MAYKU helps industrial designers and reduces prototyping time

UTR Canada is a Canadian company that develops, tests, manufactures and globally supplies an innovative line of products used in decorations and furnishings. With the help of the in-house innovation lab, the UTR team creates a range of DIY products inspired by grassroots issues.

UTR uses FormBox to produce the protective packaging for its products and to create 100% realistic models and prototypes for potential buyers, models needed to set up rapid orders and production estimates as accurate as possible.

Using FormBox and Mayku Cast printed sheets and two 3D printers, the team ended up producing all of the protective packaging in-house and generating the prototypes needed in the sales process almost on the spot.

PRE-FORMBOX CHALLENGES? ‍
Delivery times: UTR designs all of its products in Canada but manufactures them in China. This means that all prototypes were made in China. The physical and cultural differences between Canada and China have sometimes caused delays in the development and production cycle. Shipping prototypes from China to Canada was time-consuming, expensive, and exposed the products and prototypes to serious potential damage during transit.

Creating templates for potential buyers: when UTR wanted to introduce new products to the market, it was important to determine how many units they could consider as their first order. This first order was based on demand from potential buyers, to whom a prototype was shown. The quality of the prototype determines subsequent orders. The better the prototype, the more accurate estimates UTR can make on how many units it should order from the Chinese factory. A good prototype means a higher quantity of units, which means a lower cost per unit for UTR. ‍

HOW HAS FORMBOX SOLVED THESE CHALLENGES?

Delivery times: By producing all internal packaging with a 3D printer and FormBox, there was no chance of making any mistakes in moving from idea to physical form. This completely eliminated the need to make prototypes in China and reduced the risk of damage in transit, shipping delays or costly errors. After introducing FormBox and the 3D printing process, UTR reduced the lead time for developing protective packaging from an average of three months to just two months.Creating templates for potential buyers: Using Mayku printed sheets allowed UTR to create near-exact replicas of the blister mass production process. Using them as a support for users and retail buyers, they could accurately measure how many orders they should place from the factory.

Conclusion

The integration of the Mayku FormBox into UTR Canada’s in-house innovation lab successfully resolves the critical pre-existing challenges associated with their international supply chain. Before this adoption, UTR faced significant delays, high costs, and risks of damage due to the necessity of outsourcing prototype production to China. This geographical separation created bottlenecks in the development cycle stemming from long shipping times and communication gaps due to physical and cultural differences.

By utilizing the FormBox alongside their two 3D printers, UTR achieved crucial operational autonomy. They now efficiently produce all protective packaging in-house, ensuring product safety without external dependency. More importantly, the FormBox enables the creation of 100% realistic models and prototypes «almost on the spot». This rapid, on-demand prototyping capability is vital for the sales process, allowing the team to quickly establish accurate production estimates and secure fast orders from potential buyers. Ultimately, the FormBox has not just reduced costs and eliminated shipping risks, but has fundamentally accelerated UTR’s development-to-sales cycle, empowering them to maintain an agile, Canadian-led innovation process despite manufacturing internationally.