London-based company uses SLS 3D Printing to create innovative travel accessory

Job Information

Customer Info / Context

Hylton travels a lot, and as part of their move to London, they came up with a business idea. They found that while travelling on budget airlines, trains and other confined travel environments, they were struggling to place their mobile devices in a comfortable and stable position. This proved to be the most frustrating when trying to get through box sets/films on longer journeys.  In November 2019, they approached us to prototype the product in PA12 Nylon.

The Product

Hylton created The Screen Hanger, a hands-free, device holder that is easily portable and can be used on multiple methods of transport.

They wanted to print two parts for their product; feet that would hold the mobile device in place and clips that are attached to the cord, allowing for the product to be hung from a number of surfaces.

Issue / Challenge

The design for Hylton’s product was adaptable enough to work for various mobile devices of different sizes. They needed their parts to be made from a durable material with a small amount of flexibility to accommodate multiple device types. 

As The Screen Hanger is a brand new business, creating injection mould tooling would be a large investment for the company, especially since at that time, they had no evidence the product would be a success. This is why they made the decision to use 3D printing to manufacture these parts.

What are the benefits of using 3D printing in manufacturing?

Because Hylton used SLS 3D printing technology rather than injection moulding for manufacturing, this meant:

• They were able to save money - cost per unit was lower

• Prototypes matched production run

• They had design flexibility between batches 

Since the production had a lead time of 5 days, The Screen Hanger could sell their product on a made to order basis. In fact, they actually sold many units before manufacturing the product.

Here is what Hylton had to say about us:

Felix and the team at the 3D People UK were incredible to work with. Starting a business in a new field was a daunting process, however it was made effortless with the help of the team. I worked with Felix from prototype to production, where he took the time to explain the different materials and processes which helped me better understand the requirements and capabilities of my own product.

As I am just starting out, price is an important component for The Screen Hanger. After scouring the market, 3D People UK had competitive pricing, an easy to use quoting and ordering system as well as the best options for delivery.

I would highly recommend working with 3D People UK as they produce quality products, are extremely knowledgeable and are great people all round.

I will continue to use them and learn from them!

Hylton Jones

Click here to read our materials guide to find out more about the materials we use to print at 3D People UK.

Outcome

The product was manufactured in PA12 Nylon material using our SLS Service. This technology is great for producing durable parts that rival injection moulding prices for short production runs. The Screen Hanger also takes advantage of our Dye & Polishing services to get a smooth black finish to the product. Our Vibro Polisher smooths the parts in a 24hr process to reduce surface roughness, creating a high end finish for 3D printed parts.

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