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Executive Summary
In order to identify modifications to the design of the stroller to meet a need better, an in-depth study of a baby stroller made by Greco was conducted. During this study, we looked into the major stakeholders and their needs, the use of the product as well as how the system functions, individual parts of the stroller assembly, investigated the manufacturing and assembly process, the failure modes, the environmental impact of the product, as well as a mechanical analysis of the forces the front tray can have before breakage.
We concluded that the stroller was very well designed to suit the manufacturing and assembly process within the manufacturing facility as well as the assembly process for the customer by incorporating necessary tolerances into the design and choosing the right material for its purposes. Furthermore, the needs of the major stakeholders were met by the stroller. It was found that the most environmental impact was contributed during the manufacturing phase of the products life cycle and the use phase was negligible because of how the product will be used during that phase. Overall, the stroller design was well thought through with its purpose and intended stakeholders kept in mind during its design. Nevertheless, there will be potential improvements to resolve some failure modes, to make the product life cycle more environmentally friendly, to improve the manufacturing and assembly process, to make the product easier to use, or to add additional functions.
The user study showed many different ways in which the stroller was utilized to reach specific function goals, some of which were not intended. This study helped create the Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) which which addresses the misuse and potential failure modes found in the user study.
The FMEA revealed that we could minimize failures by changing the connection between the fabric and the frame, as well as increasing the structural stability of attached plastic trays. This will increase the safety of the stroller, as well as the user experience. The mechanical analysis confirmed these results by demonstrating that under maximum loading conditions, the use of the tray as a structural component causes up to 17cm of deflection, which does not instill the user that this is safe. Through future changes to this part, we will reduce that deflection.
Bill of Materials
After disassembling the stroller and breaking it down into components by material, we have concluded that the stroller has been efficiently streamlined for ease of manufacture. The three main materials that the stroller utilizes are nylon (woven, as fabric), plastic (injection molded, for plastic parts), and steel (tubing, for frame). The stroller manufacturer also utilized some steel for fasteners such as screws and rivets, but these are insignificant (on a mass percentage basis) compared with the larger parts of the stroller. Figure BoM-2, below, shows the mass percentage breakdown of each material in the overall stroller assembly.
(1): Rear axle subassembly was left assembled due to use of rivets by manufacturer. It was deemed infeasible by group and professor to deconstruct this subassembly at this time, although future considerations will be given to locking mechanism should group decide that it is a point of interest.
(2): Frame subassembly was left assembled for same reason as rear axle subassembly (1).
(3): Seat belt subassembly was left assembled due to use of stitching by manufacturer. It was deemed infeasible by group and professor to deconstruct this subassembly at this time, although future considerations will be given to seat belt system should group decide that it is a point of interest.
Figure BoM-1: Axle sub-assembly with parts labeled. This sub-assembly was not disassembled further.
Figure BoM-2: Baby stroller with main components labeled.
Figure BoM-3: Mass Breakdown of Stroller Components by Material
Usability study
This study looks at the different functions of the stroller and how the user achieves their goals. It will be broken down into different functions, and give a step by step analysis of different ways the user achieves the goals.
Putting a baby in the stroller/Removing baby from stroller
In order to insert a child into the stroller, the user first (1) ensures the stroller is stationary. Then the user can put the child by (A.2) unlatching the harness (S-3), then (A.3) putting the child into the seat and then (A.4) latching the harness around the child.
Alternatively the user can insert a car set into the stroller. This requires the user to (B.2) put the car seat into the stroller seat and then (B.3) latch the car seat into the stroller by wrapping the car seat latch around the car seat, and fastening it.
In order to remove the baby, the step are simply performed in reverse, where you first (5) unlatch the harness or car seat latch and then (6) remove the child from the seat.
