3. When having a beautifully chilled bottle of beer, what
happens to the cap once you’ve opened it? Does it get slid
across the table, or flipped over in the vague direction of the
bin or corner?
This part of drinking was what the project was inspired
from. Almost every household will have a bottle, whether
it is an alcoholic beverage like Desperados or a J20 soft
drink, meaning that there are a large number of caps which
are binned straight away, or left somewhere in the home.
Therefore, these caps can be used for other things, which
this project will develop on.
A beer cap integrates promotional aspects in the design, as
well as the obvious function. Some have great designs, and
incorporating this into a promotional product would be a
good idea to visibly see the brand, rather than an object
which is used just for the brand.
INITIAL CONCEPT
Page 1
4. Research was done on the drinks market, as the final idea
would have to be supported with statistics showing how
successful the outcome would be.
What was discovered was that for alcoholic drinks, glass
bottles were preferred over cans, plastic bottles, or any
other packaging type. This was due to its naturally attractive
appearance, as well as the freshness of the drink inside
that they can retain (Mintel, 2013). The quality in terms
of appearance and function remains a high factor in why
consumers tend to choose glass over other materials.
When consumers were asked what was the most important
quality for packaging of beer/cider, wine, and spirits, the top
answers for all three were that they were in a glass bottle
(Mintel, 2013):
Cider/Beer - 52%
Wine - 65%
Spirits - 46%
Although wines and spirits do not come with a metal cap
on their glass bottles, cider and beer do, and as more than
half the people prefer glass, this means as long as different
brands do what their customers want, glass bottles will still
be largely used in the present and future until consumer
needs change, so that a concept using caps will be usable
and there is indeed a market position for it in terms of
availability of caps.
Similarly to alcoholic beverages, a lot of people preferred
glass bottles, and from those asked, 41% males and 34% of
females said that this was due to the drinks in glass bottles
tasting better than those in plastic ones (Mintel, 2013).
The infographic to the right shows the leading brands’
market shares in value sales of beer in the off-trade in 2011,
so these could be potential brands that could be promoted
with the product.
MARKET RESEARCH
Other Brands/
Own Labels
46%
Stella Artois
14%
Fosters
12%
Carlsberg
12%
Carling
9%
Budweiser
7%
Above:
Pub visiting frequencies (Data from Mintel, 2012b.)
Opposite page:
Ye Olde Mitre Pub (Ye Olde Mitre, 2013).
An important factor when developing a product is to
think about the environments it will be used in, as this will
contribute a lot towards the final concept, whether the style
or material of the end item.
The settings that were looked at for the product were
pubs and in the home. Mintel (2011) states that although
women prefer drinking a wine at home, the most popular
alcoholic beverage to drink at home for men is lager. Lager
is however, also in the top five drinks consumed at home for
women, meaning lager and beers in general take up a large
percentage of drinks within the home environment.
Pubs obviously sell a huge amount of variety of beers and
other alcoholic beverages as well as soft drinks. The pub
visiting frequencies are shown below (data from Mintel,
2012a).
The caps from these could be used for the product, and this
will be a great way of promoting brands, as the majority of
people do not tend to look closely at the caps. Having to use
the caps for a part of the products function means that they
will be more aware of the design of the caps, and therefore
more likely to remember and buy more of the same brand in
the future if they like the beer and design too.
ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH
Twiceaweekormore
Aboutonceaweek
Aboutoncea
fortnight
Aboutonceamonth
Never
Aboutonceevery
threemonths
Lessthanonceevery
threemonths
Left:
Budweiser (OnlyHDWallpapers, 2012),
Carling (Dexigner, 2012),
Carlsberg (Law, 2011),
Fosters (Warren Beer, 2012),
Stella Artois (Reuters and Fraile, 2008),
Beer selection (Dakeyne, 2012).
Background:
Bottles (Nick, 2011).
Page 2 Page 3
5. Page 4
The sketches here show the initial concept generation
process, where the concept of a coaster was produced which
could have areas for the caps to be placed, so it could be
used with the branded product, or with other beverages.
It moved from a simple circular shape with a number of
holes, to a more 3D structure-like object, which would be
available as a flat pack, and then assembled to create the
final product. Having something that is flat packed would
be ideal, as there would be the human interaction aspect
involved, making it perhaps more likely to stay in their
minds.
To make the coaster more interesting, the idea developed to
having the caps acting as gears. With a small area cut away to
reveal an edge of the driving gear, this would allow the user
to turn it, and acting as a gear train, the caps would all rotate.
