In-House Prototyping vs. Outsourcing Prototype Manufacturing
Compared to the traditional outsourcing way, rapid prototyping in-house helps engineers and product designers review and refine ideas instantly at a lower cost.
xTool MetalFab: Your All-in-one Sheet Metal Prototyping Studio
Precise cuts (0.2mm-10mm) with up to 400mm/s speed. 8X faster than TIG, almost no grinding is required. 108+ one-click settings, easy to use. Meet your main demands on cutting and welding of stainless steel, carbon steel, aluminum, brass, and more.
Application 1: Rapid Functional Prototyping
Cut and weld real metal parts to perform actual load, thermal, and stress tests on your designs.
Application 2: Rapid Iteration (Form & Fit)
Cut in metal to validate real-world weight, balance, and feel.
Application 3: Custom Tooling, Jigs, Fixtures & Ties
Increase productivity by building durable metal jigs, fixtures, and replacement parts in-house to speed up assembly and eliminate downtime.
Application 4: Small-Batch Metal Parts & Pilot Runs
Launch products and fulfill custom orders profitably by handling small-batch production in-house. Skip the tooling costs and MOQ of outsourcing.
Real Case Studies, Real-World Use
See how real engineers and business owners transform their proto workflow and reduce cost with xTool MetalFab.
From CAD to Prototypes, Same-day Efficiency
An intuitive, closed-loop process for rapid metal prototyping. No complex CAM needed.
Rapid Prototyping with MetalFab in Action
See how Wesley used xTool MetalFab to make clutch brackets and throttle brackets to swap a 600HP manual LS bentley.
See how to use the MetalFab system to fabricate a modified splitting cross tool for 4X efficiency.
See how James built a front windscreen replica with MetalFab. Use layers of wood, aluminium and clear acrylic to match the original thickness.
See how Josh used Metalfab for in-house metal prototyping, batch production to empower his fishing molding business.
Compare Different Prototyping Methods
xTool MetalFab is primarily used for metal sheet processing and can significantly reduce manufacturing costs for metal prototypes like brackets, jigs, cases, etc.
Process
Forming
(Bending, cutting, welding)
Subtractive
(Cutting from a solid block)
Additive
(Building layer by layer)
Key Benefits
Speed & Low Cost
(Fastest and cheapest for simple prototypes)
Precision & Finish
(Best tolerances and material properties)
Geometric Freedom
(Creates "impossible" internal channels, lattices, etc.)
Best For
Enclosures & Brackets
(Cases, panels, chassis, and simple structural parts)
Functional Parts
(High-strength, high-precision components like gears)
Complex Geometries
(Lightweight parts, medical implants, consolidated assemblies)
Limitations
Uniform Thickness
(Cannot create solid, blocky parts; only sheet shapes)
Geometric Limits
(Struggles with deep pockets or internal features)
High Cost & Post-work
(Very expensive; requires support removal & finishing)
Proto Speed
Fast
(Hours in-house)
Moderate
(1-5 days)
Slow
(3-10 days)
Proto Cost
Low
Medium-High
Very High
More Applications & Solutions
Get A FREE Application Guide of xTool MetalFab
FAQs About Rapid Metal Prototyping with MetalFab
With MetalFab, you can go from a CAD file to a fully functional metal prototype in 1–3 hours, instead of the typical 1–3 weeks outsourcing lead time. You control the entire sheet metal prototyping and iteration workflow on-site, which keeps R&D moving without supplier delays.
Customers save 30–50% per part on average. For example, a $14 laser-cut bracket outsourced in low volume can cost just $7.5 in-house using MetalFab—no minimum order quantities (MOQs), rush fees, or re-quote delays.
Yes. MetalFab cuts and welds production-grade metals like stainless steel, mild steel, aluminum, and even titanium—with thicknesses up to 10 mm depending on the material. You can perform real stress, load, and functional tests—not just form and fit. Check the full materials list you can process with MetalFab.
Very little to none. MetalFab produces clean, burr-free laser cuts and strong, low-spatter welds that don’t require grinding or sanding in most cases. You’re always welcome to book a live demo to see the results firsthand.