How Snijlab co-builds the stringed instrument 'Nerdy Gurdy' and keeps its manufacturing flexible and affordable with laser cutting
How the Nerdy Gurdy came about
A handmade hurdy-gurdy is expensive
The wooden, handmade instruments are very expensive. Brand wants to use digital techniques to market an affordable version. Also made of wood and with similar sound quality to a traditional hurdy-gurdy.
SolutionA custom design for a laser-cut instrument
Brand works in daily life as a mechanical engineer and is therefore experienced in creating industrial designs. An entirely different field, but it gives him the skills he needs. With advice from instrument builders and musicians, he designs a kit that is easy for consumers to assemble.
Prototyping costs must be contained
Brand is at the beginning of a challenging quest. The hurdy-gurdy must sound good, the kit must remain simple, and there is much consultation with outside parties to fine-tune the design. This can be a costly process, with many prototypes and modifications.
SolutionWorking cost-effectively with digital technology
Brand opts for digital production techniques, which save him time and money. Laser cutting and 3D printing give him the freedom to experiment and tinker without limit. After each improvement comes a quick adjustment in the digital drawing, and then a new laser-cut prototype. Were he to saw the prototypes himself, for example, it would take so much more time and the result would be less detailed.
Starting with small-scale manufacturing
After four years, Brand finally has a good prototype called the "Nerdy Gurdy. As for manufacturing , he wants to start quietly. After all, there is no guarantee yet that the instrument will be an immediate success. Starting with a small quantity is safe, but with many common production techniques it is very unfavorable.
SolutionLaser cutting keeps price favorable regardless of order size
Brand orders twenty kits at a time. This keeps the investment risk as low as possible. According to success, Brand can place increasingly larger orders.
Growing sales requires optimization
The Nerdy Gurdy is selling better and better, which in itself is positive. The manufacturing of the instrument is still small in size, but it is becoming more volume production due to increasing demand. It is therefore obvious to switch to a laser cutter with a larger capacity, but the design is not yet suitable for this.
SolutionAdapting design for automated laser cutter
Snijlab advises Brand to rearrange his drawings to fit into AutoSPOT. This is an automated laser cutter suitable for volume production. This switch has more advantages: the cost goes down and the quality of the final product is better. The Autospot does not leave smoke deposits on the wood, which is the case with traditional machines. This eliminates the need for manual sanding, which in turn saves time.
Construction kit must be user-friendly for consumers
The transition to the Autospot immediately addresses a new issue. How can the design be made even more user-friendly? A consumer can order the instrument ready-made, but also as a kit. Assembly should be simple.
'Add tabs' for easy construction
'Tabs' are added to the design. Tabs are small breaks in the cutting line. Visually, this gives the typical character of a kit, but it also increases ease of use. Carefully placed tabs keep the parts in the sheet , and they can be easily expressed.
More about the Nerdy Gurdy
Nerdy Gurdy's design is open source and licensed as CC BY-NC 4.0. The working drawings are on the online maker community Thingiverse.
The stringed instrument continues to evolve. Several new versions have come out since the first model. You can order the Nerdy Gurdy ready-made or as a kit: www.nerdygurdy.nl.
