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About Marty McCrea
Expertise
I can answer questions about honing your idea and helping it to become more real in your mind, your research, and within your speaking. My expertise is in answering the large questions that you have into more manageable pieces. I can also assist you in finding the source of the data that you can use to prove and pitch your idea if that's the path that you're on.

Experience
In my opinion, the current way to invent is inherently flawed. Regular people like us normally get “eaten up」 by the proverbial sharks in the water. (corporations, invention submission companies, lawyers, etc)

We can not stand for this any longer; you feel this too, yes?

Experience:

I have helped people think and re-think their ideas for years. As a byproduct of talking with hundreds of inventors, there is a new and very revolutionary way to invent that will be available to the world in 2008. Nobel Prize Winner Albert von Szent-Gyorgyi once said that "Discovery consists of seeing what everybody else has seen, and thinking what no one has thought." I agree with this truth with all of my heart. Now let's talk about your question, your passion, and how I can help your idea gain momentum if it is ready.

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You are here: Experts > Science > Inventors > Inventing New Products/Inventions > New Product Prototype

Topic: Inventing New Products/Inventions

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Expert: Marty McCrea
Date: 9/19/2007
Subject: New Product Prototype

Question
I have what I believe to be an excellent product idea and I want to get a prototype produced. How would I go about getting a prototype made? How much should I expect to pay? What information do manufacturers need to produce a prototype? And should I go through the patent process before I get a prototype made?

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Related Expert Areas

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Experts in Electronic Product Prototype

The following experts are available as electronic product prototype consultants and electronic product prototype expert witnesses. All are peer-reviewed and acknowledged experts in their fields.

Electronic Product Prototype: A prototype of an electronic product.
(Synonyms: electronics prototype)

Experts
1 to 3 of 3 Experts in Electronic Product Prototype Request Free
Expert Quote
Expert 715919 Expert in Analog electronics design (products, research instrumentation, RF)


Expert 718830 Expert in Electronic Product Development


Expert 723880 Expert in Electronic Engineering, Embedded Systems (Hardware & Software): RF Electronics, Antennas, Sensors

ELECTRONIC PROTOTYPE FABRICATION AND TEST - PCB PROTOTYPE ASSEMBLY AND TEST
PRODUCT PROTOTYPE FABRICATION AND TEST

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EDA ADVANTAGES

Full service capabilities provides tested, form, fit and function product prototypes while eliminating the need to apply any in-house resources
Highly cost effective prototype fabrication services

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CAPABILITIES AND SERVICES

Feasibility models through form, fit and function product prototypes
Fabrication of prototypes in quantities to support product qualification and marketing needs
Complete electronic and mechanical prototype component procurement
Surface mount / through hole / mixed technologies prototype PCB assemblies
SLA cases, sheet metal housings and machined components mechanical prototype assemblies
Prototype wire harness and cable assemblies services
Test equipment development including manual/auto Test Boxes, PC based test and data Logging
Development of assembly procedures assembly drawings, and test procedures Many times, a client will come to us with their idea for a product, and what they want from us, all worked out. This is great, we can get right to it and make what you want. However, many times this is not the case. The chemist, inventor or mechanical engineer who needs some electronics to complete their device or process may have no idea what that electronics should be or how it should run. In these cases we can observe what the product should do, figure out what we need to do for you, and help you to understand what is needed to best accomplish your goal. We pick from a selection of technologies that include the most economical and the most cutting edge in order to help you decide what will best serve your needs at price that makes sense.

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The Stages in Designing a new Electronic Product:
Feasibility Study
Specifications
Block Diagrams
Component Selection
Circuit Design
Firmware & Software Programming
Development Prototype Construction
Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Layout
Engineering PCB Prototype
Engineering & Customer Testing
Pilot production run and field testing
The PCB and design documentation
Production run Manufacturing Documentation
Test Procedures
Production Manufacturing

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Hardware Development
Hardware is the actual product you end up with. To get that product, many documents and drawings must be made to describe both to you and to whomever is building or servicing the product what it is and how it works. By handling as much of the project development by ourselves as we can, we can reduce errors and increase our response time. For this reason, we not only design the circuitry ourselves, we design the actual boards and any required mechanical parts as well.

