How to make a Prototype?

If you are reading this you likely have a product idea in mind, maybe some sketches, drawings, or models. You now want to take the design work to the next step and create a prototype. The prototype can be used for many things, here are a few examples:

• validating the product idea for yourself (i.e., testing if it works)
• showing the product idea to potential investors (e.g., giving them something to hold during  your investment pitch)
• safety testing (e.g., electrical safety)
• preproduction validation for regulatory submissions for Health Canada and the FDA (e.g., for medical devices)
  

How much does a Prototype cost?

Depending on the intended use of the prototype, the cost can vary dramatically. Prototypes can range from:

• Craft-like (e.g., using pipe cleaners, cardboard, and hot glue)
• Functional yet rough (e.g., using plywood and screws)
• Non-functional but aesthetically representative of a finished product
• Preproduction quality (functional and representative of a finished product)



They also vary widely depending on the type of product you are prototyping. For example, prototypes for electromechanical products are generally going to cost more than prototypes for purely mechanical products.

We suggest that before spending a lot of money and time on a prototype, you first perform your due diligence on your product idea. One of the most important due diligences you must perform is to confirm your idea does not infringe on anyone else’s patents. If it doesn’t, then you can continue your product strategy due diligence (market research, etc.) and then file a patent application.

 How do I patent an idea in Canada? 

There are two main patents we care about when it comes to product development:

Design Patents and Utility Patents.

 How do I create a product prototype? 

You have identified that your product idea is new, not patented by someone else, and you have started down the path of patenting it for yourself. Now is the time to start making and testing more serious prototypes.

As described in the introduction, prototype development costs and effort can vary widely. Depending on the intended use of the prototype, you may be able to save a lot of money by doing it yourself with the materials you have around.

Once you start needing to produce prototypes for investors, preproduction validation, or safety testing, you’ll have to get some more rigorous design work in order.

Investor prototypes are usually geared toward showing that the product can work, and that the product can be pretty.

Often early on, you can show these two aspects using two different prototypes, a functional ugly prototype, and a non-functional pretty prototype.

Safety test and preproduction validation prototypes should be representative of what you are intending to sell.

To make these prototypes, you will need to create some design files:

• CAD files – 3D part files for custom metal work and rapid prototyping of plastic parts.
• Drawings – most metal shops will require drawings in addition to the CAD files, these drawings call out important dimensions, materials, coatings to use, and other part-specific requirements.
• Gerbers – electronic circuit board files if you have a custom circuit board in your prototype.
• Bill of Materials (BOMs) – If you want a manufacturer to build anything out of a bunch of items, you must provide a list of those items in a BOM. You may have many BOMs that describe how to make each one of your assemblies. E.g., one for your custom circuit boards, one for a mechanical sub-assembly, and another for the completed product.
• Assembly and Test Instructions – If you want someone else to assemble and test your prototype or parts, you will need to communicate how to do so. Assembly and test instructions can be simple to start (a word document listing the steps) and become more detailed as you get closer to production.