If you're looking for prototype engineering services, you have to look at the years of experience. Though new companies give off quite a lot of promises, experience can be quite handy when you have something that requires extensive details. But prices can also come into play. Small companies who are just starting out might have an offer that can fit your budget. So if what you have in hand does not require intricate details, going with the new players just might be the one for you.
There are myriad of purposes why a prototype is needed. For example, if you want to enter the toy manufacturing business and still in the work out of acquiring extensive development capabilities, you can partner with professional prototype engineering service for your toy prototype. Before you even go for mass production, you can make use of the toy prototype for demonstration purposes. It can be for the presentation of your idea to investors who can help you finance your project in a much larger scale. It can also be a way to sell your concept to toy companies who have the capability to market your idea in a more profitable way.
On some cases, prototypes are needed for testing purposes. If part of a design doesn't seemed to work out as it was thought, different designs can be prototyped to check out if it would work. In a way, it makes trial and error method produce a more credible result. Obviously, prototypes can be put in use in the actual production. But keep in mind that outsourcing your prototype needs can be quite expensive. Especially when you'll be ordering prototypes in big scale at frequent intervals, it can definitely take a toll on your production cost.
However, if you just need it for demonstration purposes or function testing, prototyping service providers are just the perfect one for you. You don't need to buy those extremely expensive prototyping equipment and you get your prototype in a snap.
Aside from experience, you should find a prototyping service provider that is open for consultation. They must have the attention to details and must bring up something that you might have overlooked. It must be a company that is bold enough to make suggestions but accommodating to your proposition as well. A company that looks at all the angles including at the manufacturability of your product is the one that you're looking for - and not the ones that are just out to suggest something that would give them a bigger profit.