LOOP
01METHODOLOGY & PHASING

THE ENGINEERING LIFECYCLE.

Physical products begin as ideas. LOOP structures those ideas into rigorous digital engineering systems. Here is how we progress from initial concept constraints to the final digital delivery archive.

DIGITAL-FIRST DEVELOPMENT:All testing and tolerancing is resolved in software.
NO PHYSICAL TOOLING RE-SPINS
PHASE 01Week 01

01 // DISCOVER.

De-risking the foundation before pushing the first pixel or vector.

TOOLS EMPLOYED:
SolidWorks Volume Studies • Anthropometric Data Tables • Component CAD Repositories
PHASE OBJECTIVE

Understand the core physical problem, target user ergonomic bounds, electronic hardware requirements, and manufacturing cost targets.

KEY ENGINEERING ACTIVITIES
  • Catalog all internal electronics (PCB outlines, connectors, battery volumes, sensors)
  • Establish product bounding box and minimum ergonomic wall thresholds
  • Benchmark competitor hardware architecture and mechanical teardowns
  • Define manufacturing process targets (CNC, injection molding, sheet metal, die-cast)
DELIVERABLES GENERATED AT THIS STAGE:
Hardware Component Volume Matrix
Design & Engineering Constraint Brief
Ergonomic Target Envelope
Target Parting Line & Ingress Protection (IP) Assumptions
PHASE 02Week 02

02 // DEFINE.

Aligning on visual character and spatial organization.

TOOLS EMPLOYED:
Rhino 8 Curvature Modeling • KeyShot Clay Studies • Digital Ergonomic Rigs
PHASE OBJECTIVE

Synthesize constraints into 3 to 4 distinct design engineering directions, balancing silhouette character with internal volumetric packaging.

KEY ENGINEERING ACTIVITIES
  • Generate iterative 3D digital form studies exploring proportions and edge treatments
  • Establish primary datum planes and kinematic layout spines
  • Evaluate human factor grip angles, sightlines, and button actuator ergonomics
  • Review preliminary draft angle logic and mold release directions
DELIVERABLES GENERATED AT THIS STAGE:
3 Distinct 3D Form Directions
Silhouette & Proportion Deck
Component Packaging Overlay (.STEP)
Form Factor Selection Matrix
PHASE 03Weeks 03–04

03 // DESIGN.

Sculpting Class-A curvature and tactile material character.

TOOLS EMPLOYED:
Rhino SubD / Nurbs • KeyShot PBR Shading • Surface Curvature Comb Analyzers
PHASE OBJECTIVE

Refine the selected form direction into a mature, cohesive physical exterior with continuous curvature transitions and specified material finishes.

KEY ENGINEERING ACTIVITIES
  • Model G2/G3 tangent and curvature-continuous exterior surfaces
  • Design parting lines that conceal tooling seams within natural shadow breaks
  • Develop CMF palettes (anodized metals, engineered resins, soft-touch elastomers)
  • Sculpt tactile grip textures, knurling patterns, and micro-perforated acoustic grills
DELIVERABLES GENERATED AT THIS STAGE:
Class-A Surface Geometry (.IGES / .STEP)
CMF Specification Palette (RAL/Pantone/VDI)
High-Resolution 3D Surface Review Deck
Parting Line & Split Strategy Document
PHASE 04Weeks 05–06

04 // ENGINEER.

Building mathematical solid geometry ready for machine shops and tooling.

TOOLS EMPLOYED:
SolidWorks 2026 • Siemens Parasolid Kernel • CAD Clash Detection Engines
PHASE OBJECTIVE

Transform exterior surfaces into fully shelled, production-feasible solid parts with structural ribs, snap fits, fastener towers, and zero interferences.

KEY ENGINEERING ACTIVITIES
  • Build top-down parametric solid models in SolidWorks with labeled feature trees
  • Apply uniform nominal wall thicknesses and tooling draft angles (1.0° to 2.5°)
  • Seat internal electronics, battery pouches, and thermal vapor chambers with exact clearances
  • Run automated digital clash and interference detection sweeps across the entire assembly
DELIVERABLES GENERATED AT THIS STAGE:
Master Parametric Solid CAD Assembly (.SLDASM / .STEP AP242)
Individual Component Solid Part Models (.SLDPRT / .X_T)
Draft Angle & Undercut Tooling Feasibility Audit
Static & Dynamic Interference Report
PHASE 05Week 07

05 // VISUALIZE.

