Model Builders Inc Blog

Industrial designers hire a model shop or use an in-house model shop to build physical prototypes of new products and other ideas. Knowledge of prototyping, materials and manufacturing techniques enable the model maker to refine an idea from two dimensions into a physical model that turns that idea into a product.

Here are 8 reasons why industrial designers use model shops:

1) Reality. As stated on page 132 in the 1947 book "Design for Business" by J. Gordon Lippincott

  "Before any design goes into mass production, a full scale model should be made and, if at all feasible, an operating model.  The costs of tooling, merchandising and advertising are so great that any economies gained by skipping the model-making step are more than offset by the greater risk of producing an article that lacks consumer acceptance through failures in styling or function.

Renderings are particularly misleading and should serve only the function of stimulating new, fresh, creative thinking.  In other words renderings are only the expressions of the idea stage.  As soon as a proposed form for a new product has been selected, models should be produced - in full scale wherever possible or practical. Half and quarter-scale models are completely misleading because most people do not have the ability to appreciate changes in scale.  A molding on a quarter-scale model of a refrigerator may look perfectly satisfactory, but when the same design is enlarged to full scale, the molding will be completely out of proportion  - usually too large."

Raymond Loewy stainless steel ashtray prototype for the 1954 Greyhound Scenicruiser bus

2) Capability. The industrial designer usually needs a model maker that has a shop with a variety of capabilities including machining, rapid prototyping, woodworking and finishing work such as sanding and painting. The space, machinery and model making talent needed to produce the industrial designer's prototypes and appearance models are simply too expensive to do at the industrial designer's location unless there is a constant volume of work to do.

The larger industrial design firms like IDEO and large companies like Steelcase tend to have an in-house model shop to create prototypes and appearance models. However for peak loads of work, special expertise or equipment, and a short run of parts they may use an independent model shop.

3) Expertise in materials. Professional model makers know from practical experience what materials may best meet the demands of the designer's intentions and the conditions a product will face. 

RAYOVAC ROUGHNECK flashlight - adjusts from Spot to Flood

4) Speed. Initial prototypes may be quicker if made in thin acrylic or styrene with vacuum forming.  Rapid prototyping is also used to create quick prototypes once the computer CAD work is done.  Machining plastic or metal is often the best way to create the final model since there usually can be much finer detail, more durable material and less finishing work. 

5) Product development. The initial design is tested with potential customers to see how well the product design works. Sometimes the product when held doesn't feel balanced. Many prototypes may have to be built and tested sequentially with changes before the product is ready to sell in the marketplace. Design is a collaborative process and model makers help the industrial designer perfect his craft.

Bernard welding handle final prototype

6) Appearance. A passion to do finishing work, the right grit of sandpaper, the right primer, the right shade of paint, a gloss, semi-gloss or flat finish often determine the success of a new product. The texture and finish must be the same as the final product. We hired one model maker because he could produce a flawless high gloss black finish on a wood base 10" high X 48" X 96". Sometimes industrial designers specify a specific model maker because of his or her superior finishing work.

7) Testing. Sometimes a design looks good on paper but doesn't work right when a prototype is built. The best model makers have the mechanical and electrial skills to help solve those problems.

8) Imagination. You never know when someone else's imagination, expertise, experience or knowledge may improve a product design. Model makers at in-house shop usually have a great knowledge of a particular product's history and techniques that were used to make that type of product.

Independent model shops often have a broad range of experience and may bring in new ideas from their diverse experiences.  At our independent model shop we sometimes find ourselves delving into a dusty two volume set of books titled "Ingenious Mechanisms For Designers and Inventors" that was first published in 1930 with chapter titles like "Intermittent Motion" to create special mechanical motions for a new product. Mechanisms in this book have already passed two important tests - (1) these are designs of mechanisms that will function properly and (2) they are simplified designs which normally are less costly to manufacture and more durable. This is just one example of the resources and experiences that model makers have. Last week we found a new nanotechnology based consumer product that removes and then prevents fingerprints on stainless steel.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss prototypes or other projects contact us at Model Builders, Inc. 773-586-6500 or info@modelbuilders.net .

Over many years we have worked with passionate inventors who are trying to develop a new product.  "For every 1,000 patents only about four or five will succeed and make money" per the article "A 'million-dollar' idea?" in Machine Design magazine. Developing a prototype model is an important step in determining which way your invention may go.

Our conversations with inventors often cover points like these:

- What physical, mechanical or electrical principles does this invention depend on? The idea might be a good one but may need some engineering assistance to ensure that it works. A high school coach came to us with an idea for a broad jump foul detector. He did not know what type of beam should be used to trigger the detector. We did the electrical and mechanical work for his laser activated detector. 

- Have you tried to make a physical mock up of this product yourself? Our experience is that only about one-third of the population can visualize things well in three dimensions. We often see drawings of an idea that looks good on paper but simply doesn't work or is more complex when a prototype is built. One client had a patent with step by step drawings showing how parallel parts could move together both vertically and horizontally. When we built a prototype, it didn't work. Fortunately we were able to solve that problem.

- Are you planning to produce and market the final product? Inventors have often not thought that far ahead. For example prototype details may vary depending on whether small or large production runs are planned. A prototype can be used to get feedback from users, investors, manufacturers and the marketplace. That information helps determine the final design, product cost and success of the product. Once we created the working detector, we referred the high school coach to an industrial design firm to help optimize user factors and the manufacturing cost. 

- Have you done your homework on what it takes for your invention to succeed? I recommend that inventors read "How I Made Millions With Just a Few Simple Ideas" by Robert M. Hayes. This guide shows with real examples how to increase invention success. Is a patent necessary? Will the invention sell? Most inventors assume the world will beat a path to their door but that rarely happens. This book illustrates how to sell and make money from ideas that may or may not be patented.

