Mechanical product design for founders & product businesses
Turn mechanical ideas and design problems into practical, manufacturable solutions — from early concepts and CAD through prototyping and production-ready design.
Mechanical design experience since 2004
3DM Design works with founders, product businesses and engineering teams across a broad range of mechanical products.
You work directly with the person doing the design. There’s no sales handover and no junior designer sitting between you and the engineering work.
That keeps communication simple, decisions quick and the design thinking close to the problem.
The focus is always the same: understand what the product really needs to do, find the simplest practical solution and develop a design that works in the real world.
Proven in the real world
WAKEYE
Designed, developed and launched by 3DM Design, then sold internationally into more than 40 countries.
Tallon Marine
Developed from an initial sketch into a commercial product range, with 3DM Design as the main design resource.
Tectrax
Mechanical development taken through design and into manufacture for an amphibious vessel system.
How I can help
Turn an idea into an engineered product
If you’ve got a product idea but don’t know how to make it work mechanically, I can help develop it into a practical design.
That can include concept development, mechanical layout, 3D CAD, mechanism design, materials, prototyping and preparation for manufacture.
Solve a mechanical design problem
Sometimes the product already exists and the problem is making one part of it work properly.
I can help solve mechanical challenges involving movement, packaging, strength, assembly, manufacturability, mechanisms or redesign of existing components and systems.
Prototype and refine
Prototypes help answer questions that CAD alone can’t.
I can develop and test prototypes to check fit, movement, usability, strength and assembly, then refine the design based on what we learn.
Prepare for manufacture
A good design also needs to make sense when it reaches production.
I can help refine products around manufacturing processes, materials, assembly, part count, drawings and supplier requirements.
Engineering design, 3D CAD, prototyping, industrial design, FEA and 3D scanning can all form part of the process where they add value.
You work directly with the designer
When you engage 3DM Design, you work directly with me.
I’m the person discussing the problem with you, developing the concepts and doing the engineering work.
My approach is straightforward:
Understand the real problem before jumping into CAD
Keep the design as simple and efficient as possible
Develop solutions that work in the real world
Design with manufacture, assembly and use in mind
Prototype, test and refine where needed
Good design isn’t about making something look clever.
It’s about making it work.
A practical path from idea to working design
Every project is different, but the basic process is simple.
1. Understand the problem
Clarify what the product needs to do, the constraints and what success looks like.
2. Develop the design
Work through concepts, mechanisms, CAD models and practical engineering solutions.
3. Prototype and refine
Test the design, identify weaknesses and improve it before production.
4. Prepare for manufacture
Refine the product around materials, processes, assembly and production requirements.
You don’t need to start at the beginning.
If you already have CAD, a prototype or an existing product that isn’t working as it should, I can step into the project where you need me.
Selected work
Tectrax
Mechanical development for an amphibious vessel system
3DM Design helped develop the mechanical systems for the retractable wheel arrangement, including the leg mechanisms, drivetrain integration, hydraulics and associated components.
Tallon Marine
From an initial sketch to a manufactured marine accessory system
3DM Design became the main design resource as the product developed, including the patented connection system and supporting product range.
WAKEYE
Designed, launched and sold internationally
WAKEYE was developed by 3DM Design from product concept through design, manufacture and launch, reaching customers in more than 40 countries.
Got a product idea or mechanical design problem?
You don’t need to know exactly which service you need before getting in touch.
Send me what you’ve got — an idea, sketch, CAD model, prototype or existing product — and we can work out the most practical next step.
Email: contact@3dmdesign.co.nz
Phone: +64 4 2376 591
