Prototyping. Are you looking for a reliable supplier of prototyped parts through the quickness and proficiency of CNC machining? With hundreds of CNC machines run by an experienced staff of machinists, the Roberson Machine Company in-house capacity ensures your prototyping is shipped on-time, every single time.
At Roberson Machine Company, we specialize in prototyping for a number of businesses and customers. If you can dream it or draw it up we have the capabilities to make it a reality, several times over and in different materials, if necessary. Our talented team of specialists is prepared to get to work on your prototyping needs. Reach out to get a instant pricing on our CNC prototyping.
Call us today at 573-646-3996 or contact us online to discuss your next prototyping project.
The range of affordable metal alloys — like aluminum 6061 or stainless steel 303 — as well as firm plastics such as Delrin acetal, combined with the speed and precision of our talented machinists, makes our CNC machining service a great option for prototyping.
What Are the Benefits of Prototyping?
Prototyping using CNC machining is beneficial in creating high-quality physical models of a design idea. Prototyping is usually the first step in the mass production of a product. Many customers turn to Roberson Machine Company for prototyping for:
- Showcasing the physical model of a product to investors and customers in a relatively short amount of time
- Demonstrating the appearance, dimensions, and features of your product
- Generating multiple separate versions of the product with differing colors, surface textures, and finishing processes
- Ensuring that all parts are standardized in terms of quality, size, dimension, and shape
- Testing the product on the market bringing it to full production
- FInding and fixing potentially expensive design defects before reaching the market
- Improving and streamlining the entire production process
Who Uses Prototyping?
Prototyping is an ideal solution for companies in a multitude of industries who need high-quality parts in specified volumes at a fast pace. We have recently helped the following industries with rapid prototyping using our CNC machining:
- The automotive industry requires new parts to be developed as fast as possible and in set quantities, particularly when employing Just in Time manufacturing. Our specialists build prototype parts in an array of materials for several automotive industry clients.
- Our customers in the medical industry require small and intricately designed parts. Prototyping parts with precise tolerances can quite literally be the difference between life and death. We are proud to provide prototyping utilizing the latest 5 axis CNC machining tools that can not only quickly fabricate medical part prototypes no matter the dimensions, but also provide trackable reports mandated by the FDA.
- Firms in the oil and energy industry have special requirements for prototyping — parts must be built to withstand the heavy pressure of underground pipeline burial, mining, and refining. Roberson Machine Company is able to meet these standards by using only the finest materials.
- Our customers in the aerospace industry require prototyped parts with highly technical geometrical dimensions, as well as using rare metals that will not deform or warp at high temperatures and altitudes. Our knowledgeable machinists are ready to tackle the unique demands of aerospace prototyping.
Our track record in prototyping for multiple industries allows us to be a true partner throughout your manufacturing process. Using our CNC prototyping service is a great choice for high quality parts. With our endless options of prototyping solutions, Roberson Machine Company is your one-stop shop. You can also get your prototyped parts delivered right to your door without the hassle of sourcing, project management, logistics, or shipping. Call us now today at 573-646-3996 or contact us online to discuss your options.
Why Should I Use CNC Machining for Prototyping?
There are many methods that can be used to create prototyping, but CNC machining at Roberson Machine Company is the most effective. CNC machining allows you to design a product digitally, program the data into the computer using software, and let our CNC machine take care of the rest. Using CNC eliminates human error and improves the efficiency of prototyping which, in turn, means we can make flawless, quick parts the first time and every time. There are a variety of other reasons to choose CNC machining for your prototyping needs, including:
- Speed
- Fixed Tooling is Not Necessary
- Accuracy
- Easily Modify
- Different Materials to Choose From
- Aluminums: 6061, 7075, 7050 or “aa7050 alloy”
- Stainless steel: 303, 304
- Plastics: Delrin, Nylon, PEEK, HDPE, Glass Filled Nylon
A CNC machine runs on a set of CAD and CAM programmed code. The CAD software designs the models and assemblies that the CAM software translates into G-code and M-code that drive the CNC machine’s tools to turn those designs into physical parts.
Once programmed with the G-code by the Roberson specialists, our mills and lathes can cut through anything you desire with astonishing speed, turning raw material into your finished part in seconds.
The only tools necessary for prototyping using CNC machining are the metal cutting inserts used in the spindles of our mills and lathes. Different shapes and sizes of cutting inserts or blades are useful for various functions whatever material is required for your prototyping, and these can be swapped out in our machines almost instantaneously.
Not having to spend time swapping out parts or changing machines for prototyping cuts down on costs. Roberson Machine Company passes along those savings to you. Call us at 573-646-3996 or reach out to request a quote.
In our machine shop, we consistently achieve tolerances of 0.005” for our longer production runs, or we rely on changing the machine if we run a tighter tolerance. For shorter runs, we can cut as precise as 0.001,” or about a fourth the width of a human hair.
Setting things in stone is for the Stone Age. At Roberson Machine Company, we believe in adaptation when the job — and most importantly the customer — calls for it. Prototyping often requires adjusting, modifying, or completely rehauling the original design. This is simple to do with our CNC machines, where our specialists only need a few seconds and a few keystrokes to alter G-code.
Easy modifications are especially attractive for our customers, allowing them the chance to test several different iterations and immediately see the results. Tweaking G-code and making refined adjustments for prototyping in the moment greatly reduces time and costs.
Our CNC machines are indifferent to what they are cutting. Our customers use various materials for prototyping, depending upon their industry. Many of our customers want to see prototypes in a range of materials. CNC machining provides a huge benefit here. The same design can be prototyped in rigid plastic, aluminum, or steel, as examples, with only minimal adjustments made to the speed and feed of the tool doing the cutting. In addition to softer, lighter metals like magnesium and brass we utilize many materials for prototyping, including:
Prototyping | Roberson Machine Company
Prototyping saves time and money by creating a single run of a product that can be tested and optimized to peak performance before investing in a full production run of thousands of units. Roberson Machine Company can help you and your business realize a variety of cost savings. We specialize in utilizing CNC machining for prototyping for various customers in a variety of industries. We’d love to do the same for you.
Call us today at 573-646-3996 or contact us online to talk about your next prototyping project.