Additive Manufacturing and Urethane Casting for Consumer Goods
Additive manufacturing plays a crucial role in bringing new consumer goods to market. Whether you have an invention, an updated design, or a new twist on an old idea, additive manufacturing can help you make a better product.
A case study of how im体育线上登录 helped create the Clearly Clean™ paint roller shows how consumer goods benefit from additive manufacturing. Inventor and product designer Mill Wallace partnered with im体育线上登录 to turn his initial sketch into a show-ready prototype.
Case Study: Clearly Clean paint roller
Clearly Clean is the Swiss Army knife of paint rollers. It has a spindle for the roller brush, a transparent splatter protector, an attached snap-on scraper for saving paint, and a water hose connection for quick and easy clean-up.
Mill came to im体育线上登录 with only his idea and a set of sketches. im体育线上登录’s design team helped Mill translate his sketches into a set of digital 3D models. These models captured all of his innovations, while applying im体育线上登录’s manufacturing expertise to make the product easy to mass produce.
Next, two prototypes were 3D-printed using stereolithography (SLA). This created a lifelike sample product to confirm the design’s size and feel. Once Mill approved the SLA prototype, im体育线上登录 created urethane castings in close-to-final colors and textures using RTV molding. These incredibly realistic parts brought the project one step closer to customers.
The castings showed how the final product’s five pieces would fit together. When Mill gave the molded pieces his seal of approval, the project was sent on to injection molding for mass production.
Results: The Key Benefits of Working with im体育线上登录
After the project Mill was incredibly happy with the results, and especially with the customer service aspects of the project.
“I appreciate the engineering assistance that turned my sketches into 3D-printable designs, and I was particularly impressed with the fast deliveries to meet deadlines,” Mill said, adding he felt secure knowing his designs and intellectual property would be kept absolutely confidential.
Contact im体育线上登录 to Manufacture Your Consumer Goods Prototypes
Do you have a project in mind? Contact us to discuss your consumer products, or request a quote here .
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