Folding the stroller
In order to fold the stroller, the user must first (1) ensure that the stroller is empty. Once that is done, the user can (A.2) pull on the white push knob (P-9) on the handle assembly. The user then (A.3) twists the handle assembly forward approximately 180 degrees. This unlocks the middle bar by separating the locking mechanism. Then the user (A.4) pushes the handle bar down towards the floor. This often causes the stroller to fold at the locking mechanism and the wheels to slide towards the user quickly, so to combat this affect, the user can either (A.5.1) put their foot on the brake bar (S-1) or (A.5.2) engage the braking mechanism before using this function. Alternatively, the user can (B.2) lift up on the handles of the locking mechanism (P-9) in order to disengage the lock. This method brought about a problem in that these handles are within reach of the child who is in the stroller, and could be used by the child to their danger. We will discuss this point later in the report.
Moving the baby around
In order to move the baby around while in the stroller the user has many options. To push the stroller forward, the user simply (1) pushes forward on the handles.
In order to move the stroller around a corner, the user can either (2) supply a moment to the handle or (3) push down on the handle, lifting the front wheels of the stroller off of the ground, and then supply a moment, allowing the stroller to make sharper or more maneuverable turns.
A note is that the user should not push the stroller anywhere except the handle in order to control the stroller, nor should the user push the handle with excessive force or speed, as doing so results in the stroller becoming unstable and potentially tipping over.
Keeping the stroller stationary
In order to engage the locks of the stroller, the user (1) presses down on either the left or the right break (Part Number). Most users push this break with their foot, as it located on the break bar/rear wheel assembly.
How this assembly works is that a solid bar engages with a gear located on the wheel, which keep the wheel from rotating.
Also in order to lock the front wheels from turning, the user (1) pushes the front wheel locks (P-5) upwards until it clicks. This stops the front wheels from turning, but not rotating.
Transporting stroller without baby
In order to transport the stroller without a child in it, the user first (1) folds the stroller. Then the user can (A1) carry it by one of the structural bars (Part Number), (B1) carry it by the plastic tray (P-3), or (C1) by the handle (P-9). Each method has been observed in user studies.
Major Stakeholders
There are four major stakeholders in the baby stroller product: baby, parents, manufacturers, and stores selling the baby stroller. The major needs for the users (baby and parents) are the safety and comfort of the child. The major need for the manufacturers and stores are the cost of the baby stroller and its ability to sell. Listed below are the major stakeholders and their respective needs.
Baby
Parents
Manufacturers
Retailers/Vendors
System Functions
The baby stroller has five main functions: transporting the baby forward and backwards, navigating turns, locking mechanism to reduce possibility of the stroller moving unintentionally, folding capability for ease of use, and most importantly keeping the baby securely fastened inside the stroller. Listed below is a detailed explanation of each of the functions.
Figure SF 1
Figure SF 2
Figure SF 3
Figure SF 4
Figure SF 5
Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA)
This study will observe different failure modes and effects, and list the recommended changes to the design in order to minimize or remove these failures. The proposed changes will be addressed by the recommended actions. A 10 represents an unacceptable level of damage (S), a low probability that the cause can be detected (O) and that there are no design controls in place to detect the cause (D). Conversely, a 1 represents little to no damage (S), an obvious cause of failure (O), and that there are sufficient controls in place to detect the cause (D).
Item and Function Failure mode Effects of Failure S Causes of Failure O Design Controls D RPN Recommended Actions Cloth seat - holds weight of child and transfers that weight to the structural frame Cloth tears at one of the screw locations Cloth rips, child falls and seat is unusable 6 Screws are driven through the cloth rather than having a stitched hole pre-drilled to fit the screw 2 general durability test, visual inspection for tear 7 84 pre-drill holes in cloth, or make plastic washers clear for visual tests Pins which hold the joints of the frame together pins shear the structural frame becomes unstable and holding an unbalanced load 5 overloading the stroller 8 user warning 1 40 Make warning label and weight restrictions more visible from user position Plastic Tray meant to hold food and drink items for the child tray snaps off easily when loaded the stroller falls 6 weight is applied to the tray for lifting the stroller 5 user warning and assembly process 4 120 Make the tray a structural component so that it may be safely loaded in a broader manner Locking mechanism is meant to keep the stroller upright, and conditionally allow for folding handle is pushed too hard breaking internal components stroller frame is bent, internal components for handle are broken 3 handle rotation is excessive, user pushes on handle before locking mechanism is disengages 3 user feed back and visual feedback of moving locking component 3 27 reduce motion of handle to disengage locking mechanism Plastic Tray meant to hold food and drink items for the adult tray is knocked off liquid spills on child or adult 5 The connection between the tray and the structural component is easily removed 5 User and assembly 3 75 make the connection between the tray and the structure more secureFMEA Conclusion
The majority of failures are caused by improper use by the user. This includes lifting and holding the stroller in ways which were not intended. However, our design should account for these mis-uses to the best of our ability. With this in mind, the recommended improvements include more visible warning labels and reinforced connections between the plastic molded trays to give them structural stability.
Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DFMA)
To make a stroller, first the individual parts are manufactured. Then, certain parts are assembled together into separate subassemblies. Finally, the consumer brings home a box full of subassemblies along with an instruction book and proceeds to assemble the stroller to its usable state. In this section we will analyze each of these stages separately.
Design for Manufacturing
The stroller has a metal structure for support of other materials. This structure is formed by individually bent hollow tubes with holes intended for later assembling the bars together by riveting. From general inspection, because the part was fairly light, we can be accurately assume the part is made of aluminum. The bars are painted providing a very smooth texture over the rustic aluminum feel and do not have any sharp edges. In addition, it is worthy to note that there were no dents in the metal tubes and they were very circular, creating no safety or quality concerns.
Another component of the stroller is the fabric that is fastened onto the metal structure. This fabric is rather strong and well stitched together. It can withstand very forceful tugs.
The rest of the stroller is made of plastic components; most likely ABS. ABS is very stiff and can be molded easily into many different shapes. This flexibility along with other desirable properties this material provides, and its cheap price makes it the logical choice of material for the stroller application.
The parts are designed very well to complements the material. The walls of all the components are designed with uniform thickness, thus avoiding sinks in the part and other manufacturing difficulties, resulting in an aesthetically pleasing and touch appealing surface finish. It is also worthy to note that although from a quick glance, the front and back wheels differ. However, when one looks closer, the wheels in the front are essentially composed from two sets of the wheels from the back. This usage helps decrease cost because it effectively puts to use manufacturing for scale.
Another advantage of using plastic is that it can be molded into various shapes that have the ability to be very detailed. This makes it practical to make many safety locks for the parts on the stroller. For instance, the locks for the wheels and the snap on trays are great examples of how the material was molded.
In addition, for the application of the product, the designers were very thoughtful in adding many fillets and rounding all the edges making it safe for interactions with children.
Nevertheless, plastic is not perfect. In making the injection mold for the mass produced part, designers have to keep in mind, shrinkage of the material. As can be seen in the figure below (Figure DFMA 1), when the parts are looked at individually, they seem very well made and little defects can be seen. However, when they are assembled, the molds were not created perfectly to account for the amount of shrinkage and some parts do not mate perfectly. But these defects and tolerances are built into the design. The overhangs have rounded corners, thus they will not be dangerous. The miss alignment gap is enclosed on the edges, thus it is hard to get one’s hangs pinched while in the handle is in its closed position.
Figure DFMA 1
From our analysis, we have concluded that the individually manufactured parts are very well made and are appropriate for the application of interaction with children. The injected or blow molded plastic parts have designs that consider tolerances and the properties of the material.
Design for Assembly
All the metal tubes fit together very well. They are secured together with rivets and will not loosen up easily. These rivets would need to be put in with special equipment that would hold the two pieces being riveted in place, while the rivet is inserted. However, these rivets are necessary for safety reasons, so that the joints do not come loose easily. In addition, some wires are slipped through the tubes for the function of collapsing the stroller. Then the metal is secured with fabric.
