Getting your design right for stainless manufacturing
If you need something made in stainless steel, then there is a wide range of standard products you could look at. Depending on your industry you should be able to track down everything from a pack of nuts and washers, through to street furniture and even a stainless steel urinal trough. There are certainly plenty of stainless steel products from which to make a selection, but that doesn't mean that any of them are right for you.
Do you need a custom build?
Sometimes an existing design just isn't right, and you need to create something new. When working on a new design, you will need to find a stainless manufacturing partner who can help to bring your design successfully through the production process. Your chosen partner will need to have excellent manufacturing capabilities, and a good understanding of exactly what you are trying to achieve, but before you can get to the stainless manufacturing stage the product will need to be professionally designed.
Do you have a design ready?
Whether you have a completed design which you think is ready for manufacture, or just an idea that needs to be fully thought through it doesn't matter. A good stainless manufacturing company should be used to dealing with designs that are at every stage of evolution. Sometimes a design will be presented to them professionally created and almost for manufacturing.
Sometimes they may be presented with a sketch on the back of an envelope, and sometimes they will be given a physical component that they need to reverse engineer. Occasionally they may be presented with a problem and asked to design a workable solution to the problem. Show them your design and let them get to work creating the manufacturing specifications.
What design skills do you need?
If you are looking for a stainless manufacturing partner it helps to have a high level of flexibility in the design department, you may not need all of their skills for this particular job, but you should be seeking to build a long-term relationship with them, and you may need to stretch their capabilities in the future. A good indication of the skills of the design department is the software they are able to employ to meet your needs. Look for SolidWorks, AutoCad, Inventor, SolidEdge, Solidworks Simulation and suitable software for drafting technical documentation.
Working with a highly-skilled design department is the best way to get your new stainless steel product ready for production. Don't risk a mistake at the design stage that could cause your product to fail during testing, or while in service. Getting your stainless manufacturing right starts at the design stage.