Prototype Machining Wausau, WI
Prototype machining Wausau, WI. Prototyping is the first and most important step in an end-product’s journey from idea to shelf. To get it correctly the first time around, you need to work with a prototype machine shop in Wausau that can not just bring your designs to life, but have specialists on staff that can also help refine the product to make it even better.
At Roberson Machine Company, we are a leader in rapid prototyping for a variety of businesses. If you can dream it, we have the capabilities to make it a reality—no matter the complexity! Our contract manufacturers are prepared to support your product development initiatives.
Contact us or call 573-646-3996 for a free consultation on CNC prototype machining in Wausau, WI.
Wausau Prototype Services
We have a large factory floor with lathes, mills, and EDM machines to meet your CNC prototyping expectations. The entire staff at Roberson Machine Company is devoted to ensuring your product development journey goes off without a hitch, which is why we meticulously oversee the entire design, fabrication, and programming process to make sure every last detail is perfect.
Finally, we know how important it is to move a completed prototype to production so that it can get on the market as soon as possible. Once you’re completely satisfied with a product’s final design, we can transition it easily and efficiently into production, all in-house! We want to be your one-stop machine shop for all prototyping services.
CNC prototyping services we offer:
- 3, 4, and 5-axis machining
- CNC Milling
- Wire EDM
- CNC Turning
- High-level surface finishing capabilities
- Metal fabrication
- Variety of capabilities such as extrusion, bending, folding, stamping, welding, cutting, spinning, etc.
- Variety of materials such as stainless steel, aluminum, etc.
- Both complex and simple part geometries
- Tight tolerances (as tight as 0.0001” inches for some parts)
What is Prototyping?
Prototyping uses specialized manufacturing techniques, such as CNC machines, to create high-quality physical models of a design idea. It can be used for many purposes and is usually the first step in the mass-production of a product. For example, many companies 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
- Exhibiting the appearance, features, and dimensions of your product
- Creating multiple separate versions of the product with different textures, colors, and finishes
- Ensuring that all parts are standardized in terms of dimension, shape, quality, and size
- Testing the market with your product before production
- Finding and fixing potentially costly design defects before it ever touches the market
- Improving and streamlining the entire production process
In general, rapid prototyping in Wausau saves money, time, and hassle by creating a single run of a product that can be tested and improved upon before investing in thousands of units. Contact us to learn more about how this process can help your business realize a variety of cost savings.
Who Uses Prototype Machining?
Many Wausau, WI industries are cognizant of the advantages of prototype machining and use it to limit the chance of disruptions in the development cycle. Roberson Machine Company has successfully partnered with a notable number of companies, both large and small, to meet their prototype manufacturing requirements. We have worked with the following Wausau, WI industries and others develop prototypes quickly and efficiently:
- With the popularity of “just-in-time” manufacturing processes, the automotive industry requires new parts to be developed as quickly as possible and in any quantity. Roberson Tool partners with Wausau, WI automotive firms as small as local custom shops and as large as OEM manufacturers to produce prototype parts in a variety of materials, delivered on time and within budget.
- Wausau, WI oil and energy firms have unique demands for prototypes: they need to be made to withstand the rigors of refining, mining, and underground burial. Roberson meets these demands by specializing in machining prototypes using exotic materials such as alloy steel, plastics, and brass.
- The Wausau, WI medical industry mandates that parts are developed to some of the most exacting tolerances in the machining industry: above all, preventing defective parts from making it to end users is quite literally a matter of life and death. Moreover, medical parts are often very small and intricate in design. Roberson Machine Company is equipped with 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 mandated by the FDA.
- Aerospace manufacturers require parts with highly technical geometries and dimensions, and in a large number of cases using rare metals that do not deform at high temperatures and altitude. Moreover, the unique pressures and characteristics of flight require parts made to exacting tolerance and design standards. Our veteran technicians are eager to take on the challenges of aerospace prototype manufacturing, and our WI machine shop is driven to deliver aerospace manufacturers parts built to the highest standard of quality.
This track record in prototype manufacturing for multiple WI industries allows Roberson Machine Company to be a true partner throughout the manufacturing process. Our highly-trained team of specialists can help you recognize flaws in your product, propose design and technical improvements, and otherwise improve the quality of your Wausau, WI finished product while lowering your R&D costs.
Why Use CNC Machining for Rapid Prototyping in Wausau, WI
There are many different methods that can be used to create your prototypes, but CNC machining is far and away one of the most effective. Short for computer numerical control, CNC allows you to design a product digitally, program the design data into the computer, and let the CNC machine take it from there, cutting away portions from a piece of raw material in order to create the desired end-shape.
Using computers eliminates human error and improves the efficiency of the cuts which, in turn, means that you can produce quick, flawless parts both the first time and every time afterwards. There are so many other reasons to choose CNC for your prototype, including:
- More accurate – Computer-controlled machines use modern cutters that are extremely precise and accurate in order to create parts with tolerances sometimes as tight as +.05 mm.
- Quicker – Modern CNC machine tools work with sophisticated computer programs that can convert files into finished parts within a matter of hours, which is invaluable towards getting the end-results to market faster.
- Many different materials to work with – CNC machine tools are able to work with practically any machinable material, which includes many kinds of metal and plastic substrates. This is a great advantage to product developers who want to test from one different material to the next.
- No fixed tooling necessary – CNC machined parts do not need to use separate tools and dies, which helps reduce the lead time and initial investment costs for new product development.
- Easy to modify – New products often go through many moderations and iterations to improve upon the original design. Altering digital instructions is simple and only takes a few minutes with CNC machining.
Prototype Manufacturing Near Me Wausau, WI | Roberson Machine Company
CNC machining is an ideal solution for product developers who need high-quality and quick parts in small volumes for prototyping and testing samples. 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 Wausau services.