Design-2-Part Trade Show
In order to learn more about device design and manufacturing, we attended the Santa Clara Design-2-Part Show. The Design-2-Part Show is held nationally with 10 locations throughout the United States.This show allows engineers and manufacturers to find local suppliers of custom components, parts, and contract manufacturing services. Trade shows such as these allow designers to learn about new manufacturing tools and processes that can help them optimize their part. Furthermore, designers are able to compare costs and services between hundreds of suppliers to reduce their manufacturing costs.
During our visit at the trade show, we saw many processes that were featured including CNC machining, stampings, castings, sheet metal fabrication, prototypes, CAD/CAM software, and laser cutting. Although we were not purchasing their services, the suppliers were happy to teach us about their specific manufacturing process and lend advice about the design process overall. We enjoyed learning about how seemingly simple components can require a specialized and intricate manufacturing process. Many of the suppliers worked with medical devices, so we sparked conversations about how their manufactured components fit into the overall design and how the many components integrate together.
