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Do I need a prototype of my invention?

This depends very much on the individual idea. It is often possible to convey the idea to an interested party using professional presentation boards showing how the product looks and what it does. However concept prototypes are sometimes necessary to either prove that an idea works or instantly convey an idea that is hard to describe on paper. If people need to interact with the idea to be persuaded of the benefits then a prototype can make all the difference.

Often people are more prepared to back an idea if they can see that a lot of the development work has already been done and a prototype demonstrates this. An inventor could typically expect to charge more for an idea if it has been prototyped.

How much will a prototype cost?

Prototypes costs vary hugely depending on the size and complexity of the idea. Typically for a small handheld product with a unique shape it could be in the region of two thousand pounds.

Why are prototypes so expensive?

Often the idea has to be designed first to establish: the layout of internal components; the shape of the casing; how the product will be manufactured etc. Then a virtual model has to be built using computer aided design and then finally a prototype can be built using rapid prototyping. All of this takes time and therefore it is expensive.

What is rapid prototyping?

Rapid prototyping is a technology that takes a 3D computer model and builds a 3D plastic part. There are three basic techniques for rapid prototyping:

Stereolithography (SLA) is a rapid prototyping method that uses a platform coated in a thin layer of UV-curable liquid resin. Software slices up the computer generated virtual prototype into cross sections and then determines the path of the laser. This information is fed to the rapid prototyping machine which moves the UV laser over the surface of the resin and cures a cross-section of the part. Then the platform descends by a single layer thickness, typically 0.1 mm, and a blade sweeps across the platform re-coating it with fresh material. On this new liquid surface the subsequent part cross section is traced with the laser, adhering to the previous layer. A complete 3-D part is formed by this process. After building, parts are cleaned of excess resin by immersion in a chemical bath and then cured in a UV oven.

Selective laser sintering (SLS) is a rapid prototyping technique that uses a high power carbon dioxide laser to fuse small particles of plastic powder into the shape of the desired 3D object. The laser selectively fuses powdered material by scanning cross-sections generated from a 3D CAD model on the surface of a bed of powder in a similar way to SLA. After each cross-section is scanned, the powder bed is lowered by 0.1mm and a new layer of material is applied on top, and the process is repeated until the part is completed.

Fusion Deposition Modelling (FDM) works by laying down material in layers like most other RP processes. A plastic filament is unwound from a coil and supplies material to an extrusion nozzle which can turn the flow on or off. The nozzle is heated to melt the material and can be moved in both horizontal and vertical directions. This again is directly controlled by a Computer Aided Design software package. The model is built up from layers as the material hardens immediately after extrusion from the nozzle.

Are there cheaper ways of building a prototype?

Some ideas can be prototyped simply from existing products or by using ordinary materials and these will be cheaper. Another cheaper way is to build a prototype that proves the principle of the idea without necessarily looking like the final product. This is called a ‘proof of principle’ prototype. Alternatively an aesthetic model could be built that shows what the product will look like but does not prove whether it will work.

What are the different types of prototype?

There are three main categories of prototype:

1. Proof of principle: A prototype that simply proves that a particularly new system or mechanism works. Often it is just part of the overall idea and it does not need to look like the final product.

2. Aesthetic model: A prototype that looks like the final product but is not fully functional.

3. Pre-production prototype: A pre-production prototype looks, feels and works like the final product. This type of prototype can be produced to mimic how it would actually be manufactured to check that everything will fit together correctly.

How can I get a prototype built?

There are companies that specialize in building prototype inventions. The companies can be found in the Innovation Services Directory section of the website.