Let’s Rethink This

Challenge

Let’s Rethink This’ product idea improves on current sustainable deodorant brands on the market by ensuring that the deodorant casing is also made from a sustainable material, along with a design that aims to reduce the need for excess packaging. The initial design is a spherical dome case containing a refillable deodorant core.

An initial prototype will enable Let’s Rethink This to test how the deodorant components will sit together and function, and how the deodorant looks and feels. Business Owner, Laura Meehan, has worked with Barclays Eagle Labs to develop CAD drawings and was seeking support on the next stages of product development through rapid prototyping.

Solution

Let’s Rethink This utilised STFC’s 3D printing facilities and expertise to support the development of the prototype. This was fully funded via LCR4 START.

STFC’s additive manufacturing expert provided consultancy on the deodorant design focussing on the wall thickness of the product to ensure all the components would fit together correctly.

Advice on material choice was also provided. Materials with a ‘hardness’ similar to cork were selected to replicate the envisaged end product.  Three versions of the design were printed in various material choices, surface finishes and colours.

Impact

Integrating additive manufacturing into Let’s Rethink This’ digital strategy with the support provided by STFC has enabled the company to understand the design of the product and make well-informed changes to ensure the function and appearance of the product was suitable.

The rapid 3D printing was critical in enabling it to test the design of the product before small volume manufacture. Following this LCR4 START project, Let’s Rethink This has gone on to work with the Virtual Engineering Centre via the LCR4.0 Holistic programme to further refine the design. Laura also plans to work with universities in the North West on the formulation of the deodorant core.

The full case study can be downloaded here.