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Education » Production Notes

Idea Stage

The idea for Khet started as a college class assignment in a Product Development class under the watchful eye of Dr. Michael Larson. What started out as a laser "Etch-A-Sketch" using a laser pointer and mirrors in a dustlike filled enclosure ended up as Khet, the brainstorm of a bright young student named Luke Hooper. After several failed attempts at the "Laser-Sketch" and a few sleepless nights lying in bed with the laser pointer bouncing off the mirror on the wall, the laser light bulb in Luke's brain illuminated, "How about a board game that uses lasers and mirrors"?

Concept Stage

Once the idea was conceived and deemed feasible, Luke and a classmate, Del Segura began working on bringing the idea into physical being. Initially, Khet consisted of a chopped up Checker board, some matchsticks, clay, plastic mirrors, and a hand held laser pointer.

Even in the early development stages, if was quite evident that the alignment of the laser beam as well as the accuracy of the game board and game pieces was of paramount importance. This proved to be a problem that was not easily overcome. Calculations were done to determine what degree of accuracy was required based on the size of the mirror(s) and number of required ricochets. As in most of engineering and design, some compromises were reached and the design stage began.

Design Stage

The two eager students began working out the details of the design. Computer drawings were created and a method to "nest" the game pieces securely in place was determined. Initially, each of the two laser pointers was designed to slide along one side of the game board. This quickly changed to a stationary laser diode in order to maintain the degree of accuracy required.

It was decided that the board and game pieces would be injection molded in order to maintain consistent dimensions. This type of molding process has its own limitations, as the various components had to be adapted to this manufacturing process with regard to size, shape, thickness, and angles.

Through our exhaustive research into the toy industry we found a stumbling block that could have brought the whole project to a dead stop. Any product sold in the US containing a laser diode had to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Without their approval we could not market Khet. The search for a laser diode that would fulfill the requirements of the game and the FDA began. Several diodes were examined before the final selection was made. A low powered Class II laser diode with a 2000 hour continuous use rating was selected. The documentation and reports were submitted to the FDA and two months later we received their approval.

How many game pieces should the game have? How should the game pieces be set up? How would game play progress? These are some of the many questions/problems that had to be worked out before we could proceed. It took an exhaustive effort and many hours of trial and error game play to work out these details.

Intellectual Property Rights

After determining that Khet could be successful in the marketplace we decided that we should protect our idea. This brings up the subject of intellectual property.

WHAT IS INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY?

Everyone has the right to prevent the unauthorized use or sale of their creations, just the same as owners of physical property, such as cars, buildings, and stores.

The key forms of intellectual property are patents, copyrights, trademarks, and trade secrets. Because intellectual property shares many of the characteristics of real and personal property, associated rights permit intellectual property to be treated as an asset that can be bought, sold, licensed, or even given away at no cost. IP laws enable owners, inventors, and creators to protect their property from unauthorized uses.

Securing the Funding

A project of this size cannot be realized without adequate funding. By now many of our friends and associates had seen and played the game. Several people had offered up funding for a share in the new company that we established, called Innovention Toys.

A small amount of initial funding was supplied by the National Collegiate Inventor's and Innovators Alliance to help us get through the prototype stage. From there, the team decided to fund the idea themselves. Each member put up 1/3 of the start up capital. The start up funding was just enough to build a few prototypes, build the injection molds, and order the first cargo container of games.

Prototype Stage

Before we could go into full production, we had to ensure that our design would work. Prototypes of the various components were made and tested.

A prototype plastic part cannot duplicate exactly the performance of an injection-molded production part unless it is molded in a production environment in a production mold. This is normally impractical, so the best that can be expected is an approximation of a production part.

Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) is one method to develop rapid prototypes or models. The FDM machine builds the part by extruding a semi-molten filament through a heated nozzle in a prescribed pattern onto a platform. A second nozzle may extrude a second material if required. When the first layer is complete, the platform lowers by one layer thickness and the process begins again. The part is easily removed from the platform, supports are removed, and the part is ready.

Testing the Product

Our intention was to market a board game that would appeal to a wide age range of consumers. The team had many people of various age groups and genders play the prototype games to gain valuable feedback. Questionnaires were filled out and this information was used to help determine rules, colors, game set-up, and various other aspects of the game.

Finding the right manufacturer

Toy industry data shows that 80% of the toys sold in the US are manufactured in China. The labor rate is extremely competitive in the world market and after obtaining price quotes from the US, Mexico, and China it was decided that China was the most cost effective.

Luckily for us, we had a fellow student/friend from China who assisted us in finding a manufacturer in China. Although direct communication is impossible because of the language barrier, we fumbled through all of the details of getting Khet mass produced and shipped.

The Manufacturing Process

Plastic injection molding has been around for many decades. The basics of the process are shown below.

Resin is fed to the machine through the hopper. Colorants are usually fed to the machine directly after the hopper. The resins enter the injection barrel by gravity though the feed throat. Upon entrance into the barrel, the resin is heated to the appropriate melting temperature.

The resin is injected into the mold by a reciprocating screw or a ram injector. The reciprocating screw apparatus is shown above. The reciprocating screw offers the advantage of being able to inject a smaller percentage of the total shot (amount of melted resin in the barrel). The ram injector must typically inject at least 20% of the total shot while a screw injector can inject as little as 5% of the total shot. Essentially, the screw injector is better suited for producing smaller parts.

The mold is the part of the machine that receives the plastic and shapes it appropriately. The mold is cooled constantly to a temperature that allows the resin to solidify and be cool to the touch. The mold plates are held together by hydraulic or mechanical force. The clamping force is defined as the injection pressure multiplied by the total cavity projected area. Typically molds are over designed depending on the resin to be used. Each resin has a calculated shrinkage value associated with in.

Sales & Marketing

In order to make the public aware of the product we had to launch an aggressive marketing campaign. With little or no funding available, we had to rely on "word of mouth" advertising and showing our product to the right people. We attended several toy industry trade shows and sent sample products to various magazines.

Recycling the product at the end of its usable life cycle

All manufacturers should consider what happens to their product when it comes to the end of its useful life. The Khet game is designed with a laser diodes rated at 2000 hour of continuous use and replaceable AAA batteries. The game should last for many many years to come. Used batteries should always be disposed of in accordance with local regulations. The Khet game board and game pieces are made of recyclable plastic.

The Future of Khet

An expansion set is available for Khet. It consists of two "beam splitters" that add a whole new dimension and level of strategy to the already exciting game.