Top-down view of an electronics workspace featuring an Arduino board, breadboard with jumper wires, oscilloscope, multimeter, stepper motor, prototyping PCB, and various electronic tools on a cutting mat.

Prototyping at Wellan

At Wellan, prototyping is where your ideas take shape. Whether you’re starting with a rough concept or gearing up for production, our team delivers precision and efficiency at every step. We focus on two key areas: Engineering & Design Prototyping and Manufacturing Prototyping. Together, these services guide your project from vision to reality.

Wellan's Prototyping Capabilities

Before we talk about the process and what to expect, let us tell you what kind of projects we at Wellan can tackle. At Wellan, we have the expertise and resources to prototype everything from individual parts to complete designs for finished products. Whether you're looking to develop a single component or a fully integrated system, our team is equipped to handle projects of all sizes and complexities. For example, we can create custom parts for machinery, develop prototypes for new consumer products, or even design and build fully functional models for testing and validation. Our experience spans various industries, including automotive, aerospace, medical devices, and consumer goods, ensuring that we can meet the unique needs of your project.

Engineering & Design Prototyping

Creating a 3D model is often the critical first step in prototyping—especially if you don’t already have one. Our team can transform napkin sketches, 2D CAD files, or handmade prototypes into a detailed 3D part or full product. This process lays the foundation for refining your design and preparing it for the next phase.

  • From Concept to 3D: We start with whatever you bring us—whether it’s a sketch on a napkin, a 2D CAD drawing, or a physical prototype—and build a 3D model that brings your idea to life.

  • Iterative Refinement: Simple parts may need just one pass, but as your assembly or product grows more complex, multiple revisions become the norm. Our team asks the right questions to streamline this process, ensuring each iteration is efficient and effective.

  • Design for Manufacturing (DFM): Wherever possible, we incorporate DFM principles to make your design production-ready. This might mean creating one version for prototyping and doing additional work to optimize it for manufacturing later.

Our focus is on collaboration and clarity, delivering a design that’s both functional and ready for the next step.

Manufacturing Prototyping

Once the design is set, we shift to producing physical parts. During this phase, we craft all or part of your component, assembly, or product for testing. Each prototype we produce brings you closer to the final version, letting you validate and perfect your concept. Here’s how we typically bring it to life:

  • Parts That Evolve: Every part or assembly we make is an improvement over the last, refining your design based on real-world feedback. This iterative process ensures steady progress toward the final product.

  • Flexible Production: Whether you need a single piece, a partial assembly, or a complete product for testing, we tailor our approach to your project’s needs.

  • Technologies Used:
    • 3D Printing: The go-to choice, especially early on, for fast, versatile part creation from plastics, resins, or metals. It’s used throughout prototyping—from initial models to final tweaks—thanks to its wide-ranging capabilities.
    • Low-Volume Vacuum Forming: Steps in for later iterations, shaping heated plastic sheets over molds for lightweight, durable parts like enclosures or trays.
    • Urethane Casting: Used in later stages, pouring liquid urethane into molds for production-like parts that test real-world performance.

This hands-on stage helps you see, test, and adjust your design before committing to full-scale production.

Main Takeaways

  • Design Starts with 3D: We turn sketches, 2D CAD, or handmade models into 3D designs, refining them through iterations.
  • Production Gets Real: Parts evolve with each prototype, using 3D printing early and often, plus vacuum forming and urethane casting later.
  • Versatile Tech: 3D printing leads for speed and flexibility, while vacuum forming and urethane casting refine durability and function.
  • Tailored to You: From concept to testing, we ask the right questions to make the process efficient and effective.