Framework

Plastic Is Alive

Prototype materials lie about how production parts will behave.

How it works

  1. 1Prototype materials lie. Resins and 3D prints are more brittle and less elastic than production ABS.
  2. 2Design for manufacturing is a separate project from prototyping, with its own timeline and budget.
  3. 3Ambient humidity changes how parts come out of the machine, so tolerance consistency across thousands of units is an engineering problem in itself.
  4. 4Every aesthetic decision has a manufacturing cost. High gloss looks premium and scratches from one wrong thumb on the assembly line.
  5. 5Budget a year for prototyping before you have anything to manufacture.

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