Case Study – Optimized Performance and 70% Material Cost Reduction Through Advanced Prototyping

Client: Geospace Technologies

Industry: OEM/Technology

Geospace Technologies is a leading provider of technologies for seismic data acquisition and various other industrial applications. For a critical product line requiring specialized components, Geospace needed shielding components stamped from their specified material which was a plastic film laminated metal. Although the part size was considerably larger than the laminated metal parts we typically produce, they were well within our proprietary laminating/stamping scope.

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The Collaboration

When we began the quoting process to produce the required parts we became aware of the cost of the specified metal material. We have had experience in working with various materials used in various types of shielding. We approached Geospace and inquired if they had ever tested a material that we were suggesting (proprietary) to which they replied they never did. We had material in house and asked if they would like us to send some for them to test. The suggested material was more than 70 percent lower in cost than the specified material. Geospace was anxious to try the suggested material so we shipped a sample quantity that day. In a few days we got a call from the engineer at Geospace thanking us for the suggestion that turned out to exceed the performance of the original specified material and was a major cost reduction.

The Solution

Geospace partnered with QDP Inc., leveraging their expertise in lamination, stamping, and rapid prototyping. QDP initiated the project by focusing on material science and value engineering before full-scale production began. QDP’s solution involved:

• Advanced Prototyping: QDP recommended and executed a prototyping phase dedicated to testing alternate, commercially available film and metal substrates that met the performance requirements.
• Material Validation: Through rigorous testing Geospace successfully identified, validated, and proved the viability of a QDP recommended completely different material set.
• Agile Project Management: Midway through the project, the client required a modification of the stamping die. Since QDP typically designs our tooling when producing a new part that allows for engineering changes as cost effective as possible. We were able to modify the stamping tool for a minimal cost and remain in the schedule for delivery.

The Results

QDP Inc.’s proactive material prototyping and agile execution delivered exceptional, measurable results for Geospace Technologies:

70% Material Cost Savings: The alternate material combination recommended and validated by QDP resulted in a massive 70% reduction in material costs compared to the original specification, generating significant long-term savings for Geospace Technologies.

Superior Component Performance: The validated, cost-saving material did not compromise quality; in fact, it outperformed the original material in the component’s critical functional requirements.

100% On-Time Delivery: Despite the major, mid-project requirement for a stamping die reconfiguration, QDP successfully delivered the entire project on schedule, demonstrating exceptional resilience and project management discipline.