Factors To Consider When Designing Industrial Products
Designing industrial products for use in extreme environmental conditions—from significant temperature ranges to exposure to shock and vibrations—requires a high degree of consideration. In addition to creating aesthetically appealing parts, it is also important to create highly durable, capable products that will perform well despite significant environmental challenges. If you’re about to begin the process of creating such a part, here are some factors to consider when designing industrial products.
The Durability of Materials Used
A crucial factor to consider when designing industrial products is the durability of the materials used. When choosing the material you will use to design your product, it is imperative to ensure the material will be able to withstand the harsh conditions of its operating environment.
In addition to the base material used for the majority of the product, it is also important to carefully consider the materials used to create the smaller elements of the part, such as the screws, nuts, and bolts. If such hardware is not made from a durable material, the product may break, rust, or otherwise fail far sooner than expected.
The Degree of Design Flexibility Necessary
When designing an industrial product, you should never have to make compromises in quality due to an inflexible production process. If your industrial part requires a range of design features, it is important to select a manufacturing process that offers a high degree of design flexibility, such as reaction injection molding (RIM).
RIM allows designers to include a wide range of unique features such as encapsulated inserts, significant variations in wall thickness, and mold-stiffening ribs for added strength. As a result, industrial product designers are able to create a part and final product that includes all the capabilities they envisioned for optimal performance.
Aesthetics
When creating industrial products, it may seem as though aesthetics do not matter. You may not think that people really care about how a product looks when factors such as durability and overall performance are ultimately more important in rugged applications. The truth, however, is that aesthetics always matter.
Regardless of your industry, the appearance of your product is largely responsible for shaping a consumer’s first impression of it. If the product is equipped with highly advanced technology but looks incredibly boxy and rudimentary, it may not be as successful as less-innovative products with more appealing designs. As such, it is important to keep up with design trends in your industry and gain a strong understanding of how your target customer wants their product to look.
