In today’s digitising industry landscapes, product development timelines are getting shorter and faster. Even so, the process of preparing products for the market and reaching Product-Market Fit (or PMF) is still iterative, meaning you’ll need to budget time and funding for plenty of iterations or versions of your product before it’s ready for commercial release.
We know this process pretty well here at Vector & Raster Laser Services, because our laser cutting technicians don’t just work to deliver quality products – we also work on our fair share of prototypes and prototyping projects.
Today, we’ll be diving a little deeper into what makes our online laser cutting services such a game changer for the prototyping process, outlining the benefits of laser cutting technologies in modern prototyping timelines, and how our laser cutters help deliver the strongest results with every iteration of a client product.
Why Speed is Key for Prototyping Workflows
Consumer markets are incredibly competitive today, namely because eCommerce and online shopping trends have paved the way for international competitors to gain access to Australian consumer audiences. For Aussie makers and creators, this means our homegrown products need to maintain higher quality standards and unique value adds, like being manufactured using eco-friendly practices and locally sourced materials, for instance.
Alongside maintaining these higher standards, Aussie-made products also need to be developed faster and with a more streamlined approach. Enter online laser cutting!
With access to online laser cutting services like our Australia-wide services, Australian small businesses can perfect their product concepts faster and even manufacture and rollout their finished products earlier than their competitors as well. This rapid approach supports Aussie small business owners in becoming market leaders in their niche, and giving them a rare opportunity to solidify their brand name as synonymous with the product they’re offering.
A great example here is a previous project we did working with laser etching metal for a Melbourne-based off-road vehicle parts and accessories manufacturer. Providing a clean branded design for their anodised aluminium suspension components made this client’s parts and accessories highly recognisable and amongst the most sought after products within their market.
In a nutshell, speed = faster iteration for manufacturer prototypes. And faster iteration = faster fine tuning and finalising of product designs, which means quicker market launch, and thus, ample time to become the leading manufacturer for your target market.
What Slows Designers Down During Product Prototyping?
With the clear positive ripple effect culminating from speedy prototyping, you may be asking what actually inhibits manufacturers and designers from maintaining that speed. The answer is pretty simple, actually: poor strategising and decision-making.
If designers delay making crucial decisions even for A/B testing (i.e. what materials they want to use, design options they want to trial, etc.), they risk pushing back their timeline for product launch considerably, or may even risk launching with a subpar product (aka, a product design that maybe was actually better off being a prototype).
Insufficient testing is also a major source of delays for product launches, especially for products that have heavy-duty or industrial applications. You may find that in instances where your design is perfect, the materials used may be less than optimal. This is why A/B testing materials as well as designs is so crucial.
A good example here? One of our other recent industrial projects saw us design laser etched anodised aluminium tags and signage for an industrial workspace. Our client had to decide between traffolyte plastic and anodised aluminium for their tags and signage, and opted for aluminium in the end due to its higher tested durability in outdoor environments.
Of course, if you’re able to strike up a partnership with a prototype manufacturer that has a strong working understanding of the materials and processes they’re working with, you can also expect a lot less trial and error. Take our laser cutting team, for instance. We work hands-on with our clients to make sure the right decisions are made from the get-go, keeping your prototyping project on-track for quick and easy launch timelines.
To summarise, here are some of the key factors that cause delays in product prototyping projects:
- Poor decision-making
- Incorrect materials selections
- Incomplete or inadequate prototype testing
- Partnerships with poor quality manufacturers
The Benefits of Laser Cutting for Prototyping
Laser cutting has improved global industries in more ways than one. Alongside making manufacturing processes more efficient, laser cutting also ensures that small business owners can also access the means of production. In other words, laser cutting as a form of small business manufacturing is helping to keep markets balanced and give SMBs the option to be innovators in their industry or niche.
And speaking of innovating, laser cutting processes help streamline prototyping projects, reducing production costs and timeframes between product iterations. So with laser cutting, you can see a product evolve into its final form a lot quicker (and cheaper!).
Laser cutting projects are also incredibly easy to organise. All you need are some vector image files of your designs and a laser cutting team who knows how to deliver the strongest possible results. And what if you don’t have your vector files? Well then, you can always find a laser cutting team that also offers graphic design services – like us!
To recap, the key benefits of laser cutting for prototyping projects includes:
- Lower production and manufacturing costs
- Fast production allows for faster design iterations
- Easy to organise and customise laser cutting projects
- Opportunities to work with local or online laser cutting technicians
Best Laser Cutting Materials for Rapid Prototyping
One of the reasons why laser cutting helps to lower manufacturing costs is simply that you can select laser cutting materials with a lower cost per unit rate to keep your prototyping budget as efficient as possible. For instance, if you’re looking at creating decor or furniture using luxury materials like solid wood, testing the structural integrity of designs by first manufacturing prototypes with plywood materials can help furniture makers ensure their products are safe for market launch.
Here are some of our top-rated laser cutting materials for bulk order and prototyping projects:
- Hoop pine plywood – Australian-made plywood offering durability with a low cost per unit rate
- Medium-density fibreboard (MDF) – wood plies with a wood fibre core makes MDF highly suitable for painting and printing
- 40 gsm cardstock paper and/or cardboards – prototypes for laser cut designs like stencils can also be made using paper or even boxboard first to test structural integrity
- Acrylic plastics – available in a wide array of colours, thicknesses, sizes, and finishes, and are suitable for a range of applications, from jewellery making to plastic label manufacturing
- Aluminium – a durable and lightweight option across our range of metal materials that’s suitable for laser cutting as well as high-contrast laser etching and marking
Get better results from your next prototyping process with Vector & Raster Laser Services
So what should designers look for in a laser cutting partner when it comes to prototyping projects? Let’s review!
Speed is a fantastic asset, as is proficiency with vector graphic design for easy design iterating. You also want laser cutting technicians with plenty of experience, as well as the capacity to deliver high-quality work across every single project. And if they also happen to offer their services online for streamlined communication and project coordination, then that’s a definite plus as well.
Thankfully, our team at Vector & Raster Laser Services offers all these benefits and more, like the fact that our laser cutting studios are 100% powered by renewable energy, helping to keep your own production emissions down.
If you’d like to secure our online laser cutting services for your next prototyping project, simply get in touch today to receive your no-obligation quote directly to your preferred inbox. Let’s get your next innovative prototype off the ground!
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