Route selection
We choose the process for the question you are asking, not for the volume you have not committed to yet. Stamping, forming, machining, coiling, moulding or assembly each have a different prototype route.
Prototypes that move into production.
A small quantity, made quickly, so you can test fit, form and function before committing to tooling and volume. Where the process allows, we build the prototype without production tooling, then carry the same part into serial supply.
- Same process route as production
- Production tooling avoided where the route allows
- Measured against the drawing
At a glance
- Stage
- Before tooling and volume
- Input
- Drawing or 3D model, quantity, test intent
- Output
- Sample parts and a dimensional report
- Next step
- Design freeze, tooling or serial order
Why this service exists
A prototype is not a demonstration model. It has to answer a specific question: does the part fit, does it carry the current, does the spring hold its load, does the assembly go together on the line?
We read the drawing first and choose the route that answers that question. Sometimes it is a soft tool or a laser-cut blank. Sometimes the production process is already the fastest route. The quotation says which route we are using and what the sample will and will not prove.
What the prototype service covers
Representative material and finish
The sample uses the material grade and finish that matter to the test. Where a production finish would distort a prototype, we say so before the parts are made.
First article measurement
The sample is measured against the drawing's critical characteristics. The report tells you what was held, what was not, and what would change in production.
A route to serial supply
The prototype is not a dead end. The same drawing, process and inspection approach move into production, so the part is not qualified twice or handed to a different supplier.
How a prototype runs
Four steps, with the decision points visible before anyone cuts material.
01
Read the drawing
We confirm the feature under test, the material, the finish and the tolerance that decides whether the sample is useful.
02
Choose the route
We select a process that can make the sample without pretending it is a production part. The quotation states the route and its limits.
03
Make and measure
The sample is made, finished where the test needs it, and measured against the critical characteristics.
04
Decide the next step
You test the sample. We use the result to freeze the drawing, quote tooling or move the same part into serial supply.
What changes between prototype and production
The part should not change. The route, tooling and inspection evidence do.
Tooling
Prototype
Avoided where the process allows
Production
Production tooling, quoted separately
Material
Prototype
The grade that answers the test
Production
The grade and temper on the drawing
Finish
Prototype
Only where the test needs it
Production
The specified finish, inspected
Inspection
Prototype
Critical characteristics for the test
Production
Drawing characteristics, batch record
Quantity
Prototype
The number needed to decide
Production
Call-off or annual volume
What you send
- The drawing or a 3D model, with the revision.
- The quantity and the decision the sample has to support.
- Material, finish and any test the sample must pass.
- The date by which you need to test it.
What you get
- Sample parts made on the agreed route.
- A dimensional report against the critical characteristics.
- A written note on what the sample does and does not prove.
- A production route and quotation for the serial part.
Limits, stated plainly
- We are not a design house. We prototype the part you define and tell you what the process cannot hold.
- Not every process can skip production tooling. Where a tool is unavoidable, we say so before quoting.
- A prototype finish may differ from production where the difference does not affect the test.
Where it fits
The service is used with these products and the tools that support the drawing.
Questions buyers ask
Can you make a prototype without production tooling?+
Where the process allows it. Laser cutting, machining, wire forming and some moulding routes can produce a sample without a production die or mould. Stamped parts with complex forms may still need a soft tool, and we say so before quoting.
Will the prototype be made from the production material?+
Where the material affects the test, yes. If a substitute is used to make the sample faster, the report states the substitution and what it means for the result.
Do you measure the prototype?+
Yes. The sample is measured against the critical characteristics on the drawing, and the report says what was held and what was not. That report is the basis for the production discussion.
Can the same supplier make the production part?+
Yes. The prototype and the production part stay on the same drawing and the same process route, so the part is not re-qualified with a different supplier.
How fast can you deliver a prototype?+
It depends on the process, material and finish. We confirm the route and the date against the drawing and quantity before the order is placed. We do not quote a lead time before we have read the part.
Send the drawing
Email us at contact@qumek.com. We respond within 12 hrs.
Your enquiries are confidential with us and we proceed with manufacturing only after signing a NDA.