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Sheet Metal Rapid Prototyping vs. Traditional Methods: Which is Better?

  Looking to prototype enclosures, weldments, or other sheet metal parts? Compared to traditional manufacturing, sheet metal rapid prototyping is often the faster and more cost-effective method for prototyping these components. While we provide traditional manufacturing services like CNC machining and direct metal laser sintering, we often suggest sheet metal rapid prototyping for low to mid-volume runs to maximize your savings. Keep reading to understand the advantages of sheet metal rapid prototyping over traditional methods. What is traditional manufacturing? Traditional prototyping uses conventional machining and sometimes includes established methods like injection molding and CNC machining. While these methods are known for their material consistency and accuracy, they can also be time-consuming and expensive for prototyping because they require extensive tooling and labor. The limited design flexibility of these prototype manufacturing methods also make it quite costly t...
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How Prototyping Companies Can Accelerate Product Development

  Time is of the essence in the fast-paced landscape of product development, and as a product designer or engineer, you need to transform ideas into prototypes as quickly as possible. If you don't, you risk falling behind and your product becoming outdated. Prototyping companies can help. Prototyping services allow you to iterate designs and get user feedback quickly to minimize risks, and we offer them here at HLH Prototypes. Keep reading to learn how our solutions can support your product's success. Validation and feedback Prototyping allows you to test ideas with tangible products so you can gather feedback from stakeholders and users as early as possible. You can address design flaws before end-use production and ensure that your final product meets the user’s needs. Fast iteration Prototyping companies enable rapid iteration to help you make and test several versions of your part quickly. This approach lets you adjust your design based on user feedback, ensuring y...
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Common Challenges in Vacuum Casting and How to Overcome Them

  Looking for a way to create high-quality parts without the expense and wait of production tooling? Vacuum casting (also known as cast urethanes) is a versatile technique for making everything from car bumpers to headphones. However, while it's an economical and advanced method for prototyping, it does have some challenges that can lead to poorly cast parts. Working with an experienced prototyping in China can help you prevent such issues. In this blog, we will share the common challenges in cast urethanes and the solutions to overcome them. Read on to discover how to make vacuum casting work for you while avoiding any hassles. Short mold lifespan Keep in mind that silicone molds aren't designed for high-volume production — you'll usually get between 20 and 50 parts before the mold starts to degrade. We can look into alternative manufacturing solutions such as rapid injection molding if you require more parts. Bubbles in the silicone mold Bubbles render the mo...
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How Rapid Sheet Metal Prototyping Speeds Innovation

  If you need metal prototypes fast, CNC machining and die casting aren't your only options anymore. HLH Prototypes offers rapid sheet metal prototyping to help you get your products to market quickly. Our expertise in metal prototyping allows us to provide fast turnaround times without sacrificing quality. Why use sheet metal? Using sheet metal often simplifies the manufacturing process for metal parts and can help reduce overall costs. Because it’s versatile, this material is used in a wide range of products, from enclosures to assemblies and cabinets, as well as for making custom housings, weldments, and brackets. Customized to your needs At HLH Prototypes, we use various processes to shape and manipulate metal sheets for your project. We customize our process according to your rapid sheet metal prototyping requirements, so it may include one or more solutions like laser cutting, welding, punching, and bending. Quick results Prototypes are the tangible versions of y...
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DMLS Prototyping: Precision Metal 3D Printing

  When designing a metal part or product, it's important that the prototype closely resembles the final product. And fortunately, thanks to 3D printing technologies like direct metal laser sintering (DMLS), creating a metal prototype doesn't have to be a costly or time-consuming process anymore. At HLH Prototypes, we offer DMLS prototyping that delivers fully functional components from production-grade materials. It’s a quick and cost-effective solution that can realize complex geometries and details, which would either be expensive or impossible to manufacture with traditional processes. In this blog, we will share how DMLS is changing the game in making metal prototypes. Let’s explore the applications of DMLS prototypes and how they add value to your project. How it works DMLS prototyping uses the industrial 3D printing technology called direct metal laser sintering to build a part from powdered metals one layer at a time. The process is similar to selective laser s...
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Custom CNC Machining in China: What to Know

  Manufacturing continues to advance, but established technologies like CNC machining remain essential because they combine precision, versatility, and cost-effectiveness for a wide range of applications. Outsourcing custom CNC machining to China can save you both time and money on your next project.   HLH Prototypes offers this very service. You likely have questions about partnering with a CNC machining service provider. This blog post covers everything you need to know about the CNC machining industry in China and how to choose a reliable partner. Why choose China for CNC machining? China is the world’s manufacturing hub for many reasons. For one, it fosters a growing manufacturing environment that welcomes projects worldwide. Many product designers, engineers, and businesses turn to China to produce high-quality parts and products at competitive prices. The ample workforce, robust infrastructure, and government support all contributed to the growth of CNC machining ...
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How Low-Volume Production Enables Faster Prototyping and More Agile Product Development

  Do you need a small batch of identical parts, prototypes, or end-use parts? Low-volume production can make it happen at a reasonable cost and within a shorter time frame. At HLH Prototypes, we specialize in producing anywhere from a single unit to 100,000 prototypes and custom parts for a wide range of industries. This allows our customers to leverage the benefits of adaptability, cost-efficiency, and flexibility that low-volume production provides. By producing small quantities of parts, we bridge the gap between prototyping and full-scale production — ideal for companies that need to innovate quickly and respond to rapidly changing market demands. Ultimately, low-volume production can give you a significant competitive edge in your industry. Join us in this blog as we explore the advantages of low-volume production and how it can accelerate your prototyping and project development timelines. We'll also delve into the various manufacturing technologies that make this effici...
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