13 Ways to Create Products in Real Time

Rapid Prototyping is a term that causes many people's eyes to glaze over. It sounds years removed from the clean, fast way we build products now. Personal Digital Fabrication or Desktop Manufacturing are newer terms, but it’s all the same—use emerging, affordable technology to design and print your product concepts or prototypes.
Guy Kawasaki explained in his post, The Art of the Little Bet, that you can make small investments today and build working models of your ideas or iterate on product designs. Companies everywhere are doing this with rapid prototyping tools such a, 3D printing, laser cutters and CNC routers (CNC = Computer Numeric Controlled), and even the medical community is printing bones, organs and tissue.
Here are a mix of technologies and websites to help you learn more about taking your idea into a real product.
MakerGear
MakerGear sells do-it-yourself (DIY) 3D printers—ones you can build or have them build it for you. They also run a good community forum. Founder Rick Pollack is a true entrepreneur and inventor, having solved many early problems in 3D printer technology to create products that help others keep their printers working.
Epilog Laser
Epilog Laser is one of the market leaders in the laser engraving and laser cutting space. They offer everything from hobby lasers to large scale equipment. They have a neat guide entitled "How to Start an Engraving Business" that might interest small shops looking to expand.
MakerBot
MakerBot is considered the 800-pound gorilla of DIY 3D printing and founder Bre Pettis is often in the news with updates on the cool things in the space. His passion and enthusiasm for emerging technologies is infectious. MakerBot Industries sells a variety of 3D printer kits and assembled units.
RepRap
RepRap is the open source grandpa in 3D printing. It will sound like science fiction, but one of the memorable things about the device is it can replicate itself. A person with a RepRap can print most of the parts to make another one (minus the motors and steel rods that make up its frame). Like the well-known Linux operating system, RepRap started as a collaborative, open source project and continues to grow and evolve.
Full Spectrum Laser
Full Spectrum Laser, based in Nevada, has been making the news lately with innovative contests and an affordable hobby laser cutter series. They run an active customer forum filled with tips and ideas to use their laser devices.
PrintrBot
This is the newest 3D printer to hit the market in the last few months after a hugely successful project on Kickstarter. Printrbot raised almost $1M to create do-it-yourself kits and assembled printers. The design is based off the RepRap as are the others in this list, to some degree.
Let's say you don't want to buy a printer or laser cutter? There are service bureaus and new specialized sites that can help you create something without the hardware investment.
Shapeways
Shapeways is based in Europe, but has a new presence in New York City after getting a healthy $10 million venture capital investment. Using their platform, you can upload a design and have it 3D printed in plastic, metal, ceramics or glass. If you’re looking for an easy to digitally manufacture your own goods, Shapeways is one to look at. They even have a cool sample kit so you can touch and see the materials (plus it comes with a discount coupon when you order).
Ponoko
I've consistently been impressed with Ponoko that calls their technology the "Personal Factory." They have fun promotions offering free materials or some unique giveaway to get you started in the personal fabrication realm. They have a design process that truly guides your idea from concept to finished form. They offer 3D printing and laser cutting for just about any material from cardboard to acrylic to metal. Visit to check out their great gallery and how-to information.
Ponoko also co-sponsored a national initiative known as 100K Garages in combination with ShopBot (creator of a well-known CNC Router). You can find a "fabber" or fabricator shop all over the USA. The website is being remodeled, but the interactive Google map still works.
Edison Nation
Edison Nation was written about recently here on OPEN by Anita Campbell. You can visit this innovation center here. It is filled with inventors, entrepreneurs, and, of course, plenty of ideas.
Here are a few local shops scattered around the U.S. that might give you some ideas.

• PartSnap, based in Dallas/Fort Worth, can help you scan a product, then help you 3D print it or urethane cast it.

• Cut IT For You, in the Seattle area, works with area makers, inventors and entrepreneurs to help them make new products and iterate on old ones. They run a CNC Router and can cut, carve, engrave just about anything you can imagine.

• Hines Design Labs, based in Virginia, offers a variety of ways to get your product made—from 3D printing to laser cutter to CNC router. The founder says "bring your napkin ideas and we'll turn them into reality."

Rapid prototyping is not science fiction. You don't have to shift your thinking to plastic or holograms, the higher-end 3D printers can print in metal or just about any material you can imagine. Laser cutters and CNC routers have been around, but not as accessible to the small shop owner until more recently. Terry Wohlers of Wohlers Associates is one of the leading research voices in the rapid prototyping/additive manufacturing industry and shares insights on how this industry is growing. His website is a worthwhile visit as you research various tools and technologies.
Let me know in the comments about the technologies and services you are using to get new products and inventions to market.