Connect VM approached the 3M BIC to support the development of a concept product, creating design files and a 3D printed prototype that would offer both a practical and cost-effective way of obtaining a simulated product.
Stephen Armitage from Connect VM initially created a prototype of a hassle-free pendant light fitting using the base of a plastic bottle and cutting this out to shape. While this helped to visualise the concept, it couldn’t create the product to a specific size or move the concept forward. The company needed to shift the project beyond the base of a plastic bottle, test the product for commercial viability and seek further advice on potential manufacturing methods.
Connect VM had limited skills in-house to get the concept to the next level. Working with the 3M BIC’s technology team allowed it to realise the potential of having a 3D rendered design produced, as well as a 3D printed prototype that could offer both a practical and cost-effective way of obtaining a simulated product.
After taking the 3D printed prototype, developed by the 3M BIC’s technology team, to a local injection moulding company, it determined that a plastic version of the product would not commercially work in this instance. An additional metal 3D print was produced by the 3M BIC’s team, alongside the computer-aided design (CAD drawings), allowing Connect VM to further test the product for commercial suitability.
The final product, The O-Kit, enables easy and secure fitting of a new pendant light to a ceiling without complicated wiring – making it quick for electricians and easy for DIY enthusiasts.
“Without the assistance and support of 3M BIC, this project would not have got off the ground. Working with the technology team led to a final version being produced via a Metal Pressing process, resulting in the Adapter product we have today.”
Stephen Armitage, Managing Director, Connect VM
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