Success Stories - New Product Introduction (NPI)
Dell Innovation Services helps Leading Handgun Manufacturer develop an Intrusive Locking System (ILS)
The Challenge
With the importance of handgun safety making national headlines, a leading handgun manufacture set out to develop an Intrusive Locking System (ILS) - A simple mechanism that would render a popular handgun model inoperable. Not only was the system to be featured on newly manufactured handguns, but a version of the ILS was designed to be retrofit-able for existing handgun owners. With the concept identified, the manufacturer needed the locking device designed for production. Performance problems addressed by Dell Services Engineering Solutions included:
- Lack of 3-D models of the existing handgun assembly which were required for a parts manufacturing study
- No product prototypes or photos were available for pre-sale marketing needs
- Old methods for determining manufacturability were time consuming and costly
The Solution
A 3-D model was developed to showcase both handgun locking mechanisms. Key advantages in producing this visual rather than physical pre-production prototype include cost avoidance, enhanced time to market, data for downstream applications, and expedited product marketing efforts.
The following engineering processes were deployed on this project:
- Design
- Advanced Surface Development
- Industrial Design
- Tolerance Analysis and Redesign
- Production Drawings
The Results
- Models for parts assembly study and advance marketing, including production of a demonstration video for trade shows, manufactures and Congressional committees
- Engineering drawings of the handgun model case and retrofit kit
- Manufacturability studies resulting in cost avoidance by yielding high-quality parts and low rejection rates
- Pro/E Assembly Animation eliminated the need and cost for a physical prototype for product demonstration