An important part of the R & D process of large-scale products in household mould design. Because product and household mould design are interdependent, it is very useful for product design engineers and household mould design engineers to understand the role of plastic parts development process, household mould design process and household mould manufacturing process.
Different stages of a typical product development process, including: product definition, product design, experience and product development, capacity enhancement, and market launch.
Although the product development process is complex, most have the following key attributes:
Establish a systematic development plan to ensure the integrity of design and manufacturing.
The budget allocation is carried out through effective evaluation at key points of the project to establish a checkpoint process to avoid risks.
The product development process is divided into multiple stages through approval fee levels. The next stage evaluates the previous stage.
1. Definition of product
The product development process begins with an analysis of the market, an understanding of competitors ’product standards, a definition of product specifications, and an assessment of potential profitability. If the management agrees to develop new products, then a suitable team will be formed for early concept design and business development. In the first stage, it is necessary to estimate the approximate size, attributes and cost of the product. At the same time, concept sketches, physical prototypes and prototypes may be discussed and evaluated for feasibility.
In terms of profitability, market research will try to predict potential sales at different price points in the early stages of product development. At the same time, a budget for the labor costs and project costs required to develop products and bring them to market will be established.
Through continuous evaluation of the potential for commercial success in product development, management’s evaluation of conceptual design, anchor sales expectations and budget is obtained. The proposed product development project may be rejected, put on hold or modified accordingly.
2. Product design
If the project is approved and a budget is allocated, the product development process will continue at this time, usually after additional funding is provided for further analysis and design. In the second stage, each component in the product will be designed in detail.
The design of plastic parts includes considerations of aesthetics, structure, heating, manufacturing, etc. The design of the manufacturing method will be used to confirm the problem of effective manufacturing of components. The design of the assembly method can be used to reduce parts, determine the tolerance of critical dimensions and ensure the assembly economy of the finished product.
The design result of the initial product design stage (through the second management recommendation) is a detailed and verified product design.
“Detailed design” means that each part will be assigned materials, geometries, surface roughness, tolerances, suppliers and costs. If you need to customize plastic parts, you need to quote these parts at this stage. For approval, the manufacturing cost and detailed design are submitted to management together.
If product design and cost are acceptable, then the required budget can be allocated, and product development is mainly focused on manufacturing.
3. Development of business and production
Although household mould design and household mould manufacturing are the focus of the plastics industry, these contents are included in the “household mould manufacturing” activity. At the same time, important business development and production plans will be established.
Specifically, business development needs to fully define the supply chain and establish initial orders to support the launch of the product. In order to lay out assembly lines, determine human resource requirements, and establish manufacturing technology facilities, these all need to establish production plans.
When the household mould is completed, “α” (initial) product production, testing and assembly work will be carried out. After that, the initial product went through a series of tests to verify its performance level, execution standards and user satisfaction. If the initial product is not satisfactory, the manufacturing process, related tools, and detailed component design should be appropriately adjusted. At the same time, the operator will make detailed plans for quality control and training.