What is Bridge Manufacturing?

Bridge Manufacturing uses 3D printing to produce low volume runs of a part before mass production with traditional methods. 

This process is a useful step before bringing a product to market.  It enables a smooth transition from rapid prototyping to mass production.

Bridge allows companies to test and perfect their designs before committing to a conventional form of mass production like injection molding. 

With 3D printing as a bridge-to-production, products can both undergo market testing and generate capital to fund mass production.   

Advantages of Bridge Manufacturing

• Smooth transition to mass production

• Test a product in the marketplace

• Test multiple designs or product iterations

• Sell limited series of the product

• Raise Funds with Pre-Sales

 Many companies use Bridge Manufacturing for pre-sales to generate funds for mass production. Others use it for market validation before they commit a design to full-scale production.

With 3D printing and additive manufacturing, presales or market testing is faster and more cost-effective. 

While many large corporations can afford to invest in traditional manufacturing methods for prototyping and market testing, medium-sized companies, small business, and individual innovators often don’t have the capital. Bridge Manufacturing with additive technologies has made prototyping, market testing, and “presales” more affordable to smaller companies.

Bridge-to-production also allows companies to quickly and cost-effectively change their design or test multiple iterations of a product in the marketplace.  With conventional manufacturing methods, design changes can result in months-long waits and high costs. Additive, on the other hand, enables companies to repeat the bridge process without wasting significant time or money.

Bridge-To-Production Process

There are four steps in the bridge-to-production process. To learn more about each step and how additive manufacturing can help create a smooth transition from prototyping to mass production, read more below!

Step 1: Short-Run Production

The first step in Bridge Manufacturing is to produce a small quantity of a final prototype.  This is much more affordable than traditional manufacturing methods because additive machines don’t require tooling. Short-run production is more cost-effective with additive when producing low quantities of a part.

Step 2: Market Testing and/or “Pre-Sales”

With product in hand, companies can test their designs in the marketplace. 

This allows them not only to raise funds for mass production but also to create a “hype” about their product. 

They can also solicit feedback about their product.  Perhaps customers don’t like a certain aspect of design or maybe the design is validated requiring no changes. The Bridge process offers an opportunity to preview how their customers will receive their product.

Step 3: Design Changes

With results from the market-testing and customer feedback, the company can make design changes.  New prototypes can be designed and produced quickly with additive technology. 

Some companies might repeat steps one and two before moving on to mass production.  Others, sure of their original design might move onto the final step and bring their product to mass production.

Step 4: Mass Production

Now that the company has raised funds from pre-sales and their design has been updated or validated, they can proceed with mass production. With the bridge-to-production process completed, companies can finally bring their product to market through mass production with more conventional methods of manufacturing.

While additive manufacturing was a more cost-effective option for pre-sales and/or testing, traditional manufacturing processes are still sometimes more cost-effective for mass production.  With confidence in the final design, the company can invest the time and money in the tooling or molds needed for mass manufacturing.