Before the fabric is ready to be fastened on the metal frame, different materials are stitched together and metal buttons are added nylon strips. This makes later assembly onto the frame easier when the strip is wrapped around the metal bars and is secured. Another way that the fabric is secured is by directly screwing them into the metal tubes that had pre-drilled holes in them, as can be seen in figure DFMA 2 . In this way, the fabric is very securely attached to the main support and the additional plastic serves as a good way to distribute the pressure onto a larger area adding an additional layer of safety when a child is placed in the stroller. However, for this additional safety feature, it requires the assembler to hold the fabric in place while lining up the screw with the plastic piece as well as the pre-drilled hole in the frame. This also adds variability because there are no pre-drilled holes or any visible indications as to where the screws should be placed. But this fact also makes it easy for assembly.
Figure DFMA 2
After the fabric and padding are added, additional plastic support are placed on. Some parts only add to the aesthetic appeal, such as such as the rubber above the wheel that looks like a suspension system. Others are to hold the subassemblies in place for transport in box to the customers such as a white plastic hook part. While a majority of the plastic adds additional futures for the stroller, such as the trays added to give a place for the parent to place bottles or other things.
All of these parts are designed for easy assembly and have a very logical order (first metal frame assembled, then fabric added, and finally plastic components added). Parts fit together very well and does not require the assembly worker to get into awkward positions or use excessive force repeatedly. This is very important for the high volume production required by stroller manufacturers. It is also worthy to note that the designers tried to keep the amount of varying parts to a minimum. For instance, the front and back wheels use the same part, except the front wheels have an additional part to link two wheels together. This not only saves cost for manufacturing the part by not requiring an additional mold. It also decrease the amount of stock needed to be kept and avoids mistakes during assembly by mixing up the front and back wheels on accident.
After most of the parts are assembled, they are packed up in boxes and shipped off to be sold to customers.
Design for Customer Final Assembly
To conserve the size of the shipping box, because having the plastic trays on the assembly prior to shipment will make the assembly bigger in the closed position, it is required that customers assemble certain parts themselves. When consumers purchase the stroller, they are presented with eight parts, as can be seen in figure DFMA 3; one main assembly, front and back wheels, wheel lock, front tray and foot rest for the child. We noted that there were no screws or small metal parts that needed to be involved in the final assembly process with the exception of two end caps for the back wheels. Also, no tools were needed with the exception of a hammer and a pair of scissors to cut a tie that secured the main part in its closed position.
Figure DFMA 3
The final assembly was relatively simple. The parts were mainly snapped onto each other. When alignment of the parts was necessary, there were guides built into the design of the product, such as ribs that suck out, to ensure the right alignment. One example can be seen in figure DFMA 4.
Figure DFMA 4
We did not have any difficulties with the assembly process. However, the foot reset for the child was hard to snap onto the metal frame. Nevertheless, we could fully assembly the stroller within ten minutes. In addition, little material remains after the assembly is complete. As can be seen in figure DFMA 5, only some cardboard pieces, a tie, some caps that were on the ends of the metal rod that stuck out from the back wheel brakes, a plastic piece to hold the main sub-assembly in the closed position while it was in the box, a hammer used to secure the cap onto the back wheel, and the instruction, were left from the assembly.
Figure DFMA 5
DFMA Conclusion
Overall, this product was designed very well with many aspects considered. As noted in the detailed analyzes above, there were variations and tolerances that were left. It is noticeable that the designer kept the involved parties for this product in mind during the design. Parts were consolidated for ease of assembly. In addition, the designer included enough tolerances and flexibility in the design to avoid necessary tight precisions that can be tedious for the factory assembler and the customer. The material was well chosen to allow the designs of the parts to be well rounded, no sharp edges, and pleasing to the senses. Nevertheless, the assembly of the stroller can be made so that processes involving the hand to hold too many things in place at once is avoided. Such as the plastic screwed in piece to hold the fabric in place, we might have a screw that has a surface that matches the metal tube radius, thus taking out an unnecessary part and making the assembly process easier. As for manufacturing, stroller designers might consider material use and try to optimize the places where thinner wall thicknesses are permitted while maintaining the safety integrity.
Design for Environment (DFE)
Every man made product has various impacts on the environment that are added up during the manufacturing process, transportation, use and end of life. We have analyzed the impacts that our strollers will have on the environment by using the economic input-output life cycle assessment (EIO-LCA) from the LCA software found at http://www.eiolca.net using data from 1997. This assessment takes looks into the economic activity within an appropriate sector and predicts the environmental impact directly linked to each sector.
