Prototyping methods may vary due to cost or timing requirements but the appearance and feel of a presentation prototype will be as close to actual production that is required by the individual customer. Surface and paint specifications can be exacting as well as detailing and decorating.
Collecting valuable market feedback is a critical step in the development process.
Applications:
Photography
Focus groups
Design reviews
Aid in developing sales literature
Sales tool
Functional prototypes are used in new product testing applications as well as proof of concept prior to investing in more costly production tooling. This allows for material or structural analysis, field testing, strength and feasibility studies.
Servicing the Point of Purchase Industry:
IPPD provides Presentation Quality POP display prototypes and creative problem solving solutions for customer’s nation wide.
We can assist you with any POP prototype or product development need including:
CAD Engineering
Finished, presentation quality, final prototypes in any material
Plastic hand fabricated and CNC machined prototypes and parts.
Pattern making: Thermo-form, Roto-molding, Urethane molding.
Tooling: machined aluminum, thermo-form & injection molding, high heat epoxy thermo-form, rotocasting to simulate roto-molding and blow-molding.
Interactive real time prototype development problem solving.
Small run production.
In house 3D CAD design and modeling capabilities utilizing SolidWorks to help our customers achieve their desired goals. We can produce a fully engineered digital prototype, which will save time and money in the long run.
We can provide full engineering documentation as well as oversee and provide project management through the production cycle of your project.
CNC machined from a CAD file in virtually any material to fit a wide variety of customer’s needs, very useful in proving tooling, material, concept, function and feasibility.
One main benefit of CNC machining is the ability to produce prototypes quickly and efficiently from engineered materials and is the only option for material specific needs.
Commonly machined materials:
HDPE
Nylon 6
Acetyl
PVC
Brass
CRS
Aluminum
Stainless Steel
Plastic fabrication can be an effective process for proving parts that will be molded or extruded in production. For large parts it can be a more cost effective method than SLA as well as more durable and realistic.
CNC machined or hand made to actual size from a variety of inexpensive materials to provide the first 3D interpretation of a design concept. Use throughout the CAD modeling process to ensure proper ergonomics and scale possibly saving hundreds of CAD hours.
Urethane casting can be the ideal choice when you need an inexpensive way to create multiples of a prototype part. Production looking in quality, hundreds can be produced having similar physical properties to production. RTV tools (room temperature vulcanization) are capable of reproducing small details or textures present on the master pattern and can be forgiving when it comes to geometry.
Silicone rubber is poured into a cavity surrounding a pattern and once cured the pattern is removed. This tooling can be used to produce a variety prototype and short run production cast urethane parts. This is a great way to replicate injection molded parts for prototype, market or field testing during the product development cycle.
We can provide, machining, drilling, turning, forming, and bending, shearing, cutting, grinding, welding, brazing, and soldering. If there is something which has to be made out of metal, we can accommodate just about any project.
We can provide everything from a class “A” base and clear-coat automotive finish to faux finishes. Services including spray painting, stain and wipe, hot stamping, texture and soft touch painting. We can do whatever is necessary to simulate the appearance of a production part.
CAD can be great for a lot of things but to create free form organic shapes or extremely detailed textures, creativity and a trained sculptor is the best choice. We work in a variety of materials, including clay, foam, wood and urethane to produce a prototype or pattern for your needs. If needed the final work can be digitally scanned and reincorporated into a hybrid CAD model.
Hand lay-up epoxy and polyester fiberglass construction as well as vacuum bagged carbon fiber molded parts.
CNC machined from 3D CAD files or hand fabricated from many different materials based on function and cost requirements, IPPD can quickly produce and design patterns for your needs.
Hand lay-up epoxy and high heat epoxy tooling used for thermo forming tools, foam molding tools as well as fixtures and jigs. These tools can be back filled with glass spheres for even stronger, longer lasting results.
CNC machined aluminum and P20 tooling can be created to produce a wide variety of injection molded parts. These tools can produce thousands of parts.
Thermo formed prototype and short run production parts formed and trimmed to customer specifications in many formable materials. We can recommend and create the type of tooling needed to produce your thermo formed parts. Depending on the type of material being formed and the quantity of parts needed, the tooling can vary dramatically.
Tooling options:
Pine
Mahogany
Tooling board (REN)
High heat tooling board
Epoxy tooling / High heat
Machined Aluminum
Cast aluminum
Water cooled
Roto-Casting is the only effective method to produce prototype Blow Molded or Rotational Molded parts.
This process begins by producing a master pattern of the desired part. The pattern can be an SLA, CNC machined from tooling board or hand carved from almost any material. The detail achieved through Roto-casting can be outstanding so finishing and texturing of the pattern is done before the master is molded.
When the pattern is finished an RTV (room temperature vulcanized rubber) tool is produced resulting in a silicone tool. Once the master is removed the tool is cleaned, assembled and placed on the Roto-casting machine.
Roto-cast urethane parts can be produced in a variety of materials.
Some applications are:
Decoys
Seats
Bellows
Air ducts
Bottles
