Development

The development is aimed at building variants of sets consisting of a panel and a stand. The panels will have the ability to install different types of electronics and hardware components. Devices that can be assembled in the panel will not have limitations as to the field of application, but the mobility of the specific type of product must be taken into account. However, the priority of this development is the portability of the kit and its positioning in a variety of indoor and outdoor environments, depending on its purpose. There will also be a certain variability in the dimensions of each structure of the panels, but within the relevant limits – from two to five variants of the overall dimensions. The main option for the inner zone of ​​the panels is to have no additional supporting details and structural elements, and the installation and complete assembly of the electronics and hardware components is at the discretion of the people who use it for their final product. However, it is not excluded that various types of additional accessories can be developed – supporting parts and structural elements, intended for their inner area, which would allow for convenient installation of the relevant electronics, hardware components and modules. There is also an option for the inner zone of ​​the panels – to design the necessary supporting details and structural elements in advance, but the options listed so far are directly dependent on the purpose of the product, the materials used and the production technology. These are options, but with an individual approach, which automatically transform the product from a serial type to a single product; individual development of a single product, for anyone wishing to build their own hardware product, will reflect on the value of the additional design and redesign of the internal zone of ​​the panel, its adaptation for the final product and its production cost. The potential opportunity to reach product solutions, with assembled hardware devices in the panels, which can also be formulated as a “set”, but with a prepared basis of specific hardware components and type of electronics; all this must have a reason and a specific purpose that allows for universality. This is also one of the possible directions in which the overall idea for this set of panel and stand can evolve.

Different types of plastics will be used for the production of the relevant panels, in view of the variety of production technologies that can be relied on, both in the production of test products and prototypes, and of the final products – 3D printing, vacuum forming of plastic and injection molding. The structure of the panels will be taken into account, and from there the specifics of the production requirements that must be met; the number of products that will be planned for the type of production is also important – limited series or small-scale production. The production cost is determined in the preliminary phases of the product before its commercialization – adaptation and implementation in production. Initially, production technologies that allow for more flexible changes in the structure of the panel design – 3D printing will be used. In vacuum forming of plastic, the structure of the panels must be taken into account and whether they will be left with only one front panel, which is important in the preparation of the matrix model, but nevertheless it is a flexible and affordable production technology for limited and serial production. In the case of injection molding, the production cost of the tooling is of key importance, due to the complexity of the technology for its manufacture, as well as the materials used and its maintenance – different types of aluminum and steel; the expected number of panels must also justify the use of this type of production technology, as well as the materials and their characteristics – plastic, mainly in the form of a granulated blank.

For the development of the stand, a modular type of construction will be used, which will allow assembly and disassembly, which will also lead to variations in the overall structure of the design. The initial idea was to produce non-detachable stands, with a welded structure, but this limits the possibilities and potential that is sought in this kit. There are a sufficient number of options for assembling the stand, which will be done with the help of connecting parts; in some cases, with additional fasteners, if a more durable strength of the stand structure is sought, in view of its positioning and the environment around it. These connecting parts will allow the direction of the relevant profiles to be assembled in a predetermined direction, which will build the final structure of the stand design. The profiles will be pre-cut into pieces of a certain length, so that the stand can be transported in bulk. Therefore, in the basic set there will also be a “set of the stand”, which is primarily for the purpose of compactness when carrying, as well as storage of the complete product solution – panel and stand. The assembly of the hardware components in the inner area of ​​the panel can be prepared in advance, but for the stand it is more expedient to allocate the necessary time for assembly, at the designated location for positioning. The development of the stand will allow a sufficiently large range of options, assembly methods and arrangement. Variability will not be an end in itself and with an excessive number of design solutions – several stand variants will be used.

Metal will be the main material for the manufacture of the stand, including various types of aluminum alloys, as well as steel, mainly stainless. Profiles with square and rectangular cross-sections will be used, but variants with round and elliptical profiles are not excluded. The module will be prepared in advance by cutting metal blanks of a certain length so that each profile corresponds to a certain position in the stand structure. As an additional material, plastic will be used for the connecting parts, adapted with the corresponding degrees – a necessary slope that corresponds to each sector of the stand structure. Engineering plastics will be used mainly for the manufacture – a choice will be made between different types of polypropylene, polyamide and ABS plastic. The main options for production technologies are: plastic injection molding and 3D printing. In the plastic injection molding technology, the number of sets of connecting parts is essential, which must justify the costs of tooling – the situation is identical with the panel. This will be justified by the expected number of products that will be the basis for this type of production technology. Initially, 3D printing technology will be used, which will allow for a more flexible approach. All three main types of technologies – FDM, SLS and SLA – are applicable for the production of the connecting parts. Accordingly, with them it is possible to make all trial products and a series of different types of prototypes, including the final ones – basic prototype and pre-production prototype. It is entirely possible that one of these technologies will serve for subsequent production – a limited series, and why not a form of small-scale production. The choice of materials for these parts is a matter of a number of tests until the right option is found.

“Hardware Devices Set – Panel and Stand” is part of the products of Fulmech Design – a sub-brand of Solo Form.
The project is part of the direction for investing in brand and products – https://solo-form.com/en/investing/brand-and-products-fulmech-design/