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Software/Firmware Development
Software for the electronics (Firmware) is often 50% or more of the design work. The programming that controls the microprocessor gives the electronic product its features and characteristics. The programming or coding for electronic products is more detailed than the type of programming for a Windows PC Application, because it is more tightly coupled to the electronic hardware on which it runs, and because it usually has to respond more quickly - that is it has to run in "real time". Since most of our designs incorporate a microprocessor of some type, software is a primary part of a design. We are experienced in both assembly language and "C" programming for Intel 80xx, Motorola 68xx, and PIC Microprocessors.

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Engineering Tools
We use many software packages to generate the documents that describe the design:

we use: ORCAD, CADENCE, PADS, MENTOR GRAPHICS EXPEDITION, PROTEL ALTIUM, AUTOCAD etc.
Altera Max & Quartus PLD VHDL development tools as well as Xilinx
Mechanical Drawings: Autocad, Visual CAD
Other Drawings: Adobe Photoshop, Corel Draw & Corel Photo Paint
Parts lists, Manuals & Reports: Microsoft Word, Excel, and Corel Ventura Publisher
Besides all of this software ( and the computers we run it on ), we also use the expected electronic tools:
Digital storage oscilloscopes
Analog oscilloscopes
Logic analyzers
Microprocessor emulators
Communications analyzers
Function & frequency generators
Voltmeters, ammeters, frequency meters & multimeters
Eprom, PLD and other hardware programmers
Plus lots of other strange stuff. Welcome to GSPK DesignHOME ABOUT NEWS ARCHIVE CASE STUDIES TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES TESTIMONIALS SPEED TO MARKET LIFE CYCLE MANAGEMENT CONTACT Established at the start of the millennium, GSPK Design Ltd was set up as a dedicated electronic design and low volume manufacturer.

Recognised as a new breed of company, each member of the team has a keen focus on customer service; concentrating on helping companies meet the ever increasing challenges they face within the manufacturing industry by providing a tailored service to deliver products to market faster, more cost effectively and efficiently.

Renowned within the marketplace for delivering a complete start to finish electronic design solution, GSPK Design is a specialist within the field of product re-engineering, new product development and assisting companies with the life extension of products within customer's existing product portfolios.

Based in Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, we operate within a variety of industries and boast an extensive range of skills and expertise including:

Product re-engineering and new product development
Conceptual electronic design
PCB design and lay up
Prototype and low volume manufacture
Low volume, fast turn assembly
Design for manufacture and test
Project management
Having a thorough understanding of the design, development and pre-production process enables us to appreciate the needs of our customers and has allowed us to build up an enviable reputation for working within set schedules and cost target parameters. Whether you are looking to work with an electronic design partner or just need assistance within certain areas of the design and/or production process; we will exceed your expectations.

Working at partnership level, with a firm belief in mutual benefit, has enabled GSPK Design to empathise with companies' needs to:

Improve competitive
Increase productivity
Improve quality and reliability
Reduce costs
Automate processes
Accelerate time to market and
Provide product life cycle management solutions
These factors provide essential company, product and brand differentiation, and as a result, provide companies with crucial competitive advantage.

Your local electronic design partner....

turning your product ideas into a reality Prototypes
Welcome to the premier industrial resource for Prototypes. Our extensive listing features prototype designers, engineers and manufacturers for all industries, as well as a wide range of model-creation, research and development services. For more precise prototype listings, such as circuit board prototypes or machine-specific prototypes, please refine your search or check the suggested search topics listed in the Related Categories portal.

