Product Design and Development Services in the North East

design consultancy

Based in the North East, RF3 Design Limited has been supporting entrepreneurs and existing companies to develop products for over 15 years. We offer a range of services to support you to develop, prototype, mass manufacture and market your products. We work across sectors with experience in areas including injection moulded part design, light weight fabrications, medical devices and disability equipment.

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What we do

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Concept Development

Do you have a novel idea? We will support you to develop that idea into a workable solution and create a bespoke plan to transform that idea into a viable product.

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3D CAD

We have extensive experience creating 3D Cad models using a range of 3D CAD software packages such as Alibre Design, Rhino 3D and SolidWorks.

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2D Drawings

We produce packs of detailed 2D Drawings for manufacturers and end customers, including bill of materials for product costing and exploded diagrams.

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3D Printing

At RF3 Design we use our knowledge and experience to advise you on the best use of 3D printing technologies to support your project, including in house printing solutions.

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Visualisations

To support the marketing, investment and promotion of your product RF3 Design will create realistic visuals and animations, using tools such as V-Ray and Keyshot.

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3D Scan Services

We provide services and training for 3D Scan to CAD conversion and Scan Based Inspection, using tools such as Geomagic Design X, Control X and QuickSurface.

Creating Concepts.

Solving Real Problems

RF3 Design was established in 2009, in the years since we’ve worked tirelessly to ensure that our reputation as a premier product development company allows prospective clients to know that they have chosen the best.

Projects Completed

Clients

Patents Awarded

Minutes Since Last Cup of Coffee

Example of Automotive Electrical Connector Created in Alibre Design 3D CAD Software

Product development

Concept Development:

All projects start with an initial concept. At RF3 Design we work with you to develop your initial idea through concept sketches and visualisations, allowing you to explore different options, weigh up the pros and cons of each approach and hone in on the optimal way forward.

3D CAD Design:

Using parametric 3D Modelling, we will create a digital twin of your design comprised of component parts and assemblies that reflect how the finished product is manufactured. This allows an in depth understanding of how the constituent parts of a design interact and allows rapid iteration on a design before anything is made. This saves time and cost by reducing the number of physical prototypes required verses solely working in 2D.

Visualisations:

Once a design is created, it’s often helpful to create realistic visuals and animations to demonstrate what the finished product will look like. These can be used to gain feedback from potential customers, to pitch an idea to investors or to support an upcoming product launch.

Design and Drawings for Manufacture:

3D Models can be used to directly manufacture parts via processes such as 3D Printing and CNC machining. Alternatively the model can be used to drive a set of 2D Drawings depending on the manufacturing requirements, often a combination of both are used.

Makerbot Method X 3D Printer and Example Parts

3D Printing

3D printing allows for design to be manufactured directly from 3D CAD or Scan data without the need for costly tooling or machine setup time. 3D printing has transformed product development as it allows for prototypes to be created quickly and at significantly less cost than more manual prototyping approaches. It is also often used as the primary manufacturing method for one off and low volume items.

At RF3 Design we have extensive experience with 3D Printing technologies across a wide range of differing applications. We are able to provide advice on the best solution to fulfil your project requirements, whether that is using our own in house capability or outsourcing to one of our regular specialist 3D print providers.

Our In House Printing Capabilities:

■ Method X Professional 3D Printer

■ Dimensional Accuracy of +/- 0.002mm per mm

■ 0.4mm Nozzle Diameter with Layer Heights from 0.02 to 0.4mm

■ Materials: We offer prints in ABS and ASA plastics

■ Dual Extruders: Part Material + Soluble Support for cleaner prints

■ Maximum Build Volume: Length 152mm; Width 190mm; Height 196mm

Examples Prints (from left to right, top to bottom):

– Mounting bracket to locate round tube into a square stand

– Custom 3 1/2″ Drive Tray for retro PC’s

– Pentagonal 3D Scanning Target Object (2 Parts with Magnetic Base)

– Custom Kickboard Clip with slide adjustment for kitchen rennovation

3D Scan SERVICES

3D scanning provides an quick and accurate way to capture the physical geometry of parts for a wide variety of uses. In engineering the two most common applications are inspection (i.e. to compare a physical object against a CAD model or another scan) and reverse engineering (i.e. where a part is obsolete or drawings are no longer avaiable, a part is scanned and then convered to a CAD model) .

At RF3 Design we have hands on experience with a variety of different 3D scanners, and expertise with many specialist tools required to process the data for use in down stream applications including:

■ Reverse Engineering: Geomagic Design X, QuickSurface / ExModel

■ Inspection Software: Geomagic Control X

■ Scan Data Enhancement Software: Geomagic Wrap

We can also provide onsite and remote support and training on all of these applications.