Traditional techniques for making a mold require several time-consuming steps that can reduce how flexible and diversified a company can be. If the moldmaking process could be accelerated, moldmakers could build more tools for different products or variations of products in a fraction of the time. In these tough economic times, diversification can mean the [...]
Rapid prototyping is the automatic construction of physical objects using additive manufacturing technology. The first techniques for rapid prototyping became available in the late 1980s and were used to produce models and prototype parts. […]
Automotive design is the profession involved in the development of the appearance, and to some extent the ergonomics, of motor vehicles or more specifically road vehicles. This most commonly refers to automobiles but also refers to motorcycles, trucks, buses, coaches, and vans. […]
If you review the molds you’ve built and sampled over the years along with the new molds you may be sampling today, you will probably have a list of recurring problems (flash, non-fills, unable to pack the parts, dimensional variations, warp, broken core pins, poor cosmetics, etc.). […]
The Fuzzy Front End is the messy “getting started” period of new product development processes. It is in the front end where the organization formulates a concept of the product to be developed and decides whether or not to invest resources in the further development of an idea. […]
In 1958, a small group of design and industry professionals established the Industrial Design Council of Australia (IDCA), funded by the Commonwealth Government. In an era when Australian industrial design was in its infancy, the goal of the IDCA was to educate manufacturers and consumers on the value of design, encourage and promote high standards [...]
1) Idea Generation is often called the “fuzzy front end” of the NPD process Ideas for new products can be obtained from basic research using a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats), Market and consumer trends, company’s R&D department, competitors, focus groups, employees, salespeople, corporate spies, trade shows, or Ethnographic discovery methods (searching for [...]
Hard milling intricate steel geometry for critical medical devices cuts to the core of suppler relationships. Rapid changes in technology involve a never-ending learning curve to increase value and reduce costs while advancing overall performance. To meet this challenge, get your suppliers involved as soon as possible! […]
In the USA, automotive design reached a turning point in 1924 when the American national automobile market began reaching saturation. […]
Thermoforming is a manufacturing process where a plastic sheet is heated to a pliable forming temperature, formed to a specific shape in a mold, and trimmed to create a usable product. […]