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Prototype Machining Iowa

CNC prototype machining

Prototype Machining in Iowa | CNC Prototyping

Prototype machining in Iowa. From idea to shelf, prototyping is the first step to creating products primed for mass-production. To get it correctly the first time around, you need to work with a prototype machine shop in Iowa that can not just bring your designs to life, but have engineers on staff that can also make revisions to the product to make it even better.

At Roberson Machine Company, we are a leader in rapid prototyping for a number of industries. No matter the design complexity, if you can think it up, we can help make it a reality! Our contract manufacturers are ready to support your product development initiatives.

Contact us or call 573-646-3996 for a free consultation on CNC prototype machining in Iowa.


Iowa Prototype Services

We have an expansive factory floor with lathes, mills, and EDM machines to meet your CNC prototyping expectations. The entire staff at Roberson Machine Company is dedicated to ensuring your product development journey goes off without a hitch, which is why we painstakingly oversee the entire design, fabrication, and programming process to make sure every last detail meets your standards.

Finally, we know how important it is to move a completed prototype to production so that it can get on the market as soon as possible. Once the prototypes design has been approved, we can easily transition it to our in-house production side. We want to be your one-stop machine shop for all prototyping services.

CNC prototyping services we offer:

  • Both simple and complex part geometries
  • Tight tolerances (as tight as 0.0001” inches for some parts)
  • Variety of materials, such as aluminum, stainless steel, etc.
  • Variety of capabilities, such as stamping, extrusion, bending, cutting, spinning, folding, welding, etc.

rapid prototyping


What is a Prototype?

A prototype is a first-attempt physical model of a product that’s made through a special manufacturing process like CNC machining. It can be used for many purposes and is usually the first step in the mass-production of a product. For instance, many companies turn to Roberson Machine Company to produce a physical part quickly in order to capture a sales opportunity or validate a design.

Prototyping is a very beneficial practice that can be used for:

  • Showcasing the physical model of a product to investors and customers in a relatively short amount of time
  • Exhibiting the appearance, dimensions, and features of your product
  • Creating multiple separate versions of the product with differing textures, colors, and finishes
  • Ensuring that all parts are standardized in terms of dimension, shape, quality, and size
  • Testing the product on the market before bringing it to full production
  • Finding and fixing potentially costly design defects before reaching market
  • Improving and streamlining the entire production process

In general, rapid prototyping in Iowa saves time and money by creating one product that can be tested and optimized to peak performance before having to invest in thousands of units. Contact us to learn more about how this process may help your business realize a variety of cost savings.

Who Utilizes Prototype Machining In Iowa?

Multiple Iowa industries are well aware of the advantages of prototype machining and utilize it to reduce the chance of disruptions in the development cycle. Roberson Machine Company has successfully partnered with a notable number of companies, both large and small, to achieve their prototype manufacturing requirements. We have helped the following Iowa industries and others develop prototypes quickly and efficiently:

  • With the advent of “just-in-time” manufacturing processes, the automotive industry requires new parts to be produced as fast as possible and in any quantity. Roberson Tool contracts with Iowa automotive firms as small as local custom shops and as large as OEM manufacturers to build prototype parts in a variety of materials, delivered quickly and within costs.
  • Oil and energy firms have unique demands for prototypes: they must be made to withstand the heavy pressure of underground pipeline burial, mining, and refining. Roberson responds to these demands by specializing in machining prototypes made of exotic materials such as plastics, brass, and alloy steel.
  • The Iowa medical industry mandates that parts are developed to some of the most demanding tolerances in the machining industry: after all, ensuring that defective parts do not make it to consumers is quite literally the difference between life and death. In addition, medical parts are often quite small and complicated in design. Roberson Machine Company is equipped with the latest 5-axis CNC machining tools that can not only quickly produce medical part prototypes regardless of size, but also provide process and tracking reports needed by the FDA.
  • Aerospace manufacturers require parts with specialized geometries and dimensions, and in a majority of cases using specialized metals that can withstand high temperatures and altitude. As well, the unique pressures and characteristics of flight necessitate parts built to strict tolerance and design standards. Our highly-trained technicians are ready to take on the unique demands of aerospace prototype manufacturing, and our ISO 9001:2015-certified Iowa machine shop is driven to deliver aerospace manufacturers parts built to the highest standard of quality.

This history of prototype manufacturing for multiple Iowa industries allows Roberson Machine Company to be a true partner throughout the manufacturing process. Our experienced team of engineers and machinists can help you identify flaws in your product, suggest design and usability improvements, and otherwise improve the quality of your Iowa end product while lowering your R&D costs.

Reasons to Use CNC Machining for Rapid Prototyping in Iowa

Prototyping can use a variety of methods to complete projects, but CNC machining is by far the most effective. Also known as computer numerical control, CNC allows you to design a product digitally, input that data into a computer, and let the CNC machine take care of the rest, shaving away portions from a piece of raw material in order to create the desired end-shape.

Using computers eliminates human error and improves the efficiency of the cuts which, in turn, means that you can make quick, flawless parts the first time AND every time thereafter. There are so many other reasons to choose CNC for your prototype, such as:

  • More precise – Computer-controlled machines use modern cutters that are very precise and accurate in order to create parts with tolerances sometimes as tight as +.05 mm.
  • Faster – Modern CNC machine can typically create one part in a matter of minutes, which is ideal for getting the end-results to market quickly.
  • Different materials to choose from – CNC machine tools are able to work with virtually any material that is machinable, which includes many kinds of metal and plastic substrates. This is a great advantage to product developers who want to test from one different material to the next.
  • Fixed tooling is not necessary – CNC machined parts do not need to use separate tools and dies, which helps diminish the initial investment costs and lead time for new product development.
  • Can easily change design – New product development often requires a series of improvements and modifications to the original design. With CNC machining, you can easily alter digital instructions as many times as necessary.

Prototype Manufacturing Near Me Iowa | Roberson Machine Company

CNC machining is used by many businesses who need high-quality and quick parts in small volumes for prototyping, engineering, and testing samples. When you choose Roberson Machine Company, we will work with you at every point to ensure that your designs are crafted to perfection on time and that all of your needs are met.

Contact us for CNC prototyping Iowa services of all kinds. Call 573-646-3996 for a free quote.


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