How do I start manufacturing this machine?
Answer:
First of all, Congratulation, it seems like you have a marketable product and created something no one else has thought of yet.
If you can do the CAD prints, make some basic ones and work out the tolerances with the manufacturer. This sounds like it would be an assembly of parts as opposed to one part and that will probably mean a list of part producers.
Decide what you can or are willing to do such as assembly of the parts, packaging, shipping or as complex as manufacturing. If none of these appeal to you a consideration is to sell the idea to someone capable of producing, selling, marketing and providing the item. This might be not what you want to do because of an attachment to the idea, but you need to know what you can or can't do.
A manufacturing representative is a possibility as well. They take a product and decide where the parts will be produced and by who. They might have assembly sources as well. Each item will take time and will delay time to market.
If your only need is a prototype, there are machine model shops that will give you a finished product to test.
Below is one such site I found when I searched "Machine building prototype"
Caution: Holding the patent only gives you the right to sue a violator. An expensive and time consuming ordeal that may or may not yield any money damages that you can collect.
Good Luck
Without knowing more about the geometry and materials, it is hard to say the best route to take. Reading between the lines it sounds like you're looking at low volume production, (less than a few hundred units overall). As a general rule, low volume means machining or rapid-prototyping, but for high volume you'll probably want to go to a casting type process. Casting has a high initial start up cost, because molds run into the thousands of dollars before you even make your first part.
For now, the cheapest route would be to go to a good machine shop and talk to one of their senior machinists. He should be able to give you an idea of the best method of manufacture, whether you'll need formal shop drawings, and so on. He can also give you ideas about ways to make components more simply (cheaply). A good machinist is an incredible resource.
You'll also want to start thinking about what type of tolerances you'll want on your pieces. (How accurately you need them to be made). Ask if they are willing to give you the CNC programs or part models for your parts. This indicates that you're professional and thinking long term, but don't be surprised if they want something for their effort. I'm not sure how the machine shops work in your area, but don't pay too much for this service.
If your parts are plastic and don't need it to be too strong, rapid prototyping processes like stereolithography might work. One good source for getting this done is "Quickquote" on the web, or other similar vendors. Plastic can also be machined if you need.
Once you've figured out the cheapest way to get your parts, you'll need to actually order them. Keep in mind that most of the prototype manufacturing suppliers are not focused on speed. Some will take a few weeks just to give you a price. Getting actual parts could take months, then again they MIGHT have it for you in a couple of days. Be persistent, but don't be a pest. Unless you have a boatload of money to make hundreds of units in the first run, you're likely very small-potatos to them. Good luck.
If you want to be taken seriously, I would ditch the lego model and learn how to use a solid modeling program. Once you have developed a 3-d computer model of your design, you can take that to machine shops for cost estimates, material selections, etc. If you want to try to actually sell your design, you will need to learn presentation skills concurrently with your designing skills. Developing a solid model will enable potential customers to see the end product of your design in a much cheaper fashion than spending money to actually fabricate a prototype. If your model is good, you should be able to use it as the center of most of your analyses so you can put forth a business plan that companies are willing to buy into. It can also be easily integrated into CNC machining or rapid prototyping manufacturing methods all via computers which will save many man hours. You should be able to come up with price estimates based on manufacturing and engineering cost estimates that can all come from your solid model. In the aerospace world where I work, it costs millions of dollars to develop a working prototype, so it is important for companies to make sure that there are buyers out there before they spend the money on mock-ups and prototypes. Depending on how serious you are, your own abilities and your experience, I would consider sitting down with some sort of engineer who can help you draw up a plan.
Their is a site called emachine shop that will produce items for you in different materials all you have to do is draw it using their CAD program.
You did a good job.
It sounds great.
I would NOT trust anyone.
Go straight to a well known, respectable patent lawyer.
Get a patent first or somebody else will.
Getting it manufactured is secondary.
Call some plastics companies and get some ideas.
Have a company make it for you.
Call some marketing companies and get some ideas.
Have a company market it for you.
I would recommend getting a solid model made up in Cad/cam software, then have a working prototype produced.
You may want to contact a company like Definitive Design www.definitivedesign.com. I have consulted for them and they are classy organization certified to international standards.
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