Cast Iron CAD Brighton & Hove · est. 2010
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How it works · Cast Iron CAD

Every product runs ten stages. We work the second half, and partner the factory that builds it.

From validation handoff to manufacturing handover. The diagram we use to keep client and engineer on the same page.

Talk to us about your project See what each pillar delivers
§ 01

The ten-stage development journey.

Licensed from Innovate Engineer

Cast Iron CAD works stages 06 to 10. The first five belong to Innovate Engineer. AI accelerates the routine work at every stage; the time saved goes into engineering judgement, supplier selection and DFM iterations.

Fig. 01 · The ten-stage methodology · second diamond (Design to Manufacture) is Cast Iron CAD's
Ten-stage product development methodology as a double diamond: Idea, Discover, Innovate, Evaluate, Define, Design, Engineer, Develop, Manufacture, Deliver.
§ 02

Stage by stage.

First diamond: Innovate Engineer · second diamond: Cast Iron CAD
  1. Idea
  2. Discover
  3. Innovate
  4. Evaluate
  5. Define
  6. Design
  7. Engineer
  8. Develop
  9. Manufacture
  10. Deliver

Stages 01 to 05

First diamond and the gate · Innovate Engineer

  1. 01 Idea · Frame the purpose and context of the idea

    Find opportunity, Write idea statement, Set expectations, Run viability sprint

  2. 02 Discover · Structured research into problem and opportunity

    Value goal, Industry understanding, Customer persona, Market context enquiry, IP strategy, Stakeholder interviews, Idea brainstorming

  3. 03 Innovate · Generate and group creative responses to research

    Impact mapping, Affinity diagram, Target audience, Technology research, Sustainability, Market context enquiry, Focus groups

  4. 04 Evaluate · Review, refine and validate through structured testing

    Competitor review, Market analysis, Risk assessment, Confirmation bias testing, User workshops, Product themes, MVP definition

  5. 05 Define · Translate evaluated ideas into requirements and constraints

    Design brief, Specification, Moodboard, Timeline and funding plan, Quality function deployment (QFD)

Stages 06 to 10

Second diamond · Cast Iron CAD

  1. 06 Design · Develop early-stage concepts from the defined challenge · Product Design

    Concept brainstorming, Sketching, Mechanical concepts, Electronic concepts, Brand definition, CAD modelling, Drafting, Visuals, Packaging design, Funding research

  2. 07 Engineer · Engineer for manufacturability and compliance · Engineering

    Design for manufacture, CAD construction, Technology review, Materials research, Mechanical analysis, Electrical engineering, Engineering drawings, Patent documentation and design rights, Compliance and industry standards, FMEA, CE / UKCA marking, CAD pre-production, Record iterations and developments

  3. 08 Develop · Create and test physical and functional prototypes · Engineering

    Physical model, Proof of concept, Presentation model, Functional prototype, Pre-production prototype, Production prototypes, Focus group *, A/B testing, Fit form and function, User testing, Destruction and certification testing

  4. 09 Manufacture · Prepare product and process for full production · Manufacture

    Production 3D CAD, Production drawings, Production methods, Supplier selection and RFQ, Quality control documents, Assembly methods, PLM / MRP system, Routing and instructions, Packaging, Master production schedule, Design variant control tied to expected sales

  5. 10 Deliver · Sales, distribution and post-launch support · Manufacture

    Sales forecasting *, Product launch costs, Marketing feedback *, CRM setup *, Marketing plan, Supply chain management and fulfilment, International standards, Product insurance *, Customs *, Sales API link to MRP

* External service, coordinated not delivered.

§ 03

Why this diagram lives at the front of every engagement.

Diagnostic placement, not a marketing visual

Every engagement begins with a placement of your project on this ten-stage diagram. We confirm what’s done, what remains, and whether enough validation work has happened before engineering starts. The placement is itself a deliverable: you take it away whether or not we engage further.

It’s the engineering equivalent of a doctor’s intake. Most consultancies take work as it arrives; they don’t have a structured way to read where a project sits on the development continuum, so they don’t. Cast Iron CAD does, because the framework exists (licensed from Innovate Engineer, where Dave codified it) and because 280+ developed products have taught us what “ready for engineering” actually looks like.

The diagnostic is what produces the great engagements. It also protects you from spending engineering money on a product that needed more validation first. Either outcome is honest.

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A scoping conversation reads where your project sits on the ten stages, agrees the scope, and produces a written agreement.

Talk to us about your project See the four pillars