The driven gear on the other side of the coaster would
have something like a flag attached onto it, so that the flag
rotated when the gears turned. The part with the flag would
be an additional area attached to the main coaster so that it
does not interfere with the function of holding a bottle on it.
As the flag could be removed, this smaller circle would allow
space for a small pot or bowl of something such as peanuts;
perfect with the promoted drink.
However, as the idea developed, the feasibility of the caps
actually functioning as a gear train was beginning to be
questioned. With only the small crimped edges acting as
the sprockets, it would probably be hard to engage them
all to act together as a gear train should. Therefore, the next
generation of ideas began.
INITIAL SKETCHES
As caps are proven to be abundant in the majority of
households and pubs, further research was done in order to
see how they are being used in other ways. This was to see
what was already out there, and what was not.
The products found were mostly crafted, and the caps were
being manipulated into different shapes or forms to create
other objects; in a lot of cases, jewellery.
There weren’t any through the research done, where the
caps themselves were used in their usual form in order to
do something together with another object, other than cap
collections in frames or tables as a decorative piece.
This was the starting point for beginning to think about how
they can be used to actually do something which would
allow for better promotion of the brand.
EXISTING PRODUCTS
From Top Left, Clockwise:
Cap necklace (Kotik, 2009),
Chunky cap necklace (Kotik, 2009),
Candle caps (Craftaholics Anonymous, 2011),
Cap flowers (Kotik, 2009),
Cap bracelet (Kotik, 2009).
Page 5
6. DEVELOPMENT
A quick prototype was produced using foam just to see the rough shape and form of the idea. Although it will be
developed further, this was done to get a 3D visualisation which would allow for more areas to be improved and
changed. This stage also gave more of an understanding in terms of sizes and how it would work when the caps
were slotted down from the top. There were certain aspects that weren’t thought about before, such as the slight
overlapping of the caps, meaning the hole positions would need to be adjusted.
PROTOTYPE
Page 6 Page 7
After some more thinking and sketches, the concept that
was to be developed throughout this project was the Cap
Connect game, which involves dropping the used caps into
the frame and see who can get a row of caps first. This can be
used as a drinking game, or just a bit of fun any time.
8. Page 10
After many iterations and developments (shown via the sketches in the previous pages), a
design was chosen, and to see how it would look, a new prototype was produced using laser
cut acrylic for the main frame, and foamboard for the base. The end result looked good, so
the next stages of defining each aspect of manufacturing this product began.
NEW PROTOTYPE
Page 11
9. Page 12 Page 13
The next step was to choose which material category the product was to be made of. The three main groups of woods, metals, and plastics were considered to see which one would suit
it the product the best. Manufacturing the product out of wood would give the overall aesthetic a luxurious feel, especially if high quality timber was used. Having a fairly densely grained
hardwood such as beech would mean a good finish, lovely natural aesthetics, and a strong product in terms of strength. However, woods tend to warp, so accuracy may drop slightly in
different conditions. The manufacturing process would also be quite costly in mass manufacture, compared to the others materials.
Metal is another option, but due to their natural high densities in comparison to woods and plastics, the product would be heavy. Also, in this case of a fairly small game frame, metal doesn’t
seem to fit in well with the concept; perhaps there needs to be a contrast from the metal caps to the game product. Additionally, metals tend to be more expensive, and as the concept needs
to be done on a low individual cost, this may be a problem. The shape of the idea also means that forming it would be quite difficult, whether it is folded, pressed, or cast.
Plastics, consequently is the best choice for the concept, as production will be easily feasible in mass manufacture. Various methods could be used, and there are a large variety of polymers in
which the final product could be made from. As well, aesthetics can vary hugely due to the vast number of colours available to apply, as well as finishes.
MATERIAL SELECTION
From Left to Right:
Beech (Floorchoice, 2013),
Mild Steel (VandF, 2013),
High Impact Polystyrene (Partwell, 2013).
Page 13
10. Page 14 Page 15
As there are number of available thermoplastics typically
used in the process of injection moulding, a few varieties
were researched further for comparisons to see which suited
the concept the best.
Acrylic, although rigid, and low/medium cost, is brittle
(CustomPartNet, 2009) and therefore perhaps not the best
material, as it may not be treated all that carefully, especially
if the product was to be part of a drinking game...
ABS is strong, flexible, has good chemical resistance, is
naturally opaque, and available at a low/medium cost also.
This material is used often in toys, such as Lego, so this
polymer could be the best option.
