Prototype Machining in Alabama | CNC Prototyping
Prototype machining in Alabama. Creating a prototype is not just the first step, but probably one of the most important in the manufacturing process. To get it correctly the first time around, you need to work with a prototype machine shop in Alabama that can not just bring your designs to life, but have engineers on staff that can also make revisions to the product to make it even better.
At Roberson Machine Company, we are a leader in rapid prototyping for a number of businesses. If you can dream it, we have the capabilities to make it a reality—no matter the complexity! Our team of contract manufacturing professionals are ready to support your product development initiatives.
Contact us or call 573-646-3996 for a free consultation on CNC prototype machining in Alabama.
Alabama Prototype Services
We have a large factory floor with mills, lathes, and EDM machines for all of your precision CNC prototype needs. The entire team at Roberson Machine Company is dedicated to ensuring your product development efforts go smoothly, which is why we carefully oversee the entire design, fabrication, and programming process to make sure every last detail meets your standards.
Finally, we understand the importance of moving a finished prototype to production as quickly as possible in order to keep the assembly line humming. Once you’re completely satisfied with a product’s final design, we can transition it easily and efficiently into production, all in-house! This allows us to be your one-stop shop for prototyping services of all kinds.
CNC prototyping services offered at Roberson Machine Company:
- CNC Milling
- CNC Turning
- Wire EDM
- 3, 4, and 5-axis machining
- Metal fabrication
- High-level surface finishing capabilities
- Tight tolerances (as tight as 0.0001” inches for some parts)
- Both simple and complex part geometries
- Variety of capabilities such as welding, extrusion, stamping, folding, bending, spinning, cutting, etc.
- Variety of materials such as stainless steel, aluminum, etc.
What is a Prototype?
A prototype is a first-attempt physical model of a product that’s made through a special manufacturing process like CNC machining. It is often used for engineer testing or as the first step within the mass-production process. For example, many businesses turn to Roberson Machine Company to create a physical part swiftly in order to capture a sales opportunity or validate a design.
Prototyping is a very beneficial practice that can be used for:
- Showing customers and investors a physical model of your product in as little amount of time as possible
- Demonstrating the appearance, dimensions, and features of your product
- Creating multiple separate versions of the product with different colors, surface textures, and finishing processes
- Ensuring that all parts are standardized in terms of size, shape, dimension, and quality
- Testing the market with your product before production
- Finding and correcting potentially costly design flaws before reaching market
- Improving and streamlining the entire production process
Overall, rapid prototyping in Alabama saves money, time, and hassle by creating one product that can be tested and improved upon before having to invest in thousands of units. Contact us to see how this process may help your business realize a variety of cost savings.
Who Uses Prototype Machining?
Many Alabama industries have recognized the benefits of prototype machining and utilize it to limit potential disruptions in the development phase. Roberson Machine Company has successfully partnered with a sizable number of companies, of all sizes, to meet their prototype manufacturing needs. We have assisted the following Alabama industries and others develop prototypes rapidly and within cost requirements:
- With the of “just-in-time” manufacturing, the automotive industry requires new parts to be developed as fast as possible and in any size production run. Roberson Tool partners with Alabama automotive manufacturers as small as local custom shops and as large as OEM manufacturers to produce prototype parts in multiple materials, delivered quickly and within costs.
- Oil and energy firms have notable demands for prototypes: they need to be made to withstand the heavy pressure of refining, mining, and underground burial. Roberson responds to these demands by excelling in machining prototypes made from exotic materials such as alloy steel, plastics, and brass.
- The Alabama medical industry requires parts to be developed to some of the most precise tolerances in the machining industry: above all, ensuring that defective parts do not make it to market is quite literally the difference between life and death. In addition, medical parts are often quite small and intricate in design. Roberson Machine Company has in our shop the latest 5-axis CNC machining tools that can not only rapidly fabricate medical part prototypes regardless of size, but also provide process and tracking reports needed by the FDA.
- Aerospace manufacturers need parts with intricate geometries and dimensions, and in many cases using specialized metals that do not deform at high temperatures and altitude. As well, the unique pressures and characteristics of flight necessitate parts made to strict tolerance and design standards. Our veteran technicians are eager to tackle the unique demands of aerospace prototype manufacturing, and our ISO 9001:2015-certified Alabama machine shop is focused on delivering aerospace manufacturers parts built to the highest standard of quality.
This history of prototype manufacturing for multiple Alabama industries allows Roberson Machine Company to be a true partner throughout the manufacturing process. Our experienced team of engineers and machinists can help you identify flaws in your product, suggest design and reliability improvements, and otherwise improve the quality of your Alabama finished product while reducing your R&D costs.
Why Use CNC Machining for Rapid Prototyping in Alabama
There are many different methods that can be used to create your prototypes, but CNC machining is by far the most effective. Also known as computer numerical control, CNC allows you to digitally design your product, input that data into a computer, and let the CNC machine take it from there, trimming away portions from a piece of raw material to create a desired end-shape.
Using computers improves the efficiency of cuts and virtually eliminates human error which, in turn, means that you can make flawless, quick parts both the first time and every time afterwards. There are a variety of other reasons to choose CNC machining for prototyping, such as:
- More precise – Computer-controlled machines use modern cutters that are extremely accurate and precise in order to create parts with tolerances sometimes as tight as +.05 mm.
- Faster – Modern CNC machine can typically create one part in a matter of minutes, which is invaluable towards getting products to market faster.
- Different materials to choose from – CNC machine tools can work on virtually any machinable material, which includes many kinds of metal and plastic substrates. Product developers can then test different materials to see which is best for their application.
- No fixed tooling necessary – CNC machined parts do not need to use separate tools and dies, which helps diminish the lead time and initial investment costs for new product development.
- Can easily change design – New products often go through many moderations and iterations to improve upon the original design. With CNC machining, you can easily alter digital instructions as many times as necessary.
Prototype Manufacturing Near Me Alabama | Roberson Machine Company
CNC machining is used by many businesses who need fast-turnaround and high-quality parts in small volumes for testing samples, engineering, and prototyping. When you choose Roberson Machine Company, we will work with you every step of the way to ensure that your designs are crafted to perfection on time and that all of your needs are met.
Call our team at 573-646-3996 or contact us for a free quote on CNC prototyping] services.