Before something is ready for sale in the market or for the public’s use, it undergoes strict testing first. Companies in charge of a product’s sale make sure that it will not fail the expectations of its users. Their reputation is on the line, of course. One big mistake can lead to the eventual downfall of even the largest and most famous firms.
But how do these companies do it? How are they able to pull off such amazing feats without failure time and time again? Well, it takes them a lot of time and resources to create prototypes for their products.
The Prototype
Any company has a prototype for its products. It is essentially the first step they make to create the things we now use today. And when it comes to machinery, it is not so different.
Machinery prototypes are repeatedly tested to iron out flaws. They are not cheap to build, either. Prototypes are often custom-built from the ground up. They might need to order custom parts, for example, from a spring manufacturer in Ohio. Even before that, research takes a big toll on their finances to perfect the prototype’s design. This is all done so that once the final product rolls out to the public, it would be without any errors and flaws.
This is what prototypes are. And this is especially true for those that create machinery. So, here is exactly why machinery prototypes are important.
Safety Concerns
Machinery used in construction or manufacturing needs to be in its best form. Most of the time, these machines are used for long periods of time throughout the day. Some might be even left running 24/7. The prototype’s job is that researchers can find out how the end product can do such tasks safely.
Like all things, when you push something to its limits, it is bound to break. When stressed, machines could fail and cease to work. The prototype is the test subject to find out how to iron out potential flaws.
Sure, you could always get the manpower to do the work in construction and manufacturing. But most of the time, factory-made items are better in many ways. They are faster and cheaper to make.
Product Effectiveness
Again, some machines are often left to run for hours on end. Aside from safety concerns, R&D must figure out how to keep their machines operating for such long periods of time.
Prototypes are the test dummies for such experiments. These prototypes are built to fail so that the end-product does not. Most of the time, these prototypes are exposed to extreme conditions just to mimic the extremes of the work environment. If they could pass that, they can surely pass the standards and quality needed by its users.
Whenever you use something, think of the hours spent by the R&D department perfecting the product that you are holding. What you are holding and using is the end-product of practically years of hard work. And this is all thanks to the countless prototypes and control tests done.