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What is a Production Prototype?

September 27 2011  |   leardonsolutions  |  All Posts, Prototyping  |  Comment

If you are reading this post, you probably understand the basics of prototyping early in the product development lifecycle. In past posts on prototyping, we have discussed the Proof-of-Concept Prototype and the Design Prototype (also referred to as the Form/Fit/Function Prototype) as the first two phases of prototypes in world-class product development. Let’s define these two prototypes again as a refresher:

Proof-of-Concept Prototype: First phase of a product prototype that bears little resemblance to the final product but is used to validate of the idea and prove feasibility. A Proof-of-Concept Prototype is also used for obtaining intellectual property and to show to investors for raising money.

Design Prototype: Second phase of a product prototype that has the functional and aesthetic properties of the final product and is produced using quick fabrication methods. A design prototype is used to work out the final design and manufacturing details and to receive feedback from distributors, buyers, and retailers.

Note that these first two prototype stages are meant to prepare the product for production but that no production tooling or final products using the final manufacturing processes have been built or qualified. The picture below shows the proof-of-concept (POC) and design prototype for the Emada Cigar Clip, a product that is used by golfers and boat enthusiasts to hold their cigars. The POC prototype was constructed using an off-the-shelf plastic wire clip attached to a flat metal plate and an off-the-shelf magnet. The Design (Form/Fit/Function) Prototype was designed to the specifications required of the Emada and machined out of nylon to meet the functional and aesthetic requirements. These two prototypes were used to prove the concept, qualify the design, and verify it was acceptable for the existing market. This was required to prepare for the next phase of prototyping. The inventing blog Ideas Uploaded provides some other great examples of Proof-of-Concept Prototypes in the post How Inventors make Prototypes.

Emada Cigar Clip Proof of Concept and Design Prototypes

There is a third and final prototype stage that fills the gap between prototyping and full scale manufacturing. This is referred to as the Production Prototype.

Production Prototype: The third phase of prototype that is fabricated using the final production design and manufacturing methods. A Production Prototype is used to qualify manufacturing processes and to receive feedback from distributors, buyers, customers, and retailers.

The Production Prototype for the Emada Cigar Clip in different materials is shown below. Due to the expectations of large production volumes of this product, it was necessary to produce a two-cavity hardened steel tool for plastic injection molding. Once the tool was complete, the engineering team at Leardon Solutions approved the tool by performing first article inspection (FAI) and determining the process capability (Cpk) of the molding process. To determine the proper material to be used in the final product, three materials were molded including nylon, POM (polyoxymethylene), and PP (polypropylene). All three materials were tested but only the nylon was qualified as acceptable for use in the expected environment.

Emada Cigar Clip Production Prototypes

You might be wondering why you must build production prototypes if the production tools and assembly line are functioning. There is sufficient work required to qualify the product functionality and the manufacturing processes to prevent defective products from getting into the hands of customers. Performing the proper verification and validation with production protoypes will result in high quality products.

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Success Factors of a Product Inventor

September 15 2011  |   leardonsolutions  |  All Posts, Program Management  |  1 Comment

There are many inventors in this world but unfortunately many of their inventions never see the light of day. Why is this? There must be some factors that determine if the inventor will create a successful company from the product idea or if the inventor will fail.

Leardon Solutions worked with Randy Hupp from EcoLeeser from the early days of his invention of a product that helps increase the chances of survival for released rockfish suffering from barotrauma. This invention named the RokLees is pictured below.

EcoLeeser RokLees manufactured by Leardon Solutions

Throughout the process of working with Randy, there were three success factors that contributed to the success of Randy’s invention and hence his company EcoLeeser.

(1) Proper prototyping and product testing: Even the best product ideas can fail if they are introduced to the market prematurely without the proper engineering and testing. Some inventors believe that the best way to develop their product is to go onto one of the outsourcing websites and hire an overseas company that makes similar products. Many times this leads to failure since product prototyping and qualification do not occur. Skipping the prototyping phases will definitely limit the ability to succeed.

Randy understood that in order to be successful, he had to provide a quality product that simply did what it was meant to do and did it well. In order to achieve this quality, multiple rounds of prototypes were necessary. He knew that he had to build prototypes and test them in the hands of actual customers. First, Randy built a Proof-of-Concept Prototype that proved his idea actually functioned properly. While this prototype wasn’t pretty or refined, it proved that his idea was feasible. Next Randy worked with Leardon Solutions to develop a Form/Fit/Function Prototype that not only functioned properly but also met his cosmetic and aesthetic goals. Randy was able to test this product in actual fishing conditions and fine-tuned the design to meet his needs. As Randy started production, he had a design that he knew would function properly across all operating conditions.

(2) Develop a trusted network of suppliers and professionals: Many inventors are worried that their product idea will be stolen if they discuss the invention with potential suppliers and professional service companies. As such, the worried inventor will try to do everything themselves, ranging from the engineering, prototyping, intellectual property, business planning, marketing, and website development. Fortunately for the inventor, most service companies are more interested in helping the inventors than in stealing their idea. The sooner the inventor realizes that there are trusted companies that can help them, the sooner they will be successful.