Nylon has high strength, low friction, and fatigue resistance
(CustomPartNet, 2009), but is more expensive than the
previous two materials mentioned.
Polycarbonate is very tough and has good dimensional
stability, but is also at a higher cost (CustomPartNet, 2009).
Polyethylene is lightweight, tough and flexible, so suitable
for a lot of kitchenware. This may not be appropriate for this
particular product.
Another option is High Impact Polystyrene, due to it’s impact
strength, rigidity, toughness, dimensional stability, and low
cost (CustomPartNet, 2009). This polymer is also well used in
toys amongst other things.
Another similar material is Polyvinyl Chloride, which is tough,
flexible, available in transparent and opaque, and is fairly
cheap (CustomPartNet, 2009).
PLASTIC SELECTION
Background:
Mixed Plastics (PDMevent, 2011)
Page 14
After analysing the different properties of each potential
polymer, the final material selected for the manufacture of
the concept was ABS.
ABS is an amorphous thermoplastic blend so has the
characteristics of each ingredient. The acrylnitrile gives
the thermal and chemical resistance, and the rubberlike
butadiene is what gives it its ductility and impact strength
(Designinsite, 2003), with the styrene producing the glossy
surface and making the material easily machinable and more
cost effective.
Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) has high impact
resistance, so it will not break easily when the game is being
played by the users. It will be able to withstand forces within
reason, and this property is important due to possibilities of
the product being used in a fairly careless manner.
This material is also lightweight, meaning less cost will be
utilised in transportation, whether during the manufacturing
process, or after production, to retail stores or warehouses. It
also comes in a variety of colours, which will work well with
the brands that it will help to promote.
ABS is also a great material which enables manufacture by
various ways, such as injection moulding, thermoforming,
pressure-forming, blow moulding, and cold stamping
(Dynalab, n.d.). Joints can also be ultrasonic welded, thermo-
welded, and chemically bonded. However, adhesives such
as tensile cement will be avoided in this project, as this will
change recyclability of the product. Making it so that it is as
environmentally friendly as possible is very important.
FINAL MATERIAL
SELECTION
Background:
ABS Lego (Simpleengineering, 2011)
Page 15
11. Page 16 Page 17
ABS can be manufactured in a range of different ways, so a
number of them were researched to see the most effective
way of producing the final outcome.
Vacuum casting can be used for this product, but the speed
of production is very low, as the variable cycle time takes
typically between 45 minutes to 4 hours, depending on the
size of the part. However, it gives a very high surface finish
and reproduction of detail (Thompson, 2007). Using vacuum
casting means having more flexible tooling and less pressure
needed, meaning considerably lower tooling costs, but it is
not a process suitable for such high production yields.
Injection moulding would be the best manufacturing
method as it is ideal for high volume production, as well
as there being some variations including gas assisted,
multishot, and in-mold decoration. Although the tooling
costs are very high, it will produce very low unit costs,
making it suitable for this project of producing 100,000 units.
The high pressures ensure a great surface finish, good
reproduction of detail as well as one of the most important
factors of choosing a manufacturing process; repeatability.
On the other hand, resolidified polymer tends to shrink
and warp, with surface defects including weld lines which
may occur with this concept, due to them appearing where
the material is forced to flow around areas such as holes
(Thompson, 2007). However, if finishes or prints are applied,
this shouldn’t be much of a problem in terms of the final
aesthetics.
MANUFACTURING
PROCESS SELECTION
Background:
Injection moulding (Beckett MIM, 2013)
Page 16
Although the mould would be simpler to produce one
half, so that two of them would produce one part of the
product, the mould could include the usual male and female
tools, as well as two retractable cores controlled by cams or
hydraulics (Thompson, 2007). This would mean only having
to produce two parts for each product; the frame and the
base. Lowering the number of parts by a third will decrease
the time spent for manufacture of each product, and thus
become more cost-efficient.
The base will also be injection moulded, but with the least
expensive tooling of only 2 halves.
The process will involve the polymer granules being dried to
the right water content (Thompson, 2007), and then placed
into the hopper. Any desired colour for the end product will
be done by adding pigments here too, at between 0.5% and
5% dilution (Thompson, 2007). The mixture is then mixed up
and heated together, as it moves along towards the mould
by the Archimedean screw. The pressure increases, ready for
injection into the mould cavity. Once injected, the polymer
is left to resolidify, which normally takes 30 to 60 seconds,
depending on the size of the part. The clamping pressure
is kept after the melted polymer flows around the cavity, to
minimise warpage and shrinkage once the part is ejected
(Thompson, 2007).
