3D Printing Prototyping Services Sample Proposal

Expert Prototyping and Manufacturing Services Proposed for AeroNouveau Corporation

Thank you for your request for details about what Pro2Fab Services can do for you. We are a one-stop shop for innovative companies that want to move quickly from the initial design phase to the final manufacturing process. With our array of state-of-the-art 3D printers, our manufacturing facilities and partners, and our in-house expert engineers and technicians, AeroNouveau Corporation can move efficiently from design to prototypes to manufacturing with just one partner, Pro2Fab Services. We believe you’ll find that our proposal answers most of your questions, and please take advantage of our extensive website to watch our multiple videos there.

We also invite you to visit our facilities in Detroit to see exactly what we do and how we do it. We promise that Pro2Fab Services will meet or exceed all of your expectations and requirements. In a week, we will call you to set up a meeting. We look forward to partnering with AeroNouveau Corporation.

AeroNouveau Corporation, an innovative aeronautic design company, wants to find the most efficient partner to help them move from design to manufacturing. Pro2Fab Services is that perfect partner, because we offer 3D printing to quickly produce prototypes and limited production runs, as well as extensive manufacturing facilities for mass-production of parts. Our experts are always available to consult with your engineers.

We understand that AeroNouveau Corporation would like to prototype several options for innovative jet parts that may be used in future models produced by your company. Pro2Fab Services is a full-service fabrication company. Utilizing 3D Printing, we can create quickly multiple prototypes for you at a reasonable cost. Then, after your prototypes have been thoroughly tested and approved by your engineers, we can manufacture the final components for you.

We have extensive experience in prototyping, machining, and fabrication services, and have collaborated with a wide variety of organizations, including both automotive and aviation companies. Our quality control is exceptional. Review the pages supplied in this proposal, and we know you’ll agree.

3D printing has made amazing strides in recent years, especially for developing prototypes for industry. But did you know that some organizations now use 3D printing to quickly produce components for specialized devices such as medical equipment, jets, spacecraft, and automobiles. Pro2Fab Services has 3D printers that can create objects to exact specifications in a variety of plastic and metal materials. We offer the full range of 3D printing options, with SLA, SLS, DMLS, and SLM processes.

Please visit www.Pro2Fab.com to see the photos and descriptions of just a few of our past projects for clients. We have completed hundreds more projects for customers than are shown on our web site, but many of our contracts include nondisclosure agreements and thus the projects cannot be shared. When you need to produce limited quantities of specialized components, using 3D printing can speed the manufacturing process and reduce your costs. Need to replace a part on only one or two jets.

Have a special request from just one customer. When we have your specifications programmed into our 3D machines, we can quickly fill your orders. As innovations in 3D printing grow each year, Pro2Fab Services adds new printers and capabilities. We are dedicated to keeping up with the 3D printing industry, as well as the manufacturing industry in general.

Pro2Fab Services is experienced in both prototyping and manufacturing final products using a wide range of materials. For maximum efficiency and quality and the best pricing, we purchase all materials used in our products from our partner suppliers. Pro2Fab Services can supply all of the following materials to meet your needs.

Plastics

Our 3D printers can produce prototypes and limited quantities of manufactured parts in rigid or flexible polyurethane, elastomeric polyurethane, urethane methacrylate, epoxy, and cyanate ester. Our experts are always available to consult with you on appropriate plastics for your components.

Metals

Traditional metal fabrication wastes a tremendous amount of metal, so if you have less than 1000 components per order, you may want to consider our exacting 3D printing for finished components as well as prototypes. We have expertise in using the following metals in our 3D printing process and in mass production of final components. Titanium, aluminum, brass, steel including stainless steel , bronze, sterling silver, copper, gold, and platinum. The traditional method of producing prototypes was time-consuming and inefficient, often involving elaborate processes to create just a few parts for testing.

While traditional manufacturing methods are still available for producing huge prototypes, 3D printing has changed the process for smaller parts. And often, entire products such as cars have been completely perfected through 3D print prototyping, by breaking down large pieces into smaller ones that can be easily printed and assembled. These days, creating a prototype can take only a matter of days instead of months or even years. After the initial component has been created, modifications can easily be made and improved prototypes produced within a matter of hours.

Using your 2D blueprints, our experts and our 3D printers can quickly produce a three-dimensional design which our 3D printing machines can reproduce in a variety of plastics or metals. If you want to prototype a new component that is similar to an existing piece, our machines can also scan the existing piece, precisely creating "slices" that the machines use to reproduce the original design. After the design of the existing component is encoded into the printer’s programming, your engineers or our experts can then make changes to that design for final printing. Using Pro2Fab Services and our state-of-the-art 3D printers, you’ll find that prototyping can be simple, fast, and economical, giving you an edge over your competitors.

