Full design package
A production-ready package: 3D model, manufacturing drawings, materials and process recommendations, and a bill of materials. Everything a supplier needs to quote and build.
Product design and development: from sketch to production-ready.
Have an idea for a physical product? We turn your sketch into drawings a factory can quote, then help you find, vet and work with the right manufacturer. All from a U.S. team you can call during business hours.
We're not a factory or a sourcing company. We're the guide that gets you ready for one.
You have an idea. Then the questions start.
You have a sketch, a rough prototype, or a part you want to improve. What comes next is where most good ideas stall:
- How do you turn it into a model and drawings a factory can use?
- Which process makes it: machining, molding, sheet metal, 3D printing?
- What goes into an RFQ, and how do you compare the quotes you get back?
- Who can you trust to make it, and how do you know?
- And who do you call when the only answers come at 2 a.m. from another time zone?
Guess wrong and you pay for it in wasted tooling, bad parts and lost months. You don't need a bigger vendor. You need someone who has seen how this goes and will tell you the next right step.
The process
How it works: four steps, one point of contact
Share your idea
Send a sketch, photo, drawing or sample. We talk it through by phone or video during U.S. business hours and agree on a clear scope.
Design it for manufacture
We build the 3D model and the drawings, and choose the process, materials and tolerances that suit your volume and budget. This is design for manufacturing: making sure the part can be made well, repeatedly, at a fair cost.
Write the RFQ and vet suppliers
We prepare a request for quote that suppliers can answer accurately, help you shortlist suppliers, and compare quotes side by side. We bring contacts and know-how; you choose who to work with.
First articles to purchase order
We support the first samples through inspection and testing, push back on problems, and stay with you through the production purchase order.
One part, four stages
Here is a simple example part, an L-bracket, carried from a pencil sketch to a finished part. Every view shows the same part at the same proportions, and the inspection sheet below checks it.
Illustration: a generic example part, not client work.
Start with step oneServices
What we do
Erudite Designs provides product design services for physical products, from the first model to the first production order. Pick one service or take the whole path.
RFQ and supplier support
A clear RFQ, a shortlist, a side-by-side comparison of quotes, and help vetting the suppliers you are considering.
Reverse engineering, with changes
Have a part you need to reproduce or improve? We capture it, document it, and redesign what should change so it is easier and cheaper to make.
You must have the right to reproduce the part.
New Product Introduction (NPI) support
We manage the path from prototype to production: first articles, testing, corrective actions and the handoff to your production order.
Why Erudite
We learned this on the factory floor
Most of what we know about making things, we learned by standing next to the machines.
We have been inside more than 100 manufacturing facilities in the United States, Mexico, China and India. We have run a machine shop, operated CNC mills, an industrial laser and 3D printers, and led new-product launches for large manufacturers where parts have to work every time. Before that, ten years in steel-mill maintenance taught us what really happens to equipment in harsh conditions: dirt, heat, vibration and neglect. We have seen good practice and bad practice side by side, and we design with that in mind.
We know the quality systems factories are audited on, such as ISO 9001, first article inspection and PPAP, because we have worked inside them.
That experience goes into your product: a design that is easy to make, reliable in use, and clear enough that a supplier can quote it correctly the first time.
Sample first-article inspection sheet
| Balloon | Feature | Spec | Measured | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hole A diameter | Ø16.00 ±0.05 | 16.02 | Pass |
| 2 | Plate thickness | 6.00 ±0.10 | 5.97 | Pass |
| 3 | Hole spacing | 92.00 ±0.10 | 92.04 | Pass |
| 4 | Surface finish | Ra 1.6 max | Ra 1.2 | Pass |
An independent guide, not a factory
We are
A product design and development partner that gets your product ready to make and helps you find and vet the right manufacturer. Based in the U.S., working in U.S. business hours, with experience across suppliers in the U.S., Mexico, China and India.
We are not
A manufacturer, a broker or a sourcing company. We don't make your parts, and we aren't a marketplace.
Who we work with
- Founders and inventors with a funded idea who need it designed and documented properly.
- Product teams and companies adding a complementary product line without a full in-house team.
- Owners of existing parts who want to reproduce, improve or re-source them.
We design physical, manufactured products: tools, brackets, fixtures, gadgets, household and industrial goods. We don't take on food, cosmetics or apparel.
Questions people ask first
What do you offer?
Product design and development for physical products: 3D models and manufacturing drawings, RFQ packages, supplier vetting support, reverse engineering with improvements, and new product introduction support through first articles and the production order.
Who is it for?
Founders, inventors and companies with funding who want a physical product made well. If your product is food, cosmetics or apparel, we are not the right fit.
How much does it cost?
It depends on the product and how far you want to go, so we scope it with you first. After a short call we send a clear quote, with a fixed price where we can.
What happens when I send my project?
You'll see a confirmation on screen and get an email copy. We reply within one business day to set up a short call, then send a scoped proposal. Nothing starts until you agree to it.
Is my idea kept confidential?
Yes. We treat what you send as private, store files securely, and will sign an NDA on request.
Can I send drawings or CAD files?
Yes. You can upload images, PDFs and common drawing and CAD files (for example STEP, DWG, DXF, STL) with your project form.
Do you manufacture the product?
No. We prepare the design and the RFQ and help you find and vet manufacturers. You choose the manufacturer and place your own orders. We stay involved through first articles and testing.
How long does it take?
It depends on complexity. We give you a timeline in the proposal, after we understand the part.
Start here
Send your sketch
Tell us about your idea. A photo of a sketch is enough to start. We reply within one business day.