[Vacuum Forming Application] Stationery Design from Scratch to Small Batch Production, All in One Day?
A series of stationery products, from conception to completion, all in one day? Prototype design, blister packaging, and the entire production process handled by one machine! Even working alone in a studio, it's manageable. Here's how it's done:
London industrial designer, Charlie Humble Thomas, has collaborated with large corporations and institutions such as MUJI, Samsung, and Honda, designing prototypes for many fields. He is also an independent product designer, developing various products on his own.
This time, Charlie is tasked with designing a set of stationery for a home goods company, with a requirement for small batch production within a short timeframe. The product design and development process, from initial concept to aesthetic design, testing, and idea validation, is crucial at every stage. It must also meet the client's various demands for details and materials. Completing this independently within a limited time presents an extremely challenging task!
Charlie designed a "business card holder" with a dense ridged texture. First, he used a laser cutter to cut readily available materials (such as wood, cardboard, rubber), then glued the cut pieces together. The delicate stepped texture was incredibly easy to create! After the initial design was complete, he placed the object into a vacuum forming machine, paired with vacuum forming material sheets, and pressed down for 3 seconds to blister-form the object's shape.
After demolding, you immediately get a delicate mold, which can then be filled with casting materials like concrete or plaster, and colored according to preference.
Charlie enjoys creating with a hands-on approach combined with the latest technology, constantly seeking innovative production methods. "Using the FormBox vacuum forming machine with a laser cutter allows me to quickly transform abstract ideas into physical objects. It's an incredibly practical machine for realizing designs!" Charlie enthusiastically stated.
FormBox vacuum forming material sheets can be reused. After the preliminary design process is approved by the client, Charlie only needs to repeat the mold filling process, allowing him to quickly and steadily complete small batch production alone. Moreover, after product manufacturing, he can also use the FormBox to produce blister packaging, making it a single machine that handles the entire product development process!
(Image source: The Dots design website, Charlie Humble Thomas's section)
Traditional outsourcing manufacturers typically use industrial equipment for cutting, drilling, and other processing, which results in higher time and cost expenditures from sample production to batch manufacturing.
(Cost comparison between using a Mayku FormBox vacuum former and outsourcing to a manufacturer.)
Design sketches transformed into physical products and successfully mass-produced within a single day, not only saving a significant amount of time and money on prototyping, but also, with desktop equipment, all production processes can be completed in Charlie's personal studio! Did you enjoy this sharing? 3DMart offers more than just 3D printing services. Contact us now to learn more about the FormBox vacuum former, laser cutter, and their applications.
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