Industrial design is an applied art whereby the aesthetics and usability of mass-produced products may be improved for marketability and production; however, in an industrial manufacturing setting, aesthetics may be forced into a minor role. "When designing products that are to be manufactured, a designer is more apt to begin with the design requirements of an industrial arena in mind rather than looking at a demographic of consumers that might purchase something on impulse because it looks cool as would an Industrial Designer," says Matthew Kusz of Kusz IDEAS.

 

From an industrial design perspective, designing products that can be manufactured has little to do with design and more to do with money. Anything can be made. The consideration of cost for complex tooling or expensive material costs has to be made early in the design concept states. As a result, designers need to be aware of meeting the requirements of a manufacturable state. For instance, keeping tooling and material costs down.

So, what should a manufacturer look for in an industrial designer?  A designer who understands rapid technologies and manufacturing methods (design/modeling, fit/function prototyping and direct digital manufacturing), and one who knows how to balance aesthetics with manufacturability. Making a rapid prototyping investment in the early design phase can also eliminate costs associated with unnecessary modifications to tooling. This is particularly true in the area of injection molded parts. Due to the fact that once a tool has been made, modifications to the tool to improve the  design can be prohibited by cooling lines, material thickness, slides and gates!

 

 

 

Rapid technologies continue to help companies in numerous industries reduce lead times associated with design, prototyping, and manufacturing. South Carolina based buiness Bravo! is no exception and recently hired SiMT Rapid Prototyping Center to manufacture its store signage with the Stereolithography process.