Prototyping In Engineering: Lessons Learned

A $12 prototype can make $50,000 of engineering analysis look ridiculous A team of engineers was stuck on a bearing failure analysis for six weeks. Vibration data, FFT analysis, metallurgy reports - they had everything except answers. The client kept asking for root cause and the engineers kept finding more variables to analyze. Temperature gradients, load distributions, contamination levels, manufacturing tolerances. Each analysis created more questions. Then the intern did something that made the engineers feel stupid. She 3D printed a transparent housing and filled it with clear oil so the engineers could actually see what was happening inside the bearing assembly. Took her four hours and $12 in materials. They watched the oil flow patterns and immediately saw the lubrication wasn't reaching the critical contact points. All their sophisticated analysis was based on assuming proper lubrication distribution. Wrong assumption. Six weeks of wasted effort. The visual prototype didn't just solve the problem - it changed how the engineers approach these types of investigations. Now they build crude mockups before diving into analysis rabbit holes. Cardboard, tape, clear plastic, whatever works. Physical models force you to confront your assumptions before you spend weeks analyzing the wrong thing. Sometimes the cheapest prototype teaches you more than the most expensive simulation. #engineering #prototyping #problemsolving

7 lessons I have learned from reviewing 100s of lab prototypes over the last six years: 1. Don’t fall in love on the first try Some formulas need time to settle. Don’t evaluate too early and always keep an eye on how it changes over time. 2. The lab sample isn’t always the final product Things like the viscosity and appearance can change slightly as the formula gets scaled up. 3. There are going to be limitations Chemists aren’t magicians and sometimes science just won’t allow it. 4. Know what you're optimizing for  Each round should aim for specific, measurable tweaks. Oh, and always let the chemist know what you don’t want changed. 5. Your demographic should enlighten you  Testing on the right people uncovers feedback you’ll never get from your own skin. 6. If you are frustrated, your chemist probably is too  Misalignment and vague feedback lead to endless revisions and frustration on both sides. 7. Keep good notes and your retains Track what changed, what you said, and what each version looked like. Your future self will thank you. Just remember that you don’t get to the trophy in one jump. Every sample, every bit of feedback, and every version that didn’t quite work builds the staircase to something worth launching.

Why do I Prototype? Be it simple cardboard models, paper mockups, or iterative 3D printed models, I try to prototype a ton before finalizing my concept and progressing to the next step, and I do this for 3 main reasons: 1. Funneling concepts - Qucik mockups serve as an amazing bridge between sketch/3D models on screen and how they actually look and feel in hand - It becomes a lot easier to eliminate ideas that don't fulfill the requirements or follow constraints. Simple paper mockups early in the process help me plan how I approach modeling complicated surfaces as well. 2. Refining the Design - 3D printing different iterations helps me in fine-tuning and amplifying the attributes that add to the design. Many times, I have found my V10 design to look very different from my V1 model. It also serves as a great medium to experiment with different details. 3. Storytelling - I have recently started using my prototyping process to walk the reader through my process, what decisions I take and what was the reasoning behind them - In the image below I try to show how I am labeling different designs and why they were not picked. Over the years I have seen myself prototype in different fidelities at different stages of the process, I have also found that pitching an idea to the team with the help of quick sketches and even for fidelity prototypes helps in more rich conversations and discussions. I would love to hear how you use prototyping -where does it make sense and where do you think it might be a little overkill?