How do I make this?

[Jaakko Fagerlund]

Progressive punch and die, as many have suggested. Then tumble it to get smooth(er) finish and get rid of those nastu sharp edges, then grind/file/whatever to get your "tools" there and finally etch/engrave/silk-screen/something the markings on it.

Takes some serious home shop to do it. Quite big tonnage required for the punching only, bending/folding doesn't take much and the die will be seriously expensive.

[dian]

so what kind of contraption (press) could be employed to punch that out fast? like several per minute?

[TGriffin]

Just outlining the processes, not the tools. And you are correct, electro-polishing is not something to attempt at home, but it's the least labor intensive way I know to get a great finish on a stainless part and it can be done after all of the other operations are complete. An alternative would be to tumble before grinding the cutters, but that would produce a different type of finish.

Quite often it's more cost effective to job some processes out than try to do everything yourself. It would probably be more cost effective to job the entire part out if you have to purchase the equipment to make it, but I'm pretty sure that's not what the OP wants to hear.

Tom

[atomarc]

I'd check with a patent attorney first...this type of product has probably been approached a bazillion times and all this hoopla is for naught! While I'm always one for keeping manufacturing on this side of the ocean, this little do-dad screams 'China'.

Hope I'm not being too negative because I wish you the utmost success in your endeavor.

[RichR]

Production of 500 or so per month would require a sizable (very sizable) investment in quality machines and tools.

Actually, he was looking to knock out 500 per week.

[Mike Burdick]

... I would like to make 500 of these a week (well my design is slightly different but only slightly). ...
Alex

For what it's worth, here's a review of the item the OP is referring to ...

http://keychainpockets.blogspot.com/2011/01/true-utility-keytool-review.html

.

[Alexei]

I'd check with a patent attorney first...this type of product has probably been approached a bazillion times and all this hoopla is for naught! While I'm always one for keeping manufacturing on this side of the ocean, this little do-dad screams 'China'.

Hope I'm not being too negative because I wish you the utmost success in your endeavor.

This product is none patent-able as there is no creative step in its invention i.e. it would be obvious to any metal worker that a bottle opener template could be folded. Anyway I'm changing the design a little so it will be mine.

Loads of crap patents floating around that aren't worth the paper their written on. Wouldn't bother me at all arguing this design in a court of law because that's all it is.

[Alexei]

No I am open to jobbing this one out, just seems to me that the expensive part is going to be the die. Things like this are always stressful if the per part cost is good then I would job it out.

[Rustybolt]

I'm with John and Jaakko on this one. Unless you have a seriously well equiped home shop. Even if lazer cut and engraved the secondary operations on 500 hundred a week would be a full time job without automatic equipment. Things like this are sometimes give aways from job shops that have the equipment and open time to manufacture their own advertisements.

[kendall]

You'll need pretty strong fingers to use those tweezers unless part of the grinding process is to thin the material down for a hinge.

I see secondary ops post fold. Post-fold, the opposite side is out of the way, and fixture would be easier, could also use a knurl to both create the file and acts as a feed wheel for grinding the bevels.
I know your design is not the same, but I see 7 different grinding positions, Perhaps re-arrange realign the tools that require grinding to reduce production steps.

[Mekanizm]

as for the writing on the peace I'll be able to screen print that on or use a pad printer.

I would not have high expectations on the screen or pad printing for the verbiage. I would think durability in a keyring environment would be nil.

[gcude]

This discussion is making the price of Leatherman tools look like a bargain.

[Jaakko Fagerlund]

I don't know for what price presses go for, but just calculated an estimate that the part outline in 1.2 mm stainless requires at least 15-20 tons of force to punch. And this is just a 40 x 50 rectangle. Add to this all the small contours, and other cut outs and the folding and I would say that you are looking at a 50 ton press minimum. But I'm not an expert in knowing what a press needs and what else has to be thought with it, I'm just the guy who makes the tools & dies.

Even designing that die properly requires some knowledge and calculations or it will be short lived item. So at least the design and manufacturing of the die have to be outsourced, unless you are very knowledgeable on these things and own a wire EDM to cut the dies and punches.

[John Stevenson]

wow someones lost there entrepreneurial spark, There must be loads of ways to blank this part out, plasma cut, laser it, punch, chemical mill it etc. Personally I like the ideal of a punch though I'm going to need a pro to advice me on it. Buddy it isn't going to cost £1000 a piece.. How much do your bikes costs anyway?

Alexei,
My original remark was aimed at the guy who said get them 3D printed in stainless and because it's a long slow and expensive process only done by the big boys I'll bet £1,000 isn't far off the mark.

[boslab]

I doubt very much that the gizmo could be made economically in SS at all, perhaps a fundamental rethink would help, firstly the material, anything in SS is going to be a challenge, perhaps replacing it with a nett profile aluminium extrusion would work, could then be slotted and sawn to length, perhaps coloured anodized?
Just an idea, mark