Prototyping and Tooling for Small Run Projects

1. Prototyping and Tooling for Small Run Projects We frequently communicate with customers looking to price out prototyping and tooling for small run projects. We have discovered that there is a certain amount of misunderstanding about what companies like ours do in this regard. A lot of customers find it hard to justify the cost of small run projects until they talk to us. When they find out that our tooling and prototyping services have the potential of making their small runs profitable, they are more willing to pursue those projects in greater detail. In plain English, small run production does not have to be cost-prohibitive. Composite tooling and prototyping are quite a bit different compared to injection molding and metal casting/forging. Where both of those alternate technologies require expensive steel molds and tools, composite manufacturing is possible with less expensive and less complicated tools. As such, we can produce comparably affordable prototypes. Here is a brief list of some of the prototyping capabilities Rock West Composites offers:  Composite wet layup and infusion  Expert material and process selection  CAD parts and tool design  Rapid prototyping  Untraditional tooling options So, is it possible to reduce the investment from thousands of parts to mere tens and make a short run project profitable? That depends on your specific needs. What Can Rock West Composites Do For You At Rock West Composites we understand that prototyping, tooling, and short run projects can all be frightening to think about. Hopefully we can set your mind at ease by explaining exactly how we can help with your project. For example, the first thing we will do is look at your ideas and specifications to give you a good idea of how we can make them reality. Do you already have drawings? We can build to them. If you don’t have drawing or specifications, we can help you with that too.

2. If you’re looking at short run production, you're going to want to know your risks before we get started. That’s not a problem. Part of the prototyping process is a complete risk assessment that determines your key risk areas and the best ways to work around them. We cannot eliminate all risk, but we can mitigate most risks with a proper assessment. Next is the process of building the first few units to test your idea. At the same time, we can fine-tune tools and build processes in order to achieve the tight tolerances you might require. We can make adjustments to reduce weight, increase strength and stiffness, and increase manufacturing efficiency for the eventual full run. At every step, we can test each of the prototypes for performance so that you know whether your idea is workable or not. After we build a prototype that meets all your performance specifications, we can help you design a production process that is as efficient and cost-effective as possible. Short Run Projects Are Possible There’s a lot to love about being in the composites industry. We appreciate the opportunity to help our customers achieve profitable short run projects with our customized prototyping and tooling services. What was once impossible is now possible with composites, and we think that’s pretty cool. Rock West Composites specializes in rapid production of cost-effective prototypes and tools. If this is something that you have been looking for, we invite you to contact us at the first opportunity. We can help you make your short run idea a reality with our expert knowledge, our customized tooling and prototyping, and our commitment to ensuring the success of every project we take on.