ThomasNet.com offers prototype manufacturers for virtually every type of application, as well as a variety of companies capable of prototyping completely new designs and components. Use the search tools provided below, which include location, certification and keyword filters, to limit your results to specific industries or regions, or browse our featured listings for additional information. From CAD design and CNC machining to biological modeling, we can connect you with the ideal source for your prototyping needs.
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ProtoCAM - Northampton, PA
Manufacturer, Custom Manufacturer, Service Company
http://www.protocam.com/html/prototype-manufacturer.html
Custom manufacturer of plastic prototype parts or templates. Prototypes are created from rapid prototyping, selective laser sintering, stereolithography & 3D CAD modeling. Machining services are also available.

Astro Manufacturing & Design - Eastlake, OH
Distributor, Manufacturer, Custom Manufacturer, Service Company
http://astromfg.thomasnet.com/item/fabricating/sheet-metal-fabricating/item...
ISO 9001:2000 certified manufacturer of prototypes. Available product prototyping, design & development services. Rapid prototyping materials include stereolithography materials & selective laser sintering materials. Industries served include medical, bio-medical, implantable medical devices,...
Prototypes Capabilities:
Engineering
General Machining
Sheet Metal Fabricating
More Info
Capabilities

3-D Technical Services - Franklin, OH
Manufacturer, Service Company
http://www.3-dtechnicalservices.com/
Design assistance to clients along with 3-d prototyping services. Services include: models, prototypes, stereolithography, urethane castings, CNC machining, vacuum forming, architectural models, human factors, epoxy tooling, sales samples, working models & trade show models.


Paramount Industries, Inc. - Langhorne, PA
Manufacturer, Service Company
http://www.paramountind.com/urethane-casting-materials.html
Manufacturer of prototypes including prototype parts. Materials used include ABS, acetate, acrylic, plastic, rubber, wax, clay, wood, foam, epoxy resins, aluminum, steel & brass. Capabilities include model making, pattern making, sculpting, vertical mill & lathe machining, vacuum forming, pressure...

Ultimate Hydroforming, Inc. - Sterling Heights, MI
Manufacturer, Service Company
http://www.ultimatehydroforming.com/
ISO 9002 & QS9000 certified. Hydroforming, tubular hydroforming, deep drawing, press forming, laser cutting, heat treat, annealing, welding, fabrication, prototypes, CAD/CAM, CMM inspections, short run production, machining. NADCAP accredited.

Three (3) Dimensional Services Group, Inc. - Rochester Hills, MI
Manufacturer, Service Company
http://www.3dimensional.com/index.jsp
Solid modeling, design, engineering & prototype fabrication & assembly of metal & plastics. CNC machining, stamping press capacities to 7000 tons. Hydroforming, laser welding, 3 & 5 axis laser cutting. Plastic injection molding capacities to 1430 tons. Capabilities include assembly of metal &...

Antron Engineering & Machine Co., Inc. - Bellingham, MA
Manufacturer, Custom Manufacturer, Service Company
http://www.antroneng.com/contractmfg.html
ISO 9001:2000 certified manufacturer of prototypes, components, hardware kits & assemblies for finished goods. Features include a variety of tooling & designing options, coordination & management of all phases of manufacturing by on-site managers, inspection of products prior to shipment & testing...

Quasar Industries - Rochester Hills, MI
Manufacturer, Custom Manufacturer, Service Company
http://www.quasar.com
QS 9000:1998 certified. Full Service Manufacturing Facility. Prototype Through Production Capabilites. Presses Through 2,000 Ton. CAD/CAM/CAE Support. CNC Machining, Laser Cutting & Welding, EDM, AWJ, Forming & Fabricating. Specializing In Advanced Prototype Manufacturing All Traditional...


Rapid Models & Prototypes, Inc. - Runnemede, NJ
Manufacturer, Service Company
http://www.rapidmodels.net
In house model shop providing full range of prototype manufacturing, design, development, CAD-CAM stereolithographic (SLA). Working appearance models, SLA or FDM processing, rubber molds, urethane castings, engineering models, photo shoot quality models.


Perma-Type Rubber - PLAINVILLE, CT
Manufacturer
http://www.permatyperubber.com/rubber-products.htm
Custom manufacturer of medical & industrial inflatables & bladders including prototypes.

