Consumer Product Development
Spotlight
Company: Polyfoam (3M)
Industry: Industrial Adhesive Dispensing
HQ: St. Paul, MN USA
Webpage:
3M is a manufacturing company that sells a wide range of industrial and consumer products. Polyfoam ia a subsidiary that focuses on polyurethane dispensing supplies.
Product/Project Highlights
Polyurethane Foam Dispenser Gun
Client: Polyfoam (3M)
- Designed for specific viscosities, pressures, distance, orifice shape and grip requirements
- Utilizes off the shelf mixing nozzles
- Designed to target free (open) space in the patent record
Situation:
Polyfoam came to Solid with a plan to improve their existing polyurethane dispensing gun. They desired to make it easier to clean, increase the flow rates and mixing efficiency while creating a design which could be protected by patent. The Polyurethane Foam Dispenser Guns for the targeted industrial applications or used at up to 250psi and temperatures up to 140° F, so the product needs to be strong and seal well to prevent seepage during use.
Polyurethane Foam Dispenser Gun
Client: Polyfoam (3M)
Process:
Early stage conceptualization and Industrial Design of product to prototype testing was completed by Solid. Design of the easily cleaned dual valve configuration was identified through a search of the intellectual property record. Approximately 400 patents were reviewed to determine what features of 2 part (resin - hardener) mixing and dispensing gun systems were being sited as novel and unique within existing issued patents. This established what feature(s) could support creating a design that could be patented. In other words, we identified 'free space' within the patent record and then designed the product to use those patentable features. 3D CAD models were created, refined and then prototype units were made and tested.
Solution:
The updated Dispensing Gun design was born! The engineering drawings were fully detailed and Solid worked with our Client's manufacturing partner in Asia to move the design into off tooling prototype testing to prepare for production.
