From napkin sketch to investor-ready prototype in days — not months. Export Commodity is the Houston product development partner that moves as fast as you do, with DFM guidance, NDA protection, and zero minimum orders.
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Ideas live on whiteboards and pitch decks. Products live in the hands of customers. The fastest path from one to the other runs through a well-made prototype — and that’s exactly what we build. Export Commodity works with Houston-area startups, independent inventors, and product teams at every stage: from the very first rough shape to print to investor-presentation-ready models and pre-production samples.
We understand startup economics. There’s no minimum order. Quotes come back same day. You can iterate as many times as you need. And your IP is protected from the moment you send us a file.
Bring us a sketch, a napkin drawing, a reference photo, or a rough description. Our design team can convert rough concepts into printable 3D geometry. If you have a CAD file already, we’ll review it for free and flag any issues before printing.
Design for Manufacturability review ensures your part is optimized for 3D printing — correct wall thicknesses, supported overhangs, snap-fit geometry, and tolerances that work. If you’re planning to move to injection molding or CNC later, we flag DFM considerations for those processes too.
First iteration is typically printed in FDM — fast, affordable, handles multiple revisions. This is where you test fit, form, and basic function. Most startups run 2–4 FDM iterations before moving to a presentation-quality model.
When you’re ready to show investors, pitch to buyers, or photograph for a crowdfunding campaign, we print your final design in high-resolution SLA resin. Smooth, detailed, professional — the kind of prototype that makes people pull out their checkbooks.
Before you commit to expensive tooling, we can produce small batches of 50–500 units for market testing, early adopter fulfillment, or Kickstarter rewards. 3D printing as bridge manufacturing gives you real-world product validation before injection molding investment.
A physical prototype in your investor pitch changes the room. It signals that the idea is real, that you’ve thought through the design, and that you can execute. We’ve helped Houston startups close seed rounds with prototypes built in our facility.
Crowdfunding campaigns with real product photos outperform render-only campaigns significantly. We produce photographic-quality SLA models and working functional prototypes specifically for crowdfunding presentations and campaign media.
Once you’ve validated demand, we can help you bridge the gap with small-batch 3D printing while your injection mold is being cut. Keep backers happy and learn from real-world use while production tooling gets completed.
Your designs, concepts, and technical files are protected from the first email. We sign NDAs, store files securely, and treat every client’s IP as confidential — regardless of whether you’re a funded startup or a first-time inventor.
Most product development projects run 2–5 iterations before reaching a final design. The first iteration tests basic form and fit. The second addresses issues found in the first. By the third or fourth, you’re usually refining details and surface quality rather than changing fundamental geometry. Because our per-iteration costs are low and turnaround is fast, iteration cycles at Export Commodity are far more affordable than at traditional machine shops. We recommend budgeting for at least 3 iterations when planning your prototype phase.
We offer a standard mutual NDA before you send any files or detailed descriptions. Your designs are stored on secured internal systems and accessed only by the team assigned to your project. We don’t share, publish, or discuss client work. Files are deleted after project completion at your request, with written confirmation. If you have specific IP protection requirements beyond our standard NDA, send them to us and we’ll work through it before engagement begins.
No. We print single units just as readily as batches of 500. There’s no minimum order quantity, though very small single-piece orders have a minimum job fee that covers setup and file review time. For quantities above 100 units, we provide volume pricing that reduces per-unit cost significantly. Tell us your quantity when you request a quote and we’ll show you the unit economics at different volume tiers.
Yes. If you have sketches, reference photos, dimensions, or even just a description of what you need, our in-house design team can build the 3D model from scratch. CAD design services are quoted separately based on complexity — typically a few hundred dollars for straightforward consumer product concepts. We provide previews for approval before printing. Many of our startup clients start with no files at all and leave with a complete digital design library they own outright.
It depends on the process and finish you choose. An FDM prototype in its raw state will show layer lines — fine for internal testing, not ideal for investor presentations. An SLA resin print, sanded and primed, can be virtually indistinguishable from an injection-molded part. We offer finishing services including sanding, priming, painting, and clear-coating to take your prototype from “looks printed” to “looks like a product.” For maximum visual quality, ask about our SLA + finishing package when you request a quote.