How to build a prototype?

Building a prototype depends on the nature of the product. Building a prototype of an automobile will be a different ball game, in comparison to building a prototype of a new design of a dress shirt. So the more technical a product, the more difficult it can become.

• For clothes, you may first want to sketch the designs on a piece of paper, and then take it to a tailor.
• For food items, it’s a no brainer, you can use the kitchen, and use the help of a more experienced cook which can even be your mom.
• For software packages, for example, one may design the layout in PowerPoint (using hyperlink function), or Photoshop or any other image editing software to demonstrate to the customer.
• For a physical product that may involve metal or plastic parts, one first has to develop a fully functional 3D model in an engineering visualization software like Solidworks, ProEngineers, SolidEdge, or Catia, etc. Before making a 3D model, try sketching it on a piece of paper then go for 3D. Once done, a 3D printer or an actual fabrication technique can be used to build a prototype.
• For metal fabrications, it’s better to use a pipe structure, and sheet metal because of the relative ease of construction.

Avoid making complicated metallic parts which may involve CNC machines. If unavoidable, you can use wood instead of metal, and use a CNC milling machine to cut the wooden log into your desired shape. But for that, you must make sure that your 3D model contains all the nth level details, no matter how insignificant they appear. But before spending a lot of money on the prototype, you must first ask 100 times, why you want to build it yourself? It often requires millions of rupees just to develop a new product like that! Do you have a facility to mass-produce the product? Is there enough demand in the market to justify the investment? Is there an existing product in the local or international market which serves a similar purpose? Usually, companies with a running business, with lots of cash in hand, try to adventure into new areas like this! In other countries, inventors often spend years to build a prototype and then outsource their production to an existing manufacturer. In Pakistan, the manufacturing base is not strong enough, while in China what is the guarantee that your idea will not get stolen? So there are a lot of ifs, and buts, and questions, so make sure you have done your homework properly before investing a fortune into a venture which makes you walk through this minefield.