Prototyping foam and other flexible materials is a much different process than that for other industrial products. Rigid materials can be prototyped through CNC milling, injection molds, or 3D printing
A well-designed product prototype does more than just show what a part looks like. It validates the fit, compression, and material behavior. Understanding how the prototyping process works and how it transitions into full-scale production can help reduce risk, control costs, and ensure optimal performance of your finished products.
Have a component you want to prototype? Contact our product engineers at American Flexible Products to get started. Our material experts are here to help, from prototyping to full production runs.
What Is a Prototype in Industrial Manufacturing?
A product prototype is a preliminary version of a component that you create before large-scale production. In industrial manufacturing, a prototype isn’t just a visual model. It’s a functional part intended to be tested in real-world conditions.
For flexible materials, prototyping foam or rubber allows you to evaluate how the component:
- Responds to compression and load.
- Creates and maintains an effective seal.
- Interacts with mating surfaces and hardware.
- Handles environmental conditions, temperature changes, or chemical exposure.
Custom Gasket Prototyping Process
The process of making gasket prototypes involves several steps, from concept design to the production and testing of sample components.
Design Review
The prototyping process starts with a design phase where engineers evaluate CAD files and product specifications to confirm the performance expectations. At this stage, designers can identify potential manufacturing concerns such as tight tolerances, thin sections, or complex geometries.
Material Selection
After the initial design phase, engineers select a material that meets the component’s performance requirements. Designers consider factors such as environmental conditions, operating temperature, pressure, chemical compatibility, and sealing properties.
Selecting the right material for a prototype ensures it will perform under real-world conditions, not just fit within the design.
Cutting Method Selection
After selecting a material, engineers choose the most efficient cutting method. The goal of prototyping is to create an accurate, real-world sample without the high upfront cost of permanent production dies. Die cut prototypes often use steel rule dies or soft tooling, providing the flexibility to iterate on a design quickly and affordably before committing to high-volume tooling.
Prototype gaskets may also be produced with waterjet or laser cutting. However, this usually depends on the design complexity or the material used. Waterjet cutting is often used on thick materials, while lasers work for thin or highly detailed materials.
Prototype Testing
Once a prototype is created, engineers test it to evaluate its fit and performance. This stage is crucial for determining if the component is designed properly and withstands the actual operating conditions it will need to.
Product Refinement
Based on testing results, engineers may change the design or material to make it perform better. Because prototype cutting methods don’t use permanent tooling, it’s relatively easy to make and implement adjustments easily. Engineers may test multiple iterations until the component meets all the requirements for fit and performance.
How to Move From Prototype to Full Production
Prototyping validates that the design and materials work before you invest in production tooling. Once a prototype succeeds, the next step is scaling to full production. This involves several steps:
- Forecasting volume to determine the most efficient production method.
- Evaluating how tooling, materials, and production labor will affect the cost-per-part.
- Creating permanent dies or other tooling that can produce components at scale.
Why Work With a Converting Partner for Prototypes?
When developing a gasket or die-cut component, even small design decisions or material considerations can impact the performance of your component. That’s why prototyping plays such a critical role in industrial manufacturing.
With American Flexible Products as your prototyping partner, you have access to our material expertise, direct supplier access, and decades of performance knowledge. This allows us to create faster iterations and reduce any surprises that may arise during production, affecting your timelines and cost margins.
Contact our team to get started on your flexible material prototype today. As a 100% employee-owned company, you’ll speak to an owner every time you reach out.
