Ruitai Plastic Prototype  

If you need large-scale quality plastic prototype production in a fast time duration, you can trust Ruitai Plastic Prototype factory.

We are a leading plastic prototype manufacturer factory in China, for the last 15 years. So, don’t hesitate to contact us and know more about us!

Plastic Prototype

Plastic Prototype is a lot more than just a collection of quality products. It is more like converting an idea into reality. There are a number of specialized techniques that are used to produce fascinating Plastic Prototypes. All of these techniques give the same result, which is quality physical products and models.

There is a lot about Plastic Prototypes that you must know. Certain things about these techniques are unknown to several people. These unhidden things and details about the process are the main treasure that you can easily get.

Figure 1 – Plastic Prototypes with vacuum casting

Turning the 3D designs into reality is the biggest and the most beneficial outcome when it comes to producing a Plastic Prototype. But don’t you worry, as it is not the only benefit you get from plastic prototypes.

There is a significant number of advantages and benefits that you are still not aware of. When it comes to Plastic Prototyping, it is all about making things right and producing quality physical models. You will never have to compromise on your standards, quality, or ideas if you use the Plastic Prototyping Technique for your business.

There is a long list of Why, What, and How, you can make this all work. Well, that’s why we are here. To make you known to beneficial techniques and processes that can be used to produce a Plastic Prototype.  All of its details can be found in this simple FAQ Guide!

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Should You Choose Producing Plastic Prototype As Your Business?

The process that is done to manufacture Plastic Prototypes is the most convenient and easiest of all. It is only cheaper than others but is also very handy. When doing a business, you must always opt for the most convenient available option. Right now, it is manufacturing Plastic Prototype for sure.

The techniques used for this purpose have lots of positive aspects, but the best thing is the variety offered by it. Whenever you produce a one-part using the Plastic Prototype Methods, it allows you to choose from a wide variety of colors, materials, and even finishing touches. This means you can design your entire product just as per your desires.

If you know exactly what your requirements are, then Plastic Prototypes can help you achieve them. All you have to do is to have a clear picture of your idea in your mind and deliver it to the manufacturers properly. After that, just relax and let the manufacturers do wonders for your business.

2. Can You Manufacture Every Plastic Part Using Plastic Prototype Techniques?

Just like you cannot use the same sauce in every dish, you cannot use the same method to manufacture every kind of part too. This might be weird to know, but of course, no technique is perfect for every material.

Similarly, methods used to manufacture a Plastic Prototype are not all about perfection and fascination. You must know the right plastic material before turning it into a prototype. If you do not have extensive knowledge on this topic, you can also contact some great plastic prototype manufacturers or a company that can help you do so.

Our proficient staff members have extensive experience in choosing and manufacturing plastic prototypes. Thus, if you want a detailed overview of the manufacturing of parts and prototypes using plastic, you can contact us.

3. What Is The Use Of Plastic Prototypes In Daily Life?

If you are thinking of opting to manufacture the plastic prototypes as your permanent business, you must know where it actually is required. With time passing, the use of plastic prototypes is increasing. At first, it was only used in industries to manufacture big molds and products on large scales.

But now, the use of plastic prototypes is almost everywhere around this world. From kitchen products and household items to medical devices, plastic prototypes are everywhere. A great number of home and medical appliances use plastic prototypes to work and run properly.

Moreover, the fact that plastic is less brittle than glass does wonders too. There are many places where insulation or good friction is required. At such places, using glass or other material can be harmful or damaging. That’s where plastic prototypes come in. People use these prototypes to control temperatures, voltages and ensure the safety of many places around the world.

Some plastic resins are also being used at professional levels to produce efficient bearings. The reason plastic prototypes are preferred for these purposes is their good friction-bearing qualities. There are also many other uses of prototypes over because of its,

• Lightweight
• Transparency
• Reliability
• Durability
• Good heat absorption qualities

Moreover, the presence of a wide range of materials that can be chosen according to the requirements is another benefit of plastic prototypes. People like using them because the variety present in the plastic material gives them options to select from.

4. How does the Plastic Prototype Model Works?

If you are looking forward to manufacturing your first-ever Plastic Prototype, you must have a CAD Model. This model is required so that the manufacturers get an idea of your product. To create this Computer Aid Design for your Plastic Prototype, you can also get help from professionals. The Plastic Prototype manufacturing works after you deliver this CAD model.

• the Plastic Prototypes can be visual in which an idea of the final Prototype is delivered.

• Or they can also be functional, which is more precise than the visual ones.
• 
• The functional Prototype allows you to go through your design before actually producing it. This helps you see how the plastic Prototype will look in real once it’s manufactured. In this way, you can change the model or design if it doesn’t look appropriate.

5. Which Methods Are The Best to Manufacture a Plastic Prototype?

There is a significant number of methods that can be used to manufacture plastic prototypes. Each prototyping technique has its own pros and cons. For instance, if you use the 3D Printing technique, it is beneficial and the cheapest way to develop a visual plastic prototype.

But if you are looking for a more enhanced and better technique to manufacture a functional prototype, you must go for the injection molding method. The strength of plastic prototypes depends upon how their molds look. The better the mold, the perfect the Prototype. And there is no better way to manufacture perfect plastic molds than the injection molding technique.

6. How Much Money is Required to Manufacture a Single Plastic Prototype?

Giving an exact estimate about the required money for this purpose is not possible. It is because it entirely depends upon your requirements and your CAD Model. More complicated designs require bigger investments.

If we talk about a simple Plastic Prototype, you can get it manufactures at a price as low as just $15. It’s all about how simple or complicated your design is. Moreover, if all you want are simple prototypes using cheap plastic materials, then getting these Plastic Prototypes are not costly at all.

However, with the new developments in technology, better and more useful techniques are being introduced in the market each day. These techniques are not only cheaper but also help you get the best quality prototypes with lesser turnaround time.

7. How Can You Use The 3D Printing Method to Manufacture a Plastic Prototype?

3D Printing is a broad term that includes a number of methods and techniques. There are multiple options that you can opt for in order to produce Plastic Prototypes with the 3D printing methods. So, do you want to know the best and most-liked options used in the world for manufacturing Plastic Prototypes through 3D Printing?

Well, the first one in the list is the,

• Selective Laser Sintering

This technique does wonders when it comes to Plastic Prototype manufacturing. The material that is most widely used in this method is Nylon (PA 11 or PA 12). This method is used to produce the most superior quality plastic prototypes.

In the SLS method, a laser is used to fuse the powder together at low temperatures. It can also be known as Sintering. This powder is sintered into a 3D model, which is then used to manufacture the required plastic prototype.

As the prototypes produced by this method require a high-powered laser, their quality and resolution are nothing less than an elite prototype. If you are looking for a method to produce the most functional and durable Plastic Prototypes, then there is no better option than the SLS 3D printing technique.

• Fused Deposition Modeling

This technique is not as good as the SLS 3D Printing in terms of resolution and strength but is still the most commonly used 3D Printing method. This method works by putting layers over layers until the Prototype is complete. Almost all Plastic Prototype manufacturers, businesses, and consumer communities prefer this technique over others.

The resulting strength and resolution ratio of the plastic Prototype manufactured by this method depend on the material/substance you used in the process. As this method is easily affordable and does not require much investment, the material used for this process is cheap, too.

If you want more of a colorful and pretty prototype, the best material for this purpose will be Polylactic Acid. The prototypes produced using PLA are not mechanically strong neither they serve any useful purpose. Such prototypes are only for decoration purposes.

But if you are looking for better functionality in addition to the colors, you can try using fused material too. For instance, you can mix up the PLA with wood or metal materials. This will help you enhance the mechanical functionality of the plastic prototypes you manufacture. Other superior materials, including carbon fiber, can also be used for this purpose.

• Stereolithography

This technique is great as it does not require specific new materials to work upon. All that it needs is the resin plastic material. Stereolithography uses that material to produce new Plastic Prototypes. Like the SLS technology, this process also uses a high-powered laser. This laser turns the resin plastic into a solidified prototype model.

