Solveering: Prototyping Services

In addition to handling almost every aspect of the design side, we offer a variety of prototyping services. These are mainly tailored towards providing tangible parts from client specified designs but can also be offered on an individual basis for those seeking specific prototyping needs. Depending on the part(s), we would be happy to quote medium to large quantities too.

Areas of Prototyping

Mechanical Parts & Assemblies
Reverse Engineering
Electronics & Integrated Systems

CNC Milling & Turning

Our machining and prototyping offering has gradually increased over the years and we are proud to offer a strong capability with our in-house Tormach 1100MX and 15L Slant Pro Machines. The 1100MX Milling Machine is capable of cutting almost any material using a variety of cutting tools and with the automatic tool changer, complex programs can be executed efficiently while remaining cost effective.
The 15L Slant Pro CNC Lathe is well suited for parts that are rotationally symmetric. A variety of materials, ranging from softer plastics to hardenable Tool Steels can be processed with efficiency. A 8-station tool turret can be expanded using our own 3-gang tool holders as well as X-Axis mounted gang tooling and a number of other options. By using the part-puller, fully automated batch production of parts can be achieved.
Please contact us for deails, we would be happy to discuss one-off prototyping or medium to large batch production.

Laser Cutting

Small plastic or similar parts that only require a profile can be more economically cut using a laser to burn through the material along a predefined path. The maximum size we can cut in-house is 12.5x8.5 inches with a depth of around 1/4" for most plastics (some thicker materials can be cut, this depends on the required finish and the material). The ideal plastic to engrave and cut with this machine is Cast Acrylic, either transparent or colored. Metals cannot be cut on this machine though circuit boards can be etched by first ablating a surface coating and then immersing the board in acid. Prototyping on this machine is best suited to produce plastic brackets, plates (with or without text/images engraved) or custom gaskets. The machine we use is a stock K40 with a large number of modifications that improve on the control systems (allowing variable power levels during the cut), better software to define the process as well as a camera for layout/overlay. Beyond the IR Laser capabilities, this machine has also been fitted with a second, UV-Blue laser that is capable of directly engraving steels (though no cutting or similar).
In addition to cutting plastics, this machine is also used for cases where metal parts are anodized (we offer that in-house for small quantities) and then engraved with text or images. This process usually leaves a light text on a darker background and works better with some colors compared to others.
For details and information about capabilities on this machine as well as small production runs, please contact us.

3D Printing/Additive Manufacturing

We have an in-house MakerBot Replicator 2 that can be used to prototype parts up to 7x11x7 inches of any shape imaginable. The material used is a PLA Plastic-like material, added in layers (Fused Deposition technology). The parts are generally quite strong. Though this machine is highly versatile, limited material selection and a surface finish and accuracy differing from the design part are a limitation.
Additionally, we use a Duplicator 7, SLA type 3D printer for fine detail parts. With this printer, flat surfaces have a mirror-like surface finish and fine details are possible. The material used is one of several liquids that is hardended using a projected UV light which hardens the liquid where exposed. The downside to this approach is that the final parts are more brittle and more work goes into processing and post-processing the files and also that the raw materials are more expensive. However, these parts lend themselves well to then create molds from them using Silicone and cast final-use parts out of Urethane Plastics of varying levels of flexibility.
It is even possible to use these parts as quick-turnaround injection molds with some modifications.
Contact us for details on possibilities. If we cannot make parts in-house we have a good working relationship with several outside sources.

Reverse Engineering/3D Scanning

In addition to using calipers, measuring tape and similar, we have a NextEngine HD 3D Scanner capable of resolution in the order of 0.004"/0.1mm. This allows us to take existing objects and generate reverse engineered models to which we can design interfacing parts. Though the data is often too large to work with directly, we have several tools, including our own InStep software that can be used to reduce the complexity of the models into something more easily worked with.

Electronics

In-house we can etch simple Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) as well as assemble (either by hand or using our SMD Pick and Place machine) through hole or surface mounted components (IR Reflow or manual soldering) down to 0402 and smaller if necessary. Two sided designs are possible using outsourced PCBs (designed and assembled in-house). All programming of embedded devices, if applicable, is done in-house for PIC processors (others possible upon request). Full designs of circuit boards is possible using DesignSpark so the end design is portable for the client and can be further modified by third parties wihtout loss of data. Assembly and programming of Raspberry Pi (2nd and later Generations) is possible too. For this purpose we use the Windows 10 IoT Core which provides a richer programming environment for most common projects. Contact us for details.