Randy new his limitations and began to develop a trusted network of suppliers that could help get his product developed and his company formed. Since Randy was new to the world of product development, he hired Leardon Solutions to perform the prototyping, product qualification, and manufacturing. Randy also understood that he had no knowledge in the areas of intellectual property and therefore hired Intercontinental IP to develop his intellectual property filings. These two professional services companies were only a small part of the trusted network that was developed throughout the process of creating the RokLees and EcoLeeser.

(3) Proper use of intellectual property: If an inventor is actually going to move forward and create a company around their product invention, it is important to protect their intellectual property. Many inventors feel that filing provisional patents, utility patents, design patents, or trademarks are a waste of money. When the intellectual property isn’t filed, what happens after the company invests time and money to develop a market for their product only to find that another company is selling a very similar product? All that effort developing the market has gone to waste and this other company can easily leverage the market development work already done. Intellectual property is a critical way to prevent this situation.

Randy filed a provisional patent application which provided patent pending protection for one year and two trademark applications, both of which have been approved by United States Patent and Trademark Office and are in the “publication” phase. As the expiration date for the provisional patent approaches, Randy will need to decide if it is important to file a utility patent in order to extend his invention protection. This will depend on the success of the RokLees product in the marketplace.

In summary, inventors with good product ideas should implement these three simple success factors into their operations to improve their changes of success.

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Form, Fit, and Function Prototype

July 18 2011  |   leardonsolutions  |  All Posts, Prototyping  |  Comment

The last prototyping post titled Why a Proof-of-Concept Prototype? reviewed the reasons for designing, fabricating, and testing a Proof-of-Concept Prototype of your innovative product idea. If you followed this advice, you now have shown that your concept functions properly and there is a feasible technical path to develop your product. With this accomplished, what should you do next?

Leardon Solutions Form Fit Function Prototype

Intubation Design Prototype by Leardon Solutions

Leardon Solutions designs, engineers, prototypes, and manufactures products for the medical devices and diagnostic, health and lifestyle, commercial, consumer electronics, and active sports industries. Every project, no matter how simple or complex, follows the rigorous Leardon Solutions Product Development Lifecycle.  This ensures that all the program objectives and project requirements are satisfied. The third phase of this lifecycle, referred to as the Design Prototype Phase, requires the completion of a prototype that meets the form, fit, and functionality requirments.

You might be asking yourself “What is the difference between this so-called Design Prototype and the Proof-of-Concept prototype mentioned in the last blog posting?” The Proof-of-Concept Prototype was developed in order to prove that the product idea was technically feasible and functioned as expected. There was no work done to make the prototype look aesthetically pleasing or to meet any of the human factors (feel) or industrial design (look) requirements. This next stage of prototype requires that the functional requirements are implemented into an engineered prototype that is looks, feels, and operates the same as the final product. The only difference between this prototype and the final manufactured product is that this Design Prototype is fabricated utilizes low-volume prototyping techniques.

A Design Prototype requires more engineering and design skill than required for the Proof-of-Concept Prototype. The reason for this is the fact that the prototype needs to look and feel like the final product. Therefore, the engineer designing the prototype must have some knowledge of the final production methods so that it can be designed with the intention of using these fabrication methods when finally going into production. The engineer also needs to generate the proper engineering documentation such as 3D models, 2D drawings, and electrical schematics so that the manufacturer can properly fabricate the parts to the proper engineering specifications. While it isn’t absolutely necessary, it is recommended to hire a design engineer during this prototype phase.

The Design Prototype usually requires more manufacturing and fabrication skill than what was used to produce the Proof-of-Concept Prototype. This is due to the fact that this prototype is fully integrated with all the proper features. This integration usually results in more complex parts which are more difficult to fabricate using prototype methods. Due to schedule and financial constraints, this prototype will not be fabricated using high-volume production techniques such as injection molding or progressive die metal stamping. Instead, the prototype will be made of parts that are fabricated with low-volume prototype techniques such as machining, resin molding, laser cut metal parts, and quick turn printed circuit boards.

Leardon Solutions Form Fit Function Prototype for APT Innovations

Apt Innovations Floe Design Prototype by Leardon Solutions

Once this prototype is complete, there are many important uses for this prototype, all of which are equally important. First, since this Design Prototype was made to have the look, feel, and function of the final product, this is an excellent prototype to show to potential investors for raising money. A functioning and aesthetically pleasing prototype will have a much better impact in an investor presentation than showing a business plan.

Even though this prototype will look as if the product is complete and ready for manufacturing, there is still a long way to go before reaching the production stage. The second use of this prototype is for working out the design and manufacturing details. As the prototype is assembled and operated, important feedback will be gathered which will be fed forward into the future design revisions.

A third use for this Design Prototype is as a tool in getting valuable feedback from customers. Prepare a set of questions for target customers and let them use your prototype. This feedback is important to verify that your product satisfies the customer needs and will have commercial success when introduced.

Finally, this prototype will be very useful when pitching your product to potential distributors, buyers, and retailers. Since the product meets all the functional requirements and has the final look and feel, these meetings will be much more valuable as the intent of the product will be easy to communicate.

The Design Prototype is an necessary step in the development and commercialization of a product. The design and fabrication of this prototype will allow you to validate your customer segment, determine if the product has an acceptable look and feel to customers, and will prevent expensive production and manufacturing changes down the road.

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