New Product Development (NPD)

Once the initial design brief has been achieved, we are able to "prove" that design prior to going to full production tooling. We are able to produce 3D printed models, SLA & SLS models, and even offer soft prototype tooling. These rapid prototyping facilities allow you to hold representative product in your hand before any production tooling has been committed to, such that fit & function testing can be done, or packaging trials carried out.

To get the best from developing a new product there are a few simple rules that should be considered to ensure the end result achieves the desired outcomes:

1. Know what it is that you want to achieve both in terms of the physical specification for the product, but also from the marketing perspective.

2. Keep your product design as simple as is commensurate with the specification that you determined at stage 1. Complicated parts generally require complicated tooling, and this ultimately adds cost to the tooling and the unit parts.

3. Set a realistic time frame for what you want to achieve - that doesn't mean that you can't put your suppliers under time pressure, but be realistic.

4. Set a realistic budget for your project, remembering that you need to look at the cost cycle right the way across the life cycle expectancy for the whole project. You should get a couple of quotations, and know exactly what you are buying into - it's not just the up-front capital costs of the tooling, and the selling price of the components, but who pays for tooling maintenance, what are your up-grade paths if the product really takes off?

5. What does your marketing plan say about 1st, 2nd and third year volumes? This is not just the moulder being nosey, the expected volumes determine what is required from the tooling, and therefore the costs associated with initiating that tooling.

6. Get good advise early. Plasmotec has a wealth of skilled personnel from design, toolmaking and production, and can draw upon the expertise of our supplier base to give guidance and advise, right from the start of your project. 

Call us to talk about your specific tooling and moulding requirements on 01280 701 335. Plasmotec have a proven track record of assimilating "orphaned" tooling from other moulders, even where the mould in question may have been a "problem child" to the previous moulder.

The new product development process can be one that is fraught with pit-falls at very turn, be that in the design of the moulded parts themselves, the tooling that will be required, the costs and lead-times involved, or in the marketing of a new product, they all take time and resource to get right.

Plasmotec can offer help and insight into a number of the areas mentioned above, leaving you free to concentrate your resources in other areas. We are able to offer design advice from the very earliest stage of a project, to ensure that the component that is to be moulded is the best that it can be within the time and budget constraints of the project.

Plasmotec utilises state of the art CAD/CAE software packages that are targeted at product design, mould build, and product verification/validation. The use of these packages across the Company increases the speed and efficiency and ultimately the effectiveness that a project can be taken from the drawing board to product launch and on to mass production.

Working in tandem with your NPD process, we are able to create 3D CAD data from scratch, or import your CAD data via common data transfer types such as IGES, STEP, DWG and DXF etc. Starting from scratch we have successfully worked from a written or verbal design brief, rough pen and paper sketches, on-site visits, and hand made models to name but a few. However you choose to operate, Plasmotec has the necessary skills base to be able to assist you.

* Full 3D Solid Modelling CAD software, integrated seamlessly into bespoke Mould Build and Mould Flow analysis software. 

* In-house 3D printing facilities, for single or low volume manufacture of samples.

* Rapid prototyping tool build, for manufacture of moulded parts in the colour and material that you have chosen for the finished part.

* Material and design assistance to suit your requirements throughout the project life cycle. We will be here for you every step of the way.

* Free quotations for tooling and unit parts - it only takes five minutes to get us looking at the best way to give you cost effective options for your new or existing project.

* In-house tooling facilities for the initial build and the on-going maintenance of your tooling.

* Multiple tooling options to soften the costs associated with initiating a new product from scratch.

* Friendly staff - come and see us and take the "Grand Tour", we'd be happy to show you around and talk to you about your new or existing project.