The advantages of using an in-house SRP machine
There are significant reasons why a product design company would use an external subtractive rapid prototyping company (SRP), like First Cut Prototype, part of the Proto Labs Group, instead of buying its own CNC milling machine or SRP system.It is a challenge for product designers to stay abreast of materials technology. A good SRP provider can ensure that the correct material is chosen from the outset. For designers with little or no manufacturing experience, producing a prototype component rarely means making just one part, but typically involves several iterations before design or manufacturing problems are overcome. An SRP provider only makes parts designed by its customers, giving designers access to a vast manufacturing knowledgebase. The result is the right part, including any necessary changes to ease manufacturing, in the best material, made quickly and cost-effectively.
It is rare that a designer needs just one prototype part. More often, he will need several during the development phase and, once the product has been signed off for marketing purposes, may need runs of 10s or even 100s off.
Using an in-house SRP machine means setting up a volume production operation, which can be disruptive, expensive and time consuming. Using the inherent flexibility of CNC milling machines, a good SRP provider can supply exactly the number of parts required, whether one-off or for a batch of 100.
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Proto Labs Ltd is based in Telford, UK. www.protolabs.com
