Once in a while all the time you thought you had to get a part out of design, through prototype, testing and into production just evaporated. The deadline for required production parts is approaching like a speeding train and you are in a real time-crunch. If you’ve been there before, you know it’s not where you want to be. So is there a way out when caught in this time dilemma?
Here is a way to recapture lost time. If you are coming up on the eleventh hour and need to get production parts quickly, then low volume production of parts by your prototyper is a viable solution. Now, the per-part price for a low volume run will definitely be higher through the prototyping process than production die casting process. You will have to weigh the benefits of having production parts on time versus holding up production and becoming the fall guy.
The per-part cost can vary substantially in low volume production depending upon the prototype supplier’s process. Some prototyping processes are prohibitively expensive to consider for low volume runs. Even if you do not think you will need a small volume of production parts it will be to your advantage to discuss this possibility with your prototype supplier up front. You prototype supplier should then be in a position to offer you the best alternatives and provide you with some cost references so that you are prepared when the need actually arises. Needless to say, it is better to be prepared for such contingencies rather than be caught short and have no way out.