Concept & Design
Got an idea but not sure where to start? We help transform sketches, concepts, or even a napkin drawing into manufacturable 3D designs. Our team guides you through CAD modeling, design refinement, and design-for-manufacturing (DFM) support — making sure your idea is ready for prototyping and production.
Our Process
1. Discovery – Share your idea, sketch, or existing part.​​ ​ This is a critical stage where we can synchronize our process with your vision to ensure that tolerances, function, and aesthetics are in line from the beginning.
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2. CAD Modeling – We create detailed 3D files or refine what you already have. We specialize in several modeling software suites, including Fusion 360, Solidworks, CREO, Rhino, and Inventor. If you have any specific software needs, we are happy to accommodate them.
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3. Design for Manufacturing (DFM) – Optimize geometry, tolerances, and material use. This is often the most cumbersome phase for entrepreneurs as the industry often has many
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4. Prototyping Plan – Outline the best path forward for rapid prototyping.
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Discovery
In the discovery stage, we dive into the critical details that shape your product’s success. Together, we identify operating temperatures, biocompatibility needs, and requirements for UV or flame resistance.
We capture specifications like color matching, tolerances, and electronic interfaces, and evaluate conductivity for materials or circuits. This ensures your design is engineered for performance, safety, and manufacturability from the start.
02
CAD | 3D Model
This process can be quite challenging when dealing with a design firm. Many do not even know that they need a 3D file.
We provide design and simulation services to make sure that we can inexpensively test part interfaces, saving our customers both time and capital on redundant prototypes.
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Design for Manufacturing
Protoproof can save our clients thousands of dollars by optimizing the design for manufacturing on the front end, rather than making adjustments during the manufacturing phase.
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Through our design for manufacturing (DFM) analysis, we evaluate geometry, tolerances, and material selection to ensure that the product can remain cost-effective and functional at every scale for our clients.
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You can rest easy knowing that factors like shrinkage, coefficient of linear thermal expansion, and cross-linked polymer selection are all taken care of by our team.
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Prototyping Plan
Protoproof maintains a wide variety of materials ranging from carbon fiber-reinforced nylon to silicone-like materials.
Our largest print volume is (13" x 7.3" x 16"). However, we have had several clients in recent projects that required larger parts. To compensate for the printer volume constraints, we carved custom weld joints and fastened these larger parts together to meet the profile requirements.
However, if the part must be one piece, we have alternative techniques to fabricate a sacrificial mold to produce a single, large part. These processes are all custom-tailored to each project for affordability, scalability, and speed.