Project Overview
Designing mass-produced consumer goods requires balancing usability, aesthetics, and strict cost constraints. This project focused on creating a sleek, versatile mechanical phone stand while drastically driving down manufacturing costs. The objective was to design a highly functional product that could be reliably produced for under $1 per unit, applying Lean Six Sigma and failure analysis principles to optimize both the design and production process.
The design process started in SolidWorks, where I developed comprehensive engineering drawings and iterate through multiple conceptual models. Utilizing rapid prototyping and FDM 3D printing, I produced physical iterations to test structural integrity, ergonomics, and device compatibility. By carefully evaluating each prototype, I minimized material usage and simplified the geometry to reduce print times and assembly requirements.
A critical aspect of this project was continuous improvement driven by failure analysis. I applied root-cause analysis to early prototypes that experienced stress fractures or instability under load. This led to strategic reinforcements in the CAD model without significantly increasing material volume. The final result is a robust, low-cost product that successfully demonstrates value engineering and lean manufacturing concepts.
Key Contributions
- Designed and iterated robust mechanical phone stand models using SolidWorks, culminating in comprehensive engineering drawings tailored for manufacturing.
- Utilized rapid prototyping with FDM 3D printing, achieving a final production cost of under $1 per unit through geometry optimization and material reduction.
- Applied Lean Six Sigma and failure analysis principles to systematically eliminate design flaws, improving structural stability and extending the product lifecycle.