Industrial / Mechanical Design

In the complex world of product development, where innovation is the driving force, two dynamic disciplines; Industrial Design and Mechanical Design play a central role. These two seemingly different disciplines come together to shape the products we interact with every day. In this explanation we delve into the differences between these two technical disciplines, supported by practical examples, the perfect balance between aesthetics and functionality.

There are many products that in themselves pose a challenge for designers, not only because of the complexity of the type of product: i.e. how many technical disciplines have to be brought together, but also the aesthetic aspects. The ultimate consumer product example is a car, which is not only a statement in terms of design, but also a technical Tour de Force.

The automotive industry brings together a large number of technical & creative disciplines that are realized by Aesthetic Industrial Designers, Mechanical, Electrical and Electronics Developers / Engineers. But because the aesthetics of a car is essential, a lot of attention get's into the design process reaching the optimal fusion between appearance first and technology second, without sacrificing performance.

The aesthetics of a specific product obviously depends on its product group, the functionalities it will cary and the target group/users. Furthermore, the client largely determines the aesthetic properties that their new product should have. This is partly determined by the identity that the client conveys in their marketing strategy or a corporate identity as a whole.

In the typical industrial / mechanical design process, there are a number of steps involved: problem identification, idea generation, solution selection, prototyping, and testing.

█  Defining the problem

The first step in the process is to identify the problem that the designers and engineers want to solve. The issue could be that the housing needs to be lighter, or that an mechatronic section needs to be developed to take advantage of a newly developed technology.

█  Selecting the best solution

Every suggested solution needs to be carefully considered. Stakeholders must consider any potential production barriers for each concept.

█  Prototyping

The next step after identifying a solution is to create prototypes. Their foundation should be the mechanical engineer’s original concept schematic, which the mechanical designer would later enhance.

█  Testing

Using specialised mechanical design CAD software, the mechanical designer can test the various prototypes. Prototypes can be subjected to varied stresses and tested in a variety of real-world scenarios. With 3D CAD-generated models, various materials and part combinations can be tested in a virtual environment.

These steps ensure that the final product meets the specifications and functions properly. The mechanical designer is involved in every stage of this process, from the initial concept to the final testing and validation.

The design has found its completion and needs to be prototyped, it is now important to connect all the parts together to get a good idea of what the final product will look like and how it will work.

The steps for creating a prototype its Physical Design include:

█  Design a 3D model.

█  Constructing the 3D prototype.

█  Evaluation of the prototype.

Before creating the Actual Prototype, it is important to have a visual representation of what the product will look like. This requires us to ask our 3D Modeler/Industrial Designer to Design a 3D model of the prototype with the use of Solidworks™ or AutoDesk™ Inventor.

Once the 3D graphic model has been designed and developed, you can use it to market your product to customers and give them a realistic representation of the design and its appearance. You can also skip this step and just start constructing the physical copy of your product.

To Construct a 3D Prototype of the final product, an additive 3D printing process is used, in which layers of plastic are stacked on top of each other until a physical product representation is created. However, keep in mind that the resin, a type of liquid that hardens to turn into plastic, used in 3D printers is and also looks different from the production plastic used in Micro Injection Molding. MIM produced surfaces are made much smoother and with much smaller tolerances (10 to a 100 microns) than 3D printers can.

Once the actual prototype has been created, it is common to discover areas that require further development. We ensure that before we test the prototype, we have multiple versions available so that the testers can make an Accurate Prototype Evaluation. This phase may include multiple iterations of the prototype to ensure it has the right look, feel and functionality for your market-ready electronic final As-Built product.

We have build the prototype and are now ready for testing and modifying the prototype, this is needed before we design a comprehensive Production Manual plus launch the final production stage, we need to start creating testing Pilots. Test Pilots are the first pieces of hardware manufactured during the entire Product Development process. Our team design and build these pilots after evaluating the changes needed in the prototype phase. Test Pilots are created to gather feedback from end users to further test and improve the product and assess all potential challenges and risks before the design is put into mass production.

Once the prototype has been fully tested and the subsequent As-Built documentation has been completed, the development team will draw up an extensive Production Manual. This manual states the construction processes, necessary tools and jigs (these tools and jigs are designed and engineered by the development team) that assist during the assembly and suppliers: i.e. how the product should be manufactured and where all necessary components can be purchased.

After all stakeholders have given their approval on the actual final As-Built version of the product, manufacturing is started and a marketing strategy is developed and rolled out to promote and market the product. Often, even before the final product is delivered, a marketing campaign is set up to reach the target group and inform them about the arrival of the new product.