A prototype that already worked, turned into a design carrying production process, strength and cost target together

The situation when the request came in

A quick prototype had roughly proven the function. The next step was to rebuild it as a design intended for volume production — but alongside the production process and the strength requirement, an approximate target cost had also been stated. A shape can work perfectly well and then stop working the moment it is put onto a volume production process; that is not unusual. The job was to land on a structure that satisfied all three at once.

What we did

We pulled the structure together with the intended production process and the strength requirement built in. In parallel we obtained rough quotations against the stated target cost, so that our submission included a final answer on cost as well. Taking quotations only after the shape is frozen means redoing the design when the number comes in over target, so we ran cost alongside the design instead.

The outcome

We delivered the prototype 1.5 months after starting. In testing carried out by the client, it met the pass criteria that had been set.

What this project shows

In design for volume production, putting off any one of process, strength or cost guarantees you will come back to it. Cost in particular: getting even a rough number against the design before the shape is frozen makes everything downstream easier.