Quality Prototypes by Honpe Technology

14/10/2014

Different types of Prototyping

What are the different types of prototypes?

There are three main types of prototypes you should consider:
• Working Prototype or ‘works like’
• Non-working Prototype or ‘looks like’
• Works like / Looks like

Which one is the most appropriate to you? Well that depends upon what your objective is from making the prototype in the first place.

Supplying Prototypes at High Quality, Low Cost, with an outstanding Service and prompt Delivery is what we have built our reputation on.

03/10/2014

2. Different types of Prototyping

What are the different types of prototypes?

There are three main types of prototypes you should consider:
• Working Prototype or ‘works like’
• Non-working Prototype or ‘looks like’
• Works like / Looks like
Which one is the most appropriate to you? Well that depends upon what your objective is from making the prototype in the first place.

Working Prototype (works like)
This type of prototype basically proves your concept in a working model, from moving parts to electronics; it will show you how the finished product would perform.

This prototype does not need to look pretty or polished as its main function is to prove functionality and performance. They are great for testing each subsection as well as the complete system integration of the entire product.

Non-working Prototype (looks like)
This type of prototype is all about looks, and ultimately could just be a non-working shell of your design. From a marketing and branding point of view, you could use these prototypes for photo shots, website images; these could be used at Exhibitions to show potential buyers and distributors the ‘next big thing’ you are releasing.

Works and Looks like Prototype
This is a fully functioning physical model of your concept, from both a functional and design point of view. This level of prototype is just one step away from full production and is normally produced once you are sure all the design features are finalized and everything has been verified and ready to move into production.

When should I use what type?

Throughout the New Product Development process you will need to verify your idea and concept, and as the product moves through the development stages you may need a number of different prototypes. The ‘Working Prototype’ will provide you with that platform to test and develop all the features of the product. At this stage you may not have the overall look or shape as you need to finalize the ‘working aspects’ of the product.

The non-working ‘looks like’ prototype can be commissioned once you have the layout complete and you know the overall size of the product.

You may need a number of iterations of both the working and non-working prototypes throughout the product development cycle, but ideally you would just need design of the fully functional ‘works and looks like’ prototype.

02/10/2014

Engineering and Design Benefits:

From a Designer’s point of view, they are responsible for producing a product that is not only fit for purpose within the market, but also to design the product so that it can be manufactured as easily and as cost effectively as possible.

Having a prototype produced will allow the Engineering Department and the Designers to review best practice techniques such as Design for Manufacture (DFM), Design for Assembly (DFA) as well as providing an excellent opportunity to carry out tests for Failure, Modes, Effects, Analysis (FMEA).

Failure modes and effects analysis is a step-by-step approach for identifying all possible failures in a design, a manufacturing or assembly process, or a product or service. Failures are any errors or defects, especially ones that affect the customer, and can be potential or actual.

01/10/2014

What are the benefits of making a prototype?
One of the crucial stages that remain part of the product development cycle involves the development of a working model which allows you to:
• Test various design features
• Verify design functionality
• Review initial product shapes or branding images
• Elicit feedback from customers or early adopters
Other key benefits could include:
• Use the prototype as a test-bed for developing additional features
• Identify issues as early as possible within the development stage and before going to production
• Provides a physical model for company stakeholders to review and obtain a greater understanding of the product

29/09/2014

What is a prototype?

A prototype is a representation of a design produced before the final solution exists. It allows you and potentially your future customers to understand the product.

Prototype models are often used for photo shoots, trade shows and exhibitions, customer feedback and design verification purposes.
Prototyping is the process of quickly putting together a working model (a prototype) in order to test various aspects of a design, illustrate ideas or features and gather early user feedback.- Wikipedia

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Supplying Prototypes at High Quality, Low Cost, with an outstanding Service and prompt Delivery is what we have built our reputation on.

27/09/2014

Silicone Molds
Honpe utilize Vacuum Casting as a major Prototype Tooling Option, the polyurethane’s used to make the parts resemble properties equivalent to PP, ABS, elastomers, and transparent. Silicone rubber molds have excellent chemical resistance, low shrinkage and high dimensional stability, making them suitable for producing parts in polyurethane by injection molding. Initially, a silicone rubber mold is made using the master sample obtained from Rapid Prototyping or ready made masters supplied by the customer.
Liquid Silicon rubber is cast around a RP master (preferably SLA / SLS ). After curing the Silicon block is cut open to form the core & cavity after the master removal.
Urethane castings created from silicone molds are commonly used in the product development process. They are leveraged to evaluate, validate and document a visual representation of a product prior to commercial release. These castings are an ideal solution for quick and cost-effective production of small quantities of plastic parts.

19/09/2014

A closer look at some Quality Prototypes exhibited at IFA 2014, including Consumer Electronics, Household Appliances, and Automotive Quality Prototypes

19/09/2014

We attended the IFA 2014 show in Germany this month, here are a few images of our booth.

25/08/2014

NEWS UPDATE

1. Nov--1999 We set up Honpe Model Factory with more than 50 employees as a professional team specializing in household appliance prototype in Longhua, Shenzhen.

2. May--2005 We began to study mobile digital mock up. Meanwhile, we made investment to expand our team into 70 professional employees which committed to the prototype service of both mobile and household appliance.

3. May--2010 In order to get more durable development and keep our company prosperity, we revised and officially registered our company name to Honpe Technology (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd..

4. Sep--2011, Our business was now reaching a worldwide market. In order to meet the continuous growth in overseas business, we invested more than 20 million RMB in establishing a new branch of Honpe Technology (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd in Guangming New District of Shenzhen which covers about 4200 square meters with 45 sets of CNC. Being a new branch and the the company booming greatly, a core team of 150 experienced employees was drafted in, mainly to serve the demand of Europe and Japan.

5. In the end of 2014, we are going to merge the two branches into one and plan to invest 30 million RMB in improving production capacity. It is estimated that CNC Machine will increase to 200 sets.

15/08/2014

15/08/2014

CNC machining at our Factory in China

22/07/2014