Answers, and the Questions We Have Not Answered Yet
The second group is on this page on purpose. A site that only shows the questions it has good answers to is not much use to someone trying to make a decision.
Answered
I only have a sketch. Is that enough to start?
Yes. A drawing and a clear description of what the product has to do is a normal starting point. CAD files are welcome if you have them, but they are not a prerequisite, and we would rather make the manufacturing decisions with you than inherit them.
Why do you insist on a production sample when the prototype is already approved?
Because a hand-built prototype and a process-built unit are different objects. Skipping the sample is how a run of fifty arrives with a flaw that was never present in the thing you signed off. The sample is one unit made the way the batch will be made.
What happens if the prototype shows the product will not work?
You stop, having spent one phase instead of a tooling budget. That is a legitimate and valuable outcome. The alternative is finding out after the run is paid for.
Why is there no portfolio of past products on the site?
Client work is covered by non-disclosure agreements. Publishing a customer’s design to win the next job breaches the agreement that protected them — and the person reading this is the next one whose design would go up. We show capability and process instead, and we will connect you with clients for references.
Does a quote cost anything?
No. The quote is free and itemized, so you can question a specific line rather than argue with one total at the bottom.
What makes your quote different from a prototype shop’s?
It is priced knowing that we will have to manufacture the thing afterwards. A shop that only builds prototypes has no stake in whether the design can be produced, which is why so many prototypes cannot be.
Questions awaiting a verified answer
These are the things a buyer most wants to know, and every one of them is a number or a commitment. Guessing at them on a website is how a project starts with the wrong expectation.
10 questions pending
- What does a prototype cost?
- How long does a prototype take?
- What is the minimum batch size?
- How long does a batch take after the sample is approved?
- How quickly do I get a quote?
- Who owns the design files when the project is finished?
- Will you sign an NDA with me before we talk?
- Which processes do you run in house, and which do you buy in?
- What are the payment terms?
- Who handles shipping, duties and import?
Ask any of these directly and you will get the real answer. They are not on the page yet because they are not yet settled enough to publish.