Utilizing our own manufacturing facilities and those of our partner companies, Pro2Fab Services can fabricate almost any sort of metal or plastic component.

Fabrication Issues to Consider

There are several issues to consider when planning for fabrication of a product. First, and key to keeping costs low, is how many orders of the product will be placed. When thousands of identical products are not needed, then it may be more efficient to consider using 3D technologies to produce the product instead of traditional mass-market manufacturing methods. Second, what material will be used in the fabrication process.

Sheet metal is best suited for torches or laser cutting, bending, and forming large or sharply angled metal pieces; while 3D metal printing or metal casting is desirable for smaller components. For plastics, injection molding, stamping, and 3D printing are considerations. Third, how much finishing does the final product require. Metal pieces may require coatings or polishing or painting.

Plastics can be colored or textured, but may require some finishing as well.

Fabrication Process

The process, of course, depends on the product to be created, but can be completed by Pro2Fab Services in-house, or by our partners in their facilities. There will be no need to ship parts to other facilities for finishing or final assembly.

Fabrication Schedule

Although we are constantly working with hundreds of clients, Pro2Fab Services is nimble, and we can advise on the most efficient way to produce your products. Odds are that we can beat any competitor’s promises for completion, saving you time and allowing you to get your products to market first.

Additional Information

AeroNouveau Corporation has no need to seek out manufacturing experts, because Pro2Fab Services will supply all the expertise you require. We stand ready to consult with you about how we can most efficiently realize your designs. As previously mentioned in this proposal, Pro2Fab Services is a full-service design, prototyping, and manufacturing company.

We do it all, and under expert quality control, too. See the Quality Control page for more on that. We provide all the following services. Product design and consultation services Whether you need our engineers to completely design a component for your company, or you need to consult with our experts to determine the most efficient methods for prototyping and manufacturing, our staff is available to help.

Efficient and economical prototyping We offer the most modern prototyping services through 3D printing, using a variety of plastics and metals. Our 3D printers can scan 2D blueprints to create a 3D specification, or scan and "slice" an existing 3D piece. After the initial design is in our computer files, it’s easy to make modifications and produce updated prototypes for testing. 3D printing for small specialized production runs When you don’t need thousands of identical products, 3D printing may be your best solution for limited orders.

Both plastic and metal processes are available, and since there’s not much setup involved after the prototype is perfected, production can take only days instead of weeks or months. Metal fabrication and finishing services Our in-house facilities offer sheet metal fabrication services of all kinds, including shaping, stamping, torch or laser cutting, and welding. Metal casting is also available via our partner companies. Our finishing shop has expertise in deburring, sandblasting and shotblasting, powder coating, painting, and stainless steel polishing to food grade or even finer.

Plastics fabrication In our manufacturing facilities, we offer molding and extrusion processes, and cutting using CNC routers, mills, and lathes as well as die-cutting. Thermoforming is available through a partner company. Our plastics finishing processes also include solvent welding, adhesive bonding, hot gas welding, and joining via mechanical fasteners. Shipping services While we don’t provide end-user packaging for individual sales, we include shipping costs in our final bid for any component or group of products.

Our state-of-the-art facilities currently house the following types of equipment. Keep in mind that we are constantly updating our facilities to stay at the forefront of our industry. New equipment is continually being added and older machines retired every year, so we have elected not to list specific models here. Our engineers can always advise on the best machine and process to use to realize the finished product you have in mind.

3D Printers

We have thirty-two 3D printers that range in size and complexity. These include printers that use all the latest technologies, which are SLA, SLS, DMLS, and SLM at the time of this proposal. Both metal and plastic prototypes can be created using our 3D printers.

Metal Fabrication Equipment

Our metal manufacturing facilities include CNC turning and machining equipment, laser cutting and torch equipment, stamping and bending machines. We also have punches, drills, and welding equipment of various types. Our finishing shop can handle any type of polishing, coating, or painting you may require.

Plastics Fabrication Equipment

Our plastics manufacturing facilities include machines that use molding and extrusion processes. Cutting is performed using die-cutting equipment or CNC routers, mills, and lathes. Final finishing can be accomplished in our plastics finishing shop, using solvent or hot gas welding, adhesive bonding, or joining with mechanical fasteners.

Computers and Scanners

Much of our equipment comes with built-in computers and scanner technology, but preliminary designs must be perfected on our office computers. Our experts use the latest operating systems as well as engineering design and 3D software applications to help you to perfect your designs and final specifications. Pro2Fab Services has implemented a quality control system to ensure that all projects meet or exceed your specifications.

