An electric screwdriver designed for tight spaces, the Tantrum, by Flipout Screwdrivers, has received a Proto Labs Cool Idea! Award.
Proto Labs, a manufacturer of CNC machined and injection-molded parts, launched the Cool Idea! Award to help product designers bring their innovations to life by awarding prototyping and short-run production services to recipients. Proto Labs provided Flipout, located in Bellingham, Wash., with tooling and a subsequent first production run of injection molded parts in preparation for the product’s Kickstarter campaign.
“This screwdriver can truly fit any project. From the professional contractor to a DIYer, a lot of people will have use for the Tantrum. With the Cool Idea! Award we are very excited and ready to launch a limited product release through Kickstarter,” says Joel Townsan, Flipout founder and CEO.
The idea for the Tantrum came while Townsan was working on a project of his own – replacing the speaker in his car – and was not able to find a tool that would fit in the confined space. Townsan took it upon himself to learn computer-aided design. After several prototype iterations, Townsan arrived at the final design. Complete with a low profile and a patented gear system, it can be configured into 168 positions, giving it access to spaces inaccessible to traditional power tools.
“When I was ready to start production, I teamed up with a local community college. Unfortunately, they weren’t yet skilled enough to machine my parts,” said Townsan. “When I went to a local CNC machining company it was too expensive. Luckily, that company recommended Proto Labs, and I found the Cool Idea! Award. The Cool Idea! Award is a godsend. It brought down our production costs, which ultimately means lower product costs for our customers, and a successful launch.”
Unlike other product awards that recognize products after they’re in mass production and on store shelves, Proto Labs’ Cool Idea! Award is meant to help cool ideas come to life. Eligibility for the award is determined during the design and development stage, when innovators are too often stymied by lack of resources or funds to turn their ideas into real products.
“The Tantrum is a brilliant tool for a lot of different groups,” said Larry Lukis, CTO and founder of Proto Labs. “Proto Labs customers make things, and this tool could help any one of them. It’s exciting to support a product that could directly benefit the makers of the world.”
Proto Labs
www.protolabs.com
Flipout
www.flipoutproducts.com