Economic Input-Output Life Cycle Assessment (EIO-LCA) of Manufacturing, Transportation, Use, and End-of-Life phase
In order to analyze the impact stroller would have on the environment, we chose to look into the “doll, toy, and game manufacturing” sector (sector #339930), which was the sector that contains child transportation/strollers. We felt this category was particularly appropriate because the other products made in this sector also use the same materials (part plastic, part metal).
In this sector, for one million dollars worth of products in this sector, there is a total of 2.23 million dollars of economic activity. The pie chart below depicts the economic activity in different sectors related to our main sector, with specific depictions of the top five.
The EIO-LCA software also produces an estimation of the air pollutants outputted by each sector. As can be seen in the pie charts below, power generation and supply contributes 71% of the conventional air pollutants estimated, while contributing around 32% of the greenhouse emissions. Next in line for most greenhouse gas impact is the transportation of the product (7.6% of total sector emission). The transportation phase of the product life cycle also stands for a small portion of petroleum industry. Nevertheless, the negative impact of this phase is unavoidable in the life cycle unless the automobile industry make more efficient transportation or the supply chain transportation network is re-routed to become more efficient. We, as designers, might be able to design a more compact stroller so that more strollers can be transported within one transportation device.
Although the plastics sector is not in the top ten sectors for air pollutants and ranked fifth in greenhouse emissions (4.5% of total sectors), it is number one on the charts for toxic releases as can be seen in the table below. It stands for 7.1% of the total releases kg of total for all sectors. This sector is also related to petroleum and oil, which is responsible for a significant portion of negative environmental impact from the stand point of air pollutants and toxic releases. Therefore, there is potential for increasing the efficiency of plastic use in stroller design and manufacturing to decrease the amount needed without compromising safety of the child.
During the end-of-life phase of the product, it is recommended that the stroller be design for a long life cycle and encouragement of society to re-use second hand strollers to decrease the amount of environmental impact resulting from recycling or production of entirely new stroller from raw material. This is suggested because the environmental impact during the use phase of the product is negligible or even no negative impact contribution at all. This can be concluded because the only energy input that is necessary during the use phase is a person’s force. Unless we take into account a person breathing and the manufacturing processes of his or her food, it is very hard assess that environmental impact and the impact is relatively small compare to impact during the manufacturing, transportation, and end-of-life phase of the product. Thus the use phase was neglected in our analysis.
Accuracy of Analysis
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It must be kept in mind that this analysis was using data from 1997. There might has been significant process improvement of the manufacturing process such that there is less environmental impact (such as greenhouse gas emission, toxic release, and air pollutant releases) resulting from the processes. Thus the numbers might be an over-estimation of the impact the sectors. In addition, in the recent years, much attention has been paid to the entire supply chain transportation sector such that the transportation of the product might be smaller due to the efficiency of transportation network modifications within the past few years. Nevertheless, raw material use and the relative percentages of the environmental impact between the sectors should be relatively accurate because it can be assumed that all sectors have been improving in the environmental impact area.
DFE Conclusion
From our analysis, we can conclude most environmental impact was contributed during the manufacturing phase of the life cycle resulting from forming the raw material into the stroller form, such as plastic manufacturing, metal manufacturing, and the power and energy used during those processes. During these phases, a significant amount of greenhouse gas, air pollutant and toxic releases are contributed to the environmental impact. There is room for improvement for the designs to use less plastic while not compromising safety. By doing this, the petroleum industry as well as plastic manufacturing industry would have the most decrease in its negative environmental impact. In addition, it is recommended that infrastructure in society be placed to encourage reuse of second hand strollers, while increasing the quality of the stroller at the same time. This would significantly decrease the amount of environmental impact the sectors would have, since it will be decrease the activity in the manufacturing phase of the product which presently contribute the most environmental impact.
