Functional Prototype

PCBWay offers comprehensive and cost-effective functional prototyping services. We support customers’ engineering evaluation with rapid prototyping, 50+ materials precision CNC machining and 3D Scanning & Printing. We help customers reduce costs through process optimization and refinement by providing functional prototypes that closely simulate the intended final product quickly and inexpensively.

A functional prototype is the most basic working prototype built to validate a product design. Additionally, it is an integral part of the assembly, testing, piloting, and market research process that evaluates design, materials, strength, tolerances, assembly, work mechanisms, manufacturability. Manufactured with several prototyping techniques and engineering-grade materials, functional prototypes are alternatives to finished products, allowing examination and testing on form, fitness, and functionality under extreme working conditions to improve designs.

At PCBWay, we provide you solutions to create a precise and detailed functional prototype for quick, economical, and low-risk product testing and evaluation. With advanced rapid prototyping technology, we bring your design to life in a few days. We offer expert advice covering testing, assembly, functionality, or starting points for downstream manufacturing service.

As such, you gain full design validation in functional testing and confidently implement full production. Functional prototype fabrication techniques include CNC machining, 3D Printing, vacuum re-molding, rapid aluminum molding, etc.

Precision CNC Machining

Our rapid CNC milling and turning capabilities enable us to produce the finest, most accurate design prototypes, fully functioning engineering prototypes and master patterns. Our state-of-the-art equipment can speed up manufacturing and increase the accuracy of highly complex geometries while meeting tight tolerance demands.

Vacuum Casting

Vacuum casting is ideal for low volume production of a functional prototype (10 to 50 copies). Choose polyurethane materials with different physical properties to meet functional tests under conditions, like mechanical load, thermal load, other reliability tests. Additionally, obtain production-like results, including colour, finish, texture, and soft-hand feel.

3D printing services

3D printing services leverage an Intelligent Manufacturing network of over 1,000 machines. We have an unmatched capacity to deliver parts within hours. In addition to a broad range of material selection, we offer several post-processing options to improve cosmetics or enhance mechanical properties.
We use the latest additive manufacturing technology to build affordable functional parts in over 30 metals and plastics. PCBWay offers six high-quality printing processes including Selective Laser Sintering, Fused Deposition Modeling, Stereolithography, Selective Laser Melting , Poly jet and Multi Jet Fusion.

Rapid Tooling in Aluminum Molds

A low-volume prototype is not only the best method to save time. But also most excellent for testing form-fit and preliminary markets. Though it cannot match the end function of a final product. It manufactures hundreds even thousands of functional prototypes in the quickest time. Besides, it provides on-demand low-volume manufacturing for end-user parts.
This fast and cost-effective plastic molding method not only manufactures hundreds of functional test prototypes close to the final product, but also provides production of end-use parts on demand.

CASE STUDY

Blood Oxygen Sensor

requirements: "We would like to protect the sensor against humidity, dirt or any other damage that could be introduced due t fact that it is in contact with the skin and the air. But this protection layer should be transparent in order to er performance of the sensor. Do you have any special resin or something to protect it? We were thinking in som that could be adapted to any shape."

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