In the access hardware business, we often talk about the benefits of choosing an off the shelf product. When a designer can find a catalog product that meets their needs, this often translates to the quickest delivery, lowest product cost, and least engineering effort. A real win for everyone involved.
As with most rules, however, there can be exceptions. Consider this recent example where a custom engineered solution offered a cost savings:
A customer came to us looking for a simple torque hinge to position an LCD display panel. While any number of of Southco's standard position control hinges would have been more than adequate to meet the customer's need, taking a deeper look at the application uncovered new opportunities.
By considering the whole application, we identified an opportunity for cost reduction. By designing a custom housing which matched the industrial design of the product, we allowed the customer, to eliminate a cosmetic cover whose sole purpose was to conceal the hinge mechanism. The result - the custom solution reduced total components, and saved on both tooling and product cost.
For more design ideas and application examples, take a look at my recent article in machine design:
http://machinedesign.com/article/don-t-come-unhinged-over-enclosure-design-1023
As with most rules, however, there can be exceptions. Consider this recent example where a custom engineered solution offered a cost savings:
A customer came to us looking for a simple torque hinge to position an LCD display panel. While any number of of Southco's standard position control hinges would have been more than adequate to meet the customer's need, taking a deeper look at the application uncovered new opportunities.
By considering the whole application, we identified an opportunity for cost reduction. By designing a custom housing which matched the industrial design of the product, we allowed the customer, to eliminate a cosmetic cover whose sole purpose was to conceal the hinge mechanism. The result - the custom solution reduced total components, and saved on both tooling and product cost.
For more design ideas and application examples, take a look at my recent article in machine design:
http://machinedesign.com/article/don-t-come-unhinged-over-enclosure-design-1023
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