Prototyping

The Loop That Never Ends

Part 2: The Prototyping Phase

 

 

If the design phase was about solving problems on a screen, the prototyping phase was about discovering how many of those solutions were wrong.

 

The process was straightforward in theory. Print a part. Check the fit. Test the mechanism. Go back to CAD, adjust the design, print again. Repeat.

 

In practice, that loop ran for months.

 

 

Print. Test. Repeat.

Almost every single iteration ended the same way: back to the drawing board. A mechanism that moved smoothly in CAD would bind in reality. A fit that looked perfect on screen would be too tight — or too loose — the moment you held the parts in your hands.

 

3D printing is not the same as injection molding. The tolerances are different, the material behaves differently, the surface finish is different. But it is the fastest way to find out whether an idea actually works, and at this stage speed matters more than perfection.

 

[ IMAGE: 3D printer running, mid-print ]

The printer ran almost continuously throughout this phase.

 

"In 99% of cases — back to the drawing board."

 

We went through a lot of filament. More than we want to admit. The pile of discarded parts, broken supports, and failed mechanisms grew steadily. What you see in the photo above is about 10% of the total.

 

 

Knowing When to Stop

The strange thing about this kind of iterative process is that it never truly ends. There is always something you can improve. A mechanism that works can work more smoothly. A fit that is good can be tighter. A part that is strong enough can be stronger.

 

At a certain point you have to draw a line.

 

"If we keep doing this, it can go on forever. And forever is a very long time."

 

That moment — when you look at the assembled prototype and conclude that everything is, genuinely, on point — is less a celebration and more a quiet decision. Not that the model is perfect. That it is good enough to move forward, and that the time spent chasing further improvements would cost more than the improvements are worth.

 

We reached that point. It took a while. But we got there.

 

 

[ IMAGE: Final prototype assembled and photographed ]

The final prototype — the version that told us we were ready to move to production.

 

Next up: Manufacturing.

Where prototyping ends and the real pressure begins — tooling, molds, and the moment you commit to producing something at scale.