Converting an idea to reality is often difficult. Many good ideas die in the developmental stage because implementation requires special skills and tools. You need a model builder who can provide the ingenuity, experience, equipment and material to crystallize your idea.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss prototypes or other projects contact us at Model Builders, Inc. 773-586-6500 or info@modelbuilders.net .

Prototype models can make your product more successful at any stage of its life cycle. A prototype is a preliminary design or scale model representation of the final product. It allows your team and your customers to understand the product. You can take it to photo shoots, trade shows, or the customer's site. Below is a look at four of the advantages of using prototypes.

Preview the Final Product:

A prototype model can be an early representation of the final product, done to exact dimensions or to a larger or smaller scale. In addition, the prototype may be cutaway to showcase the internal components or have mechanical movement that demonstrates the operations of the product.

Prototypes are particularly important since they give a general picture of products that are still in development, and whose requirements are not entirely known. Until you can see and touch the prototype you often don't discover what works and what doesn't. Is it too big or too small? Will it actually work and if so how well? Do people like the look of the product in three dimensions? Can it be manufactured at an affordable cost?

A prototype enables all parties to visualize the product quickly and communicate what insights they have for the final product. You can find out if the prototype meets the requirements of potential users and then make changes before the final product is ready for production. The prototype is also the focal point for discussion with the design and engineering team.  The final product is a result of the fusion of design, marketing and engineering input as well as potential user interaction with a prototype.

       The first prototype at 2 times scale used to build demand at a tradeshow

Reduce the Cost of Development and Production:

Using a prototype model enables you to demonstrate the concept of your product and discover any flaws. You have the opportunity to correct these flaws, or come up with solutions for improving the product. This reduces the risk of your product failing. Hence, the cost of development and production is drastically reduced because you don't have to fix problems later after the final product is already in production.

Reduce the Time Needed for Product Development:

Once you have a prototype of your product, you are able to see it completely in 3D. The system requirements are defined as much as possible during the prototype process which is early in the product development. You are able to have a better idea of what the final product will look like, as well as its strengths and weaknesses. This knowledge enables you to accelerate the product development because using the prototype can get you feedback from all parties at the beginning of the product development cycle.

Many firms still are bouncing new product development back and forth between the finance, marketing, sales, and production departments, etc. without using a prototype to get input from all relevant departments early in the product development cycle. This bouncing around among departments results in a longer product development cycle.

Increase User Participation in Product Development:

When you create a prototype of your product, consumers get the opportunity to study it and give suggestions or observations. Users can test the functionality of the product and give feedback. In this way, consumers have the opportunity to help you improve your product. In addition, you can develop a product that is more appealing to consumers since you will be using their direct input.

Usually a new product is developed with a series of prototype models that are reviewed and improved by those who will be involved with the design, marketing & manufacture of the product and potential users. This normally increases the odds of success for the product in the marketplace.

Product models are an investment that often pays off big by increasing product sales. Here are five ways that product models boost results.

1) Product models attract attention to sales presentations by communicating in three dimensions.  Models tell a story your client can see immediately, even without words. The visual story combined with your comments have a powerful, long-lasting impact. Perhaps my father, William H. Chaffee, a model maker for most of the 20th century, said it best: "Models enable you to visualize an idea or product in a scale you can relate to."

2) Product models are used to draw people into a trade show booth and start the sales conversation. They are an attention-getting focal point in the sales process.  Just changing the scale of a product can command attention.  Small objects become gigantic and large objects can become small enough to fit in a 10' wide trade show booth. A 7' high detailer motorized brush as shown in the above picture, 8' tall drill bit, a 9' long windshield wiper blade with some new features, and a 6' tall toothbrush with lighted fiber optic bristles drew heavy traffic into their exhibit booths. Ordinary products command attention when produced in an unexpected scale and their unique benefits are immediately obvious.

3) "New" is one of the most response-generating words in advertising. Models can get new products in front of customers immediately through quick fabrication for presentations at a sales meeting, trade show, or photography for public relations releases. Prior to the first production run of a new industrial pool pump, a full scale exterior model was built for a trade show to introduce the product. The model was detailed down to the surface which had a casting texture painted on it. When the original product engineers first saw the model, some of them thought the model had come straight from the production line. Without the product model the company could only have shown two dimensional photographs or drawings with less impact.

4) Models can highlight product advantages by showing how the product works or revealing certain features. A cutaway model of a real product can show any unique feature and the quality of the materials used inside.  For example, one product model used a clear plastic housing and some internal translucent parts combined with some real parts to create a jet engine oil pump that revealed where the oil flowed and the unique parts that made it work. For another client, a 2X scale oven with 2" wide red/orange fluorescent plastic "heat arrows" inside showed the even flow of heat.

5) Closing a sale is often quicker when you use a  model. For exmple a scale model of a trade show exhibit booth can sell the client on the booth design. Clients often cannot visualize a 3-D booth design as well as the designer. A model facilitates communication and clarifies any changes to the trade show booth design in order to gain a commitment to go ahead with construction of the booth. A model quickly and clearly shows the interior design, space planning, sight lines, traffic patterns, engineering, materials, colors, signage, and the interrelationships between various elements. The model helps to answer questions and solve potential problems. It is a fast way to understand a complex project and hence shorten the sales cycle.

Done artfully and with skill, product models like those described above help increase sales. Take the next step by contacting us at Model Builders, Inc., 773.586.6500 or info@modelbuilders.net .