What is prototype and the function of prototype?

Generally, for new R&D or just finishedproducts need to make prototype and it is the first step to test and verifyproducts’ feasibility. It is the most direct and effective way to finddeveloping products’ defect, shortage and disadvantage. Thus improve thedefects pointedly until no any faults from the prototype. In addition, it isalso need to trial-produce small quantity to find the shortage for improve thedesigning. Finished products generally cannot match the design and even not beused sometimes, if to produce large quantity directly then all products will beworthless, which would greatly waste manpower and material resources and time.But with prototype technology, it is sample producing, processing time is shortwith less manpower and less material resources, finding out the shortage of theproduct design and improvement quickly, which provides sufficient proofs and production.

Briefly speaking, prototype is a functionaltool for checking model appearance and structural rationality according toseveral finished appearance prototypes and structure prototypes under withoutmolding premise.

Prototype’s Evolution

Early prototype due to various conditionslimited, mainly displays in the most of the work was done by hand, so let itvery difficult to achieve the diagram paper size requirements on appearance andstructure.

With the development of technology and fastdevelopment of CAD and CAM technology, providing more and more technicalsupport for prototype making, let prototype become more and more accurate. Onthe other hand, along with the social competition is becoming increasinglyintense, product development speed is increasingly becoming the main contradictionof the competition, then prototype making can improve the speed of productdevelopment effectively. It is in this case prototype manufacturing emerged andas a relatively independent industry and flourished.

The classification of prototype

According to the manufacture method points,it can be divided into manual prototype and numerical control prototype.

1.      Manual prototype: the main workis done by hand.

2.      Numerical control prototype:the main work is done by numerical control machines, according to the differentequipment used then it can be divided into laser Rapid Prototyping(RP, RapidPrototyping) and processing center(CNC) prototyping.

A: RP Prototype: mainly use laser rapidprototyping technology to process.

B: CNC Prototype: mainly produced by CNCmachines.

Advantages and disadvantages between RPprototype and CNC machining prototype:

The advantages of RP Prototype is mainlyits rapidity, but it is mainly through the stacking technology molding. RPPrototype is rough relative to CNC machining prototype and it has certainrequirements about products’ thickness.

The advantages of CNC machining prototypeis mainly that it can be very accurate reflecting drawings expressioninformation and CNC machining prototype surface quality is high, especiallyafter complete surface coating and silk screen. Even more shining than theproduct produced by mold. Therefore, CNC prototype manufacturing become themainstream in prototype line increasingly.

According to the material points:

It can be divided into plastic prototype,silicone prototype and metal prototype:

1.      Plastic prototype: raw materialis plastic mainly for some plastic products, such as TV, displayer, telephoneand so on.

2.      Silicone prototype: rawmaterial is silicone, mainly for showing some appearance prototypes, such ascar, telephone, toy and articles of everyday use products and so on.

3.      Metal prototype: raw materialis aluminum magnesium alloy and metal, mainly for high-end products, such as notebookcomputer, senior playback, MP3 player, CD machine and so on.

The necessity ofmaking prototype

1.      Testappearance design

Prototype is not only visible, butalso tangible. It can be physical form to relect designers’ cration in a veryintuitive way. And avoid the disavantage of “good-looking drawing but notgood-looking”. Therefor prototypeing is indispensable in new productdevelopment and research of product apperance.

2.      TestStucture design

Because prototype is assembled, itcan be reflect structural reasonable or not and the extent of assembly and easyto find and solve problems.

3.      Avoiddirect open mold risk

As the cost of molding isgenerally high, the cost of larger mold need hundreds of thousands or evenmillions, and if in molding process, unreasonable structure or other problemswould be found, then its loss would be imagined. But for ptototyping, it canavoid this kind of loss and reduce molding risk.

4.      Makethe product available time well in advance

Because the advancement ofprototype making, you can use prototype as product promotion before molddeveloped, even early sales, production preparation work and accupy the marketas soon as possible. Now the prototyping technology is quite mature andapperance prototype is same with the product and many manufacutres showedprototypes in exhibitions to get orders and then open mold production tominimize risks.