The SLA 3D printing can be used for many distinct purposes. If you work in the medical or dental spaces, this technique can be greatly helpful to you in working. Furthermore, it is also highly suggested to manufacture different consumer goods and products.

These techniques are the 3D printing methods that are used to manufacture a wide variety of different plastic prototypes worldwide. If you are looking for such a method, you can either choose yourself from these three, or you can also contact a professional to help you out.

8. Can CNC Machining Be Used To Produce Distinct Plastic Prototypes?

Yes, CNC Machining is a very appreciable method to produce plastic prototypes of various kinds. In fact, it is preferred over Printing too. It is because, as compared to other methods, this technique offers more complicated designs with better finishing. Thus, you can make fascinating plastic prototypes using this CNC Machining method with more accuracy and precision.

The CNC Machining also makes it easier for you to test and try out the molds and your ideas without actually requiring the injection mold tooling.  The CNC Machining method does not only provide quality plastic prototypes, but it also helps you get them at lesser rates.

The biggest reason behind this is it does not requires producing the injection molds. The injection mold tooling is super-expensive, even if you want to manufacture a small plastic prototype. Moreover, unlike other traditional methods, a lot of plastic materials can be used in CNC Machining production.

You can choose the one most appropriate for your plastic prototypes from a comprehensive list of materials such as POM, Teflon, ABS, PP, etc. Another benefit of using CNC Machining or Milling for the Plastic Prototypes production is quick delivery times. These methods do not require a lot of weeks or months to produce perfect quality plastic prototypes for you.

9. How Can You Use Injection Molding To Produce a Plastic Prototype?

Using injection molding is usually said to be more effective than the 3D printing method. At the same time, it is also more expensive than other methods. But if you are looking to produce some plastic prototypes with a quality finish, injection molding can definitely be a good choice to opt for.

The injection molding method is not very complicated or hard when it comes to producing prototypes. There are just a few simple steps that are involved in the entire injection molding technique. These basic steps that are followed to produce the plastic prototypes are as follow,

• First of all, a metal die is created. It is basically a machine tool or a mold in which the material is put to form the desired shape.
• Then, a heated barrel is used to properly heat up the plastic material/resin.
• After heating and mixing up this resin, it is sent into the metal die. A force is required to inject this plastic resin into the die.
• After injecting it, this resin material is cooled down immediately.

• Cooling the resin material turns it into a solid part of the desired form and shape.

A high-quality plastic prototype is produced after following all these steps properly. This newly manufactured Prototype is said to have better finishing, resolution, mechanical functioning, and reliability than the prototypes formed by other usual methods.

10. Which Plastic Prototypes Should You Manufacture Using the Injection Molding Method?

The Prototypes produced using the injection molding methods never have to go through breaking or cracking. Its deformation happens without any hard molding processes taking place over the material. This makes the process a perfect fit for manufacturing medical and other delicate products.

These products may include lenses and essential devices used for medical purposes. You can also use injection molding to manufacture useful and quality automotive components. It is because those components are also needed to be manufactured without making them go through breaking or cracking. You can also watch this YouTube video to get an idea about a injection molding machine.

Moreover, the materials used in this injection molding process are more likely to produce strengthened and tough plastic prototypes. Such as the ABS material, Nylon, or Polyethylene, each material has its own benefits. And thus, it offers a wide range of different mechanical functions.

This makes you able to choose the material that is a perfect fit for the product you want to produce. Just make sure to choose the material that has all the required properties. For instance, if you are looking to manufacture a product that offers a high ductility rate, flexibility (tensile strength), and similar properties, you should opt for Polyethylene. It usually comes in the shape of either LDPE or HDPE.

11. What Are The Steps Involved In Plastic Prototype Manufacturing Using Vacuum Casting?

Producing plastic prototypes using vacuum casting is another beneficial method. You have to follow an array of steps in order to get a perfect plastic prototype from this method. Before describing the steps, you must know that this technique is usually profitable for small prototypes.

