GRP Prototype and Concept Development

Developing a new GRP component from an early-stage concept to a production-ready part is one of the things Henleycraft does best. Customers come to us at every stage of the design process, with a finished CAD file, a rough sketch, a physical object to copy, or nothing more than an idea. Whatever the starting point, we have the in-house capability to take it through to a finished moulded component.

Our prototype process is built around our in-house pattern shop, which uses a combination of CAD, 3D printing and hand crafting to develop patterns from whatever the customer can provide. A wind turbine nacelle programme began as a pencil drawing on a piece of paper and was developed entirely in-house through CAD to pattern, mould and production. For a motorcycle seat commission, we produced a scaled-down 3D print for customer approval, followed by a full-size 3D printed pattern, then moved on to the mould, jigs, fixings and final production components. Some projects call for a more hands-on approach: modifications to an existing part, shaped and refined by hand to the customer's exact vision. We call it Henleycrafted.

Once a pattern is produced we can make a single prototype for review or a small batch of colour-matched samples. If the design needs refining, multiple iterations are not a problem. We can modify the pattern or produce a new one and repeat the process until the result is right. Production-representative display models can also be produced for trade shows and exhibitions. Because GRP components are finished in gelcoat during the moulding process, they come out of the mould ready to use with no painting required.