The Caribbean Manufacturing dilemna :(

Hi All,

My name is Carlton I’m a mechanical engineering in the Caribbean and I have been working on some exciting projects designing solutions or improvements for things unique to the Caribbean. using CAD (Solidworks) I have been able to visualize and test many concepts but at this time I need to develop a prototype for a new product .

My challenge is finding a place like “Tech Shop” where I could go and get manufacturing assistance for my designs does not exist in Barbados I’m force to go artisan to artisan seeing who can help me with various aspects of my project and unfortunately many don’t share my enthusiasm. Fortunately I found this discussion board and i was wondering if you guys know of any manufacturing/design companies capable and willing to:

  1. Calloborate remotely via Skype, phone, exchange of engineering drawings with some one in the Caribbean on a few prototypes
    2.Provide low volume cost effective prototypes
    3.Facilitate payment via Paypal or any reputable money transaction service.

Now I’ve heard about services like this before but I have never used one, I’d really like your advice on finding a trust worthy compnay that is capable of delivering prototypes . Any thoughts guys ?

I’m bumping this over to Materials & Processes.

What sort of prototype do you have in mind? What sort of product? What material? What do you want it to do?
If you are looking for 3d printed parts you could try Shapeways. You can deal with them over internet, and they will probably ship worldwide.

Hi Engio

Sorry I didnt provide a vast detail in the first message. The first product I’m seeking prototype manufacturing is a new road tennis racket. Road tennis is a popular sport in Barbados…think of lawn tennis with a much smaller court and a lower net, The racket is currently made of a single piece of 1/4 plywood shaped similar to a paddle racket with a small strip of sheet metal along the ridge to add some durability.

I would like to redesign the racket in the first prototype using PVC board wrapped in a channel aluminum frame, to provide abrasion resistance on the pvc board aswell as form the racket handle. The materials are fairly straight forward BUT certain aluminum extrusion profiles are non existent locally, few companies have the equipment to assist with the bending and shaping of channel section aluminum, those that do prefer large commercial jobs hence the labor cost is very high for a prototype or they will not bother to even entertain the idea.

Thanks for the heads up about shapeways… I know they do alot of 3D printed work, Ill see if they can help with this. Usually try to design products with existing material profiles in the interest of cost and availability of materials locally, but if I am to explore the global market I guess I should stop thinking with those limitations :S

Shapeways does Exactly what I would want but with 3D printing techniques only, which will be useful for some complex designs but this first product can be made with conventional techniques or even basic CNC milling equipment. Anyone know of any online company that I can send a CAD model of say my racket which is comprised of Aluminum c chanel and pvc board, and they can make a prototype based on that all via online collaboration ?

Did you see the Chinese prototyping thread?

Cool history … thank you for the (edit >) introduction to this sport.

… certain aluminum extrusion profiles are non existent locally…

Chances are they would not be available anywhere

You are discovering why “custom” aluminum extrusion is expensive; it requires a die and some minimum amount of aluminum to be extruded and cut to your specified length (for shipping). I spoke with an extruder this morning in Colorado about a “U” shape extrusion. Using “assumed” dimensions of roughly .63" [16mm] x .25" [10mm] he estimated prototype tool charges of (roughly) $700-800 USD, and an minimum run of roughly 400 feet to somewhere around $400 USD; $1,200USD Note: this is the extrusion only - forming is not included.

Some rough weight calculations (based on assumed dimensions)
Weight of minimum run of material ~ 53 pounds
UPS shipping charges from (in this example, Colorado); $493.50USD

$1,200 + $493.50 = $1,693.50USD

You may find that having a piece of aluminum bar stock milled to your profile locally would be more economical Forming it might be done on hardwood tools.

Another approach might be to re-think your concept to better utilize the materials and capabilities that are available to you. Nothing wrong with that, it’s simply a matter of practicality. From your description I visualize the extrusion wrapping around the “paddle” and forming the handle. Could this be accomplished using another, more easily manipulated material? e.g., formed epoxy fiberglass strand, or laminated wood?

Question: what would the overall market be for Road Tennis Racquets (units/per).

Yes I saw it today, its been very helpful, I must thank the moderator for the shift in location of my thread. Im lookin at SUNPE and RP world, those were the 2 most recommended

You may find that having a piece of aluminum bar stock milled to your profile locally would be more economical Forming it might be done on hardwood tools.

Another approach might be to re-think your concept to better utilize the materials and capabilities that are available to you. Nothing wrong with that, it’s simply a matter of practicality. From your description I visualize the extrusion wrapping around the “paddle” and forming the handle. Could this be accomplished using another, more easily manipulated material? e.g., formed epoxy fiberglass strand, or laminated wood?

Question: what would the overall market be for Road Tennis Racquets (units/per)

I have been mostly considering 1/4" ID channel aluminum to wrap the PVC board (the core) and form the handle, like this one here U-Shaped Molding for 1/4" Material - Richelieu Hardware. I can order some if necessary. Now that you mentioned it tho, fiberglass may be a much more practical solution in comparison to the Aluminum so i will definitely look into that.

In terms of market potential for the racquet, Road tennis is a very popular local sport however Barbados has a population under 300,000 :S. The aim of my project is though is to provide the physical tools through design and engineering to take road tennis to the next level. Boosting the sport by better equipping it for a global stage. I can say the racquet is just a piece of an exciting puzzle :slight_smile:

You may want to take a look at this video aswell, needless to say i would LOVE to get these guys involved if possible in this idea. They say impossible is nothing, i’ll hold them to it :slight_smile:

As you can see in the video the racquet is very basic, which leaves alot of room for improvement from an engineering and design stand point