Medical Devices Prototype: Minimizing The Challenges

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Medical Devices Prototype Minimizing The
Challenges
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Since success challenged development often
results in a seemingly unending cycle of
design-test-redesign-test-repeat. This not only
eats into the budget, but the project timeline as
well. 
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Obviously, one sure-fire way to get to market
fast and on budget is to identify design
opportunities early in the design process-often
easier said than done.
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Plastic components-from internal mechanisms and
supports to cosmetic enclosures and
interfaces-obviously require testing as well. In
the past, obtaining a short run of actual plastic
parts to function test required a lot of money
and a long lead time. If a developer wanted to
test a few parts he was relegated to SLA
(stereolithography) or RTV (cast urethane) parts.
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These types of processes produced parts that
worked well for form and fit, but basing
functional test results on them had recall
written all over the place.
Many times errors can be caught during
the medical devices prototype phase, when bench
models are relatively inexpensive and changes can
be quick. 
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But, errors that are discovered further
downstream are usually more expensive to remedy.
Not to mention that time lost deep in the
development cycle is not only difficult to
recover, but also very costly. And then there are
the errors that are found not in development or
testing, but after the product hits the hands of
the customer.
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Fortunately, recent technological advances in the
realm of Rapid Tooling have presented product
designers with new options. A few
medical devices prototype have successfully honed
their processes to such a point that they can
produce actual plastic components that sometimes
compete head-to-head with SLA and RTV in terms of
both price and delivery. 
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The players in this game range from vendors who
use only CNC machining (which often requires
special part design concessions) to those who can
produce a near production quality part that can
be used for bridging into production as hard
tooling is built. 
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Often a simple plastic part produced from a CNC
cut tool is all that is needed, but if the
requirement is a test part that will closely
mirror a production part, it makes sense to use
the process that closely mirrors production
tooling.
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Remember, the goal is to identify design
opportunities and challenges early in the
process.
Before deciding on a process or provider,
consider the following items that can have
dramatic impact on the plastic parts you receive
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Does material specification fit the application?
Not everyone is a materials expert especially
when it comes to plastic resins. The plastics
industry changes daily with new developments and
advances. However, like most materials, there is
usually one or two that will fit your needs
better than others. Additionally, consider that
custom blended materials will often carry a long
lead time and higher price than an off the shelf
stock color material. Contact a resin supplier if
you have questions about your material spec.
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Better yet, if your medical devices prototype
company has a good knowledge base and experience
in development, consult with them on materials.
Be prepared to answer questions that refer to
environment, application, agency approvals, UV
stabilization, cosmetic issues, hardness,
toughness, color, fillers, etc.
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Acme Mold Ltd.
TEL [phone] MOBILE [phone]Email
prototype_at_vip.163.com  SKYPE jackychanprototype
Website http//www.prototyping.com.cn/