Presenting the product in photorealistic beauty before cutting metal.

TOOLS EMPLOYED:
KeyShot Pro • Blender Cycles • Adobe Photoshop 32-Bit ACEScg
PHASE OBJECTIVE

Produce high-fidelity visual assets for investor decks, marketing teasers, crowdfunding campaigns, and executive sign-off.

KEY ENGINEERING ACTIVITIES
  • Convert CAD solids into dense, clean polygon meshes with custom vertex normals
  • Formulate physically accurate PBR shaders (IOR, roughness, anisotropy, clearcoat)
  • Craft directional studio lighting rigs highlighting form contours and chamfer bevels
  • Render multi-pass 8K EXR and TIFF images with transparent alpha channels
DELIVERABLES GENERATED AT THIS STAGE:
Suite of 8K Ultra-High-Resolution Studio Renders
Macro CMF Detail Shots (Materials, Port Bevels, Knurling)
Transparent & Ghosted Internal Cutaway Passes
Web-Optimized 3D GLB Models and Form Factor Turnarounds
PHASE 06Week 08

06 // DOCUMENT.

Translating digital 3D geometry into legally binding manufacturing standards.

TOOLS EMPLOYED:
AutoCAD / SolidWorks Drawings • Adobe Illustrator Vector • ASME Y14.5 Standards Library
PHASE OBJECTIVE

Generate formal engineering documentation so machine shops and quality inspectors can fabricate and inspect every part to sub-millimeter tolerances.

KEY ENGINEERING ACTIVITIES
  • Draft multi-sheet 2D blueprints according to ASME Y14.5 and ISO 2768 standards
  • Establish datum reference frames (Datums A, B, C) and assign geometric tolerances
  • Illustrate exploded sub-assembly diagrams with numbered balloon callouts
  • Compile a complete multi-level Bill of Materials with material grades and processes
DELIVERABLES GENERATED AT THIS STAGE:
Full 2D Orthographic Drawing Package (Vector PDF & DWG)
Geometric Dimensioning & Tolerancing (GD&T) Feature Control Frames
Axial Exploded-View Assembly Diagrams
Complete Bill of Materials (Excel / CSV / PDF)
PHASE 07Handoff Day

07 // DIGITAL HANDOFF.

The clean handoff to your factories, engineers, and prototyping partners.

TOOLS EMPLOYED:
Secure Cloud Asset Vault • SHA-256 Checksum Verification • Git CAD Versioning
PHASE OBJECTIVE

Package the entire digital engineering system into a standardized, organized archive ready for RFPs, quoting, and rapid tooling.

KEY ENGINEERING ACTIVITIES
  • Organize directory structures with standardized part numbering (LOP-PRJ-XX-XXX)
  • Export neutral formats (.STEP, .IGES, .DWG, .DXF, .PDF, .GLB, .3MF)
  • Write executive release notes detailing revision history and critical tool notes
  • Conduct digital handoff briefing with client engineering or factory representatives
DELIVERABLES GENERATED AT THIS STAGE:
Comprehensive Master Digital Handoff Archive (.ZIP)
Factory Quoting RFP & Manufacturing Brief
Rapid Prototyping Print-Ready Mesh Bundle (.3MF / .STL)
100% Intellectual Property Assignment Certification
TRANSPARENT BOUNDARIES

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER DIGITAL HANDOFF?

Once LOOP completes and certifies your digital delivery package, the master files belong 100% to you. You can distribute them to:

01 // RAPID PROTOTYPING

Upload verified .3MF and .STEP files directly to 3D printing vendors (Formlabs, Protolabs, Xometry) for instant quotes.

02 // CONTRACT FACTORIES

Send 2D blueprints (.DWG/PDF with GD&T) to machine shops and tool makers for precise, competitive tooling bids.

03 // INVESTORS & MARKETING

Deploy photorealistic 8K renders and exploded assembly diagrams into fundraising pitch decks and pre-order campaigns.

READY TO COMMENCE PHASE 01?

Initiate direct intake with LOOP. We audit your component requirements and establish a timeline.

START A PROJECT