Having your very own project whether it is within your own business or within the place where you work can be very exciting. However, it can also be very nerve-wracking, especially if you are not confident about your ability or the level of confidence that your boss has in your abilities.
Being nervous, however, can be a good thing as you will probably do a lot more in-depth research and planning than if you had a blatant approach or were filled with over-confidence.
Planning and Research
You will have done some level of planning and research while you were putting your idea together. However, now that it looks like it is worthwhile doing, you are going to have to plan a lot more in-depth on how you are going to bring your project to life while doing research and looking into how this can be done on the level that you are going to want to manufacture it and supply it to your customers.
Practice Runs
Indeed, it will be highly beneficial to do a couple of practice runs or at least be able to see your project in 3D and possibly hold it in your hands so that you can get an idea of the size, scale, and feel of your idea made flesh. This is where having the bonus of a 3D printer for rapid prototyping would be highly beneficial to both yourself and any third party that you are wanting to get involved with your project. If, for instance, you needed to tweak your design or even change it more drastically, you would be able to see the results quickly and at a varying size depending on whether you are printing it in full-size scale or part scale.
Source and Build
Once you are happy with your project’s design you are going to want to start building it, whether it is a one-off just to check that it works, or whether you are happy to go for the full batch build. Some parts can be made from scratch using a 3D printer and others could very well have parts within them that could be printed on a 3D printer, but unfortunately, there are some parts that you will undoubtedly have to source from reliable sources, especially if you are looking at electrical components for your project.
To Wrap It Up
There will have to be a good amount of planning and research into your project undertaken before you are ready to draw up plans and get your prototype made, regardless of whether it is via a 3D printer or whether you are looking to get it hand made by either yourself or a technical engineer.
However, it is good to know that there are many parts, even totally bespoke, that can be made by using a 3D printer. This makes attaining them a lot faster and, in some ways, more efficient in both time and money. Therefore, there is the potential for greater profitability.
