Your design is complete, and orders are already coming in for your new product! Now is not the time to discover manufacturability issues that will make your product challenging—or even impossible—to produce.
Unfortunately, roadblocks are extremely common when bringing a design to life. But there’s good news! With a slight shift in your product design process, you’ll enjoy a seamless experience from concept to completion.
Here’s what to do and why it matters:
Remember: Manufacturing is NOT a “One-Size-Fits-All” Process
You can talk to all of the prototype companies in Florida, and each one will describe a different approach to your project. Why? Because manufacturing isn’t a singular process. It’s an ever-evolving series of processes that can vary greatly according to each shop’s capabilities—machines, tooling, specialists, certifications, and so much more.
If you reach out to a shop and say, “Here’s my freshly finished design; please figure out how to make it,” you’re practically guaranteed to encounter obstacles. Here’s an example:
You may discover that Shop A can hold the tolerances you need but can’t provide the 3D printing necessary for certain components. Shop B offers 3D printing, but their machines can’t hold your critical tolerances. And Shop C can handle the tolerances and the 3D printing, but they don’t have the required certifications to produce an aerospace part.
First step: select your manufacturer
Before creating a design, talk to the shop you intend to partner with for production.
When a customer contacts Polyhistor in the idea phase, we immediately involve our product design services team—engineers included! They’ll learn what you’re working on, how it should function, what problems it’s intended to solve, who will purchase the final product, and more.
With Polyhistor’s product design services, you’ll get the guidance you need to design your product for our shop’s specific manufacturing processes AND your end goals.
Kick off Your Patent Process with Product Design Services
Not every manufacturer has engineers in-house, but Polyhistor does! Our engineering expertise makes us the perfect partner for product development because we can quickly identify the manufacturing challenges inherent to any design concept. And those issues need to be resolved before you apply for a patent!
Next step: procure a patent
When a customer brings us a new product idea, we immediately direct them to a patent attorney. There’s often no point in proceeding with a product that isn’t original! At least, you need to make sure you do not infringe on someone elses patent, that can be a costly journey.
Once you’re in the clear and we’ve collaborated on a manufacturable design, you’ll be set to confidently apply for your patent. Most prototype companies in Florida don’t participate in the patent process, but at Polyhistor, we know how important it is to pursue a patent sooner rather than later. And with our robust product design services and product development services, you’ll be ready to start the patent process earlier than ever.
Get Your Product into the Hands of Customers
Many engineers find themselves “stuck” in a seemingly endless cycle of perfecting their products. Polyhistor can help you break out of that loop and get your product into production!
Our experienced team offers guidance for product and market testing while there’s still time to make the design modifications that can turn a mediocre product into a top seller.
Final step: begin production
Polyhistor’s experts in product design services and product development services won’t hesitate to tell you when it’s time to STOP iterating and pivot to production, followed by sales and marketing.
After all, the design and prototyping phases are upfront expenses. If you hope to break even and eventually make a profit, you must make and sell your product. And with a manufacturable design and proven prototypes, nothing stands in the way of your success.
Great Product Designs Are Manufacturable
Our goal is always to help our customers achieve faster and more cost-effective manufacturing. That requires us to get involved in the design process from the beginning—when it’s still possible to quickly and inexpensively make design modifications with manufacturability and sellability at the forefront.
Connect early with our product design services team, and we’ll help you develop a winning design.