From design to series production in six months. Start of series delivery in October 2026.

Short development times, complex geometries, and high demands on quality and process reliability: In a recent project for the electronics industry, INDIA GmbH implemented these requirements in a consistently coordinated development and manufacturing process. Only six months passed from design to series production. The planned production volume was reached just four weeks after initial sampling.

The scope of services includes the production of geometrically complex injection-molded parts on machines with clamping forces of 80 to 550 tons, as well as their printing, assembly, and testing. The finished assemblies are then delivered directly to the customer.

Parallel instead of sequential

In complex plastics projects, the quality of each individual process step is not the sole determining factor for project success. Rather, the interplay between design, tooling technology, process development, quality assurance, and series production is crucial.

INDIA has therefore focused on a close integration of the individual disciplines from the very beginning. Design, tool concept, process planning and quality assurance were brought together early on and, in some cases, processed in parallel.

This approach shortens interfaces and makes it possible to identify and address technical risks during the development phase. At the same time, insights gained from tool and process development can be directly incorporated back into the design.

The essential elements of project management included:

• the early involvement of all relevant departments
• the parallel processing of design, tool and process development
• a clear project responsibility with short decision-making processes
• continuous coordination with the customer
• the early identification and assessment of technical risks
• the preparation of the later series production process already during the development phase

Time as a competitive factor

Especially in the electronics industry, the time to series production is becoming increasingly important. Short product lifecycles, rapid innovation, and a dynamic market environment demand efficient development and manufacturing processes.

For suppliers, this means no longer processing development projects solely sequentially. Instead, processes must be organized in such a way that different disciplines collaborate as early as possible and decisions can be made on a sound technical basis.

The project demonstrates the contribution such an approach can make: Within six months, a production-ready manufacturing process was developed from the design.

From the first part to a stable series

With the completion of the development and qualification phase, series production could start as planned. The planned production volume was reached within four weeks of the initial sampling.

As part of the series production launch, tools and manufacturing processes were further optimized. The focus was particularly on the requirements for geometry and surface finish, as well as the function of the assembled components.

The crucial factor was considering the entire process chain. In addition to injection molding, printing, assembly, testing, packaging, and shipping were also included in the process analysis. This allowed the entire process to be aligned with the requirements of series production.

In addition to process stability, particular emphasis was placed on delivery reliability, low inventory levels and the necessary flexibility for different product variants.

Total Cost of Ownership: Overview of total costs

A holistic development approach not only impacts development time and quality, but also creates the basis for a reliable analysis of the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) .

For the economic evaluation of a supplier, the pure price of the part is only one component of the actual costs. Tooling costs, logistics, quality control, scrap, rework, warehousing, and potential consequential costs due to delivery delays or quality problems can significantly influence the overall costs of a project.

INDIA takes these factors into account during the development phase. Through the close integration of design, tooling technology, process development, quality, and logistics, potential cost and risk drivers can be identified early and incorporated into project decisions.

This shifts the focus from solely considering the unit price to the total costs across the entire process and product lifecycle . For customers, this results in greater cost transparency and improved planning for series production.

Engineering and manufacturing from a single source

The completed project underscores DREUCON’s approach, with its two subsidiaries INDIA and OEHME, that demanding plastics projects are not viewed in isolation according to individual disciplines. Rather, design, tooling, process development, quality assurance, and series production are understood from the outset as an interconnected process.

The result is short development times, a structured series launch and manufacturing processes that are geared towards quality, cost-effectiveness and delivery reliability even during the development phase.

Berlin, October 2026