How do lock cylinder factories handle customized requirements during the design phase?

1. Demand communication and understanding
The first step in the design phase is to have in-depth demand communication with customers. Customers may have very specific requirements, including the size, material, performance standards, color, appearance design, and special security features of the lock cylinder. To ensure that the factory can accurately understand the customer's needs, the factory's technical team usually has face-to-face discussions with the customer's representatives or through online meetings to understand the needs in detail.

In this link, the factory will not only understand the functional requirements from the customer, the lock cylinder needs to have anti-theft, anti-counterfeiting, impact resistance and other functions, but also confirm the requirements for appearance design. Customers may require the lock cylinder to have certain specific design elements in appearance, such as brand logos, special shapes or textures. This step also includes understanding the product usage scenarios so that the lock cylinder can adapt to different environments, such as commercial buildings, residences, access control systems, etc.

2. Preparation of preliminary design plan
Once the lock cylinder factory fully understands the customer's needs, the design team will begin to draft a preliminary design plan. This stage involves multiple aspects of work, including functional design, structural design, material selection, appearance design, etc.

Functional design: According to customer needs, the factory's designers will formulate the basic functions of the lock core. The lock core may need to have specific protection functions, such as waterproof, dustproof, corrosion-resistant or anti-counterfeiting. Designers will also consider the opening method of the lock core, such as mechanical lock, electronic lock, smart lock, etc.

Structural design: The internal structure of the lock core is the core that determines its security and reliability. Designers will design the internal mechanical structure of the lock core according to functional requirements, such as the configuration of components such as springs, hooks, and steel balls. At this time, the factory will also consider the service life, wear resistance and ease of use of the lock core.

Material selection: The choice of materials is crucial to the performance and security of the lock core. The factory will select the appropriate material according to customer needs. Durable copper alloys and steel are often used to make the main structural parts of the lock core, while for products with high security requirements, higher-grade materials such as stainless steel or hardened steel may be selected. The factory will also consider characteristics such as corrosion resistance and oxidation resistance.

Appearance design: The appearance design is not only related to the beauty of the product, but also to the brand recognition of the product. The factory's designers will design the shape, color, logo position, etc. of the lock core according to the requirements provided by the customer. This stage may also involve surface treatment processes such as electroplating, spraying, polishing, etc.

The design plan is usually drawn in detail through computer-aided design (CAD) software to ensure the accurate expression of design details. The preliminary design plan will be presented in the form of drawings, 3D models or renderings.

3. Customer feedback and modification
After the preliminary design plan is completed, the factory will provide the design drawings or models to the customer for review. The customer will provide feedback on the design based on actual needs and point out any areas that need to be modified. The feedback may include size adjustments, functional enhancements, appearance changes, etc.

In this process, communication between customers and factories is very important. Customers may provide some unique requirements or specific usage scenarios, which are often not fully considered in the preliminary design. The factory's design team needs to make appropriate adjustments based on customer feedback. Possible modifications include adding or reducing certain functional components, changing materials, or improving safety performance.

The factory will repeatedly modify the design plan based on customer feedback until both parties are satisfied. This process sometimes goes through multiple rounds of feedback and adjustments, especially when the design requirements are more complex or personalized, it takes a long time to ensure that every detail perfectly meets the customer's requirements.

4. Sample design and production
After the design is confirmed by the customer, the factory enters the sample production stage. Samples are the key link to verify whether the design meets the expected functions and quality. At this stage, the factory will produce one or more prototype lock cylinder samples according to the final design.

During the sample production process, the factory will use the same materials and processes as mass production to ensure that the quality and performance of the samples are consistent with the final product. After the sample is completed, the factory will conduct a series of functional tests and quality tests on it, including durability tests, anti-theft performance tests, and applicability tests. These tests help verify whether the design can meet customer needs and expectations.

5. Customer verification and optimization
After the customer receives the sample, it will conduct actual tests to verify whether the various functions and performance of the lock cylinder meet the requirements. The customer may test the performance of the lock cylinder in the actual use environment to check whether there are any problems, such as opening smoothness, shock resistance, corrosion resistance, etc.

If the customer finds any problems during the sample testing process, the factory will make further modifications and optimizations based on the customer's feedback. This may include adjusting the internal structure of the lock cylinder, improving the selection of materials, optimizing the appearance design, etc. The optimized samples will be sent to the customer for verification again until the customer is completely satisfied with the design and performance.

6. Design confirmation and production preparation
Once the customer confirms the sample and approves the design, the factory will conduct the final design confirmation. At this point, all design details, including function, material, appearance, size, etc., have been confirmed. After confirmation, the factory will start preparing for mass production and ensure that the design consistency and high quality standards can be maintained during the production process.

The factory will also discuss the mass production schedule, packaging requirements, delivery date and other matters with the customer to ensure that the order can be delivered smoothly and on time.