We’ve all been there – half way through your morning or evening shower, rinsing the suds from your hair when it pops into your head. You’ve thought of the perfect product to solve all of those nagging issues. You run from the shower, wrapped only in a towel, dripping on your carpet as you hurriedly draw out all of the details fresh from your think tank. But how do you get that idea from your now-sopping-wet note pad you’re still holding and turn it into a reality?
If your product is related to the fabric world, Celina might just be able to help you out. We offer a variety of services that can transfer concepts into plans into final physical products.
Prerequisites
Because you know all of the ins and outs of your idea, there is a lot of work that needs to be done on your end prior to contacting Celina. In order for us to help you out with the manufacturing side of project development, we ask that you have the idea sketched out in something close to an engineering format. Sketches, measurements, and processes should be laid out before we begin to integrate your idea into production.
There is a fair amount of adjustments that will be made once you bring in your design. Celina has to figure out the type of material to use, adjust cut files according to material sizes, and inspect the fabrication process to make sure the sewing or sealing can be done on existing machines or if new items such as custom dies need to be located or made.
Prototyping
Once the designs and processes are established, we start by creating the first physical version of your idea. Prototyping takes your design and runs it through the production facility. Through the creation process, we keep an eye on which phases take the most time, how difficult it is, and where different parts can be adjusted to make it easier, faster, or with better quality. Engineers will take this assessment from process coordinators and can then make changes to the initial design or product process.
Testing
You’ll want to take a second to look at your first prototype, because the next step isn’t going to be pretty. Next thing to happen is testing, to make sure that it holds up to wear standards. Most materials that are used at Celina have base testing completed before it’s used in products. Wear, wick, and flammability tests are completed to ensure that the end product is up to the safety standards required for temporary shelters.
For products made with uses similar to our own products, Celina can administer end-product tests directly to the prototype that will test the sealing, sew lines, and other fabrication methods that create the unique item. Similar to the initial prototype fabrication, results will be reviewed and further changes to the product can be suggested and implemented on an as-needed basis.
There is much more that occurs – from paperwork to patent research to make sure your new idea hasn’t already been thought of – but for the most part the entire process is encapsulated in these three steps. Sound like something you’re interested in? Give us a call at (888) 324-0654 or send an email to Sales@CelinaIndustries.com to get the ball rolling!