The Prototype Passed. The Production Parts Exposed the Real Design Problem.

The first prototype is often where a design feels finished.

-The part fits.
-The mechanism works.
-The performance looks correct.

Then production begins, and small issues start appearing.

We experienced this when moving a machined component from prototype quantities into repeated production.

The original design was optimized for proving the concept. During prototyping, additional attention was available during setup, inspection, and assembly.

But production introduced a different challenge: Repeatability.

The same feature that was acceptable on a few prototypes became sensitive when dozens or hundreds of parts needed to maintain the same relationship.

The issue was not that the CNC process became less accurate.

The issue was that the design relied too much on individual adjustment instead of process stability.

During production review, engineers often need to reconsider:

• Which dimensions actually control assembly?
• Which features can tolerate variation?
• Where should the design rely on machining accuracy instead of manual adjustment?

A successful prototype proves that the idea works.

A successful production design proves that the process works.

Those are two different engineering problems.

💬 Discussion:

Where have you seen the biggest difference between prototype success and production reality?

#CNCmachining# #ManufacturingEngineering# #PrototypeToProduction# #DFM# #ProductDevelopment#