Industrial Modern Pattern & Mold Corp. - Rosemont, IL
Manufacturer
www.industrialmodern.com
Rapid Prototyping Utilizing Stereolithography, Silicone Molding, Epoxy & Urethane Castings. In-House CNC Machining Patterns/Tools, Spray Metal Molds
Proto Technologies - Liberty Lake, WA
Service Company
http://www.prototech.com/
Prototyping service Prototyping & rapid prototyping service Includes stereolithography, quick & urethane casting, silicone molding, silicone seals & gaskets, aluminum tooling & CNC machining.


Innovative Development, Inc. - Hamden, CT
Service Company
http://www.inndevinc.com
New product design & development, through manufacturing. Engineering analysis. Prototype fabrication & testing. Instrumentation: medical devices/surgical instruments. Electronics, analog & digital. Feasibility & concept studies. Applied mechanics & stress analysis. VLSI design. Computer...
Precision Methods, Inc. - Wolcott, CT
Manufacturer, Custom Manufacturer
Manufacturing house specializing in precision turned components and specialty threading. Serves the aerospace, electronics & controls industries. Handles a wide variety of secondary operations on turned products including milling, slotting, drilling, tapping, thread rolling, centerless grinding,...
Oakley Industries, Inc. - Clinton Township, MI
Manufacturer, Service Company
www.oakley-ind.com
Prototypes include engineering services, prototype vehicles & prototype models. Prototype services includes stamping services, NC machining & CAD providing surfacing, cutter paths, draw development & feasibility analysis, die design, mold design & fixture design. ISO:9001 compliant.
Concept Solutions, Inc. - Cedar Rapids, IA
Service Company
www.csmeg.com
Product development for the agricultural, construction & off-highway equipment industries. Rapid prototyping/reverse engineering: aluminum: hog-outs to steriolithography. Weld & assembly fixtures to specs. Injection molding part design, cast part design, die engineering & design. Can create...
NexLogic Technologies, Inc. - San Jose, CA
Manufacturer, Custom Manufacturer, Service Company
http://www.nexlogic.com/pcb-fabrication.aspx
ISO 9001:2000 certified custom manufacturer of prototype electronic printed circuit boards. Capabilities include fabrication of prototype multi-layer (up to 30 layers), SMT & through-hole circuits, full body & selective gold, soft bondable gold, 100 percent netlist & TDR testing, blind & buried...
Custom Service Laboratories, Inc. - North Bergen, NJ
Manufacturer, Custom Manufacturer, Service Company
http://www.rubcons.com/csl/index.php3
Custom manufacturer of elastomer prototypes. Other products include inflatable bladders, inflatable & mechanical pipe plugs, rubber sleeves, tank liners, pipe line stoppers, ostomy appliances, RF sealing, X-ray compression bladders, purge dams & ostomy products. Elastomer prototypes are available...
Nuhill Technologies - Minneapolis, MN
Custom Manufacturer, Service Company
http://www.nuhill.com
Prototyping & product development services utilizing stereolithography (SLA) & molded polyurethane prototypes. Prototype parts molded are often indistinguishable from injection-molded parts. Molded prototype part may be used to evaluate the part & assembly designs for the final part; molded...
Advanced Prototype Molding - Palatine, IL
Manufacturer, Service Company
http://www.advancedprototype.com
Custom manufacturer of steel molds, aluminum molds, epoxy tooling, stereolithography, rotational molding, model/pattern building, CNC machining, fixtures, mold repair, assembly, design, & international/exporting of parts. Serving the automotive, medical, commercial, aerospace, plastics, toy,...

Minico Industries - Bay Shore, NY
Manufacturer, Custom Manufacturer, Service Company
http://www.minicoindustries.com
Designer & manufacturer of prototypes. Injection molded plastic parts & metal components. Design engineering services using Solidworks. Rapid prototyping services. FDM-Fused Deposition Modeling. Plastic injection molds for POP displays, industrial, medical & packaging. Precision CNC machining.
Warner Brothers Foundry Co. - Roseville, MI
Manufacturer, Service Company
Manufacturer of aluminum, brass, bronze & copper castings; short run production & prototype.