The part is ejected by the retractable cores being removed,
and then the ejector pins protruding out to separate the
product from the surface of the mould (Thompson, 2007).
The tools and cores used in the process are usually machined
from aluminium or tool steel, and are made up of water
cooling channels for temperature control, the gate where
injection occurs, runner systems, and electronic measuring
equipment showing the current temperature (Thompson,
2007). To maintain a steady flow of the injected polymer
through the die cavity, good heat dispersal is vital.
INJECTION MOULDING
Background:
Injection moulding mould (TradeKorea,n.d.)
Page 17
12. Page 18 Page 19
After getting into contact with Protomold, the design
changed due to some issues which could occur during the
injection moulding. Previously, the frame was to be made
from one part, but the parts shown in red with blue lines
(on the right) have undercut regions which aren’t capable of
being produced.
Therefore, the design changed to having two halves of the
same part as this will ensure no undercuts, and also a less
complex mould without cavities, meaning less expensive
tooling costs.
Another thing that changed after having correspondence
with Protomold was having a draft angle on all sides of 0.5°
for easier release when the ejector pins push the part out
from the mould.
Additionally, the base was also changed by adding a draft
angle of 0.5° on all needed faces similar to the frame part,
and also shelling from the bottom to a thickness of 3mm.
Previously, apart from the main cavity where the frame slots
into, the base was just one solid block of ABS. As the part
thickness is significantly greater than nominal, sink marks,
voids, and excessive shrink are possible and warping of
these and other areas of the part may occur (Custompartnet,
2013). Therefore, to reduce thickness in the part and thus
decrease material usage, the newly shelled base has much
less volume than initially planned.
CHANGES: PROTOMOLD
CORRESPONDANCE After the changes done to the designs of the parts, they
were sent for validation to Protomold once again to see any
further changes should be made, as well as the new costing.
Custompart.net gave a cost estimation of:
Frame:
Material costs:
£33,318.50
Production costs:
£26,202.56
Tooling costs:
£18,805.29
Total cost: £78,327.01
Cost per part: £0.78
Base:
Material costs:
£50,497.25
Production costs:
£23,086.23
Tooling costs:
£14048.02
Total cost: £87,631.51
Cost per part: £0.88
Combined Total: £1.66 per unit
However, Protomold is more expensive due to having a
quicker service and their quote was nearly double the
estimate from Custompart.net:
Frame:
Production costs:
£152,000.00
Setup costs:
£333.00
Total cost: £152,333.00
Cost per part: £1.52
Base:
Production costs:
£150,000.00
Setup costs:
£333.00
Total cost: £150,333.00
Cost per part: £1.50
Combined Total: £3.02 per unit
COSTING: NEW DESIGN
13. Page 20 Page 21
This process will be used for the application of print during
injection moulding. The in-mould decoration process will
decrease time and money spent on other ways of finishing,
such as printing or spraying, although the cycle of time
of the injection moulding process will increase slightly
(Thompson, 2007).
The first step is to load a printed PC film into the dive cavity
of the injection moulding, with the printed side facing
inwards so when injection of the hot polymer occurs, the
print will be protected behind a thin layer of PC (Thompson,
2007).
As the melted plastic comes into contact with the PC film,
they will bond, and the film will become integral with the
injection moulded plastic and will have a seamless finish
with a printed surface (Thompson, 2007).
This is the stage where the brand logo would be attached to
the base for promotion.
IN-MOULD DECORATION
PROCESS
Background:
Injection moulding (Beckett MIM, 2013)
Page 20
STRENGTHS
- Easy mass manufacturability
- Can change prints for different brands
- Very visible advertising area
- Uses brand’s products (caps) to function
- Fun game to play with others
- Using otherwise binned caps
- Compact size
WEAKNESSES
- Users need to have caps to play
- Initial tooling cost is high
- Will effect costs of brand’s actual products if sold together
- Style may not fit into all interiors of homes
OPPORTUNITIES
- Will encourage people to buy more capped bottles
- Availability to promote by numerous potential brands
- May give the opportunity for more personal interaction
with others
- Other advertising campaigns to promote this product
- More sales in supermarkets so higher profits
THREATS
- Consumers may not want the product
- Branding area may be too prominent for people’s taste to
use at home
SWOT ANALYSIS
Page 21
14. Page 22 Page 23
As there is an estimate of 100,000 units being manufactured,
this will be classed into the category of mass manufacture.
