Tooling
Deciding when to move forward with tooling is a calculated decision. Sometimes prototype parts do not expose the difficulties associated with the manufacturing of your parts.
Many times prototype tooling can help limit the unforeseen costs of manufacturing problems. When investing in this type of tooling, the key problem areas can be identified and worked out prior to the full cost of production tooling that has not been proven out. This method will allow you to tackle the challenges of manufacturing, prove out the manufacturing process and provide you with usable parts. Often parts can be produced while full production (hard) tooling can be constructed bridging the gap in the development cycle from when designs are complete to when parts are made.