Coming to the process of vacuum casting, the major steps involved in this process are described as follows,

• As described earlier, plastic prototype production starts with a CAD Model. Once you have that model, the Vacuum Casting process turns it into a master model or mold. This model is then used to carry the whole process. To create this model, you can either use CNC Machining or Printing.
• Have you ever heard about silicon-based molds? Well, these are casting molds used in this process to produce perfect plastic prototypes. All you have to do is fill these molds with the resin. But make sure that the entire cavity present in the master mold is filled. Otherwise, your Prototype will not turn out to be perfect.

• After the resin is dried out, it can be taken out as the final plastic prototype. This process is open to many types of materials that can be used as the resin. You can choose any substance that suits you according to your Prototype.

Vacuum casting is mostly used for manufacturing prototypes that do not have much of any mechanical use later on. Some examples of the plastic prototypes manufactured by this method can be casings or small housing.

If seen as a whole, this process is beneficial as a single mold can help you manufacture up to 25 distinct plastic prototypes. Furthermore, the average turnaround time is normal too. Usually, this time stretches out to one week or two at max.

12.  Are Plastic Prototypes Durable and Reliable?

The plastic prototypes being produced nowadays are highly appreciable when it comes to strength, durability, and reliability. Their low melting temperatures make it easier for you to manufacture them without going through hazardous procedures. This not only saves your time but also your money and energy.

• When it comes to durability, plastic is known throughout the world for its stability and strength. Furthermore, the beneficial chemical and frictional properties of plastic resins make the prototypes highly dependable and durable. However, you still need to take care of them.

Leaving these prototypes open to extreme temperatures, radiations, or lights can damage them. But if you keep them properly, there is no way the prototypes will not last long. They are made to be used for longer durations so that the owner does not have to go through the manufacturing procedures again and again,

• Talking about reliability, these prototypes are greatly known for it too. The techniques used to manufacture plastic prototypes may cost a bit, but it is totally worth it. Whenever you produce a plastic prototype using a professional method and the right resin material, there is no way the product does not come out to be strong enough.

You can contact the professionals in order to choose the best material and ways for the production of your prototypes. Now, as the prototypes are made to be recyclable, it is good for the ecosystem too. You do not have to waste material or the earth’s natural resources in order to get the perfect plastic prototypes for yourself.

13. What Is The Usual Turnaround Time For A Plastic Prototype?

Normally, the turnaround time depends upon your product. But with the advancement and enhancement in technology, the turnaround times have become lesser. There are also some prototypes that you can get in just a few days. But that is only if your Prototype is a small and simple product. Otherwise, it does take time to be completed.

The injection mold tooling is known to be the fastest method. So, if you have a good budget and material, your order can also be prepared in just 2-3 days. But on average, it may take approximately two weeks.

There is never anything wrong with waiting, though. The longer time it takes to get your plastic prototype manufactured, the better quality it has.

Otherwise, your product may not be durable enough. So, it is better not to rush things up and wait for the right time to get the right results. But if you are in need of urgent delivery, you can contact professional manufacturers to help you choose the best material and method. This will help you get your desired plastic prototype as soon as possible.

14. How to Choose a Professional Company in China to Manufacture Plastic Prototypes for You?

If you are seriously thinking about starting a business related to plastic prototypes, you must select the best reliable company in China to do it all for you. Selecting the right company is important. It is because sometimes, you might not even be able to make a proper CAD model of your idea.

If you have a professional manufacturing company by your side, it will help you manufacture the perfect plastic prototype even with the rough model you have. Therefore, keeping in contact with professionals is always beneficial. Now, how to find the best company?

Well, for that, you must lookout for a few things before choosing any company in China. For instance,

• The company you choose must be open to listen to your ideas and respond to them appropriately.
• The company must be eligible to meet your deadlines and manufacturing requirements.
• Check the market rates of the production of plastic prototypes before choosing any company. Then, make sure that the company offers appropriate rates and deals.
• There is no point in opting for a company that does not respond to your concerns in a proper way.
• Share your ideas and project details with the company. If the company understands and agrees to work on your plans according to your requirements, then go further and finalize the deals.

Hope that by now, you have known every necessary thing about the plastic Prototype and its importance in today’s world and the future. If there is more about prototypes you would like to know, do not hesitate to contact us!