Design. Validate. Scale. is a five-part fireside chat series from Hawk Ridge Systems and A3D Manufacturing on how a product moves from concept to production. In Episode 4, Preparing for Production, host David Whitten, account manager at Hawk Ridge Systems, sits down with Michael Dymond, product manager at A3D Manufacturing, to talk about bridge production — the point where a team stops asking whether one part works and starts asking whether a whole operation can make it the same way, again and again. Their answer is to write everything down, de-risk the supply chain, and plan for throughput instead of speed.
Key Takeaways
- Shift from the part to the process: Bridge production is the time to find the kinks, bottlenecks, and inefficiencies in the workflow before you run a few hundred or a few thousand parts.
- Make the drawing the rules of the game: Acceptance criteria, inspection plans, and revision control protect both the manufacturer and the end user.
- De-risk the supply chain: Pin down material and process, avoid single-machine or end-of-life dependencies, and get house knowledge out of people’s heads and onto the drawing.
- Quote for throughput, not quantity one: Realistic demand estimates unlock better production pricing — without leaving unsold inventory on the shelf.
- Build compliance before you need it: In regulated industries, the paperwork deliverable can matter as much as the part, so a quality management system has to be in place before you ramp.
From One Part to the Whole Operation
Episode 3 was about testing a part. Does it break, does it fit, does it survive the environment it will live in? Episode 4 zooms out. Dymond calls it a shift from engineering strategy into practice.
“The bridge production is definitely a time for strategy.”
— Michael Dymond
That practice means running into problems on purpose, early. The goal is to “iron out and discover the kinks, discover the bottlenecks, figure out what can be optimized,” so the results stay repeatable when a part is made not once or twice but a few dozen, a few hundred, or a few thousand times.
The scope of the conversation changes, too. Dymond describes everyone who touches the job — the build planner, the person sorting parts and doing QC, the operator reaming holes and installing inserts, all the way through to the people capturing, maintaining, and reporting inspection records. You are no longer thinking only about the bill of materials. You are thinking about the individuals and departments that will actually work on your project.
Whitten compares it to installing the offense in football preseason. Dymond agrees: There is the play itself, and then there is the repeatable execution that gets the result every time.
Make the Drawing the Rules of the Game
Dymond opens this part of the conversation with a line he credits to MythBusters.
“The only difference between blowing something up and science is writing it down.”
— Michael Dymond
Up to this point, the drawing has communicated design intent. In bridge production, it becomes the contract. It defines what gets measured, what counts as an acceptable part, and how much confidence you need that every part complies. Depending on the industry, that might mean a sampling plan such as AQL 4.0 or a production part approval process (PPAP), especially where FDA traceability or audits are involved. It is not a first article followed by letting the next thousand rip — compliance is checked and reported periodically.
“This is when we truly define the rules of the game. This is when we truly define the acceptance criteria.”
— Michael Dymond
Clear acceptance criteria protect both sides. A good part from a printer having a good day cannot be returned on a technicality, and the end user has something in the agreement to point to when they need a corrective action or an investigation.
Revision Control Matters More Than Ever
Bridge production is when you make more parts than you ever have, so you will find adjustments to make. Dymond points out that the CAD is not always what changes. Sometimes it is how an inspection is defined, how a feature or its GD&T is called out, or the process itself. A team might decide to move a part from SLA to MJF without touching the geometry — only the process, finish, and material in the notes section change.
Good revision control keeps a history of those decisions, so if something goes wrong later, you can isolate the variable during the investigation. Whitten adds that the same record shows where a team gained efficiency, not only where things broke down.
For engineering teams, that history usually starts in the design data. SOLIDWORKS PDM manages versions and revisions in a secure vault and keeps an audit trail of who changed what and when, so drawing and note changes made during bridge production stay traceable.
De-Risk Your Supply Chain
- Pin down material and process: Regulated work may require controlled, certified material with traceability and material certs. Consumer filament ordered online will not carry the paperwork a government job needs.
- Avoid single points of failure: If only one machine or one technology can make the part, the supply chain is at risk the day that machine or technology goes away.
- Capture house knowledge on the drawing: Build parameters, build orientation, and the order of finishing operations belong in the drawing package, not only in one technician’s head.
- Plan for realistic capacity: Choose a shop that can support you at today’s volume and grow with you as sales increase over the next few years.
Dymond’s example of the end-of-life risk happened the week before the episode. A customer’s part had been designed for a specific printer that went end of life a year or two earlier. There was still runway to get parts from that process and material, but not forever — so the right move was to pivot sooner rather than later.
Whitten’s version is about people. When processes are well recorded, one retirement does not take the whole shop down. Dymond’s answer to both is redundancy: If one machine or one person is unavailable, the work can move to someone or something else.
“Turnover is an inevitability.”
— Michael Dymond
This is also the time to look for small efficiency wins. A recurring bottleneck in one step of the process can sometimes be relieved with a quick jig or nesting tool, which further de-risks the supply chain and makes lead times easier to commit to.
Quote for Throughput, Not Quantity One
Dymond often sees a customer look at a first quote at quantity one and conclude the business cannot work at that price. But a quantity-one price has no efficiencies, no economy of scale, and no throughput behind it. The better move is to quote a quantity that matches a realistic month, quarter, or year of demand.
“There’s a difference between speed and throughput.”
— Michael Dymond
Speed is the time to your very first part. Throughput is how much a shop can produce week after week, month after month, once production has ramped. When teams understand their demand and can schedule three or six months of production, they can rely on throughput instead of a hair-on-fire request for speed. Dymond says A3D’s technicians value that runway, and A3D passes it on to customers through a more relaxed production pricing structure.
The opposite mistake is just as costly. Whitten warns against inflating quantities to chase a lower price per part and ending up with unsold inventory on the shelf.
“I do recommend trying to commit to as high of a quantity as you realistically should, that you have a good level of confidence in being able to move in a realistic time frame.”
— Michael Dymond
Build Your Quality System Before You Ramp
Nobody loves talking about documentation. But with CUI and export control in the news, Dymond notes that some industries — aerospace, defense, and energy among them — treat traceability as a deliverable in its own right.
“There are regulated industries out here where the traceability and paperwork deliverable is just as important as the part themselves.”
— Michael Dymond
Building a custom process plan for every part and every customer would mean reinventing the wheel hundreds of times a year. A quality management system (QMS) built on frameworks such as ISO 9001 and AS9100 provides the baseline, and customer-specific requirements are layered on top. Dymond says it is not uncommon for A3D to ship one line item at quantity 20 with seven supporting documents.
The timing matters. You do not want to be ready to hit go on a 10,000- or 100,000-unit order and only then realize your compliance chain and traceability are not in place.
Preparing for Production, in Short
Dymond’s wrap-up ties the episode together: Preparing for production is a shift from the technical requirements of a single part to how an organization will support making it. It is heavily documented, especially in regulated industries, and it depends on realistic throughput estimates. The more runway you have, the more you can plan around throughput instead of speed — which de-risks your supply chain.
“Everyone’s blood pressure is a little bit lower.”
— Michael Dymond
Whitten adds the management view: Realistic numbers give leadership a clearer picture of what is coming.
Watch Episode 4
Chapters
- 0:00 – Welcome
- 1:43 – Intros
- 3:14 – Housekeeping and series roadmap
- 4:47 – Bridge production is a time for strategy
- 6:25 – From the part to the process workflow
- 8:41 – Write it down: Drawings, inspection, and acceptance
- 9:48 – Revision control
- 11:54 – De-risking the supply chain
- 13:18 – Material traceability and shop capacity
- 15:50 – The drawing package as house knowledge
- 18:31 – Cost at volume: Speed vs. throughput
- 21:44 – Regulated industries and quality management systems
- 24:19 – Wrap-up
- 25:22 – Coming up: Episode 5
Watch the full Episode 4 recording and catch up on every session on the Design. Validate. Scale. fireside chat series page. If you registered for one episode, you already have access to all of them.
Coming Up: Episode 5
The final episode, Scaling with Confidence, airs Thursday, November 19, 2026, at 11:00 AM PT / 2:00 PM ET. It covers how to manage cost, lead time, quality, and supplier strategy as production needs grow.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is bridge production?
Bridge production is the stage between prototyping and full-scale production. Quantities are higher than in the prototype phase, and the focus shifts from validating a single part to proving that the manufacturing process can produce consistent, compliant parts again and again.
What should a drawing package include before production?
Beyond design intent, it should define acceptance criteria — what gets measured and what counts as a compliant part — along with any inspection or sampling plan. Michael Dymond also recommends capturing house knowledge such as build parameters, build orientation, and the order of finishing operations, so the process does not depend on one person or one vendor.
Why does revision control matter during bridge production?
As volumes climb, teams adjust more than CAD. Inspection definitions, GD&T callouts, processes, finishes, and materials can all change. A clear revision history lets you isolate the variable if a problem shows up later.
How do I de-risk my manufacturing supply chain?
Pin down a certified, traceable material and process where your industry requires it, avoid relying on a single machine or an end-of-life technology, document your process, and choose a manufacturing partner with realistic capacity to grow with you.
What is the difference between speed and throughput?
Speed is the time to your very first part. Throughput is how much can be produced week after week and month after month once production has ramped. Planning around throughput usually leads to better production pricing than rushing for speed.
Why does my quantity-one quote look so expensive?
A quantity-one price has no efficiencies or economy of scale built in. Ask for a quote at a realistic month, quarter, or year of demand — and commit to as high a quantity as you can confidently sell in a realistic time frame.
When should a quality management system be in place?
Before you ramp. In regulated industries such as aerospace, defense, and energy, traceability and documentation can be as important as the part, so the compliance chain should be ready before a large production order is placed.
Keep Learning
- Episode 1: The First DFM Question Isn’t How Tight. It’s How Many.
- Episode 2: Print It or Mold It? Ask Per Part, Not Per Product
- Episode 3: A Good First Print Isn’t Proof You’re Ready to Scale
Contact Us
Getting ready to move from bridge production to a full production run? Talk with one of our engineering experts. Contact Us
