Photo: TechFarms employee Ben Collier welds a materials supply rack at ProtoTech. Photo by Valeriia Radchenko.
By Steve Bornhoft
ProtoTech, a prototyping lab and light-manufacturing facility, will be dedicated to speedily moving valuable product ideas from drawing boards to market.
For first-time and serial entrepreneurs and product developers, the robustly equipped facility, a division of TechFarms, will provide access to highly skilled, experienced professionals including machinists, welders, CAD designers, advanced manufacturers, mechanical and electrical engineers and tool and die makers.
Prototype development will allow ProtoTech customers to complete testing and validation steps. Once product viability is established, they may proceed to limited production at ProtoTech prior to scaling up operations.
As projects progress, ProtoTech will be available to assist customers with manufacturing plans and processes, packaging designs and distribution strategies. Its services will complement and supplement those provided to startups by the TechFarms business incubator.
Fees will reflect materials costs plus man/machine hours. Discounts will be extended to TechFarms partners and businesses in the TechFarms incubator. ProtoTech expects to be open for business by the third quarter of this year.
