Product Design for Manufacturing — From Prototype to Production
Guenzo helps product companies turn an idea, sketch, existing design or prototype into a manufacturable mechanical product with complete production documentation. We design for the processes your suppliers will actually use — tolerances, materials, part count and assembly — and hand over production-ready CAD, manufacturing drawings, BOMs and supplier-ready files. Guenzo does the design and documentation; the product is manufactured by your suppliers.
Why clients work with Guenzo
- Credited by Red Dot for the design of Zerobox, named a Red Dot Winner 2026 twice in Product Design; the credit is shared with the manufacturer's in-house design team
- Production-ready CAD, drawings, BOMs and supplier-ready files
- NDA signed before reviewing product data when required
- Native SolidWorks deliverables
What Guenzo Can Start From
Product development rarely starts from a blank page. Guenzo can pick up the project at whatever stage it has reached.
- A product idea with written requirements or a short brief
- Hand sketches or reference photos
- Industrial design surfaces or styling from your designer
- An electronics layout or PCB that the housing has to fit around
- Existing CAD that has not yet been prepared for manufacturing
- A working prototype or 3D print that needs to become manufacturable
- A product already in production that needs fewer parts or lower cost
Who this service is for
- Startups developing physical products
- Industrial designers needing a mechanical engineering partner
- Companies preparing a new product for first production batch
Problems we solve
- Prototypes that work, but cannot be quoted by real suppliers
- Unclear tolerances, materials and finishes
- Cost surprises when moving from prototype to first batch
- Too many parts, fasteners or assembly steps
Deliverables
- Production-ready 3D CAD models and assemblies
- DFM review with manufacturing recommendations
- Material and process selection
- Manufacturing drawings, BOM and assembly instructions
- Supplier-ready file packages (STEP, DXF, PDF)
- Prototype iterations between design rounds
Software we use
- SolidWorks (parts, assemblies, drawings, sheet metal, weldments)
- SolidWorks Simulation (FEA) for stress and deflection checks
- DraftSight / AutoCAD for 2D drawings and DXF
- KeyShot for product renders when required
- PDM / shared cloud folders for revision control
Supported manufacturing methods
- Injection moulding (with mould-aware geometry)
- Sheet metal: laser, bending, welding, powder coating
- CNC milling and turning
- 3D printing for prototypes and low-volume end-use parts
- Hand and jig-based assembly
Example projects
- Consumer electronics enclosure prepared for injection molding
- Sheet metal industrial product prepared for laser + bending suppliers
- Mechanical assembly for a startup's first production run
- Redesign of an existing product to reduce part count and cost
Process
- Requirements and starting point: Function, target cost, volumes, manufacturing method, and what already exists: an idea, sketch, design or prototype.
- Concept CAD: Layout, key dimensions, fits and clearances for review.
- Mechanical design: Parts, mechanisms, assemblies and fastening worked out in SolidWorks.
- DFM iteration: Geometry refined for the chosen processes — moulding, sheet metal, CNC — and part count reduced.
- Production-ready CAD: Final parametric models and assemblies, ready for release.
- Manufacturing drawings: 2D drawings with tolerances, GD&T where needed, materials and finishes.
- BOM and supplier-ready files: Bill of materials plus STEP, DXF and PDF packages for each supplier.
- Quotation and first-article support: Answering supplier questions and updating the design during quoting and first-article inspection.
How DFM Fits Into the Process
Design for manufacturing is not a check at the end. It runs through the mechanical design, so each part is shaped for the process that will make it and suppliers can quote without a round of clarification.
- Process selection per part: injection moulding, sheet metal, CNC machining or 3D printing
- Moulded parts: wall thickness, draft, ribs, screw bosses, snap-fits and housing split
- Sheet metal: bend radii, reliefs and flat patterns that match real bending tools
- Machined parts: tool access, sensible tolerances and fixturing
- Fewer parts, fasteners and assembly steps where function allows
- Tolerance stack-ups where fit or function depends on them
- Material and finish selection with cost in mind
Design for Manufacturing Is Not Manufacturing
Guenzo's part of the work is engineering: the product design, the DFM decisions and the production documentation. The product itself is manufactured by your suppliers — moulders, sheet metal shops, machine shops and assembly partners — using the files we prepare. Where a product contains electronics or an industrial design, we design the mechanical parts around the electronics and styling you provide.
