Bernie Graham, an inventor from North Bay Ontario, Canada, likes to read from a popular tablet. But some functions, such as typing and gaming, are more difficult to do on tablets than others, especially if you need to hold the tablet with at least one hand.
“Bernie had an idea for a hands-free stand that would sit on your lap, making tablets and e-readers more comfortable and easy to use” said Jim Young, the Industrial Designer for the project who partnered with Bernie to create the PadPivotTM.
(Plus, the stand folds up and is small enough to fit in your pocket.)
Jim got involved with this project after meeting Bernie on a social design website, and from there the PadPivotTM was born. Already receiving much interest on Quirky.com where the idea was introduced, Jim and Bernie moved the new product to Kickstarter.com to raise enough capital through pre-orders to fund the injection molding tools needed to complete the manufacturing of the hands-free stand.
To gain interest and support for funding on Kickstarter, functional prototypes were needed immediately for marketing and pre-sales. “We had to keep this project moving forward since we only had 60 days with our Kickstarter program to raise the funds required for production,” said Bernie.
The two engineers required that the prototypes be as close as possible to the final production quality and feel, which included two materials – a rigid ABS material for the body and a soft rubber-like material for the edges of the stand. Along with the strict mechanical requirements of the PadPivotTM prototypes, time was critical. Jim, through previous experiences, knew that Quickparts would have the right solution for this unique product and could deliver on the tight schedule required.
Quickparts recommended PolyJet Connex technology to create the complex dual-material prototypes required. The PolyJet process could produce the overmolded parts in half the time of other conventional overmolding processes. With fully functional prototypes in hand, Bernie was able to promote the PadPivotTM through videos and demonstrations. Quickparts extensive product offering and quick turnaround helped Bernie and Jim meet the pre-sale goals required to move the PadPivotTM to production weeks before the 60 day deadline.
“With such a short time frame for this project, quick and correct parts were necessary,” stated Bernie. “Quickparts came through on all fronts and kept me well informed throughout the process with constant and thorough communication.”
Quickparts
www.quickparts.com
MPF