JJC & Associates - Encinitas, CA
Distributor, Manufacturer
http://www.jjcassociates.com/custom/index.shtml
Manufacturer of prototypes specializing in pulleys, belts, bearings, collars, clamps & gears.

Ethylene Atlantic Corp. - Swedesboro, NJ
Distributor, Manufacturer, Custom Manufacturer, Service Company
http://www.ethyleneatlantic.com/fab.htm
ISO 9001:2000 certified custom manufacturer of extrusions, special ferrules, prototype models, prototypes, & custom testers. Products include bearings, washers, connectors, insulators, rings, bushings, extrusions, gaskets, machine parts, & O-rings in 7 in. dia. Materials used include Teflon...
ALKAB Contract Manufacturing, Inc. - New Kensington, PA
Custom Manufacturer, Service Company
http://www.alkab.com/Engineered/engineered.html
Design & build or build to spec; engineering & design, SolidWorks, Unigraphics, Microstation, AutoCAD; electronic file transfer; machining, large & small parts, 2 thru 5-axis w/Unigraphics, electronic file to finished part; certified welding & fabricating; electromechanical assembly & QMS AS9003. E Ink offers two different lines of Prototyping Kits to assist you in the development of your future products.

Active Matrix Prototype Kits

E Ink's Active Matrix Electronic Paper Display (EPD) Prototype Kit is designed for product designers, engineers and technologists who desire a prototype environment with E Ink's electronic paper displays. The kit includes a production sample of a glass-based active matrix display made using E Ink's VizplexTM Imaging Film, a display controller and all of the hardware and software necessary to produce a fully functional portable device.

E Ink offers both the BraodsheetTM/AM300 and the AM200 Active Matrix EPD kits - for a comparison chart detailing the differences in these kits, please follow the link below.

Segmented Prototype Kits

E Ink also offers four Segmented Prototyping Kits, manufactured by Dialog Semiconductors, with an E Ink Segmented Display. The evaluation kits offer a full hardware and software development environment to allow for fast system design and device evaluation. For more information, please click here.

E Ink is currently accepting orders for the both kit families. To order a kit, please click below. Prototyping
Methodology
In Brief

You should prototype a product early in its development because it is much easier and cheaper to correct a prototype than a released product.
Low-fidelity prototypes are quick, cheap, and designed to elicit user feedback as early as possible They are especially valuable for libraries, since they do not require the involvement of resources outside the library, such as system administrators, programmers, or graphic designers.
High-fidelity prototypes are more expensive and usually involve coding, but are better for evaluating graphics and getting 'buy-in' that usability problems found during testing are not due to the 'rough' quality of the prototype.
Discussion
Prototyping is much like a rough draft of a document. It still needs to be polished, but allows you to begin solidifying ideas, correcting major errors, and even start over without a lot of lost time. There are low-fidelity and high-fidelity prototypes.

Low-fidelity prototypes
A low-fidelity prototype is a 'quick and dirty' mockup that is cheap, easily changed, and can be thrown away without complaint.
During usability tests, a low-fidelity prototype often uses a person as the computer and a pointer as the mouse.
The goal of such a prototype is to create something as quickly as possible that will elicit user feedback.
Very often, paper and pencil are used to construct this type of prototype, though presentation software (e.g., PowerPoint) may be used.
As an early-design tool, a paper low-fidelity prototype is ideal. Many ideas can be viewed and evaluated by the design team in a short period of time, and with very little cost. The basic idea is to have the design team work together, using little more than pen-and-paper, to draw the screens needed for a basic user interface to the product. Because it is done early, quickly, and with no expectation of creating a working version, the team is under much less pressure and generally works together more smoothly. In addition, little to no attachment for the prototype develops in the team, resulting in much less resistance to change (example).

A paper prototype can also be used for a usability test (example). The major difference with regular usability testing is that a person acts as the computer, changing screens, vocalizing error messages, etc.

For more information on how we use paper prototyping at OCLC, see the How we do it: paper prototyping.

