This screen shot is a bird’s eye view of the Kross Hellion hand guard, and portrays the sharp profile lines of the design while displaying key product features such as military spec picatinny rails, dual upper angled and lower horizontal vents, and gas block support bar.

Entrepreneurs often have to ‘play’ with their design to get it just right.

Early in the design phase, it’s easiest to make minor adjustments to a new design. It is also the best time to tweak a design for production purposes — long before manufacturing.

Not only do prototyped components have to fit together and function properly, but they need to have the right thicknesses to make them rugged, the right shapes to make them attractive, and the right bottom line costs to make them marketable.

There are many software design tools that can help with the early conceptual stages of a design, but even the best 3D modeler can only ‘show’ so much. Often, what you see on screen and what you hold in your hand provide different emotions.

As we all know, buyers are often just as concerned about a product’s look and feel as they are with its functionality.

That’s why, when Zach Valdes, Founder & CEO of Kross Firearm Accessories was looking to build prototypes for his hand guards, the Kross “Hellion,” he expected that the first and second – or even third and fourth – builds would need to have design adjustments before the final design was settled upon.

The Kross Hellion is designed to mount up to the Tromix flagship weapon, the 8-inch 12 gauge S-17. Tromix is the leader in the Saiga rifle and shotgun customization market.

Multiple prototypes typically means skyrocketing design costs. “We needed a solution that was both affordable and time efficient,” Zach says. A lot of options were considered for the job, including machining, molds, and a variety of high-end plastics run through an FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) system.

“We ultimately decided to build our prototypes through ZoomRP.com,” he says. “This allowed us to avoid expensive machining costs that we’d have to repeat for each version, plus it provided usable products, in hand, within days of placing the order.”

But most of all was ease of use of the online ordering system. Zach said, “We found the ordering process to be very easy to use and efficient. We could simply submit our STL file, see a picture of it to verify the item was correct, and even make sure the overall dimensions were correct as well. Everything was straightforward and natural to use. There was no hassling with attaching files to emails or waiting for customer service representatives to call you back with an order confirmation.”

This screen shot is of the Kross Hellion from an angled side view, which portrays all three picatinny rails, dual upper angled and lower horizontal vents. The final hand guards will be made out of hardened 6061 Aluminum and will be anodized in a matte black finish.

“Because I was directly involved with the design of the components, I can personally attest to the quality of the prototypes we received,” Zach says. “We currently have two products in production and have used ZoomRP to build four prototypes in all. We intend to expand into additional lines in the near future and will undoubtedly be using ZoomRP throughout our prototyping process.”

All the prototypes for the Hellion project were produced using SLS White. Because each of the components were built primarily for testing purposes, aesthetics such as sanding and coloring were not necessary. Accuracy was what counted. And, according to Zach, “The features were extremely accurate, which assisted us tremendously in the design and modification process we engaged in.”

Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) is an additive rapid manufacturing process that builds three-dimensional parts by using a laser to selectively sinter (heat and fuse) a powdered material. The process begins with a 3D CAD file, which is mathematically sliced into 2D cross-sections.

The part is then built layer by layer until it is completed. Parts can be created from a range of materials, including Nylon-11 and Nylon-12 polyamides, or nylons with fillers such as glass beads, aramid or carbon fibers (to enhance physical properties), and a variety of metals. Depending on the material, up to 100 percent density can be achieved with material properties comparable to those found with traditional manufacturing methods.

SLS allows the customer to quickly create tough, durable parts that are heat and chemical resistant. They are readily joined mechanically or with adhesives and have an acceptable surface finish. Detailed feature definitions designed into the part, coupled with high durability and long term stability, make SLS an excellent choice for producing functional prototypes without the expense of tooling.

While SLS production began as a way to build prototype parts early in the design cycle, it is now being used to manufacture end-use parts. SLS production is economically viable for low complexity designs when the production volume is so low that tooling expenses are hard to justify.

At the other end of the extreme, SLS production can be economically viable for even large production volumes if the design is of sufficient complexity that it would be difficult or impossible to fabricate the part with any other method.

Zach went on to say that the biggest advantage to using ZoomRP was cost. “When you go through several iterations on one design like we did, cost becomes an important issue.” He went on to say that turnaround times were tremendous as well. “We would submit our orders and have products in hand for testing and review within a few business days. Additionally, all items were exceptionally packaged with proper fragile markings as well as the proper cushioning to ensure safe shipment of the products.

For information, visit www.ZoomRP.com.