Strong and Sleek: The Dent Prevent Example of Meeting Product Design Challenges

Even the best drivers in the world have to worry about dents. You might maneuver carefully into a parking spot, but then someone carelessly parks too close, opens their door too fast, and—ding! Other cars can dent ours, no matter how careful we are.

Inventor and entrepreneur Mike Ardrey is striving to make these annoyances more preventable. He invented Dent Prevent, an adjustable, magnetic door guard that protects cars from bumps and scratches. For owners, that means peace of mind. Imagine being able to leave your freshly painted car in a crowded parking lot—completely stress free.

The challenge in creating Dent Prevent was the look: how could the device be attractive and effective?

Unfortunately, when Mike first created the project, he partnered with a manufacturer in China that returned low-quality results. Dent Prevent was a small startup dealing with a manufacturer on the other side of the word—communication didn’t improve, and Mike knew he needed something to change.

Mike met with Porticos US and Porticos Asia, to see if they could help with a redesign of the product and a better manufacture. The goal of the redesign was to ensure that the device was thinner, more attractive, strong enough to withstand environmental conditions, easier to remove (with absolutely no scratches!), and affordable for consumers.

When Porticos started the project, they had access to Mike’s original prototype. Unfortunately, the prototype’s quality plans were flawed, so Porticos redesigned the piece, focusing on fit and mechanism design details to improve manufacturability. The Porticos US team also worked directly with Porticos Asia to consider the supply chain, doing material identification and developing a specific quality plan with part level and final assembly standards. As they worked on the redesigned product, Porticos also developed an intense tolerance and reliability test plan, which could replicate the potentially harsh conditions Dent Prevent would face.

Together, Porticos US and Porticos Asia considered cost; they used a variety of material and enclosure combinations to align with the design and function requirements.

The redesigned device is a thin, inconspicuous product that can be easily elongated or shortened to fit the length of each door and secured in place with the incorporated magnetic strip. It can withstand motion and weather, and can be left on while driving and during inclement conditions. The device is affordable, and if the driver no longer wishes to use it, they can easily remove the apparatus from the door; it will not scratch the exterior, and will leave the vehicle looking damage free.

The effective product design, manufacturing and testing plans, and clear communication resulted in a higher-quality, impressive end product for Dent Prevent. The successful product redesign is an example of how Porticos US and Porticos Asia partner together for product design and high-quality manufacturing. For more technical details, please view the Dent Prevent case study in our portfolio.