Prototyping

Custom Prototyping Services and Production Components

Prototyping is an essential part of the product development process. CDN’s product development team has the added advantage of being able to create your prototypes in-house using CDN’s advanced prototyping and manufacturing capabilities. Our team is capable of producing models ranging from detailed visual models through fully functional engineering prototypes; from a single component for validation to low-volume production assemblies.

We have comprehensive equipment for metal fabrication, waterjet cutting, welding, CNC machining, plastics molding, and more. We also have a wide range of fast-turnaround suppliers and vendors for additional services including: plating, heat-treating, powder-coating and other finishing services. CDN is the clear choice for your next project when speed, efficiency, great design and easy manufacturability are key to your product’s success.

Painting, Powder-Coating, and Finishing

When your prototypes or production parts need to have a high-quality finish, CDN provides a wide range of production-quality finishing options. From custom wet-coat painting in our walk-in paint booth, to powder-coating, heat-treating, and plating, we have a solution that’s right for you, often right under the same roof as our prototyping and short-run manufacturing facility.

Prototyping capabilities at Creative Design Network.

Rapid Prototypes – SLA, SLS, and 3D Printing

3D printing technology has been rapidly developing over the last several years and CDN has kept pace with the latest advances. We’ve recently introduced the Onyx Pro 3D printer to our facility, capable of printing black carbon parts with the durability and strength of aluminum. Additionally, we can provide rapid prototype parts very quickly in a number of different materials. The most common processes are SLA (Stereolithography) and SLS (Selective Laser Sintering). We also offer a wide range of finish levels depending on your budget, schedule and expected use.

Plastics Prototyping – Urethane Casting, Thermoforming, and Injection Molding

Prototypes of plastic components are usually required as part of the design validation process. For thermoformed parts, CDN can machine and build the tooling, and vacuum-form your parts in a matter of days instead of weeks. We can also create multiple prototypes of injection molded components with our urethane casting process or we can take a part that was created in one of our CNC machining centers or through our SLA and SLS processes and create multiple copies using RTV Silicone Molds.

Breadboard and Proof-of-Concept Models

From testing a simple mechanism to building a proof-of-concept beta test model, this level of prototyping is critical to the successful development of most products. Complete product prototypes can be built using a number of different materials and finishes, depending on your intended use. These models range from non-functional visual styling models for form and color study, all the way to fully-functional pre-production prototypes built using production-quality tooling and fabrication processes.

CNC Machining and Turning

Prototype and production components can be created in a wide variety of materials, including plastics, composites, aluminum and steel. We have several in-house CNC machining centers that give us the ability to fill your next custom machining order quickly and efficiently.

Metal Fabrication and Waterjet Cutting

Whether you need a single steel bracket, production-volume component fabrication, or anything in-between; we can cut, form, roll, machine, weld and finish your parts. We have most common metal fabrication equipment and we’ve also added a 4’ x 8’ Flow Dynamic-Head Waterjet capable of cutting draft-free parts up to 8” thick in virtually ANY material.

Equipment

  • Flow Dynamic Head Waterjet, 4’x8′ cutting surface, thickness up to 8″
  • Press Brake, 8-Axis CNC, 126 Ton, 10.5′ wide, and CNC Auto Crowning
  • Onyx Pro 3D Printer
  • Haas CNC Mill & Lathe
  • Metalworking equipment; forming, rolling, turning, cutting
  • Woodworking equipment; cutting, drilling, planing, joining
  • Welding; MIG & TIG
  • Vacuum forming
  • RTV silicone molds / urethane parts
  • Wet-coat painting and powder-coating
  • Network of sources for heat-treating, plating, and other finishing
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