3D Rapid Prototyping

Real ABS Plastic Prototypes [back to top]

There's no substitute for getting a real ABS plastic prototype of your idea.

ABS is the material that most household and consumer products are made of. Your shower head, telephone, computer mouse and inkjet printer are all examples of ABS plastic being used in real-world products. ABS is ideal because it combines the strength and rigidity of Acrylic resin with a rubber material that gives it its bounce. That's why you can throw a phone against the wall and it doesn't break.

The Genau Design Prototype uses real ABS to make your part. That means it's possible to get the properties of an injection-molded part for less than the cost of an iPod. And just like your shower head, you can make your part chrome to give it a metal look.

Genau Design Prototypes are invaluable for the inventor who wants to see real progress, the product designer who wants her client to get the feel of a product, and the hobbyist who needs a special part to complete his project.

A 3D rapid prototype will never be exactly the same as an injection-molded part. But then again, it costs about 1% of getting your first plastic injection part.

On the one hand, you have less "resolution" in a rapid-prototype than in an injection molded part, which means you loose fine detail and tight tolerances. On the other hand, you can make one-off parts than absolutely cannot be made by injection molding alone. Following is a brief table outlining the differences:

The bottom line is a Genau Design 3D prototype lets you make progress faster and save thousands of dollars in rework later on.

Rapid prototyping is a great tool to get the ball rolling. Let's face it, at some point, you've stared at your design too long. Every iteration is a small step forward and another back. There's just no substitute for a real part.

Getting a real plastic prototype in your hands lets you interact with the product. You finally see how big it really is. You communicate better with your customers. Your tooling partners see exactly what you are doing and can alert you to challenges in your design. Best of all, you discover new solutions to getting your idea to market.

Functional Prototypes [back to top]

Genau Design Prototypes are real ABS. That means you can test your designs and be more confident that they work as they should.

If you have experience with SLA (Stereo-Lithography ) rapid prototypes, you've witnessed thin sections warp and latches snap in two. A beautiful SLA on day one is like a piece of taffy left out in the sun on day three. That's because SLA's are made with a crystalline material. It's like building something out of sugar. Genau Rapid Prototypes are different.

With Genau Prototypes, gears really work, vessels actually hold water and latches snap the way they are supposed to. And they stay that way day after day, because they are made of ABS.

Go ahead and make a snap-fit assembly. Use bayonets, threads of any description and thin tensioning sections. The Genau Design Prototype holds its shape.

You can make tubes that hold water or any other liquid – even under pressure. Say you have an idea for a new type of hose nozzle complete with acme screw that mixes different spray patterns. You can have a complete assembly to prove your invention in as little as one day. Plus you'll have the parts to show your customers and your tooling vendors! Send us your parts, tell us what's important and we'll work to make it right.

Finishing Touches [back to top]

From water sealing to gold plating, Genau Design can finish your prototype to look and work like the real thing.

Genau Design 3D rapid prototypes are made in layers .010 to .013 inches thick. Between each layer, there are microscopic gaps that can let air or water seep though. We make sure these gaps are closed. All Genau Design Prototypes are finished with our PartSeal process to ensure these layers are bonded together into a water-tight and air-tight part. This process also bonds the ABS layers together to give you a part with a strength that is as close to a molded part as possible.

For prototypes entering the final stages of presentation to your customers and prospects, Genau Design offers Metalizing options to give you the look of a plated product, from standard chrome to brushed nickel, polished copper and even 24 karat gold.

Getting Started. View our Rapid Prototype Checklist [back to top]

Send us your order and you could see your CAD efforts come to life in as little as one day!

Before you get started, here's a handy checklist:

Wall thicknesses should be at least 0.020 inches thick and ideally 0.060 or more for a more robust part. Any area that is less than 0.020 inches may not work as intended. Be mindful of grooves and other surface details that may reduce your wall thicknesses. These parts may not print properly at the grove and may actually end up as two separate parts.

Threads should be made with large tolerances. Part resolution is 0.010 to 0.013 inches, which means that fine and close-tolerance threads loose some of their fidelity and may bind when assembled. Choose the extreme ends of thread tolerances to ensure your model threads together properly. All threads must be defined as solids. Cosmetic threads will not print.

Large solids and space-claim parts can be made "sparse" for substantial savings. If you just want to explore exterior designs before full internal engineering, select "Sparse" when submitting your part. These parts are made with a 0.060-inch wall and a fine lattice on the inside to help the part keep it's shape.

Completely enclosed sections should be avoided. Think of a tennis ball or any other hollow part. Engineer a small hole (.060 or larger) somewhere in the part to avoid material being left inside your prototype.

File types we use are STL and NEU. Review the resulting file in your software program to ensure you are satisfied with the shape and resolution.

File resolution. It's best to reduce your cord height and angle control to zero or the minimum allowed by your software.

Ready to go? Get a quote now!

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