Mechanical Analysis
In this mechanical analysis we looked at a specific failure mode where loading the plastic molded tray caused deflections. In order to determine where the stresses were located, as well as the maximum deflection. In order to do this, we created a simplified SolidWorks model of the tray. Assuming the maximum load of 40lbs (which is the posted maximum weight the stroller can hold, neglecting the weight of the stroller), distributed between the handle and the tray, the load was then simplified as a 20lb load at the center of the tray. The tray was also modeled as ABS plastic of 0.1 inch thickness which was fixed at the bottom of the tray where it attached to the frame of the stroller. ABS has the following material properties:
Tensile Yield Strength (MPa) E: Young's Modulus (GPa) Poisson's Ratio Yield strength (MPa) 27-55 1.1-2.9 ~.4 18.5-51 !
Figure Mechanical Analysis 1: Restraints and Loading conditions
The following plots demonstrate the maximum stress and stress distribution, as well as the maximum deflection on the tray under these loading conditions.
Figure Mechanical Analysis 2: Displacement
Figure Mechanical Analysis 3: Stress Distribution
This analysis shows that the maximum displacement is up to 17cm, which is acceptable in that the max stresses do not exceed the yeild stress for the material, however not acceptable in terms of the user. The large amount of deflection does not instill the user with the idea that this method of carrying the stroller is safe, and the user will discontinue this method of transporting the stroller. The implication is that although this is safe, it is not preferred.
Mechanical Analysis Conclusion
By creating a model of the tray and modeling loading conditions using SolidWorks, we were able to determine the maximum displacement of the tray, which was 17cm. This number is close to the observed 6 inch deflection which the tray underwent following a user test. This verifies that the results from the mechanical analysis are fairly accurate. Although this loading does not cause the part to yield, it is unacceptable because it feels unsafe to the user. As a result, we will redesign the connection to displace less under maximum loading conditions.
Team
Our team composes of Brad Hall, Sixiao Joy Liu, Madhur Paharia, Nick Selman.
For this analysis, the following are the roles of each member:
- Brad Hall – Team lead, responsible for User Study, FMEA, and Mechanical Analysis sections
- Sixiao Joy Liu – Responsible for the Design for Manufacturing and Assembly as well as the Design for Environment analysis
- Madhur Paharia – Responsible for identification of major stakeholders and their needs, system functions, and the presentation
- Nick Selman – Responsible for bill of materials, assembly photos, and other documentation
As a team, we met four times. First, we met to decide and gather the product. Then, we conducted the dissection of the product to gain a clear understanding of it as well as conducting a usability tell while the stroller was assembled. Next, we had a meeting to distribute the work, assign roles for members, and agree on the timeline for this project. Finally, we met to put together our work into a Wiki page. During this process, whenever we had questions, we would communicate through email.
Citation
Degentesh, Drew. "Injection Molding." 24-443: Design for Manufacture. Carnegie Mellon University. 4 Sept. 2008.
Degentesh, Drew. "Metal Processing." 24-443: Design for Manufacture. Carnegie Mellon University. 11 Sept. 2008.
Degentesh, Drew. "Plastics.” 24-443: Design for Manufacture. Carnegie Mellon University. 28 Aug. 2008.
Degentesh, Drew. "Plastics Processing." 24-443: Design for Manufacture. Carnegie Mellon University. 2 Sept. 2008.
“Economic Input-Output Life Cycle Assessment.” Green Design Institute. Carnegie Mellon University. 20 Sept. 2008. <http://www.eiolca.net/cgi-bin/multimatrix/use.pl>.
Michalek, Jeremy. “Design for Manufacturing and Assembly.” Engineering Design II. Carnegie Mellon University. 3 Sept. 2008.
Uwer, Helmut and Dupays, Nicky. “No plastic, no lego.” Exactly Your Chemistry. Jan 2001. Clariant. 12 Sept. 2008. <http://www.clariant.com/C12568C5004FDBD7/vwLookupDownloads/Legos.pdf/$FILE/Legos.pdf>.
Baby care products are a $98 BILLION industry as of 2022.
And the market is estimated to reach $168 billion by 2032.
