--- title: From One Prototype to a Production Run | Wolf Machine url: https://wolfmachinenv.com/blog/prototype-to-production-run/ business: Wolf Machine & Fabrication, Inc. address: 4812 Longley Ln, Reno, NV 89502 phone: (775) 359-5570 hours: Shop Monday-Friday 7:00 am-3:30 pm; closed Saturday and Sunday type: Metal and plastic fabrication and machining (custom and CNC machining, welding, metal and plastic fabrication, gearbox and part repair, align boring, metal spray) --- [Photo: Stock photo: rows of round steel parts after machining] - [Home](https://wolfmachinenv.com/) - [Blog](https://wolfmachinenv.com/blog/) - From one prototype to a production run # From one prototype to a production run A prototype is made to learn whether a part works, and a production run is made once the design is settled. The steps in between are locking the drawing, building fixtures, checking a first part against the print and then ordering in batches. [Photo: Rows of identical turned steel parts] Rows of identical turned steel parts (stock photo). Stock photo: rows of round steel parts after machining Key takeaways - Expect a prototype or two to change the drawing before it is final - Lock the drawing with a revision letter before a run is ordered - Fixtures and setups for a run are planned once, then reused - Check the first part against the print before the rest are made - Ordering in batches lets you adjust without a full commitment Wolf Machine makes both. Prototypes and production runs are both on the shop's services list, and many jobs start as one part that turns into twenty, then two hundred. Planning for the second stage from the first drawing saves rework later. ## What a prototype is for A prototype answers questions. Does the part fit? Does the shaft turn freely? Is the weld where the load goes? The first one is made to find problems while they are cheap to fix, so the drawing is expected to change. Tell the shop it is a prototype, and whether the final design will need a run, so setup decisions can take that into account. A prototype also shows which dimensions matter. Parts that fit together tell you where tight limits belong and where a looser one will do. Taking that back to the drawing is one of the best ways to keep the cost of the final part down. ## Locking the drawing Before a run is ordered, the drawing should stop moving. Give it a revision letter, a date and a change note, and put the same revision on the quote request and the order. If the shop quotes revision B and receives revision C, the sizes and the price can both change. The drawing carries the dimensions, tolerances, material and finish. If it uses geometric controls, the datums matter even more over a run, since every part is measured the same way. See [GD&T](https://wolfmachinenv.com/glossary/gd-and-t/) and [tolerance](https://wolfmachinenv.com/glossary/tolerance/), and the [guide to drawings](https://wolfmachinenv.com/guides/what-to-put-on-a-drawing/) for what belongs on the page. ## Fixtures and setups A single part can be held with whatever works. A run needs a way to hold every part in the same place, the same way, so that the hundredth matches the first. That can be a vise setup, a custom fixture or a program with repeatable stops. Planning it adds time at the start and removes it from every part after. If you are building a machine or a line that needs holding or welding fixtures, that is a job in itself, and we fabricate [automated machines and fixtures](https://wolfmachinenv.com/services/automated-machines-and-fixtures/). ## Check the first part The first part from a run is measured against the print before the rest are made. This is called a first article check. It catches setup errors and drawing questions early, when one part is at risk instead of many. Tell the shop which dimensions you care about most, and whether you want the first part to look at before the run continues. Some customers inspect the first part themselves, and others ask for a report. Say which you prefer when you request the quote. ## Ordering in batches You do not have to order the whole quantity at once. A first batch lets you test the parts in service, and a second can follow with any change. Batches also suit a steady need, such as spares for a plant. Tell us the quantity, the batch size and when you need each batch in the [quote request](https://wolfmachinenv.com/request-a-quote/). The [prototypes](https://wolfmachinenv.com/services/prototypes/) and [production runs](https://wolfmachinenv.com/services/production-runs/) pages say more about each stage. ### Sources - [ASME Y14.5-2018, Dimensioning and Tolerancing](https://www.asme.org/codes-standards/find-codes-standards/y14-5-dimensioning-tolerancing) (2026-10-18) - [ISO 2768-1, General tolerances](https://www.iso.org/standard/7748.html) (2026-10-18) ### Talk to the shop [(775) 359-5570](tel:(775)%20359-5570) | Monday to Friday | 7:00 am - 3:30 pm | |---|---| | Saturday and Sunday | Closed | [Request a quote](#quote) ### Keep reading - [Prototypes](https://wolfmachinenv.com/services/prototypes/) - [Production runs](https://wolfmachinenv.com/services/production-runs/) - [What to put on a drawing before you ask for a quote](https://wolfmachinenv.com/guides/what-to-put-on-a-drawing/) - [Request a quote](https://wolfmachinenv.com/request-a-quote/) - [Will you make just one part?](https://wolfmachinenv.com/faq/will-you-make-just-one-part/) ### Terms on this page [GD&T (geometric dimensioning and tolerancing)](https://wolfmachinenv.com/glossary/gd-and-t/) [Tolerance](https://wolfmachinenv.com/glossary/tolerance/) [The full glossary](https://wolfmachinenv.com/glossary/) ## More from the blog Welding and fabrication October 18, 2026 4 min read ### The OSHA rules behind welding stainless steel Two federal rules shape how stainless steel is welded: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.252, the general rule for welding, cutting and brazing, and 29 CFR 1910.1026, the rule on hexavalent chromium. They cover fire s Northern Nevada industry October 18, 2026 4 min read ### Nevada sales tax on repair work and fabricated parts According to the Nevada Department of Taxation, repair labor is a service and generally is not subject to sales tax when it is billed separately from parts, while parts and materials are taxable. Fabr Machining October 18, 2026 4 min read ### Making a part that is no longer made A part that is no longer made can be made again by measuring the original, choosing the material, drawing it up and machining one. Keep the drawing so the next one does not start from scratch. [All posts](https://wolfmachinenv.com/blog/) [Photo: Stock photo: a lathe turning a bar, hot chips flying] ## Request a quote Tell us what you need, attach a drawing or photos of the part, and we will get back to you during shop hours. Free consultations; prompt estimates. [Call (775) 359-5570](tel:(775)%20359-5570) - From your specifications, drawings or samples. We can also assist you in designing your product or part. - Free consultations and prompt estimates - Stands behind the work: Our rates are very competitive and our quality is second-to-none. Wolf Machine stands behind the work we perform. - Company accounts: all major credit cards, or we can open an account for your company Shop hours Monday to Friday, 7:00 am to 3:30 pm. Send your request any time and we will get back to you during shop hours. Stock photo: a lathe turning a bar, hot chips flying