Accelerate Time-to-Market with ACL’s Prototyping & NPI Services

We specialise in speeding up the design validation process and minimising time-to-market for new products. Here’s why manufacturers choose ACL as their innovation partner:
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- State-of-the-art Innovation Hub: Based in Manchester, our purpose-built 15,000 sq ft facility is equipped with cutting-edge tools and equipment and staffed by expert engineers and technicians.


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- Decades of Experience: With over 30 years in contract electronics manufacturing, we have deep domain knowledge and a trusted track record.


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- Seamless Transition: We don’t just build prototypes — our NPI process bridges the gap between prototype and full-scale production. This means minimal risk, rapid scaling, and efficient manufacturing set-up.


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- Quality & Reliability: Every project is built on rigorous quality standards. Our facility adheres to recognised industry certifications (e.g., ISO 9001) to ensure your prototypes and early production runs are reliable and built to spec.


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- Flexibility & Tailored Approach: We understand that not all projects are alike — whether you need hand-assembled prototypes, machine-built samples, or iterative design testing, our services are tailored to your needs.

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Whether you're still testing your ideas or preparing to ramp up, we deliver fast, reliable, high-quality prototypes. Here's how this benefits you:
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- Speed to Market: Get working prototypes quickly to validate your design and make decisions faster.
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- Risk Reduction: Identify design, manufacturability, and process risks early — before high-volume commitments.
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- Cost Efficiency: Iterative proto builds are less expensive than large-scale rework — save money by refining early.
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- Quality Assurance: Produce prototypes under near-production conditions, ensuring reliability when you scale.
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- Partnership: We’re not just a supplier — we act as a strategic partner, with expertise and support all the way to production.

Our prototyping and NPI services are tailored to your requirements, ensuring every stage of the process meets exacting standards for reliability and performance.
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Rapid Prototyping Services:
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Bring your ideas to life in record time. ACL provides prototype builds to test and refine designs before mass production.
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‍- Rapid Turnaround: Quickly produce functional prototypes so you can evaluate mechanical, electrical and system performance early.


- Iterative Development: Test, refine and repeat - we support iterative design cycles so you can improve and perfect before committing to full-scale production.



- Flexible Build Options: Whether you want one-offs, small batches or hand-assembled boards, we tailor the build to your needs.



- Process Testing & Feedback: We don't just build - we test. Our engineering team evaluates performance, reliability and manufacturability, giving you actionable insights to optimise your design.



- Procurement Support: We can handle full or partial procurement or build from free-issue kits (i.e. parts supplied by you).



- Design Amendments: If you need to change something mid-prototype, we make it easy - without the cost of large-scale rework.



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New Product Introduction (NPI):
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Bridge the gap between prototypes and full scale production. When you're ready to move beyond prototyping, our NPI process helps scale your design with reduced risk and better production readiness.
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- Scalable Production: Seamlessly transition from proto to low-to-mid volume production - process-optimised to balance cost, quality and lead time.
- Process Optimisation: We fine-tune your manufacturing process (assembly, test, inspection) for efficiency yield and quality.
- Customer Specific Requirements: Your build is unique - we integrate special requirements (custom testing, programming, harnessing, regulatory needs) seamlessly into manufacturing.
- Risk Mitigation: By working through NPI you surface potential production issues early, reducing the risk of costly mistakes down the line.