In other words…
Business is booming for baby product manufacturers.
If you’re just getting started with manufacturing baby products, you might be asking yourself:
And more.
In this guide, we’ll cover them all. You’ll learn how to refine your idea, how to find baby product manufacturers, how to manage the product design process, and more.
Let’s do it.
The product design phase of manufacturing baby products is both important and challenging. Ask yourself these questions to make sure your idea is as rock solid as can be.
Your competitors include a wide range of industry giants like Graco, Johnson & Johnson, Procter & Gamble, and other major brands. You’ll also face competition from companies that have already established themselves in your local market.
To build on your idea, start by conducting research.
Read popular trade magazines like Baby Maternity Retailer, Baby And Children Product News, and Baby Care Magazines International.
During fieldwork, visit stores to look at the advertising, products in different price ranges, different categories, and promotional campaigns. Online databases can help you locate baby product stores near you.
Research popular online stores such as Babies Bloom Store and Baby Mall Online.
Look for the following features as you browse:
Great products have a specific yet wide-ranging appeal.
Use the following criteria as a guide to determine how profitable your product can be.
The product needs to be safe, high-quality, and fulfill unmet customer demands.
Next, think about the landscape of the baby product industry. Local and international competition, growth potential, and competitive pricing are factors to consider here.
Lastly, the market criteria are threefold. The product needs to be following current market trends, be user-friendly, and have a reasonable production cost.
Visit “Understand Your Market”, an educational resource run by the US Small Business Administration, to read more about creating a marketable concept.
Lastly, make sure you can grow your business and create a whole product line based on the same core concept. Use your USP and adapt it to follow different seasonal trends, color palettes, and limited edition products.
Before committing to mass production, getting a reliable cost estimate and allocation is crucial. You can use various accounting methods for this. An easy way to do this is to contact our dedicated group of professionals to help you calculate these costs..
Prototype production varies greatly depending on your idea. We suggest using Computed Aided Designs to simulate your products before committing to a prototype.
Prototyping companies can help in this endeavor.
Once a prototype is ready, contact potential manufacturers to get a cost estimate, which will differ based on your production scale.
Multiple organizations have standards for different types of products. Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association provides certification that many parents look for while buying products. American Society of Testing and Materials has specific guidelines for different baby products.
Resources are also available for international safety standards.
Patent attorneys are authorized to perform patent searches, including scanning several databases for existing patents on a particular idea.
It takes a long time to get a patent by yourself because it’s a complex process, which is why we don’t suggest you do this alone.
This stage is critical for your research because major retailers might have patented designs that aren’t yet available on the market.
The range of baby products you could manufacture is a mile long.
Wet wipes, baby car seats, baby blankets, baby soap, formula milk, baby playpens, baby teethers, baby walkers, baby wash, baby body oil—the list goes on.
Before you commit to a concept, it’s crucial to make sure a market exists for it. You don’t want to spend months (or years) on product design, manufacturer sourcing, building an active network of suppliers, blasting product announcements, and spending buckets of cash building a product that nobody actually wants to buy.
Which brings us to one of the most important steps of the entire process…
Before you dive head first into product design, prototyping and manufacturing—conduct research into the customers you’re planning to target.
Categorizing a target audience will let you focus your marketing and packaging efforts on creating a look that appeals to them.
Plus, understanding your ideal customer can shed light on what other products they may also be interested in based on the stage of development their child is likely in.
For example, parents in the market for pacifiers will also most likely be looking for baby wipes, cribs, sensory toys, and other products popular for children in that age group.
Remember, advertising efforts will be focused on parents, especially when promoting products for infants.
You can begin designing once you have a clear vision and a target audience in mind. Start sooner than that and you risk chasing un-vetted ideas that could easily flop.
The steps in the list below will assist you in manufacturing baby products that everyone will love:
Brainstorming helps you understand how the rest of the baby product manufacturing process will go. That includes details like packaging, marketing, and production scale.
You want to get all your ideas out so that you can sift through them to make decisions about the next few steps. We suggest using your competitive market analysis as a barometer for this session.
