Build, measure learn.
What is a Prototype?
Prototypes are the tangible iterations of innovation. They are essential tools for learning, validation, technical verification, and presentation. At Blender, we harness the power of prototyping to bring your ideas into the physical realm, ensuring that each design not only meets but excels in the real world.
Why do we make prototypes?
Our prototyping process is an exercise in quality control—a critical tool to help us design products that align perfectly with market requirements and user needs. With 17 years of experience, we’ve honed our craft in producing product prototypes that serve multiple purposes:
- For Learning: To glean insights and validate concepts early in the product design process.
- For Presentation: To showcase potential and captivate stakeholders with a vision made visible.
- For Technical Verification: To ensure that every product can withstand the rigours of its intended use.
The Process of Prototyping at Blender
Our approach begins with a crucial question: Why are we prototyping? Understanding the purpose behind the prototype informs our approach and dictates whether one or multiple prototypes are necessary. We guide you through the process to decide what kind of prototype, and what materials and processes will best serve your project needs.
Why Choose Our Product Prototyping Services?
We view prototyping not as a mere step but as an integral part of the design process—a powerful experiment that defines and refines. Our in-house capabilities allow us to prototype swiftly and cost-effectively, turning learning and validation into a potent tool for product evolution. With Blender, prototyping is leveraged to its full potential, optimising and mitigating risk to ensure that we’re not just creating products, but crafting success stories.
The Benefits of Prototyping
Our prototyping process is an exercise in quality control—a critical tool to help us design products that align perfectly with market requirements and user needs. With 17 years of experience, we’ve honed our craft in producing product prototypes that serve multiple purposes:
- Engineering Verification: Does your product stand up to its claims? From waterproofing to durability tests, we validate every feature against stringent criteria.
- User Validation: We place prototypes in the hands of your users, gathering invaluable feedback to refine functionality and appeal.
Our Prototyping Services
Our prototyping process is an exercise in quality control—a critical tool to help us design products that align perfectly with market requirements and user needs. With 17 years of experience, we’ve honed our craft in producing product prototypes that serve multiple purposes:
- Proof-of-Concept & Form Studies: These early-stage product design prototypes facilitate learning and concept validation.
- Looks Like Prototypes: Visually and tactically represent the final product for presentations and marketing.
- Functional Prototypes: Working models used for testing and further validation.
- Presentation Prototypes: The polished version of the product, ready for user interaction and final feedback.
- Manufacturing Prototypes: The last verification stage, ensuring the product is optimised for the manufacturing process.
Our Workshop
Welcome to our state-of-the-art workshop – the hub of innovation at Blender. More than just a space, it’s a prototyping lab where ideas are crafted into reality. Our facility is designed not for mass production, but for the pulse of creativity; it’s here that prototypes gain their form and function.
If you visit our workshop, you may also find the team building test jigs, fixtures, mock-ups, proof of concept prototypes or doing testing of some sort. We also do the occasional small batch assembly run. It really is a multipurpose space.
The most valuable thing about our workshop, however, is that it enables us to learn by making stuff and experimenting with new materials and processes. We love trying new ways to solve problems and using a hands-on approach of build, measure, and learning is how we are able to truly innovate. Our Designers and Engineers are not stuck behind a computer screen all day. They are in and out of the workshop making stuff, breaking stuff and constantly innovating.
In-house 3D Printing
The ability to 3D print in-house is a hugely empowering tool for us to accelerate our design process. We have three FDM machines constantly in use and aiding us in our innovation. We are able to turn our CAD designs quickly and easily into real physical parts, allowing us to learn and refine our designs with less time and cost!
We are also able to produce small batches of parts, production jigs and fixtures, parts for test rigs, and all sorts of other useful stuff.
Our Prototyping Capabilities
- Stereolithography (SLA)
- Digital Light Processing (DLP)
- Fused deposition modeling (FDM)
- Selective Laser Sintering (SLS)
- Selective laser melting (SLM)
- Electronic Beam Melting (EBM)
- Laminated object manufacturing (LOM)
- Metal Stamping
- Laser Cutting
- Water Cutting
- Plate Cutting
- Wire Cutting
- CNC machined parts
- Die Casting
- Sand Casting
- Investment Casting
- Vacuum Casting (Silicone Molding)
- Adhesive Labels & Decals
- Wire Rolling
- UV Cured Painting & Decoration
- Laser Etching
- Graphic Overlays
- Tactile button Membranes
- LED light guides
- Aluminium Tooling
- Foam Molding
- Compression Molding
- Hotmelt Overmolding
- Reaction Injection Molding (RIM)
- Sheet Metal Fabrication
- Sheet Plastic Fabrication
- Thermo forming
- Silk Screen Printing
- Carbon Fibre Mandrel Wrapping
- Carbon Fibre Resin Infused Molding
- Compression Molding
- Vacuum Forming
Ready to bring your concept one step closer to reality?
Get in touch to talk to us about how we can help you to develop a successful product.
ARE YOU …
- an entrepreneur or a startup with a bold vision and ideas?
- an established business looking to create your first product?
- an established product company looking for what’s next and how to get competitive advantage?
