• CAD / CAE

Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) are methods of design whereby computers create the geometric design of your invention. Your invention can be created, tested and altered electronically.

Click here for more information about CAD on the Design Council website. 

• Design for Manufacture

Design for manufacture is an approach for product design where the processes for manufacture or assembly are considered at the design stage. The objective is to able to produce at least cost.

Click here for more information about Design for Manufacture from the Manufacturing Advisory Service

Click here for information on software packages available for Design for Manufacture 

• Design for Logistics

Design for logistics is an approach for product design where the implications for transport cost, packaging and handling etc are considered.

• Modelling and Simulation

Various madelling and simulation techniques can bring dynamic analysis to the product development process.

• Rapid Prototyping

This gives a physical representation of the product at the development stage of the process. This is excellent for visualising how the finished product will look for consulatation or producing short run tooling. The term Rapid Prototyping is applied to a range of techniques for manufacturing solid 3D objects directly from computer aided design data. All of the methods work by manufacturing the models in layers, which are successively deposited, one on top of another, until the final object is produced.

Click here for more information on Rapid Prototyping from De Montfort University.

• Risk Management

It needs to be determined what risks exist within a design solution , the liklehood of them occurring, the impact this would have, and what can be done to reduce the risks.

• Packaging

Packaging needs to be carefully considered as it may be vital to a product's success.

Click here for help and advice from the Institute of Packaging and here for the Packaging Society

• Where to Manufacture

Click here for an article on the opportunities and pitfalls of manufacturing in China and India

Please proceed to Step 5 for advice on how to market and distribute.

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