# Rapid Prototyping – Parts in Your Hands in 3–12 Days
Real material, real tolerances, no excuses.
1. When do most projects really need prototyping?
• First-time part with us
• New material or new color
• Design is still changing
• You want to test fit & function before cutting expensive steel
2. Prototyping is optional – but 92 % of our new clients do it
“We can go straight to production mold immediately, but almost everyone chooses at least one quick prototype to avoid expensive modifications later.”
3. Our three proven prototyping methods
**3.1. 3D Printing (High-resolution SLA & MJF)**
Lead time: 3–6 days
Accuracy: ±0.10 mm (often better on flat surfaces)
Surface: Smooth or lightly textured
Ideal when you need to check appearance, basic fit, ergonomics, or show the part to your customer or investor quickly. We print the exact geometry you send — no mold, no tooling, just fast visual and fit-check parts.
**3.2. CNC Aluminum Soft Tool**
Lead time: 7–12 days
Accuracy: ±0.05 mm (production-level tolerances)
Surface: Real injection-molded finish — from matte to SPI-A2 polish
Made with the exact resin and color you will use in mass production. Perfect for functional testing, certification samples, assembly trials, and small pre-series before committing to hardened steel.
**3.3. Silicone Soft Mold + PU Casting**
Lead time: 5–10 days
Accuracy: ±0.15 mm
We 3D-print a master pattern, pour soft silicone rubber around it, and cast parts in polyurethane that feels exactly like ABS, PP, PC, PA, soft rubber (30A–90A), or even transparent PMMA.
Perfect for marketing samples, trade-show parts, and hard+soft overmolding tests.
All 3 methods are completely optional — many customers go straight to production steel — but 92 % of first-time projects start with at least one of these steps to eliminate expensive mold corrections later.
4. 3D Scanning & Reverse Engineering – we start from a physical sample
Many customers only have an old part and no drawings. We fix that every week.
• You ship us the physical sample
• We scan it (±0.03 mm accuracy) and rebuild a perfect, mold-ready 3D file
• We add draft, uniform walls, and ribs where needed
• You get the new STEP file + prototype parts to verify everything matches
5. Materials we prototype with every week
ABS • PC • PC/ABS • PA66+30 %GF • PP • POM • PMMA (Acrylic) • TPE • LSR (liquid silicone) • PEEK (small runs)
6. How to order a prototype – 3 simple steps
1. Send us your 3D file, 2D drawing, or physical sample
2. We quote (with exact lead time) within 24 hours
3. You pay → parts are shipped + full inspection report
7. Real prototypes we shipped last month
Ready for your prototype this week?
mikeshen.sales@ningboplastic.com
Phone / WeChat: +86 158 6742 2699
WhatsApp: +852 6106 9495
→ Reply same day (yes, even weekends)