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7-Day Design to Production Challenge: Use Plastic instead of Metal... 

The Challenge


A Central Oregon manufacturer of commercial animal deterrent systems needed a new mounting bracket for a solar charge controller on their next-generation product.


Deadline: final production-ready parts in under 7 days.


Competitors were using multi-piece painted metal brackets:

  • Prone to rust in outdoor environments

  • Required separate nuts, washers, spacers, and secondary painting/powder coating

  • Total lead time: 2–3 weeks minimum

 

Our Solution – Smarter Design, Fewer Parts, Zero Corrosion

 

We redesigned the bracket from the ground up for additive manufacturing and delivered production parts in 6 days:

  • Day 1–2 – Designed a single-piece polymer bracket that eliminated 4 separate hardware items (loose nuts, lock washers, spacers, cover plates, and rivets)

  • Integrated captive mounting bosses with heat-set threaded inserts molded directly into the ASA part → no loose hardware ever

  • Built-in cable routing channels  — no extra brackets or screws needed

  • Prototyped and field-tested in real Central Oregon weather

  • Produced the first production batch in UV-stabilized black ASA (10+ year outdoor life, zero painting required)

Delivered to client on day 6 – beat the 7-day requirement with a day to spare.

 

Hard Cost Savings for the Client

  • Eliminated 6 fasteners + 2 machined spacer plates per assembly

  • Removed all painting/powder-coating steps forever

  • Reduced per-unit hardware cost by ~68% on this bracket alone

  • Assembly labor dropped from ~4 minutes to under 30 seconds (just snap the controller in and torque three screws)

 

Services Used

  • Design for Additive Manufacturing (DFAM)

  • Heat-set insert integration

  • Rapid prototyping + same-week production

  • UV-stable ASA for permanent outdoor use

  • FREE Local delivery

 

Client Outcome


They launched on time with a cleaner, lighter, completely corrosion-proof bracket that costs dramatically less to build and install than a metal version. The client immediately moved additional mounting hardware to the same heat-set insert + ASA solution.

 

At Outlaw Prototyping, we don’t just 3D-print parts — we redesign them to remove cost, complexity, and corrosion from the equation… in days instead of weeks.

  • Location: Sisters, Oregon

  • Industry: Agricultural / Commercial Animal Deterrent Systems

  • Turnaround: 6 days (beat 7-day deadline)

 

Ready to cut hardware count, eliminate painting, and slash assembly cost on your outdoor products?

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