Rapid prototyping

During product development, there is often a need to produce a small quantity (10–100 pieces) of a product before mass production. These quantities may be required for prototype testing, market research, or quality control. In many cases, 3D printing is not an ideal solution: either the usage requirements or the manufacturing costs make it uneconomical. This is where small-batch production comes into play, which has two main technological approaches: indirect and direct product manufacturing. 

Indirect product manufacturing – with a silicone mold  

In the indirect process, a silicone mold is made from the product or its 3D-printed prototype. A cross-linked raw material (epoxy, polyurethane, polyester, etc.) is fed into the mold using various casting technologies (e.g., gravity or vacuum casting). 

The products made in this way do not match the final material in every respect, but their selected mechanical properties (e.g., modulus of elasticity) can be very close to those of the final product. This process is ideal for cases where the goal is to produce realistic prototypes or small quantities of functional parts. 

Direct product manufacturing – with 3D printed tools 

In the direct process, we create the necessary molding tool directly from a digital file using 3D printing. This technology allows, for example, ABS injection molding to produce 10 to 100 final pieces. 

The service life of the tool depends on the complexity of the product, so we conduct individual technical consultations for each project to determine the most optimal manufacturing strategy. 

Design support and manufacturability optimization 

Our team not only manufactures, but also actively supports its partners in the design phase. We help develop the optimal design in terms of manufacturability so that products are manufactured as economically and with the best quality as possible. 

We pay special attention to material selection, manufacturing technology integration, and series production preparation, saving our customers time, energy, and costs. 

Why choose us? 

The FilamentOn team has extensive experience in small-batch production and an extensive network of professional partners. This allows us to offer our customers complete solutions from design to manufacturing. 

Whether it's prototypes, functional parts, or production-optimized prototype tools, we tailor the entire process to your specific needs. 

For more information or a personalized quote, please contact us at filamenton@filamenton.com. 

Our colleagues will respond promptly and help you find the best solution for your project.