Design and Development

PROCESS STAGE

Design for Manufacture

Involving us at the concept stage of your project ensures that we achieve the most robust design and cost-effective solution avoiding unnecessary expenditure and delays later in the project, our considerations at this stage include the most appropriate material selection, tooling feasibility and design for manufacture.

PROCESS STAGE

Product Design

We can work closely with your in-house design engineers throughout the design process, receiving 3D CAD models on a regular basis to ensure continuous feasibility confirmation or we can provide product designs based on your design brief and in your chosen 3D CAD package for your approval.

PROCESS STAGE

3D Printing

Utilising our two inhouse additive manufacturing machines we can provide rapid prototype components in a variety of representative materials and finishes, often negating the need for prototype tooling investment, reducing your development time and ultimately your time to market.

PROCESS STAGE

Soft Tooling Prototyping

We can produce rapid machined ‘soft tooling’ within short lead times from which fully representative parts are produced together with secondary welding, assembly and decorative finishing operations. This tooling can also be utilised as a bridge to production often capable of producing parts in volumes of many thousands.

PROCESS STAGE

Production Tooling and Equipment

In addition to inhouse toolmaking we have long established relationships with a number of European and Far Eastern Toolmakers enabling us to tailor tooling costs and specifications to meet our customer’s budget and production volume requirements. All tools carry a warranty against manufacturing and material defects and our in-house planned preventive maintenance process ensures that tools are maintained to the highest standards, testament to this are many tools still in volume production having completed multi- million cycles.

PROCESS STAGE

Production Part Approval Process (PPAP)

We perform a representative production trial run on all new products to confirm production readiness and output rates. This involves producing parts under production conditions with trained production operatives working to standard operating procedures. Process capability studies, gauge R&R studies, full sample inspection layouts and any specified testing are also completed before making a formal part submission to our customer. Our clients are always welcome to oversee any part of this process.

PROCESS STAGE

Project Management

Our cross functional approach to project management ensures new products are delivered inline with customer expectations, on time, within budget.