Drone middle housing
Six gates feed a thin-walled frame. See the filling sequence and predicted distortion.
Independent industrial design & mechanical engineering
From product concept to production.
I help hardware teams explore product forms with AI, turn the chosen direction into mechanical CAD, and work with suppliers through prototypes, tooling and production trials.
Owen WenChina-based · 15 years in product development
Selected work 01 / 06
Tooling & mold flowDrone middle housing
01 / Selected work
Engineering case studies
Six hardware projects, from a watch midframe to a drone housing. Open a study to inspect the drawings behind each decision.
10.1-inch tablet
Follow the tablet outline through the display stack-up, LCD retention snaps and final assembly sequence.
Electric toothbrush
Trace the handle profile through motor and battery placement, the charging base and mold-release checks.
RF beauty device
Trace the heat path from the treatment head through the magnetic ring and into the housing.
Smartwatch midframe
Review the gasket and side-button interfaces, then see where the mold analysis predicts air traps.
Portable water flosser
Explore the valve path, tank seals and nozzle lock inside a compact handle.
These anonymized studies draw on projects completed more than five years ago. Drawings have been simplified to protect client information.
02 / Project starting points
Where are you starting?
Hardware teams & brands
I’m developing a product
Bring your brief, sketches or reference images. We can compare exterior concepts against your components and size limits before committing to CAD.
Discuss my concept ↗ Industrial design studiosI have an industrial design
Your studio leads the design. I develop the internal layout and enclosure, review manufacturability and work with your supplier on samples.
Discuss my design ↗03 / Development process
Four stages of product development
Start with a brief or bring an existing design. I can support one stage or stay with your team through factory trials in China and selected ASEAN supply chains.
Watch my engineering videos ↗
01
AI-assisted industrial design
Using your brief, reference images, key components and size limits, I develop visual options for shape, proportions, colors and finishes. Together we select a direction to take into CAD.
02
Mechanical design and enclosure CAD
I build an internal layout, housing parts and an assembly model around the selected exterior or your studio’s design. You can see where components, wall thickness or assembly access call for a change to the form.
03
Prototypes and pre-tooling review
I coordinate prototypes to check grip, fit and assembly. You receive a list of sample findings and design-for-manufacture (DFM) changes to review with your toolmaker before cutting steel.
04
Tooling and production trials
I review trial parts with your supplier, document fit and molding issues, and check agreed corrections on the next samples. Your factory quotes tooling and production directly.
04 / Working together
Engineering rates
$40 / hour
Engineering time
Industrial design, mechanical engineering and supplier coordination are billed at the same hourly rate.
Factory costs
Your factory bills you directly for prototypes, tooling and production. I add no markup.
Confidentiality
I can sign an NDA before reviewing files and ask for your approval before sharing anything with suppliers or third parties.
05 / New projects
Tell me about
your project.
Share what you want to make, what you already have and the next decision you need help with. A sketch, a concept description or a note about a tooling issue is enough to start.
owen@vividtoreal.com ↗