Prototypes, trial batches and low-volume production for product and medical design consultancies, made in our Whittlesford workshop near Cambridge. NDAs as standard. ISO 9001 certified.
Complete Fabrication is the manufacturing partner behind many product design consultancies. You own the design and the client relationship. We check your CAD for manufacture, then make the prototypes, trial batches and low-volume production runs, finished and assembled in one building, with NDAs as standard. We have made prototypes in Whittlesford, near Cambridge, since 1986.
| Stage of the project | What we make | How |
|---|---|---|
| Concept and design review | Looks-like models in production colours, gloss levels and textures | SLA, CNC machining, vacuum casting, painting and finishing |
| Engineering tests | Works-like prototypes in real materials | CNC machining, Carbon DLS, FDM |
| Client presentations and photography | Display models finished to a fixed deadline | CNC machining and SLA, finished and assembled in-house |
| User trials and hall tests | 20 to 500 identical prototypes, with packaging | SLA, vacuum casting, Carbon DLS |
| Medical usability studies | Trial batches in biocompatible materials | Carbon MPU 100 and SIL 30, vacuum casting resins |
| Bridge production | Short runs while production tooling is made | Vacuum casting, SLA, CNC machining |
| Quantity and need | Process | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to a few hundred parts, design still changing | SLA 3D printing | No tooling, 24-hour turnaround as standard when capacity allows, ±0.15 mm |
| 10 to 500 parts in production-like plastics | Vacuum casting | One silicone mould makes around 20 castings, ±0.5 mm on most dimensions |
| Small functional parts in larger numbers | Carbon DLS | No tooling, and we have run batches of 1,000 small parts |
| Metal parts or tight tolerances | CNC machining | ±0.10 mm on most work |
| Thousands of identical parts | Injection moulding | We can supply bridge batches while the tool is made |
There is no single crossover quantity between processes. It depends on size, geometry, material and finish, so we price the routes side by side. See our DFM guide and trial batches for user trials and hall tests.
Painting, finishing, assembly and packaging are done in-house, so the units your client's testers receive look and work the same. We match colour to Pantone, RAL or a physical sample, and apply VDI textures, metallic and soft-touch finishes. We also design, print and assemble bespoke packaging. See painting and finishing.
For medical device consultancies we make usability and trial batches in biocompatible materials, including Carbon MPU 100 and SIL 30, and equivalent resins for vacuum casting. We supply certificates of conformity for manufacture and materials when you flag the requirement at quote. Prototypes are not finished medical devices, so approvals stay with the device manufacturer. See medical device prototyping and our white papers.
Several design consultancy clients have worked with us for around 20 years. Complete Fabrication is ISO 9001 certified (certificate 7774, ISOQAR, UKAS) and a Carbon Certified Production Partner.
There are many firms that can build rapid prototypes, but few can boast the knowhow that only comes from a background in traditional model-making. What truly sets CF apart though is the quality of service they've been providing us with for the past 20 years. (Director of Design, Consulting Firm)
Examples of our work: Samba II, a rotating turret for a Cambridge University spin-out; Owlstone, casework for scientific and medical devices; Piona self-injector, a visual block model of finishes and lighting; and all case studies.
There is no minimum order. Send your brief to Info@compfab.co.uk, call +44 1223 836837, or use the contact page.
Yes. Confidentiality is standard, and we can build SOPs and technical agreements into the workflow.
From single prototypes to batches of hundreds. Trial batches are usually 20 to 500 identical parts, vacuum casting runs are 10 to 500, and SLA batches are typically 20 to 200, with thousands possible.
Yes. We check every file and tell you if a change would make the part stronger, cleaner or cheaper to make. For a fuller DFM review, send your CAD, the quantity and the finish.
Yes. We design, print and assemble bespoke packaging, so testers can judge the pack, the unboxing and the product together.
Yes. We make trial and usability batches in biocompatible materials and supply certificates of conformity when you flag the requirement at quote. Approvals stay with the device manufacturer.
Our workshop is in Whittlesford, near Cambridge, and is open Monday to Friday, 08:30 to 17:30.
Related:rapid prototyping, SLA batch production, vacuum casting, Carbon DLS, CNC machining and low-volume production.
