when subjected to stresses representing what it will see in its actual application.

Prototyping Attributes
Chemical Resistance: resistance to chemicals including acids, bases, hydrocarbons, fuels, etc.

Mechanical Properties: strength of the part measured by tensile strength, compressive strength, flexural strength, impact strength, tear resistance, etc.

Electrical Properties: interaction of electrical fields and the part. This may include dielectric constant, dielectric strength, dissipation factor, surface and volume resistance, static decay, etc.

Thermal Properties: changes in mechanical properties that occur with changes in temperature. These may include thermal expansion coefficient, heat deflection temperature, vicat softening point, etc.

Optical Properties: ability to transmit light. May include refractive index, transmittance, and haze.

Life Testing: testing properties that may change with time and that are important for a product to remain functional throughout its expected life. Life testing often involves subjecting the product to extreme conditions (e.g., temperature, humidity, voltage, UV, etc.) to estimate in a shorter period of time, how the product will react over its expected life.

Prototyping Attributes
Mechanical Properties (fatigue strength): ability to withstand large numbers of load cycles at various stress levels.

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Aging Properties (UV, creep): ability to withstand exposure to ultraviolet light with an acceptable amount of degradation; ability to withstand extended applications of forces to the part with acceptable levels of permanent deflection.

Regulatory Testing: testing specified by a regulatory or standards organization or agency to assure parts are suitable for a particular use such as medical, food service or consumer application. Examples include Underwriters Laboratory (UL), the Canadian Standards Association (CSA), the U.S. Food and Drug Agency (FDA), the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the International Standard Organization (ISO) and the European Commission (EC).

Prototyping Attributes
Flammability Properties: the resistance of a resin or part to ignition in the presence of a flame.

EMI/RFI Properties: the ability of a resin, part or assembly to shield or block Electromagnetic Interference or Radio Frequency Interference.

Food Rating: approval of a resin or part to be used in applications where it will come in contact with food while it is being prepared, served or consumed.

Biocompatibility: the ability of the resin or part to be in contact with human or animal bodies, outside or inside the body, without causing undue adverse effects (e.g., irritations, blood interactions, toxicity, etc). Biocompatibility is important for surgical instruments and many medical devices.

Summary

Prototype models help design teams make more informed decisions by obtaining invaluable data from the performance of, and the reaction to, those prototypes. The more data that is gathered at this stage of the product development cycle, the better the chances of preventing potential product or manufacturing issues down the road. If a well thought out prototyping strategy is followed, there is a far greater chance that the product will be introduced to the market on time, be accepted, perform reliably, and be profitable.

What is the best way to get a prototype made? The answer depends on where you are in your process and what you are trying to accomplish. Early in the design process, when the ideas are flowing freely, concept models are helpful. As the design progresses, a prototype that has the size, finish, color, shape, strength, durability, and material characteristics of the intended final product becomes increasingly important. Therefore, using the right prototyping process is critical. In order to most effectively validate your design, pay close attention to these three key elements of your design: functionality, manufacturability, and viability.&#;

If your prototype can faithfully represent the attributes of the end-product, it is by definition functional.&#;These requirements often include such things as material properties (e.g., flame resistance), dimensional accuracy for fit-up with mating parts, and cosmetic surface finishes for appearance.

If your prototype design can be repeatedly and economically produced in a manner that supports the requirements of the end product, it is by definition manufacturable.&#;These requirements include the ability to maintain the functionality of the design as described above, keep the piece-part cost below the required level, and support the production schedule. No matter how great a design is, it will go nowhere if it can&#;t be manufactured. Make sure your prototyping process takes this into consideration.

Finally, even if your prototype design is functional and manufacturable, it doesn&#;t mean anyone will want to use it.&#;Prototypes are the only true way to verify the viability of the design in this sense.&#;If your design can also pass the challenges associated with market trials (e.g., trade show displays, usability testing) and regulatory testing (e.g., FDA testing of medical devices), you&#;re well on your way to a successful product launch.

Questions to ask your injection molding company

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When you are manufacturing a part, the goal is to get your product to market on time and within budget. In order to be successful, you need to make sure you choose the right injection molding partner. Consider these questions to ensure you have chosen the best fit for you.

1. Details of Machines and their capabilities. Before you start a relationship with an injection molding company, compare your current and future needs to what production equipment they have available. The right injection molding company will be able to grow with you as you develop additional products.
2. What is the guaranteed life of your molds? Mold life depends on the type of material used to construct the mold.  Molds built from aluminum are intended for prototype or low volume production, while molds built from steel are for higher volume production. Typically steel molds are guaranteed to produce a minimum of 500K shots.  Many molds are built with inserts in areas that tend to wear.  This allows replacement of just those areas instead of building an entirely new mold. At Innovative we maintain molds that we build as for as long as we run the production.
3. Who have you worked with before? Past performance in injection molding is a good indicator of future results. If the company you&#;re considering has worked, or is working with other high-quality, reputable companies, it&#;s a fairly safe bet that they&#;ll do a good job for you, as well. Here at Innovative, our largest customer is TH Marine.  We also do molding for Knight and Hale game calls, Mueller Fire Protection, Joy Global, Howard Industries, HB&G, Playcore and several smaller companies. We are continually working with our customers to develop and launch new projects.
4. Who will support the project and communicate with me? You must have ongoing confidence that the project managers who are responsible for your runs, etc. will communicate with you regularly about project status. This is essential to your being able to keep your overall project on time and on budget. Projects are managed by a team, including general manager, customer service manager and engineering, here at Innovative. Communication with the customer is based on what areas are being addressed.
5. What quality standards do you follow? Is the company you are considering certified? Certification is performed by a recognized unbiased auditing company. ISO : requires an organization&#;s QMS to demonstrate its ability to consistently provide products that meets customer requirements. Innovative is ISO - registered.
6. Do you offer maintenance support? Ensure the company you are considering has a rigorous and consistent preventative maintenance program for molds that are used in manufacturing in their facilities, as we do here at Innovative.
7. Do you have in-house tool capabilities? Tooling is very important in ensuring that quality and cost objectives are met. Utilizing an injection molding company that has in-house tooling capabilities has many advantages and can save time and money.
8. What value added services do you offer? In addition to manufacturing the plastic parts, your injection molding company should be able to offer secondary operations to streamline the production schedule. By performing these secondary operations like affixing labels, attaching fasteners, and assembling multi-part products for you. Injection molding companies can help streamline your overall production schedule.

Here at Innovative Plastics, we know how your important injection molding project is. To learn more about us, and how we can help with your projects, now and in the future, contact us today.

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