5 Myths About Hardware Prototyping – Busted

Sometimes conventional wisdom isn’t – well – wise. It’s not that myths about particular industries or services arise maliciously. More often, they are the result of thinking that things that once were true still are. For example, it was once almost impossible for electronics manufacturing companies in the United States to compete with overseas firms, but that is no longer universally true. Sometimes it is hard for new information and approaches to dislodge old ideas.

There are a few such persistent notions about hardware prototyping that have proven difficult to shake. We’d like to take a minute to debunk them.

Manufacturers Won’t Take Hardware Prototyping Orders

This is certainly true in some cases and hardware prototyping has been a big challenge for decades, but fortunately a new type of manufacturer has evolved to meet the needs of modern hardware designers, including prototyping. You can now find a service provider in the United States that will happily accept your prototyping order and help you iterate until your design is perfect.

Hardware Prototyping Costs a Fortune

We are happy to report that, while prices vary widely, modern PCB assembly and hardware device manufacturers have been able to overcome the production processes that meant they had to charge an arm and a leg for prototypes. Now with the help of sophisticated manufacturing software, prototypes and other small orders can be combined with larger ones into a single production run, reducing costs across the board.

You Have to Source Your Own Parts

Not so. If you choose a service provider that offers seamless manufacturing, they can take care of most parts sourcing for you. In fact, they may even be able to get your cost even lower by buying popular items in bulk and passing those savings on to you.

It Takes Months to Get a Prototype

It might, but if it does, you’ve chosen the wrong partner. With an onshore manufacture that leverages modern production practices, your turn around time should be counted in days.

Hardware Prototyping is Too Complex for Makers and Kickstarter Creators

We’re delighted to report that this one isn’t true. Today’s cloud-based hardware manufacturing companies are specifically designed to meet the needs of hobbyists, entrepreneurs, and small businesses. The best platforms are easy to use and include online reporting and project management. If you can develop the design, your partner can handle the rest. Modern hardware prototyping is available to anyone with a great idea and the skills to create the design documents.

Contrary to what you may have heard, the barriers are not too high to take that first step on the road to developing an awesome new product. Hardware prototyping can be reasonably priced, fast, and easy. We can’t wait to see what you’ll decide to build.