A team dedicated to prototyping your parts
The prototyping is one of the most important stages in the process of designing custom plastic parts. It enables validate technical choices before manufacturing and production launch.
To this end, our test laboratory carries out :
- From CNC-milled prototypes milling, enabling us to produce parts machined from the final material with a high level of dimensional accuracy;
- From 3D printing prototypes to validate design and assembly;
- Small series of molded parts for functional testing;
- From mechanicaldimensional and ageing tests;
- From quality control and failure analysis.
Manufacturing and testing conditions enable us, right from the design phase, to identify potential defects, adjust wall thickness if necessary, reduce material flow and optimize development time.
State-of-the-art equipment for your project
Our test laboratory uses high-precision technological equipment to ensure the quality of plastic parts and the validation of designs. In particular, we have numerical simulation tools to optimize design.
The main prototyping technique used today is CNC milling. This technology enables parts to be machined directly into the final material with a high level of precision and achieve tight tolerances. As a result, the prototype faithfully reflects the final design.
We also have 3D printers for rapid production of geometric prototypes and pre-production tooling.
Once the prototype has been manufactured, we can use a variety of test equipment to measure mechanical strength, impact, deformation or thermal resistance, as well as analysis using a 3D scanner analysis for dimensional control.
Using these technological solutions, our test laboratory is able to validate or not the choice of materials and geometrysurface finish and tolerances, and measure the impact of design measure the impact of design on production costs and, ultimately, ensure fast, reliable reliable fine-tuning.
With our plastic parts design service, don't let your challenges get in the way, with parts development that meets your specific requirements.
Steps in our in-house design process
Our testing and prototyping laboratory collaborates with Knauf Industries' R&D department (IDLAB) and our in-house design office (Customer Success) to ensure the design of parts adapted to your specifications. This entire process is carried out in several stages by our dedicated teams, always working together within their respective areas of expertise:
The development process at Knauf Industries
1. Analysis of needs and specifications
- Functional study of the part
- Identification of technical and economic constraints
- Definition of quality and service life requirements
2. 3D design and modeling
- Technical drawing and design concept
- Definition of physical criteria such as wall thickness
- Simulation of manufacturing using the selected process
3. Material selection and optimization
- Selection of raw materials
- Comparison of mechanical properties
- Optimization of part structure and weight
4. Prototyping and testing
- 3D printing or pre-production
- Mechanical and dimensional testing
- Fault analysis and technical validation
5. Industrialization
- Development of the manufacturing process
- Cycle time validation
- Production launch
With Knauf Industries, you benefit from from A to Z in the design of plastic parts and genuine expertise in prototyping.
Our post-design manufacturing processes
Once the prototype and technical design have been validated, we implement the manufacturing processes best suited to your project.
Plastic injection molding
Injection molding is the main manufacturing process for technical plastic parts. high-volume productionhigh high dimensional accuracy as well as repeatability and and part quality.
Alveolar molding
This technique enables us to produce lighter partswhile maintaining high mechanical strength. It is ideal for reducing the weight of parts, limiting raw material consumption and, as a result, improving overall project profitability.
Thermoforming
Thermoforming is our ideal solution for manufacturing parts for the agri-food sector. This process enables us to process parts rapidly and to offer freedom of design and shape..
Thanks to the combination of our design office, test laboratory and manufacturing processes, we can provide the design, prototyping and manufacture of customized plastic parts to meet all your requirements.