Our quality control system ensures the project will proceed with minimal problems, and eliminates the costly trial-and-error approaches used by companies who do not integrate quality control into their overall project development from start to finish. Consultation, documentation, and constant communication between your engineers and our in-house experts We never want our clients to have any doubts about what we will do for them, and we want to be sure that we are serving you in the most efficient manner possible, so when you partner with us, we will make sure our communication lines remain open at your convenience. We will document every discussion so that we both know what to expect, and you’ll always know what’s happening in Pro2Fab Services’ facilities. Approval every step of the way You are in control of your prototyping and manufacturing processes, and we will never proceed to the next step without the written approval of your company personnel.

Finishing and inspection of prototypes by hand All prototypes require some finishing, even if it’s just de-burring to remove metal or plastic spurs, or polishing off rough edges. Our expert technicians do this by hand, in addition to visually checking the prototype to be sure it exactly matches the specifications from which it was created. Computer-aided inspection and testing of manufactured parts Our quality control computers do a first visual check of manufactured parts for any flaws, and after a part passes visual inspection, it may be tested by a computerized process.

This testing depends on the type of part and its intended usage. Expert visual inspection of up to 10% of each production run Our technicians visually inspect between 5% and 10% of each production run, depending on the size of the order. An open invitation to visit our facilities While we reserve the right to limit some hours for safety concerns, you are welcome to visit our offices and manufacturing facilities.

Please reserve a time for your visit so we can have an appropriate representative greet you, give you a tour, and answer any questions you may have. We are honored to have been listed in the Top Ten U.S. Manufacturing Companies for the last six years, and Pro2Fab Services pledges to do our best to make that list every year. Pro2Fab Services understands that AeroNouveau Corporation has not yet delivered designs for various aircraft components due to nondisclosure concerns, but wishes to contract with a full-service prototype and manufacturing company for those services.

AeroNouveau Corporation has indicated that it would like to test a new partnership by creating and testing prototypes for turbofan blades for its new jet. Although the following is necessarily vague, we promise the following. Please keep in mind that Pro2Fab Services is willing to sign a nondisclosure agreement in order to review design specifications and present a firm bid for this project. Initial consultation Whether it takes place in our offices or yours, Pro2Fab Services is pleased to offer an initial consultation with our experts free of charge.

Depending on travel arrangements, we should be able to offer this consultation within 72 hours of your request. Creation of prototypes through 3D printing The turbofan blades are perfect subjects for 3D printing. If your 2D blueprints can be easily scanned or an existing blade can be scanned to create a 3D computer model, a prototype can generally be created within 24 hours of approval of the computer model.

Several variations on the original prototype can easily be created with slight modifications of the original 3D model, and different materials can be utilized for prototypes for testing purposes as well. Development of a manufacturing plan After final approval of a prototype, we will set up a manufacturing plan for you. Small product runs can often be realized through 3D printing within a matter of weeks. Large manufacturing orders can generally move into production within 60 days of signing the manufacturing contract.

After our initial consultation, Pro2Fab Services will develop and present a firm bid for approval by AeroNouveau Corporation. About us – Pro2Fab Services has been in business for eighteen years. As our name indicates, we offer complete prototype-to-fabrication services. We are a one-stop shop.

We are experts in our industry, and by keeping all the services in one place, we save our clients time and money. Half our contracts come from repeat customers. We have helped to design more than 200 unique products for our clients. Our facilities include state-of-the-art 3D printers and design facilities, as well as machinery and personnel to accomplish a wide variety of plastics and metal fabrication processes.

Pro2Fab Services was originally founded in Atlanta, Georgia, but moved to Detroit, MI five years later. We employee over 300 full and part-time workers, and we are proud to be a big part of Detroit’s revival process. Services - Plastic and metal prototyping and manufacturing services.

Pro2Fab Services has the capabilities to complete this project. This is demonstrated in the following ways. We have the prototyping and manufacturing experts you need You know what you want. We know the best way to make your design a reality.

We can develop prototypes in a wide variety of plastics and metals Whether you need it to be rigid or flexible, twisted or straight, we can create the component you want to test. We can manufacture almost anything in any quantity Between our in-house equipment and expertise, we have the capability to handle orders of 2 to 200,000 items. Our finishing shops can handle nearly any sort of polishing or coating you need, keeping your costs low by keeping all processes in one place. We offer design and consultation services If your staff is not available or doesn’t have the expertise you need, our experts may be able to do the job.

Just ask. We pride ourselves on innovation and creativity. We have helped our clients create more than 200 one-of-a-kind products. We stay up to date with the latest technologies and equipment, and we invest in educating our personnel so they will always understand the best methods to use for any process.

Safety for our personnel, care for the environment, and quality and value for our clients are always primary concerns at Pro2Fab Services.