Picking the right material is a major step in the prototyping process. Hundreds of different types of materials are used for prototyping, but only one of them will truly be the best choice for your product.
At Pacific Research Laboratories, we make this decision easy. We offer an extensive list of advanced prototyping materials that bring your prototypes to life. Our team of experienced engineers has a deep understanding of prototyping materials and will offer you valuable advice based on your unique product design—and yours alone. You won’t get better advice anywhere else.
The Materials We Use for Prototyping
As an industry leader, we’ve worked with many different materials used for prototyping over the decades. Through this experience, we’ve discovered 10 types of materials that offer our clients the greatest flexibility and value for the cost:
Urethane ResinsA thermosetting polymer that is typically poured into a mold to make prototypes. |
SiliconesA silica and oxygen compound that comes in many forms, including resins and solid or liquid rubbers. |
Glass FiberVery fine fibers of glass that can be adhered to a model or other materials to provide insulation or reinforcement. |
Carbon FiberVery fine fibers of carbon that can be woven together into a fabric or added to other materials to provide reinforcement. |
ThermoplasticsA type of plastic that can be melted down and molded or 3D printed into certain shapes. |
MetalsAluminum and steel are common prototyping options. |
WoodPlywood is one of the few wood based materials that we use for prototyping. |
Mass Cast EpoxyA thermosetting polymer that is poured into a cast and left to harden. |
Rigid Urethane FoamWe can make prototypes by casting liquid foam into a mold or by CNC machining blocks of solid foam. |
The Pros and Cons of Each Material
We’ll help you decide exactly which materials to use for prototyping, but if you’d like to see what your options are, we’ve created a basic list of pros and cons for each of them:
Material | Pros | Cons |
Urethane Resins |
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Silicones |
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Composite structures |
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Thermoplastics |
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Metals |
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Wood |
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Mass Cast Epoxy |
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We’ll Find the Perfect Material for Your Project
As an employee-owned company with experienced engineers, Pacific Research Laboratories has full control over the prototyping process. We hand-select only the highest-quality materials based on our years of experience building prototypes for the world’s most demanding industries. With this experience under our belts, we know which materials perform well under pressure and which just fall flat.
Let us guide you through this process. We’ll work closely with you to understand what you hope to achieve with your prototypes. Even if you have no experience building prototypes, molds, or models, we’ll consider every minute detail and deliver the results you want. We don’t settle for prototypes that are just “good enough.” We craft top-notch working models that lead to high quality, marketable products.
Ready to Build Your Prototype? Get in Touch
PRL’s engineers have dozens of manufacturing options available to help you solve any challenge facing your product: CNC machining, custom tooling, 3D printing, thermoplastic molding, reverse engineering, and more. No matter what stage your product is currently at, we can create it and optimize it for manufacturing.