Concept exploration
Three to five form directions in 1–2 weeks. Each backed by an ergonomic study, a basic mechanism hypothesis, and the manufacturing process that would actually build it — injection molding, sheet metal, or CNC.
Services / Industrial design
Industrial design engineered for manufacturing.
We develop physical products with the look, ergonomics, mechanical logic, material choices, tolerance planning, and DFM detail needed for prototypes and production.
What you get back
Six concrete deliverables, not slide decks.
Engineering CAD
Parametric SolidWorks / Fusion CAD with proper part splits, draft on every face, ribs at 60% of wall thickness, screw bosses with relief, and snap-fits under 1.5% strain — DFM-ready from the first iteration, not the fifth.
GD&T drawings
ASME Y14.5 / ISO 1101 drawings with datum reference frames, true-position tolerancing, and the inspection method called out — so the supplier and your QC inspector measure the part the same way.
Tolerance stack-up
Worst-case and RSS analysis before tooling. Catches gaps, interference fits, and assembly problems while a change still costs zero — instead of $10–30k in steel rework after first shots.
DFM & tooling review
Wall thickness, gate locations, knit-line risks, undercuts, parting line, ejector layout — checked against the actual molder's machine and steel grade. Not generic rules from a textbook.
Supplier-ready package
Quotable drawings, STEP files, BOM with manufacturer part numbers, finish specs, AQL inspection notes. Suppliers come back with prices, not 50 questions.
Mechanical and electronics together
Industrial design that holds the whole product, not just the surface.
A working hardware enclosure has to hold the PCB outline, the battery shape, the antenna keepout, the speaker grill geometry, the LED light pipe, the sealing gasket compression, the screw bosses, the strain reliefs, and the assembly sequence — all at once. Designers working in isolation produce beautiful objects that don't close, don't seal, or don't fit production.
We design the enclosure with the electronics architect, the firmware lead, and the molder in the room — so the same CAD survives EVT, DVT, and tooling.
Explore electronics integration
Common DFM violations we catch before tooling
The same five mistakes show up in nearly every founder CAD package.
If your design has any of these, it will cost you weeks and dollars at first-shots. We mark them on the CAD and propose specific fixes before the molder cuts steel.
Read the DFM reference →Top first-shot defects
- Wall thickness off-target — sink marks, warpage, short shots. ABS sweet spot is 2.0–3.0 mm; over 3.5 mm and you get voids.
- Bosses without relief — radial cracks around screw holes after 5–10 insertions. The fix is a 0.3 mm relief at the base.
- Sharp internal corners — stress risers and mold steel that chips on ejection. R0.5 minimum on every internal feature.
- No draft on textured surfaces — drag scratches on every ejection. Add 3° minimum to MT-11010 textured walls.
- Tolerance stacks ignored — gaps over 0.5 mm where parts should be flush. Worst-case before steel, not after.
Related reference documents
The engineering behind the service.
IDB-DFM-003
Design for manufacturing
Injection molding, sheet metal, CNC, assembly DFM — the rules behind every CAD review we do.
IDB-GDT-019GD&T reference
ASME Y14.5 / ISO 1101 symbols, datum reference frames, MMC bonus tolerance, FCF anatomy.
IDB-SUS-012Sustainable materials
Brand resins, certified recycled plastics, FTC Green Guides substantiation rules.
Need product design that survives engineering review?
Bring your sketches, CAD, or prototype and we will help shape the next development step.