How Do You Bring a Custom Product to Life?

Fictiv engineer David Willson utilizes 3D printing, CNC machining, insert molding, and overmolding to create a custom phone stand and multi-tool.

This real-world case study shows how to turn an idea into reality, with every design and process decision explained along the way.

How do you turn a concept into something usable? 

In this stage, David puts the design to the test with 3D-printed prototypes and starts applying early Design for Manufacturability (DFM) principles. Follow his process as he evaluates part performance, identifies where plastic falls short, and explores improvements.

Through hands-on testing and iteration, the design evolves to balance functionality with the realities of manufacturing constraints—refining the prototype into a production-ready design.

Episode 2

How do you prepare a multi-material product for injection molding? 

In this stage, David breaks out the design into three materials, with a metal insert-molded segment for the box cutter, and TPU overmold to add grip to the phone stand segment.

See how he accounts for wall thickness and material flow as the components will bond together in the mold. This phase will cover a detailed explanation and analysis of insert molding and overmolding.

Episode 3

How do you confirm the design is ready for manufacturing? 

After submitting the quote, this segment walks you through nuanced decisions like gate selection, mold flow simulations, weld line issues, and detailed elements like thin features and logo treatment. 

David explains DFM considerations and design change decisions in this final step before the mold is made.

Episode 4

How do you get from first sample to final product? 

The mold is built, but the work isn’t over. In this phase, we put our injection mold through sequential trials to identify and resolve real-world manufacturing challenges, including hinge looseness, weld lines, and flash. 

Through rapid overseas collaboration and tooling adjustments, we refined every detail for production-ready quality. See how early sample evaluation saves time, reduces costs, and ensures flawless final parts.