xiehe model

By production method
According to the means of production, the prototype can be divided into manual prototype and CNC prototype:
(1) Manual prototype: the main workload is done by hand. Manual hand board is divided into abs hand board and clay hand board
(2) CNC prototype: its main workload is completed with CNC machine tools, and according to the different equipment used, it can be divided into laser rapid prototyping (sla) prototype and machining center (CNC) prototype and RP prototype (3D printing).
A: RP prototype: It is mainly produced by 3D printing technology. The prototype made by laser rapid prototyping is commonly known as sla prototype, but laser rapid prototyping is one of 3D printing.
B: CNC Prototype: It is mainly a prototype produced by a machining center.
Compared with CNC prototypes, RP prototypes have their own advantages:
The advantages of RP prototype are mainly reflected in its rapidity, but it is mainly formed by stacking technology, so RP prototype is generally relatively rough, and there are certain requirements for the wall thickness of the product, for example, if the wall thickness is too thin, it cannot be produced.
The advantages of the CNC prototype are that it can very accurately reflect the information expressed by the drawings, and the surface quality of the CNC prototype is high, especially after the surface spraying and silk screen printing are completed, even more splendid than the products produced after the mold is opened. Therefore, CNC prototyping has increasingly become the mainstream of prototyping.

By material used
According to the materials used in production, the prototypes can be divided into plastic prototypes, silicone prototypes, and metal prototypes:
(1) Plastic prototype: its raw material is plastic, mainly the prototype of some plastic products, such as televisions, monitors, telephones and so on.
(2) Silicone hand board: its raw material is silica gel, which is mainly used to display the shape of product design, such as automobiles, mobile phones, toys, handicrafts, daily necessities and so on.
(3) Metal prototype: its raw materials are aluminum-magnesium alloy and other metal materials, mainly prototypes of some high-end products, such as notebook computers, advanced single players, MP3 players, CD players and so on.
Necessity of prototyping
Check the design
The prototype is not only visible, but also touchable. It can intuitively reflect the designer's creativity in the form of real objects, avoiding the drawback of "drawing good-looking but not good-looking". Therefore, prototyping is essential in the process of new product development and product shape scrutiny.
Check Structural Design
Because the prototype can be assembled, it can intuitively reflect the rationality of the structure and the difficulty of installation. It is convenient to detect and solve problems early.
Risk of direct mold opening
Since the cost of mold manufacturing is generally high, relatively large molds are worth hundreds of thousands or even millions. If the unreasonable structure or other problems are found in the process of opening the mold, the loss can be imagined. Prototype production can avoid this loss and reduce the risk of mold opening.
Product launch ahead of schedule
Due to the advanced nature of prototyping, you can use prototyping for product promotion before the mold is developed, and even pre-sales and production preparations to occupy the market as soon as possible.