This will mean reduced cost in comparison to using batch
production methods, such as using injection moulding
machines rather than craftsmen, who would take so much
more time to produce the parts, as well as having the
possibilities of human error.
The tools produce consistently high quality identical
products at a very high rate. Having machines to do the
manufacturing also reduces labour costs as the workers do
not need to be as skilled. Additionally, robots are being used
more commonly throughout industry, which means that
production can be running continuously without the need
for breaks.
On the other hand, once the mould is produced, and
the injection moulding set up, it is hard to change the
manufacture due to the very high tooling and mould costs.
The manufacturing system of Kanban seems to be the
most efficient and suitable for this product, as it triggers
production as of when needed. Cards and bins are used at
three points; at the point of production, at the factory store,
and at the suppliers’store. After a red Kanban card enters
any of the bins, information would be sent via a computer
system, through the supply chain, that more stock would be
needed, so that production could begin again.
This reduces waste, as the process will only produce enough
for current demand, maintains the level of quality due to the
same machines being used, and minimises storage space.
MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS
Background:
Warehouse storage (GAO, 2013).
Page 22
- Beckett MIM, 2013. Injection moulding. [image online] Available at: <http://www.beckettmim.com/process-benefits/> [Accessed 18th April 2013].
- Craftaholics Anonymous, 2011. Bottle cap candles. [image online] Available at: <http://www.craftaholicsanonymous.net/bottle-cap-candles-tutorial> [Accessed 17th April 2013].
- CustomPartNet, 2009. Injection Molding. [online] Available at: <http://www.custompartnet.com/wu/InjectionMolding> [Accessed 27th October 2012].
- CustomPartNet, 2013. Injection molding cost estimator. [online] Available at: <http://www.custompartnet.com/estimate/injection-molding/> [Accessed 20th April 2013].
- Dakeyne, P., 2012. Beer Selection. [image online] Available at: <http://www.dakeynephotography.com/blog/gallery/continental-beer-selection-photography> [Accessed 16th April 2013].
- Designinsite, 2003. ABS. [online] Available at: <http://designinsite.dk/htmsider/m0007.htm> [Accessed 18th April 2013].
- Dexigner, 2012. Echo Designs Limited Edition Carling Zest. [image online] Available at: <http://www.dexigner.com/news/24703> [Accessed 16th April 2013].
- Dynalab, n.d. ABS. [online] Available at: <http://www.dynalabcorp.com/technical_info_abs.asp> [Accessed 18th April 2013].
- Floorchoice, 2013. Beech. [image online] Available at: <http://www.floorchoice.co.uk/duropal-white-beech-textured-worktop-classic-profile-p-1335.html> [Accessed 17th April 2013].
- GAO, 2013. Warehouse storage. [image online] Available at: <http://www.gaorfidassettracking.com/RFID_Asset_Tracking_Applications/RFID_Supply_Chain.php> [Accessed 20th April 2013].
- Kotik, Y., 2009. Jewellery from Bottle Caps. [images online] Available at: <http://geniusbeauty.com/fashion-and-wear/fashion-amid-economic-crisis-jewelry-bottle-caps-yoav-kotik/> [Accessed
17th April 2013].
- Law, J., 2011. Carlsberg Relaunch. [image online] Available at: http://joshualaw88.blogspot.co.uk/2011/04/carlsberg-re-launch-that-calls-for.html> [Accessed 16th April 2013].
- Mintel, 2011. Drinking in the Home. [online] Available at: <http://academic.mintel.com/display/590240/> [Accessed 16th April 2013].
- Mintel, 2012a. Pub Visiting. [online] Available at: <http://academic.mintel.com/display/607663/> [Accessed 16th April 2013].
- Mintel, 2012b. Beer. [online] Available at: <http://academic.mintel.com/display/590472/> [Accessed 16th April 2013].
- Mintel, 2013. Food and Drink Packaging Trends. [online] Available at: <http://academic.mintel.com/display/637870/> [Accessed 16th April 2013].
- Nick, 2011. Bottles. [image online] Available at: <http://bordeaux-undiscovered.co.uk/blog/2011/08/is-the-wine-in-your-bottle-worth-the-5-you-spent-on-it/> [Accessed 16th April 2013].
- OnlyHDWallpapers, 2012. Budweiser. [image online] Available at: <http://onlyhdwallpapers.com/high-definition-wallpaper/beers-budweiser-ice-cubes-desktop-hd-wallpaper-935484/>
[Accessed 16th April 2013].
