Help - Mock-ups model making

Skills materials and processes
1

Hi
I was wondering if anyone can help me? I’m doing an assignment on model making techniques and I need to do four case studies on fairly large well-known products but there is little information on the background of the mock-up stage of the design process and what techniques they used. There is loads of stuff on CAD systems and hi-tech methods but nothing on basic model making with relation to well know products. Just simple things like clay modelling. It seems the companies are too advanced to have employed these methods but it’s what I’ve to do my report on if anyone can help me?
Dyson provided a good referance but that is about it. I’m at my wits end if anyone can help?
xXx

2

I remeber seeing a few woodern prototypes of well known braun products along with a full size clay model of a BMW bike in the design musem in Munich…ift thats any help.

for cars they do clay stuff, not sure if they still do it. (anyone out there know the cycle for automotive?)

For product design it can go

foam/Card board

Blue foam

2D or 3D MDF/Arylic working rigs

Chemical wood CNC machined

Rapid Prototyping (RP) SLA or SLS

This process all depends on the product/job in hand. I normaly do lots of simple models using technical drawings spraymounted to foamboard, v simple, cheap, quick and accurate. While I had another job they was in very tight time pressures I had a complete assembly RP in a thermojet (objet) process, cheaper than SLA/SLS and good surface finish.

For another job I did we made lots of blue foam models for a fan design. so it changes job to job. At the end we would normaly approve a design from a rapid prototype before going ahead on tooling.

At Dyson there were lots of cardmodels kicking about in any new product devlopement. Then they would move on to SLS parts to prove the design down the development line.

If a company is used to making something a certian way and the new design is using the same methods there is very low risk and not alot of prototypes needed. While for something new and different they will be a higher risk and more prototypes/models will neeed to be made to try the design out.

3

Thank you that was really helpful :smiley: x