Our Product Development Process

Our product development process has helped countless companies, engineers and entrepreneurs design new products that exceed their expectations. With over two decades of experiencing designing molds and implement full-scale production, we offer valuable expertise on manufacturability. Whatever your teams' new product, our engineering, molding, manufacturing and fulfillment team will help you get to market.

12 Step Product Development Life Cycle

Our role varies from comprehensive product design to simple manufacturing advice, depending on the project. For customers with existing part design the process normally begins with a Request for Quote (RFQ). We can generally quote based on annual volume requirements and part design (part volume is helpful in cubic cm or inches). Below we've outlined our product development process in x steps using a real example: a silicone medical bumper.

1. New Product Design: Brainstorming

Prior to beginning a project, we have a discussion outlining a product's potential, uses, environment, size, and application. A member of the Casco Bay Molding team will recommend the type of manufacturing process we feel will work best. If injection molding or injection over-molding thermoplastic, TPE or silicone rubber is desirable, the discussion moves to part design requirements.

Note: If deemed necessary a non-disclosure agreement or confidentiality agreement can be signed.  Please see the Casco Bay Molding NDA.

2. Expected Volume and Target Pricing

We then engage in a discussion with your team regarding your target price and annual expected part volume. Injection-molded part costs are mainly a function of machine time and material cost. Therefore, a 4 cavity mold will produce parts more cost-effectively than a less expensive single cavity mold because the machine time is divided over 4 cavities instead of a single cavity.

3. Product Design Rough Sketches

Typically, the customer will generate rough sketches, which our team will review for evaluation and developing the next iteration. During the new product design phase, we will discuss:

1. Function

2. Critical areas

3. Materials

4. Annual volume

5. Potential manufacturability issues

Manufacturing complications that we will bring to your attention may include parting line, injection point or gate placement and part extraction. We are typically able to reduce the expenses related to product development and production when we design a part for optimum manufacturability from the start.

Rough Product Development Sketch

4. New Product Strategy & Concept Designs

Next, Casco Bay Molding submits two preferred concept designs, which will help you visualize the project design process. During this step, we merge initial concepts to create two manufacturable designs.

At this point, we solicit your feedback. Do the concept designs meet your requirements? Specifically, we ask for feedback regarding:

• Overall part size

• Part segment dimensional ratios

• Look and feel of the part.

Concept Product Design Example

5. Preliminary Piece Part Quote

Next, we may submit an estimated preliminary part quote. We calculate this quote based on mold cavitation, estimated part weight, and machine cycle time.

6. Product Design Control Drawing

With customer quote approval, we then will generate a control drawing. A control drawing is a 2D or 3D layout drawing drawn to scale. It is important for our precision molding team to see a finished 3D Solidworks part design before quoting the mold.

At this point, we will again solicit feedback from you. How does the part took on paper -- dimensioned and drawn to scale.

Control Drawing Example:

SolidWorks or CAD File

With your approval, we will next generate a SW or CAD file. Otherwise known as a SolidWorks file, a three dimensional CAD file (part design or solid model) enables the part to be rotated on the screen and printed on a 3D printer or an SLA machine.

At this point, we will submit the mold and part quote for review.

Solidworks or CAD File Sample:

3D Prototype & Project Development Customer Feedback

You may decide to 3D print this Solidworks or CAD file. We find it is often useful to hold something in your hand rather than look at it on a screen. Stereolithography (3D printing) does not currently include a silicone material. However, we do frequently print PolyJet parts that mimic the feel of silicone without its elongation. Keep in mind that one cannot normally use a PolyJet part for a functionality test due to drastic material differences.

Note: As required a second round of part re-design and prototyping is possible depending on your preference.

Assuming the customer wishes to continue with the project, Casco Bay Molding issues a Production Part and Mold quote with estimated delivery time. Following approval, the customer will issue a purchase order and make a down payment on the mold.

Initial Part and Mold Design Review

Once we've received part approval, the Casco Bay Molding’s machining team, including toolmakers and production staff, will conduct a preliminary mold design review. This may include specifying:

• Cavitization

• Gating

• Venting

• Final material selection

• Shrinkage projections

Final Project Development Mold Design Review

The customer then approves the mold design and provides the final part shrink. Casco Bay Molding also discusses areas where we might want to leave a steel-safe condition. This allows Casco Bay Molding/customer to “creep up” on critical dimensions. The toolmaker agrees on delivery time and is instructed to proceed.

Note: Casco Bay Molding quotes mold delivery time based on us having a clean part file, mold down payment, PO and successful mold & part design review meeting with the customer.

Mold Testing and Adjustments

Casco Bay Molding conducts a mold or core and cavity test, during which we check for functionality and critical dimensions. Next, we ship parts to you for inspection and additional testing.

In the event that tooling requires adjustments for functionality or part dimensions, we remove the mold from the machine and make necessary adjustments. We will conduct a second mold test, as required, and again ship parts to you for inspection, as required.

Product Design Approval

Once the mold meets your part print, the toolmaker and molder have met the customer requirements. Frequently, the customer requests part changes to meet the “real world” part requirements.  These requests can normally be accomplished, but are the customer’s responsibility.

Production Begins

After the part approval, Casco Bay defines a set of specific work instructions. These work instructions define an acceptable part, create QC guidelines for our production staff, as well as, specific pack out instructions.

Our Product Design and Development Experience

Casco Bay Molding caters to a wide range of industries and clients. Below please find a list of industries and application in which we are active: