QualityInspection.org

Quality Assurance, Product Development, and Purchasing Strategies in China

  • Home
  • Articles
    • An Importer’s Guide to New Product Manufacturing in China
  • Best Of
  • About Us
  • Contact us
X

Don't miss a post

It's easy to subscribe to our newsletter where you'll receive weekly updates for professional importers and manufacturers on better understanding, controlling, and improving manufacturing & supply chain in China.

You are here: Home / New Product Development / Developing a new product series / Designing Physical Mechanical Parts for China Production – (Developing a New Product Series Part 7)

Designing Physical Mechanical Parts for China Production – (Developing a New Product Series Part 7)

March 30, 2015

New Product IntroductionWhen it comes to developing hard goods, there are often mechanical parts. They need to be designed before prototypes start to be made, and this is what’s covered here in phase 5.2. (Don’t forget that you can see the whole series on developing a new product here).

Pysical parts design

Mechanical parts can refer to internal mechanisms to drive trains and cases, and everything in between. In other words, all the components of a product that have a physical presence and are not part of the electronics design.

The design is generally carried out using computer-aided design (CAD) software that allows individual physical components to be designed and developed in a three-dimensional space. As individual components are developed, they can be built into an assembly using the same 3D CAD software.

Some of the advantages of using 3D CAD software to design and develop products are:

  • Short product design time
  • More effective communication with suppliers — factories in China are used to 3D designs
  • Visualization of parts and assemblies
  • Change from solid to transparent to wireframe, for review and analysis purposes
  • Quick and easy to change the design
  • Automatic Bill of Materials generation
  • Part parameters can be added to calculate weight and part costs
  • Part error detection and assembly clash analysis
  • Standard part library for ease of adding screws, nuts, bearings and other standard hardware
  • 3D data files can be used directly to make products, both prototypes and production
  • Data can be emailed to suppliers and customers with ease
  • Implementation of a data management process

3D design of a physical part

The image above is a screenshot of a product designed using 3D CAD software. In this view, you can see the green top section has been made transparent thus allowing the viewer to see inside the design. The red sections indicate problems from a clash point of view within the assembly itself.

These issues can be fixed before data is released to a supplier who would produce prototype parts. Without the 3D CAD, drawings may have been sent to the supplier, prototype parts made and only when the assembly was put together the clash issues would have been found. This would result in rework and additional parts being made for checking again.

Go to part 8: The Importance of Prototype Build before Production


 

Want to learn more about the new product introduction process for hardware startups?

In this guide, we explore everything that inventors, SMEs, and hardware startups need to know about making a new product in China and bringing it to market.

We include:

  1. Why preparation between product design and launch is necessary
  2. Exploring the NPI process, from product idea to production
  3. Finding the right manufacturing partner
  4. Design reviews & adjustments: DFM, DTC, DFQ
  5. Optimizations for improving cost and quality
  6. Small production runs before mass production
  7. Your role in the NPI process

The New Product Introduction Process Guide for Hardware Startups

Filed Under: Developing a new product series, New Product Development


Weekly updates for professional importers on better understanding, controlling, and improving manufacturing & supply chain in China.

This is the official blog of Sofeast.com.

This blog is written by Renaud Anjoran, an ASQ Certified Quality Engineer who has been involved in chinese manufacturing since 2005.

Hit the button below to get in touch:

Contact Us!

Subscribe to our email newsletter

Connect with us

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
sofeast
sofeast
sofeast

Latest Articles

  • The New Apparel Development & Production Process [Podcast]
  • Going from 1 Prototype to Mass Production directly is Dangerous
  • Should North American Importers Leave China For Countries Like Mexico or Vietnam? (Feat. Andrew Hupert) [Podcast]
  • Inspecting Productions with Very Few Defects: Dump the AQL
  • Answering Your Questions on Fabric Quality, US Tariffs, & Volatile Material Prices.

Categories

  • Quality Control Tips
  • Sourcing New Suppliers
  • Supplier Management
  • New Product Development
  • Process Improvement
  • Ethical Sourcing

Archives

© 2022 QualityInspection.org