Design Smart initially modelled this entire product in 3D on SolidWorks from early prototype design drawings supplied by the client. This was to totally ensure the fit and finish of an initial batch production run. We then embarked on a product improvement programme working closely with the client. These improvements included giving it a complete face-lift. New plastic covers were designed in SolidWorks to suit the product. This enabled the creation of plastic tooling via N/C. These new covers gave the product the professional appearance it needed and were used for the Mark 2 production model.
Increased demand for the Mark 2 model with its more professional appearance, led to a total re-evaluation of the internal design, which Design Smart undertook. During this rationalization of the design, we reduced the overall part count to one third of the original Mark 1 design (the inherited prototype design). This re-design also reduced the overall assembly time by a similar ratio. This batch production product is now very profitable as a direct result of Design Smart's work, and it is being made in batch production quantities of several hundred at a time.
This project illustrates clearly just what can be achieved with the intelligent use of plastics to improve the appearance / appeal of a product even for moderate batch production type volumes.