{"id":1667,"date":"2021-11-16T15:42:05","date_gmt":"2021-11-16T15:42:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/prototecnica.es\/?p=1667"},"modified":"2025-08-06T16:59:07","modified_gmt":"2025-08-06T16:59:07","slug":"how-much-does-it-cost-to-manufacture-a-functional-prototype","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/letsprototype.com\/en\/blog\/2021\/11\/16\/how-much-does-it-cost-to-manufacture-a-functional-prototype\/","title":{"rendered":"How much does it cost to manufacture a working prototype?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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How much does it cost to manufacture a working prototype?<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Determining <\/span>how much a functional prototype costs<\/b> is a key piece of information before launching the development of an innovative project or product.<\/span><\/p>\n

Prototyping is an intensive process in terms of money, energy, and time. These are also the three scarcest resources available to an entrepreneur or inventor.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Key premises before defining the manufacturing cost of a functional prototype. <\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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  1. The <\/span>budget of a functional prototype<\/b> has NO direct relation to the <\/span>cost of materials<\/b> needed to build it.<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. The budget for designing and manufacturing a functional prototype has no direct relation to the final market price of the product.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    These assumptions likely reflect the initial thinking of over 90% of first-time inventors. Most tend to estimate<\/span> approximate prototype costs<\/b> based on material needs or the price of competing products. Nothing could be further from reality.<\/span><\/p>\n

    The <\/span>cost of materials<\/b> needed to 3D print parts of the prototype, the <\/span>cost of enclosures<\/b> or product housings, the <\/span>cost of manufacturing a PCB<\/b>, the <\/span>cost of motors<\/b>, peripheral components, battery, and sensors, do not even add up to 1% of the cost of manufacturing a functional prototype.<\/span><\/p>\n

    The <\/span>prices of existing products<\/b> have no influence whatsoever on the <\/span>cost of creating a prototype<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

    For example, if we want to create a drone with unique geometric features, the existence of other drones on the market has no impact on the <\/span>prototype cost<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n