Some inventors don’t realize how much the manufacturing of their product is going to cost.  This post will go into some detail on the methods that we use to find a great manufacturer.  We generally use MFG.com to go overseas and Macrae’s Blue Book for domestic.  Since most people are interested in going overseas, we will focus on mfg.com.  (we hope to someday use a fellow IANE’s new business once it up and running).

MFG.com started in 2000 and has grown to become the largest online market place for the manufacturing community.  MFG.com puts firms looking to source  manufacturing (lookers) of new or off the shelf parts with suppliers.  Lookers can submit Reguest for Quotes (RFQs) with 3D CAD files and that suppliers can look at world wide.  Manufacturers respond with tooling cost. cost per unit and the terms (timeline, pay net X days and so on).
Using a site like MFG.com can help inventors asses the manufacturing cost of the design early in the process, before building several prototypes.

Manufacturers also provide valueable feedback on the design as far as manufacturability.  For example, manufacturing a complicated snap in system maybe 5X more expensive than using a fastner reducing the time spent on perfecting the snap in system all together.