Case Study: The Floss Boss
Case Introduction:
Our client is an experienced dentist that previously owned two dental clinics in central Illinois and has spent many years encouraging good dental care for their patients. Her passion for dentistry and the need for high-quality products is what sparked the initial interest in creating a new product that has yet to be addressed well through other products.
Our client presented us with a unique problem to be solved: creating custom packaging that had the capability to dispense both dental floss and a special recipe lip balm. The initial request was for a design similar to a traditional chapstick tube with a turning wheel at the bottom to move the lip balm up and down. The dental floss would be wound inside the tube and would pull from a hole requiring a cutting edge to cut the floss with each dispensing.
ShapeMaster’s Design Process:
After the initial client meeting, we were able to design the concept in SolidWorks CAD modeling software, 3D prints some of the parts, and assemble the first few units. After analyzing the functionality of the product, our designer found additional ways they could improve the product. They created a new design to be presented to the client that would better fit the needs of the project.
This new design was very sleek looking and offered a pop-off cap and a lid on the bottom that was hinged. The design allowed for the dental floss to be pulled from the bottom and cut with a cutter that could be covered by the lid when snapped shut. In addition to appearance, this new design offered much more functionality including the ability to utilize pre-wound spools of floss that the client could easily source. The design also offered efficient assembly with parts that easily snap together.
This design was then presented to the client. The next step was to create CAD models and 3D print prototypes. After the prototype was approved, we began creating the computer-aided designed models into specific designs that allowed for the injection molding tooling requirements. Next, we ordered the tooling to be built. When the tooling was proven and the sample shots were sent to us, we assembled a number of units. Once they were approved by the client, we ordered the production tooling.
The Solution:
After reworking the original design, we were able to provide the client with a sleek, modern-looking design that was also functional. We produced around 250 for the client’s initial sale in test markets. We look forward to the potential opportunity of creating more of these products as the client’s customer base continues to grow.