- Partwell, 2013. High Impact Polystyrene. [image online] Available at: <http://www.partwell.com/products/business-unit-3/hips-high-impact-polystyrene-plastic-product.html> [Accessed 17th
April 2013].
- PDMevent, 2011. Mixed plastics. [image online] Available at: <http://pdmevent.wordpress.com/2011/05/16/the-future-is-green-and-in-3d-at-pdm11/> [Accessed 18th April 2013].
- RandF, 2013. Mild Steel. [image online] Available at: <http://www.vandf.co.uk/cnc-punching-of-mild-steel-speaker-grilles/> [Accessed 17th April 2013].
- Reuters. and Fraile, V., 2008. Stella Artois. [image online] Available at: <http://www.reuters.com/article/2008/06/12/us-anheuser-inbev-idUSN1125578520080612> [Accessed 16th April 2013].
- Simpleengineering, 2011. ABS Lego. [image online] Available at: <http://simpleengineering.blogspot.co.uk/2011/02/fundamentals-of-legos.html> [Accessed 17th April 2013].
- Thompson, R., 2007. Manufacturing Processes for Design Professionals. London: Thames & Hudson.
- TradeKorea, n.d. Injection moulding mould. [image online] Available at: <http://www.tradekorea.com/sell-leads-detail/S00008988/plastic%20injection%20mold.html> [Accessed 18th April
2013].
- Warren Beer, 2012. Fosters’ Lager. [image online] Available at: <http://www.warrenbeer.com/wn/portfolio/beer/product/millercoors/fosters/> [Accessed 16th April 2013].
- Ye Olde Mitre, 2013. Ye Olde Mitre Pub. [image online] Available at: <http://www.yeoldemitreholburn.co.uk/> [Accessed 16th April 2013].
REFERENCES
15. Page 25
These small cap fitting games can be enjoyed at any time
with family and friends, inviting fun interaction whilst
having a drink; whether an alcoholic beverage or soft drink.
Cap Connect
Page 24
Final Industrial
Proposal
Final Concept
-
Materials, Manufacture & Costing
-
GA Drawing
16. Page 27
120
126
688
126
32
18
5
5
30
68
28
PART NO. PART MATERIAL MANUFACTURE QTY.
1 Frame ABS INJECTION MOULDING 2
2 Base ABS INJECTION MOULDING 1
BREAK SHARP
Q.A
MFG
A3
CHK'D
D
E
F
C
1 2 3 4
B
A
321 5
C
D
4 6 7 8
A
ALL DRAFT ANGLES: 0.7°
Cap Connect
FINISH:
EDGES
NAME
DEBUR AND
decoration for branding
B
on base
22/04/13
ABS
SHEET 1 OF 1SCALE:1:1.7
DWG NO.
TITLE:
REVISIONDO NOT SCALE DRAWING
DATE
GA Drawing
APPV'D
Yuko Tsuda
SIGNATURE
MATERIAL:
Glossy white with in-mould
WEIGHT:
UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED:
DIMENSIONS ARE IN MILLIMETERS
TOLERANCES: ±0.5mm
DRAWN
116
126
20
117
2
1
1
Page 26
Concept
This product will engage the users to play the game of dropping their used
caps into the frame to try and get three in a line before the other. As a simple
but effective game, its target market can range from children to the older
generation. However, this may change, depending on the brand being
promoted. If an alcoholic beverage brand is used, for example, Kronenbourg,
the consumers will be over 18’s, but for soft drink companies such as Coca
Cola, the demographic will be a much larger range.
These small game frames could be added as a set with the branded
beverage, or sold individually for only those who want it. Seeing the caps as
well as the branded area on the base insures enough visible promotion for all
potential brands.
Materials and Manufacture
The material used for this product will be ABS for both the frame and base,
due to its high impact resistance and colour availability. This ensures that
whichever brand is being promoted, the product will be of a suitable colour
to match.
Injection moulding will be used for both the frame and base as it is a mass
manufacturing process which gives good finish, and excellent repeatability.
Incorporated within this process is the in-mould decoration process, which
will involve a thin PC film with the desired printed logo or graphic being
bonded to the sides of the base.
Costing
Frame:
Material costs: £33,318.50
Production costs: £26,202.56
Tooling costs: £18,805.29
Total cost: £78,327.01
Cost per part: £0.78
Base:
Material costs: £50,497.25
Production costs: £23,086.23
Tooling costs: £14048.02
Total cost: £87,631.51
Cost per part: £0.88
Combined Total: £1.66 per unit
