Cost Effective Solutions

 

Whether you’re looking to streamline or outsource production, lower production costs or add capacity to your own engineering, design or manufacturing departments, David Wolfe Design can help.

We’ve been helping customers realize their ideas for more than 20 years. Check out our case histories showcase for examples of quality design and innovative, cost-efficient solutions from David Wolfe Design.

 

Cost Reduction of Industrial Components

Part name: Air Nozzle
• Material: Polypropylene
• Manufacturing Method: Injection Molding, steel mold
• Annual production: 3,000 parts
• Project Description: This part was originally machined out of aluminum at a
cost of $13.00 each. The air holes need to be on compound angles. In an
effort to reduce cost, DWD redesigned the part to be injection molded,
keeping the design intent, and now costs $1.61.

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Thermoformed Panels

Part name: Cover
• Material: ABS
• Manufacturing Method: Thermoforming, CNC trimming, painting
• Annual production: 50-100 parts
• Project Description: These parts vary in size. They replace costly and
cumbersome sheet metal components. The molds are made from urethane
tooling board. The parts are thermoformed, trimmed on our 5-axis CNC
router, then painted to customers color spec.

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Military and Aerospace

Part name: Fuel Tank Cover
• Material: Noryl—polyphenylene oxide
• Manufacturing Method: Thermoforming and bonding
• Annual production: 25 parts
• Project Description: This part is a limited production thermoformed part
made in 4 pieces. Each half of the clam shell is a 2-piece sandwich of
thermoformed Noryl. The parts are trimmed by hand then assembled on
bonding fixtures.

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Engineering Grade Materials

Part name: Handle
• Material: Conductive carbon-filled nylon
• Manufacturing Method: Injection molding, insert molding, pad printing
• Annual production: 750 parts
• Project Description: DWD was responsible for these parts from concept
through production. The parts needed to be electrically conductive for
grounding and durable. The parts are injection molded with 6 threaded
inserts molded in place. Parts are then pad printed and shipped overseas.

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Steel and Aluminum Components

Part name: Hook
• Material: Aluminum
• Manufacturing Method: Sand casting, CNC machining, burnishing
• Annual production: 750 parts
• Project Description: This part was required to be an aluminum attachment
hook and to also serve as a heat sink. The part is first cast at a foundry,
critical dimensions CNC machined, then burnished for a polished appearance.
A silicon pad is then attached before shipping.

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Intricate Components

Part name: Electrode
• Material: Nickel-titanium wire & polyethylene
• Manufacturing Method: Injection molding (shuttle press)
• Annual production: 200 parts
• Project Description: This part requires a nickel titanium wire to be precision
bent, over-molded with polyethylene, then trimmed to size. The part is
small with intricate geometry and critical fit dimensions.

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Alternative Materials & Manufacturing Methods

Part name: Dust Collector
• Material: Urethane
• Manufacturing Method: Low pressure injection (Urethane tooling board mold)
• Annual production: 50-200 parts
• Project Description: The customer needed a molded, 2.5 cubic foot Dust
Collector delivered in 4 weeks. Conventional tooling was too costly and too
time consuming. We modified the part, built a urethane tooling board mold,
and shot the parts from a two part urethane that replicates molded plastic.

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Elastomer Materials

Part name: Pinch Valve
• Material: Natural Rubber or Santoprene
• Manufacturing Method: Injection or transfer
• Annual production: 4,000
• Project Description: This family of parts was developed using a custom grade
of natural rubber. Molds range in cavitation from 1 to 8 cavities. All parts
are manually unloaded, de-flashed, then chlorinated. Some parts were
tested as injection molded elastomeric thermoplastic Santoprene.

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Sheet Metal Parts

Part name: Shelf Bracket
• Part name: Shelf Bracket
• Material: Steel Plate
• Manufacturing Method: Laser cut, bending
• Annual production: 1,800
• Project Description: This part was a high volume prototype. The project
required 900 RH parts & 900 LH parts. Our customer came with a 2D
drawing. We produced a lay flat CAD file, laser cut the sheet metal, bent
parts according to drawing specifications.

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