Kownacki Design

Company: Kownacki Design
Location: Erie, Pennsylvania
Product: Product Development Design
Annual Sales: $200,000
Number employed: 1
Years in Business: 3

Situation:

A major manufacturer of infant products wanted laminated object prototyping of parts for a new line of baby furniture. An upstart computer manufacturer requested a prototype design for the exterior panels of a new PC. As a one-person operation it was not economically feasible for Kownacki Design to invest in the solids modeling packages and computer training needed to complete these two projects.

Project:

For both customer requests, the PTDC helped Kownacki Design create solids models using computer-aided engineering. Toolmakers were able to cut molds directly from the files in 50% less time.

Result:

A working prototype of the baby furniture was produced in four weeks. Soft tooling was completed in six weeks, and the product was available for trade shows four weeks later. The completed design of the computer housing was delivered to the customer in half the allotted time. Both manufacturers have continued to request designs from Kownkacki Design; one has put Kownacki on retainer.

Company Comments from Chuck Kownacki, Owner:

"The PTDC lets me compete with larger design firms. It has the knowledge and equipment that, as a one-man show, I can't purchase, so I'm able to give my customers more product for their money."