Dave Yale's profile

Gun Vise NXT

Dave Yale
•
industial design sporting goods injection molding plastic design engineering Prototyping Solidworks 3d modeling
Gun Vise NXT
firearm maintenance product, 2007
My client came to me with a big problem - one of their longest-selling SKU's was just too expensive to keep producing. The large, single part polypropylene body was difficult to manufacture, had a tendency to warp, and had a high failure rate on the production line. Worse yet, the packaging was so bulky, that they could fit fewer than 30 pieces to a pallet.
industial design sporting goods injection molding plastic design engineering Prototyping Solidworks 3d modeling
Our first task was to reduce the mass of the product, and fit it into a significantly smaller box. We devised 3 strategies for breaking up the single-part body, and presented concepts for each option. Each method had its advantages, and after the aesthetic look was chosen, the design was adapted to split the floor section, and bolt the major vertical masses to the unit. The wedge-and-snap feature proved useful for the center support.
industial design sporting goods injection molding plastic design engineering Prototyping Solidworks 3d modeling
industial design sporting goods injection molding plastic design engineering Prototyping Solidworks 3d modeling
industial design sporting goods injection molding plastic design engineering Prototyping Solidworks 3d modeling
The design concept was translated into 3D using SolidWorks. A set of SLA prototypes was generated and we used them to determine how they would stack and nest with each other inside the new packaging. We were very close to our target dimensions, and found areas where we could reduce mass. The final package is nearly 75% smaller than it's big brother. That translates to nearly 120 pieces per pallet.
industial design sporting goods injection molding plastic design engineering Prototyping Solidworks 3d modeling
The final product met the project requirements and exceeded expectations for packaging. Since the product is intended for serious users with an interest in gunsmithing and a high degree of skill working with tools, it made sense to have the customer assemble the vise. The new design is both robust in appearance and functionality, true to the brand and easily recognizable as the next evolution in the series.
industial design sporting goods injection molding plastic design engineering Prototyping Solidworks 3d modeling
industial design sporting goods injection molding plastic design engineering Prototyping Solidworks 3d modeling
industial design sporting goods injection molding plastic design engineering Prototyping Solidworks 3d modeling
industial design sporting goods injection molding plastic design engineering Prototyping Solidworks 3d modeling
industial design sporting goods injection molding plastic design engineering Prototyping Solidworks 3d modeling
Gun Vise NXT
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Dave Yale's profile

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Dave Yale's profile
San Jose, CA, USA

Gun Vise NXT

Redesign of a production gun vise. The project scope focused on reducing packaging footprint and creating a next generation look for the brand.

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