A rapid prototyping service can support your product development
We can provide our customers with a bespoke rapid prototyping service by utilising a range of production methods, including a combination of digital and screen print, supported by programmable X-Y soft tooling. These prototype solutions can test the accuracy of fit, form and function on a range of devices and products.
To illustrate typical prototypes:
*Including options for LED backlighting, capacitive switches, touchscreens and rubber keypads.
Testing your interface designs
Creating, from initial concept, a perfectly ergonomic human-machine interface (HMI) with the all the right materials, functionality and design you desire may prove to be extremely challenging. To this end, RH offers a rapid prototyping service to help iron out any inherent faults and prove the design. Producing a prototype to be tested in a real-world setting can provide valuable insight. Furthermore, by evaluating a prototype, you may discover data about your product critical to the planned manufacturing process, or you may find the results useful in your cycle of research and development.
Cost down, and product reliability can also be achieved at the concept stage of your design, which can also include operational life testing of the keys. In summary, using a rapid prototyping service allows you to appraise your concept design before committing to expensive production tooling.
You may require an RH Rapid Prototype to;
- Meet new product introduction deadlines
- Accelerate design lead times
- Reduce R&D Costs
- Evaluate design changes
- Fit-up trials relating to the product build*
- Launch a product or plan a photoshoot
- Display at an exhibition
- Present at a vital customer meeting
* Our design team can take detailed measurements for customers’ moulding to create accurate prototypes and proofs.
Prototypes can reduce your overall costs
Our responsive prototyping service is a highly cost-effective additional benefit to your product development. Time is an integral part of the planning process, and we can mitigate your later costs by creating a working sample in fewer steps. To clarify, it is neither cost-effective nor time-efficient to produce multiple prototypes; each one made to fix a minor issue while the product still falls short of its optimal design potential. For this reason, our in-house team of experienced engineering designers are ready to assist you with their knowledge. Our team will streamline this process and help you design the perfect interface. In effect our team can help you solve any problem logically and creatively, streamlining the whole process of the prototype through production.
Label Proofing
If your needs are visual in nature and don’t require engineering support, our print team are skilled at creating graphic proofs and label prototypes. Whether you have questions about how your labels will appear (the materials, the colour, the shape, the finish) proofs can help you to anticipate any design issues. These proofs help bridge the gap between the pdf on your monitor and the final product. In addition, artwork proofs and prototypes may also be required for engineering approval prior to ordering production tooling.
Is the colour critical to your brand?
RH “In-House” facilities can accurately measure and match any colour specifications. Using a Spectrophotometer, we can accurately match and record any colour, which is useful for “batch to batch” control in production. This process ensures that the matching conditions directly relate to our production equipment and accurately transition from the sample swatch to the finished product.
Our colour matching service is further enhanced by transferring the ink recipes to our computer-controlled dispensing system which contains the 14 base mixing colours from which the final colour recipe derives. A perfect match can then be guaranteed for each and every print run. In addition to the base colours, unique effect pigments can also be utilised to create metallic, pearlescent and luminescent effects.
Some companies subcontract their colour mixing service, but at RH, our in-house department can supply you with fast and accurate swatch samples. For the most accuracy, these swatches can be press specific to show precisely the real-world colours that will follow into production. RH supply colour swatches as part of our complimentary engineering approvals process.
Our complimentary swtaches include:
- Substrate of Choice
- Printed CMYK + White
- Die Cut to Shape
- UV Coating (Matt or Gloss)
- Metallic Inks
Let us ease your product approval process. Contact us early in your product development and let RH quickly answer your prototyping and proofing needs.
To learn how we can help your Prototype and Proofing needs, contact the RH team by calling – Phone: 01264 721450
