How to look for advice / design service - miniature mechanical device
How to look for advice / design service - miniature mechanical device
(OP)
I'm trying to design a little... something. Because it's very early, I can't tell you exactly what the final product will be (if at all) but it'll be very interesting. The main challenge is the mechanical part, which involves creating a sort of a spring loaded latching switch inside a tiny cylinder - less than 1/8" dia x 1/4" high AND with a lot of travel - more than 1/8". Think of an automatic ballpoint pen mechanism crammed into the aforementioned space. Any material can be used and cost is not an issue, even for production quantities, it can be as high as several dollars per piece.
I couldn't find an exact category match on the forum; if you know of a better fit, please let me know. Anyway, what I'm trying to find out how to even find a mechanical designer or where to look. I'm not looking for free A-Z design but conceptual ideas are definitely welcome!
Thank you for taking the time to read this post.
- flixflix
I couldn't find an exact category match on the forum; if you know of a better fit, please let me know. Anyway, what I'm trying to find out how to even find a mechanical designer or where to look. I'm not looking for free A-Z design but conceptual ideas are definitely welcome!
Thank you for taking the time to read this post.
- flixflix





RE: How to look for advice / design service - miniature mechanical device
How many will you need to make per day in order to saturate the market as rapidly as possible?
Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA
RE: How to look for advice / design service - miniature mechanical device
The above numbers are actually realistic but just for the sake of it, looking through a pair of ultra-pessimistic 3D glasses, you could still see around a hundred thou.
RE: How to look for advice / design service - miniature mechanical device
So you need a mechanical designer who has worked on medium to high volume products. It should be no trick to find one who is between jobs and near you. There's even a chance that a _good_ one will be available.
Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA
RE: How to look for advice / design service - miniature mechanical device
Where can I then look for such a designer? Let me just start with the design itself, not volume production strategies. I, for one, don't have a clue how this would work; all I know is that it's possible. A wristwatch is hundreds of times more complex, and they made them the same number of years ago.
RE: How to look for advice / design service - miniature mechanical device
RE: How to look for advice / design service - miniature mechanical device
My problem is that I don't know where exactly I should ask. Even if I were to place an ad (although it would apply to a forum post, too), how should I ask? What kind of expertise or specialization, or experience if what line of work?
RE: How to look for advice / design service - miniature mechanical device
Another avenue might be a model making club, these guys knock up some pretty amazing planes, traction engines and the like from home drawn plans on very basic machinery and always seem to love a challenge.
RE: How to look for advice / design service - miniature mechanical device
RE: How to look for advice / design service - miniature mechanical device
Here are some links to miniture parts suppliers:
http://www.sdp-si.com/
http://www.wmberg.com/
Another one is secs inc. which I have a catalog for but old enough so no website and so many companies with name of secs on-line I dcould not easily find them.
secs were in Long Island, NY and Lomita, CA
212-932-4545, 213-539-7330 these area codes have probably changed due to populaion increase.
I suggest to contact your local chapter of society of Mecahnical Engineers and ask for reference to a lilely prospect. Might make sense to join and make personal contact, get to know some individuals.
RE: How to look for advice / design service - miniature mechanical device
RE: How to look for advice / design service - miniature mechanical device
The three companies that you referenced to are mainly part suppliers but all offer custom engineering services and thus could represent just what I was looking for. Thank you!
RE: How to look for advice / design service - miniature mechanical device
What is Engineering anyway: FAQ1088-1484: In layman terms, what is "engineering"?
RE: How to look for advice / design service - miniature mechanical device
Charlie
www.facsco.com