- Guenzo delivers: production-ready CAD, manufacturing drawings, BOMs and supplier-ready files
- Your suppliers deliver: moulds and tooling, production parts, finishing and assembly
- Guenzo can support supplier communication, quoting and first-article inspection
Supplier Handover
A product is ready for suppliers when they can quote it without guessing. The handover package is built for that.
- Release package per supplier: STEP, DXF and PDF drawings for their parts
- Bill of materials covering made and purchased parts
- Drawings with tolerances, materials, finishes and critical dimensions marked
- Assembly drawings or instructions where the product is assembled by a partner
- Answers to supplier questions during quoting
- Design updates after supplier feedback or first-article inspection
Example client projects
- Retractable dog leash with integrated bag storage — Complete consumer product: retraction mechanism, brake and lock, and a housing designed for injection moulding, prepared for prototype review.
- Handheld RFID reader housing — Plastic housing designed around the client's internal electronics, for injection moulding.
- Zerobox modular storage system — Red Dot credits Guenzo, together with the manufacturer's in-house designer, for this storage system's design.
- Performant Manufacturing — prototype mechanical engineering — Four years of mechanical engineering for multiple prototypes: covers, frames and machinery.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can Guenzo start from?
Almost any stage: a written idea or requirements, hand sketches and reference photos, industrial design surfaces, an electronics layout the housing must fit, existing CAD, a working prototype or 3D print, or a product already in production that needs to be simplified. We assess what exists, agree what is missing, and continue from there.
Can you help turn a product idea into manufacturable CAD files?
Yes. We work with sketches, mood boards, industrial design surfaces, and 3D-printed prototypes and turn them into manufacturable CAD with drawings and a BOM.
Can Guenzo improve an existing prototype?
Yes. A prototype that works is a good starting point, but it often uses processes, tolerances or part counts that do not suit production. We model or update it in SolidWorks, review it against the intended manufacturing process, and change what blocks quoting or assembly — while keeping the function you have already proven.
How does DFM fit into the product development process?
It runs through the design rather than being a final check. Each part is shaped for the process that will make it — wall thickness and draft for moulding, bend radii and flat patterns for sheet metal, tool access and tolerances for machining — and part count, fasteners and assembly steps are reduced where function allows.
Can Guenzo review an existing design for manufacturability only?
Yes. If you already have CAD, we can run a DFM review on its own: we check the parts against the intended processes and suppliers and return recommendations, and can then make the changes if you want us to.
What production documentation does Guenzo deliver?
Production-ready SolidWorks models and assemblies, 2D manufacturing drawings with tolerances, materials and finishes, a bill of materials, assembly instructions where needed, and supplier-ready packages of STEP, DXF and PDF files for each supplier.
Does Guenzo manufacture the product?
No. Guenzo designs the product and prepares the production documentation; the product is manufactured by suppliers. We can support supplier communication, quoting and first-article inspection, and update the design when suppliers or first articles show that something needs to change.
Can you support our transition from prototype to first production batch?
Yes. We prepare DFM-ready CAD, drawings and supplier documentation, and stay involved during quoting and first article inspection.
Do you work with companies outside Latvia?
Yes. We work remotely with companies across Europe and internationally. Most projects are run by email, video calls, and shared cloud folders.
What CAD file formats can you deliver?
Native SolidWorks (SLDPRT, SLDASM, SLDDRW), STEP, IGES, Parasolid, STL for 3D printing, DXF for laser/waterjet/sheet metal, and PDF manufacturing drawings.
Can you sign an NDA before we share project details?
Yes. We routinely sign NDAs before reviewing concepts, sketches, or existing CAD data.
Related services
Request CAD design support
Send your project details, sketches, requirements or existing CAD files. Email info@guenzo.com or call +371 29830475.