Prototypes and small production runs Test it in your hand before you pay for moulds.
We turn a sketch, a CAD file or a rough idea into a part you can hold and test, in the plastic the real product needs, with the electronics and firmware inside if it has any. Once it works, we print the batch.
For inventors, small businesses and anyone who needs a few of something. Shipped anywhere in Canada.
- Product prototype
- From $400, with two or three rounds of test prints
- Quantity
- One to a few hundred
- Size
- Up to 600 × 600 mm
- Send us
- STL, STEP or 3MF files, or a sketch with measurements
Two or three rounds, then it’s right
A prototype is a design plus two or three rounds of test prints. Each round answers different questions, so you’re never paying to find the same problem twice.
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Design
We model it from your sketch, measurements or CAD, and design it to print well: wall thickness, clearances and how it sits on the bed.
1 to 3 days -
Fit round
A quick print to check the size, the fit and how it feels in your hand or in the product.
2 to 5 days -
Fix round
We change what the first round found. Snap fits get tuned, holes move, and walls get thicker where they flexed.
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Final material
The last round prints in the real material, so you can test heat, strength and looks before you sign off.
Enclosures that go together more than once
Most hardware prototypes are a board in a box. These are the details that make the box feel like a product.
- Brass heat-set inserts, so screws go in and out without stripping the plastic.
- Standoffs and cut-outs modelled around your board’s holes and connectors.
- Printed TPU gaskets in a groove under the lid, when it has to keep water out.
- Light pipes that carry a status LED to the outside of the case.
- Cable grommets, vents and snap-fit lids where they’re needed.
| Item | Part | Made from |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lid | ASA, so it stands up to heat and sunlight |
| 2 | Gasket | TPU 85A, printed to fit a groove in the lid, keeps water out |
| 3 | Light pipe | Translucent PETG, carries the status LED to the outside |
| 4 | Your board | On printed standoffs, modelled from its mounting holes |
| 5 | Heat-set insert | Brass, so screws go in and out without stripping |
| 6 | Cable grommet | TPU, seals around the cable where it leaves the case |
Who it’s for
These are the kinds of people who bring us prototypes, and what they usually need.
Inventors
You have a sketch and a reason. We turn it into a part you can test, show people and improve.
Small businesses
Try a product, a display or a fitting before you commit to tooling or a big order.
Hardware projects
Enclosures and mounts for a pilot run of boards, with the firmware too if you need it. More on electronics.
Shops and makers
Jigs, fixtures and guides that make a repeated job faster and more consistent.
Small batches
Once the design works, we print the run: a handful, a few dozen, or a few hundred. Batches are priced per part, and each part gets cheaper as the quantity goes up.
For small runs, printing beats moulding because there’s no tooling to pay for, and changing the design means changing a file, not a mould. Past a few hundred parts, injection moulding usually wins on price per part. If your order gets there, we’ll tell you.
If the product lights up, senses something or talks to an app, we build and program that part too.
What prototypes usually cost
Every job gets its own quote, and quotes are free.
| Job | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Product prototypeDesign plus two or three rounds of test prints | From $400 |
| Small batchesPriced per part, and cheaper as the quantity goes up | Quoted |
| Firmware and app controlAdded to any project with electronics | From $120 |
Prices before tax. Every price is confirmed before we start. All prices and common questions
More from Norcode
Tell us what you’re building.
Sketches, CAD files and board outlines all help. Say how many you’d need if it works.
Rather email or call? Write to hello@norcode.com or call 519-697-8524.