Challenge

The Haf-Clip was looking for a partner to bring their product idea to reality and was particularly interested in keeping the design, testing, and manufacturing in Canada. Due to the relatively low volume of initial production, most traditional methods of manufacturing products were not viable options. In particular, The Haf-Clip needed to create multiple prototypes of their product to ensure it functioned as expected, then prepare an initial batch of 250 pieces to test the market and ensure there was sufficient demand prior to investing in a full market launch.   

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The Haf-Clip researched options for bringing their product to market, including injection molding and 3D printing. They recognized very early on that using injection molding for producing prototypes and low-volume manufacturing was not a viable option. The cost of having molds produced for their product could have been more that $5,000 per mold, which was too expensive for further product development and design iteration.

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The Haf-Clip needed a manufacturing solution that was able to quickly produce functional prototypes to test their design, then manufacture low-volume production runs of low-cost end-use parts as needed so they could get their product to market with minimal initial investment and maintain the ability to revise their design if necessary.

Solution

In 2021 The Haf-Clip approached Tempus 3D through an introduction from an existing Tempus customer.  After an initial consultation to determine the most appropriate material and 3D printing technology, Tempus produced their first functional prototypes using their in-house HP Multi Jet Fusion 5200 printer. This technology was recommended because it is capable of producing cost-effective prototypes and full production runs of high-quality parts, at the same low cost per part with accuracy and aesthetics comparable to or better than injection molding.

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Tempus produced their first prototype for The Haf-Clip in the winter of 2021, and The Haf-Clip was able to test the prototype and receive their first production run within weeks of the initial order.

Result

With the ability to go straight from prototype to production with no changes to the manufacturing process, The Haf-Clip was able to complete product testing and use their prototypes and secure significant market interest with minimal delay. This has allowed The Haf-Clip to test the market early without incurring massive research and design costs while keeping their inventory and raw materials cost near zero. They can revise the design or order more product on an as-needed basis and scale in a way that only 3D printing would allow.

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The Haf-Clip and Tempus continue to work together with the production of parts and are both heavily invested in bringing manufacturing back to Canada. As The Haf Clip continues to see increasing demand for their products Tempus is there to help them scale and meet their needs. With instant online ordering, overnight shipping and the ability to turn around rush orders in as little as 24 hours, Tempus 3D can ensure that The Haf-Clip can easily fulfill any customer order, no matter what the size, while maintaining minimal inventory and ensuring the same low cost per part.

The Future

We at Tempus feel this is just the beginning of what manufacturing will look like in the future and it will be more responsive, more custom, and more local allowing innovators across sectors to bring products to market quicker and in a more environmentally friendly way.