PD + Tooling Engineer - Making Things Happen
PD and the Tooling engineers need to be new-best-friends.
Hang out.
Query the CAD.
Play around with the physical prototype models.
This engagement will help the Tooling Engineer get a better feel for the part function.
The part aspiration.
The PD engineer will become aware of a few manufacturing risks.
And get extra ideas on making the part better and easier to make.
Everyone wins.
It's a good strategy to keep options open in the early stages of your program .
Options like material, surface finishing technique, wall section, split line placement and vendor selection.
PD like to keep some internal structural options open.
Add complicated ribbing
Tune tight tolerance dimension between critical features
Tooling Engineers
Sit with your PD partner.
Walk through the CAD model.
Look at the parts and the assembly.
See and feel how things fit together.
Give PD options for design, structure, dimension control and aesthetics.
Test a few Options
Allow for testing more than one thing.
Use your proto stage as a playground for new approaches.
Be flexible.
There will be instances where the PD engineer wants to try something that the Tooling Engineer will deem too risky.
There will be times when the Tooling Engineer wants to try something that PD would call bat-poop crazy.
That's natural.
And good.
Tease out the risk v reward math through conversation.
Include one or two of the stretch ideas in your proto stage. If it doesn't work. No big deal.
If it does work, then you have expanded the scope of your part and process.
Tooling and PD learn from each-other on every project.
Different engineers and combinations of engineers have different preferences and ways of doing things.
Enjoy this mix.
It's good for creativity.
Have fun with it.
Tooling and PD need to have a healthy level of mutual respect and trust. It takes one or two programs for this relationship to get established.
Tooling Engineers need to gain product level appreciation.
This informs the choices in the making of better parts.
It's fun starting a new program.
PD and Tooling should try to squeeze a few limits on every new program.
"Wouldn't it be cool if we could get X to work."
"What if we remove Y and use Z instead."
"There's a new technology I have been curious to use. Maybe we can use it on this program."
"I want to do something different with texture. Is it possible for the top housing?"
Why is this approach an important opportunity?
Because it increases the team's toolbox. Gives options for new, future programs.
Discovering what doesn't work is sometimes as valuable as discovering what does.
And, it all compounds over time.
Push a few limits.
It's healthy for the Tooling Engineer to learn to think like PD.
Work on the skill of getting inside the PD headspace.
Explore it.
Try it on.
Drop your guard for a while.
Be curious.
Park judgement - can assess later.
Tooling Engineers can have a tendency to over focus on the part and part detail.
Zooming in too early is risky.
Zoom out. Get a better feel for the full product function.
Sit with ID. Spend time discussing the artistic aspirational intent.
How does ID want the user to feel?
Step back a bit.
Ask questions.
Listen.
Apply what you learn.