Prototyping
Sheet metal prototypes, that roll straight from our precision fabrication shop into full-scale runs, meet the highest standards of accuracy, repeatability, and speed.
Where vision meets reality.
A prototype is the handshake between your design and the real world. At Apparatus, every quick-turn part runs on the same fiber lasers, high-speed turret punches, and servo-press brakes that drive our highest-volume orders. Keeping everything on one production platform locks in bend deductions, pierce routines, and fixture data, so the piece you approve matches the parts that roll out for full. No angle creep, no re-programming surprises. Just precision fabrication from entry to delivery.
Digital thread & cost control
Each traveler logs tool IDs, offsets, SPC checkpoints, and inspection data to our MES. Six months later you can release Rev B—or scale to 10 k units—by cloning that traveler: no fresh NRE, no re-qualification, no surprises. Customers typically shave 15–20 % off total project spend because prototype data feeds directly into production.
Engineering insight, included.
Every prototype leaves our floor with a senior engineer’s approval. That oversight means:
We flag any bend, hole, or stack-up that could raise costs or slip tolerance in production, then send you red-lined CAD.
Whether your product will face UL, FDA, or ISO scrutiny, we map the critical clauses to traveler steps so approval can move ahead without rewrites.
All findings go straight into our manufacturing system, so the next run, whether it’s five parts or five thousand, starts with data verified settings.
We confirm hinges won’t sag, doors won’t chatter, and mounts will survive shipping.
The result is a prototype that’s your first reliable step toward full-scale production.
Scenario in action.
Monday: A Westchester County medical center emails a rough sketch for a stainless wall-mount monitor bracket. A small part, but patient-critical.
Wednesday: Purchase order and cleaned-up CAD hit our production floor.
Friday: A powder-coated prototype ships out for customer testing. During onsite tilt testing, their new cable bundle rubs a sharp edge. We radius the slot and hem the lip.
Next Monday: The customer’s demo room showcases production-grade metal, not foam mock ups. Full scale deployment is approved.
Metrics of precision fabrication
- Nearly 98 % of our prototypes clear inspection on the first pass, keeping your project moving without rework.
- Any design cut from our stocked gauges ships in as little as five business days, so schedules stay on track.
- We hold up to 0.002 in. dimensional accuracy, letting each prototype drop straight into your production fixture.
The Takeaway.
When your project needs production-grade metal products fast, Apparatus has the precision fabrication talent to meet deadlines without trading away data integrity, surface finish, or future scalability.
The result is a prototype that’s your first reliable step toward full-scale production.
