An industrial design studio with its own prototype shop. We design products and packaging, cut the first parts on our own machines in Detroit, then stay on through tooling.
Who we are
The designers who sketch your product are the same people who model it, machine the first parts, and sit in on tooling reviews. No account managers, no handoff to a stranger.
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In the shop
Machines and materials on our Russell Street floor
5-axis CNCAluminum, brass, acetal
SLA printing50-micron layers
FDM printingNylon, PETG, TPU
Laser cuttingAcrylic and plywood
Urethane castingSilicone molds, 20 shots
Foam and clayHand-carved models
Sheet metalBrake up to 2 mm steel
Manual latheTurned parts to 300 mm
Board bring-upSoldering and wiring
Projects(8)
Product and packaging programs that show how sketch, prototype, and tooling come together.
Modular desk trayHome office / Laser-cut acrylic
Lathe cell layoutContract machining / Workflow study
Relief wall panelHospitality / CNC-routed birch
Grip studyPower tools / Clay ergonomics
Gear train demonstratorEducation / Printed mechanism
Spark shieldIndustrial safety / Sheet metal
Coolant nozzleMachining / Flow testing
Rover control boxRobotics kit / Enclosure and wiring
These are eight of our 30 client programs.
Ask for the full case list.
The team
We work with manufacturers, hardware startups, and packaged-goods teams across the Midwest, from one studio and shop on Russell Street.
30+
Client teams
12
Patents co-filed
9
Shop processes
Services(5)
Research, design, and the prototype shop behind it, under one roof.
- Concept sketching
- CAD surfacing
- Design for manufacture
We design physical products with a clear point of view, drawn so a factory can actually make them.
- Structural dielines
- Inserts and trays
- Print-ready files
We design boxes, trays, and inserts that protect the product and open well, checked with real drop tests.
- CNC and laser
- SLA and FDM printing
- Urethane casting
We cut, print, and cast working prototypes in our own shop, usually within a week of a CAD freeze, so decisions get made with parts in hand.
- Tolerance stack-ups
- Material selection
- Tooling reviews
We check wall thickness, draft, and fit before steel is cut, then join tooling reviews with your supplier.
- User interviews
- Competitive teardown
- Patent search
We start from how people hold and use the thing, then map what the market leaves open.
Need a single part or a full program?
Tell us and we will scope it.
Process
How a brief becomes a part you can hold, then a part a factory can repeat.
Research
We learn the product, the buyer, and the factory it has to be made in.
25%
Sketch
We sketch, then shape foam and clay until one form holds up.
50%
Prototype
We machine and print working parts in our shop, then test them.
75%
Tooling
We release CAD, review first shots, and stay on.
100%
More about us
Design, engineering, and the machine shop share one floor, so a sketch made at nine in the morning can be a cut part by the afternoon.
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30+
Client teams
12
Patents co-filed
Every patent names the client as owner. Our designers are listed as co-inventors.
On the shop floor
What the shop can make this week
The 5-axis mill takes aluminum, brass, and acetal blocks up to 500 × 400 × 300 mm. Most first-article parts come off it within four working days of a CAD freeze.
5-axis millMachiningThe resin printer runs overnight at 50-micron layers, so a housing modeled on Monday is on the review table by Tuesday morning. Clear and tough resins are kept in stock.
Resin printerPrintingFoam and clay models are shaped by hand in the model room, before any CAD, to settle grip, size, and weight with the people who will use the product.
Model roomFormingThe laser cutter takes acrylic and plywood sheets up to 1200 × 900 mm for inserts and fixtures, and the brake folds enclosures in steel up to 2 mm.
Laser and brakeSheet workVisiting
Client visits to the shop floor run Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10:00 to 15:00. Safety glasses are handed out at the door.
Engagements(2)
We work two ways: a retained team or a fixed program. Tell us the part count and launch date and we will scope it.
Retained team Limited availability
For teams that need ongoing product, packaging, and prototype work.
- Fixed monthly shop hours
- Design and engineering
- Next-day print queue
- Direct line, no ticket queue
Fixed program
For one product or packaging line with a clear scope and launch date.
- Research and concept
- CAD and design for manufacture
- Two prototype rounds
- Tooling release and review
FAQ
Have some questions?
Not finding answers?
Call or write anytime, we are happy to help.
Both. Every program runs through our own shop, so the people drawing the part also machine, print, and test it.
Yes. We take STEP and Parasolid files, then refine the part for fit, cost, and tooling.
Most programs run eight to twelve weeks from kickoff to tooling release. We scope it precisely once we see the part.
You do. CAD, drawings, and any patents filed are assigned to the client at the end of each phase.
Yes. Visits run Tuesdays and Thursdays, and most clients join at least one prototype review in person.
Often. Many clients keep a small retainer for running changes, second-generation parts, and supplier questions.
Free 30-min shop tour
Tell us what
you're making
Send a sketch, a photo, or a CAD file and we will reply within a day with a clear scope and next steps.