Guy Fawkes
Plastic
- Joined
- Jul 22, 2018
- Location
- Montana, USA
Hey all! I won't use too much of your time here. I am the inventor of a really cool camping stove design called StealthFyre. You can google us and see more if you wish to see exactly what I need to be manufactured. I'm also diving into this headfirst without much knowledge or experience. Inventing and manufacturing aren't in my sphere, I'm just a guy that came up with a clever idea and I want to share it with the world.
Anyway, my prototypes and the first run of 100 stoves were done on a CNC table and I am not pleased with either the results or the cost. The panels have incredibly sharp edges that I have no idea how to remedy and the cost of production way overshoots my estimated cost for such a simple design. And the only local shop I could find to do the work didn't offer the forming services I need. I believe I should be able to manufacture a standard kit that consists of 20 panels for roughly $60-$70. Instead, it cost me about $117 per unit as a short run on a CNC table. I am not figuring forming and packaging into these numbers and I understand short runs are simply going to be more expensive due to setup costs and such. More than anything I just want to do this right.
The sharp edges are a huge concern as I am always cutting myself during assembly/disassembly of the stove, and I'm not sure switching to a different process like stamping will alleviate the problem. I need to find a proper method of deburring or rounding the thin edges of 24 gauge stainless steel, and I have no idea what to look for. We have tried polishing them off with a wire wheel but that warps the panels. We have tried filing and that mars the OEM finish. We have tossed the panels into a polishing barrel and that ruins the surface as well.
Another big hurdle I face is finding a good method of forming the small, thin tabs. The shops I have approached have all used a punch press that lacks the finesse needed for such precise bends. The only solution I have found thus far is to create a hand tool specifically for the job and do the bending myself.
So to reiterate my title question, what are the cheapest and most efficient tools for these tasks? My ultimate goal is to automate this business and I need to find a full-service shop that offers all the services I need, and preferably one willing to work with small orders and short runs while still remaining scalable. But before I can do that, I need to figure out exactly what it is that I really need.
Any help and expertise anyone can offer will be deeply appreciated. I am passionate about getting this stove on the market and I believe it will be successful if I can find a way to produce it affordably. But I alone am not equipped with the experience to yet understand what I am looking for.
Lastly, If you know any specific shops I can reach out to that have all of these services under one roof and offer fulfillment/work with a fulfillment service, or if there is another venue I should be asking this final question in, please point me in the right direction.
Thanks, everyone!
Anyway, my prototypes and the first run of 100 stoves were done on a CNC table and I am not pleased with either the results or the cost. The panels have incredibly sharp edges that I have no idea how to remedy and the cost of production way overshoots my estimated cost for such a simple design. And the only local shop I could find to do the work didn't offer the forming services I need. I believe I should be able to manufacture a standard kit that consists of 20 panels for roughly $60-$70. Instead, it cost me about $117 per unit as a short run on a CNC table. I am not figuring forming and packaging into these numbers and I understand short runs are simply going to be more expensive due to setup costs and such. More than anything I just want to do this right.
The sharp edges are a huge concern as I am always cutting myself during assembly/disassembly of the stove, and I'm not sure switching to a different process like stamping will alleviate the problem. I need to find a proper method of deburring or rounding the thin edges of 24 gauge stainless steel, and I have no idea what to look for. We have tried polishing them off with a wire wheel but that warps the panels. We have tried filing and that mars the OEM finish. We have tossed the panels into a polishing barrel and that ruins the surface as well.
Another big hurdle I face is finding a good method of forming the small, thin tabs. The shops I have approached have all used a punch press that lacks the finesse needed for such precise bends. The only solution I have found thus far is to create a hand tool specifically for the job and do the bending myself.
So to reiterate my title question, what are the cheapest and most efficient tools for these tasks? My ultimate goal is to automate this business and I need to find a full-service shop that offers all the services I need, and preferably one willing to work with small orders and short runs while still remaining scalable. But before I can do that, I need to figure out exactly what it is that I really need.
Any help and expertise anyone can offer will be deeply appreciated. I am passionate about getting this stove on the market and I believe it will be successful if I can find a way to produce it affordably. But I alone am not equipped with the experience to yet understand what I am looking for.
Lastly, If you know any specific shops I can reach out to that have all of these services under one roof and offer fulfillment/work with a fulfillment service, or if there is another venue I should be asking this final question in, please point me in the right direction.
Thanks, everyone!