The following checklist can act as a guideline to direct your brainstorming session:
The brainstorming session will assist you in developing an insightful project guideline.
To make sketches for the product, you can either hire a professional artist or do it yourself. Use the brainstorming session as a guide to ensure you don’t forget anything.
Think about things like size, color, and potential variations for future products.
With the initial sketch in hand, you can begin designing a 3D model. To build a digital model, artists use CAD (Computer-Aided Design) software.
Depending on the artist, this process will take anywhere from one to seven days.
You can create a 3D model on your own using software like Zbrush, but we recommend hiring a professional.
The process of building prototypes for baby product manufacturing can vary significantly.
Depending on your product, you may need to consult a professional. You can make samples of simple products such as fabric-based products at home. However, products that require complex machinery may need to go through a professional prototyping company.
An easy way to differentiate between complex and straightforward prototypes is to research their respective manufacturing processes.
The more technical the process, the better it is to hire a professional for this step. For example, manufacturing a toy is a highly complex process requiring professional assistance.
For instance, baby clothes only require fabric, thread, and a sewing machine. However, manufacturing a stroller requires aluminum or plastic to be bent into a frame, numerous belts, and buckles.
You’ll need to find a factory that’s compatible with your needs for mass production.
Retailers and manufacturers handle mass production in different ways. A retailer will take over the entire process, allowing you to focus on the creative factors, while a manufacturer will require you to handle the supply chain.
You can either work with retailers or contact a manufacturer yourself. Retailers already have contacts in the manufacturing industry and can take over the process once they agree to partner with you. However, it’ll give you less creative control over the process.
Local and international manufacturers can help you start mass production. You can keep an eye on local manufacturers to tweak the process, but they tend to cost more. Outsourcing is cheaper, but field visits can be time-consuming.
Because of their long-standing deals with wholesalers, working with a well-known retailer would help speed up this process. They’ll also have partnerships with factories with high-grade equipment.
You can outsource the entire manufacturing process to factories in other countries to save money. Trade fairs are an excellent place to start your search for a factory.
Contact your local economic development chapter to get in touch with a global expert who has vetted manufacturers in other countries and will represent you.
By now, you’ll have a detailed understanding of what your product is, what you want it to look like, how you plan to promote it, and who it’s for.
When deciding on your supply chain strategy, consider the following steps.
The production line starts with sourcing raw materials. This step will differ depending on the type of baby product you want to make. For example, a stroller will require you to source metals like aluminum for the frame and fabric for the seat.
Building relationships with suppliers to source your materials is critical.
Experts in supply chain management will advise you on aligning your needs with what’s available in the supply market. Quality and profit margins will both be decided by your investment in raw materials.
Our professionals at Gembah can help you get the best raw materials for your product.
Manufacturing a product requires the use of raw materials, machinery, analytics, and other industrial knowledge. It’s best to consult with experts in the field, such as our team at Gembah.
The following are some of the most important steps:
It’s vital to know the mode of delivery. Depending on your target audience and product placement, numerous excellent options optimize the process and reduce the selling cost.
For example, if you are short on inventory storage space, using the technique of cross-docking, you can optimize the process.
The following are the key players in the delivery process.
You must assess the incentive schemes offered to retailers to determine an appropriate margin and promotional shelves. These incentives encourage retailers to display products in the best possible location based on consumer behavior.
The final part of the system is the consumer.
A careful review is required to determine the price, product packaging, expedite sales returns, product placement, and meet customers’ requirements. Extensive research into consumer behavior, a thorough analysis of data gathered through CRM, and other factors help determine this step.
You also must have a system in place for faulty products and customer returns. Great return policies increase consumer satisfaction and the parent company’s good faith.
Because these factors are essential in retaining customers, we suggest that you prioritize them as you would any other process for long-term success.
For those who are new to the industry, the complexity of manufacturing baby products can be scary. That is where our team at Gembah can help you build a successful business.
We can connect you with a network of experts to help you…
No matter where you are in the process today, we can help simplify the entire process and maximize the chances of a positive outcome for your company.
Reach out to today to get started.
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