faq'S

Q: I'm not sure how to explain it, but can you make a thing, that goes on top of this piece, that enable this part over here to rotate around and bend slightly over to this side? Perhaps a metal of some sort, or maybe a hard plastic?
A: Yes. Don't worry, this is what we do every day.

 

Q: Do you make custom aluminium molds for potting of subsea electronic parts and high performance gas leak detectors?
A: Yes.

 

Q: Can you help us design, fabricate and build a test chamber for low pressure laminar flow in a liquid?
A: Yes.

 

Q: We have a test rig we destroyed in our lab, can you design a new one?
A: Even better, we will design it with added safety features. 

Q: Can you fabricate just a single part for us that we need for our project?
A: Yes. 

 

Some tips on the process of making a prototype

 

Purposes, goals and limitations are important aspects of any project. Ask yourself;

• Is your prototype supposed to run unattended for 10 years or are you making a proof of concept to your investors?
• Does it need to be waterproof?
• Are you in the final stages of assembly or is this the very first part?
• Do you need it to be exactly as per drawing or can we make some suggestions?

Maybe you just want to fix a pure technical problem and doesn't really care if the thing is blue or green, or how large the shaft diameter is. Or maybe vibration was a problem in the past so you wish to add dampers to your design. We will help you sort these things out and we usually spot a few more important details along the way.

 

What is your budget?

 

This is the first question we will ask you. We only need to know your upper limit. This sets a definitive standard for any project, even on a simple part. Our job is to offer solutions within that budget. 

 

How do we start?

 

 

This one is easy. Just get in touch and we'll take it from there. 

Try to make some notes on what's important and what's not. A simple list might look something like this:

 

• Operator safety is our main concern (note the area marked in red -pinching hazard).
• Make it as light as possible but still able to carry a load of 12kg.
• It should look streamlined on the outside but the parts can be rearranged on the inside as this is a demo piece.
• The placements of the ventilation holes on the back panel is non-critical but the rubber feet are already in stock so they must line up with the flange.
• Parts A and C are in design freeze (except for the internal radius -we can tolerate up to 3.8mm).
• Parts B and D: We're thinking something like this (link to example photos from web). Is this possible within budget?

  

If your company is working on new innovative technology, the limitations might not be clear at first. Our tip is to focus on what your goals are with this specific prototype. Define what purpose the prototype or part should fulfill. For example:

 

• Testing power output and logging all relevant data.
• Running seven different live demos following a month of training.
• Need to have two different configurations on the isotope collector.
• Need something fancy to get investors.

 

Some customer have CAD models or drawings in various stages, others just start with a phone call. We actually prefer to get in touch with you as soon as possible. In fact, a mobile photo of a simple sketch on a piece of paper, and the bullet points from above, is all it takes to get started. Our goal is to find the best solution for you within all those constraints. 

 

Didn't find what you were looking for? Visit our contact page and let us know what you want to see more of.