High-fidelity prototypes
Libraries may want to use a high-fidelity prototype if they require greater 'buy-in' that the usability problems they find are valid and need to be corrected
A high-fidelity prototype is much closer to the actual product in look and feel
The prototype often requires use of a programming language
The user interacts with a computer, not a person acting as a computer.
By far, the OCLC usability lab evaluates more high-fidelity prototypes than any other product format. A major reason for this is that project teams tend to view the results of a usability test with a high-fidelity prototype as more accurate than tests with a low-fidelity prototype.

High-fidelity prototypes are often written using HTML, Javascript, or OCLC's SiteSearch. It is common for the prototype to be written in the same language as the final product, but without the complete functionality or 'clean' code of a final product. This makes the transition from prototype to product quicker and easier. It also increases the risk that the prototype's 'cludge' code will inadvertently be used in the final product.Creating a Product Prototype
From your mind's eye to the palm of your hand, learn what steps are needed to prototype your invention.

By Tamara Monosoff | October 24, 2005

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One of the essential early steps in the inventing process is creating a prototype--which, simply defined, is a three-dimensional version of your vision. Creating a prototype can also be one of the most fun and rewarding steps you'll take. That's because developing a prototype gives you the opportunity to really tap into your creativity, using those skills that inspired your invention idea in the first place. And whether you're making your prototype at home or hiring the services of an engineer, seamstress or machinist, it's truly exciting to see your idea transformed into something tangible and real.

So what exactly should a prototype look like? First, it depends on your idea. Second, it depends on your budget and your goals. If possible, it's great to start with a handmade prototype, no matter how rudimentary. For example, I've seen prototypes made from the simplest of household items: socks, diaper tabs, household glue, empty milk containers--you name it. If it works for your initial demonstration purposes, it's as good as the most expensive materials.

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Eventually, if you decide to move forward with your invention, you'll probably need what's known as a "pre-production" prototype--especially if you plan to manufacture it yourself rather than license it. But as a first step, a homemade "presentation" prototype can give you a good running start.

A prototype provides other advantages, as well:

1. It enables you to test and refine the functionality of your design. Sure, your idea works perfectly in theory. It's not until you start physically creating it that you'll encounter flaws in your thinking. That's why another great reason to develop a prototype is to test the functionality of your idea. You'll never know the design issues and challenges until you begin actually taking your idea from theory to reality.

2. It makes it possible to test the performance of various materials. For example, your heart may be set on using metal--until you test it and realize that, say, plastic performs better at a lower cost for your particular application. The prototype stage will help you determine the best materials.

3. It'll help you describe your product more effectively with your team, including your attorney, packaging or marketing expert, engineers and potential business partners.

4. It will encourage others to take you more seriously. When you arrive with a prototype in hand to meet any professional--from your own attorney to a potential licensing company--you separate yourself from the dozens of others who've approached them with only vague ideas in mind. Instead, you'll be viewed as a professional with a purpose, as opposed to just an inventor with a potentially good idea.

Developing Your Prototype
So now that you know that creating a prototype is a vital step in your invention process, how exactly do you move forward and actually do it? This stage in the inventing process is possibly the period of greatest learning...and is also my personal favorite. I love the creative exploration that prototyping inspires! This is where your words and thoughts change from "Can I?" to "How will I?"

Making a prototype by hand is a great way to start bringing your product to life. Remember, there are no rules! Give yourself permission to experiment. Look around the house and select materials that you can use to test to see if your idea works.

If you anticipate your product will be made from plastic, there's a great product I recently discovered that's ideal for creating home prototypes. It's called Shapelock, and it was recently released in the U.S. market. When heated in the microwave or with your hair dryer, it becomes pliable, kind of like clay, so you can mold it any way you'd like. When dry, it becomes a hard plastic. The best part? It's only about $14.95 per container, and you can reheat it and reuse it again and again. Find it at www.shapelock.com.

Of course, your product could also be made from any number of materials, ranging from metals to chemicals to textiles. When using any material, try to be open to alternatives you may not have originally considered.