Choosing the right materials for scalable product design
When you’re developing a product meant to scale—whether it’s a consumer gadget, medical device, or industrial component—the materials you choose early on will either support that growth or slow it down. It’s not just about aesthetics or performance; it’s about cost-efficiency, manufacturability, and consistency at higher volumes.
Selecting the right material doesn’t only determine how your product functions—it affects everything from tooling lead times to compliance with regulations, shipping weight, and unit economics.
Why material selection matters more at scale
At the prototyping stage, it’s tempting to choose materials for their speed and ease of use. But what works for five test units might break the budget—or the product—when you’re trying to produce 5,000.
According to McKinsey, companies that align design and engineering with material and process choices early in the product lifecycle can reduce product development costs by 20–30%.
The bigger your rollout, the more the material choice impacts:
- Unit cost per part at various production volumes
- Durability under repeated or extreme use
- Tooling complexity and cost
- Regulatory compliance (especially in medical or food-grade applications)
- Assembly time and compatibility with other components
This is why material selection is never just a line item—it’s a strategic decision.
Comparing similar-looking options that perform differently
Sometimes the toughest material decisions are between two products that seem interchangeable at first glance. For example, in silicone molding, both LSR (liquid silicone rubber) and SSR (solid silicone rubber) may look similar, but they behave very differently in practice.
One version offers better automation potential, making it more suitable for high-volume, low-labor production. The other might be better for compression molding or small-run batches. Understanding the trade-offs between material properties, molding processes, and cost implications is essential.
What to look for when choosing materials
Before settling on a material, ask yourself how it holds up under real production and usage conditions—not just in ideal lab scenarios.
Here are a few core things to evaluate:
- Thermal stability – Will the product be exposed to heat or cold during shipping or use?
- Chemical resistance – Is it likely to come into contact with oils, solvents, or skin?
- Mechanical stress tolerance – Can it handle wear, flexing, or repeated pressure?
- Reproducibility – Does the material behave consistently across large batches?
- Regulatory needs – Will it be used in food, medical, or child-related products?
Matching these criteria to your product’s real-world demands helps avoid costly revisions later.
Scalability means thinking beyond the first batch
One of the most common pitfalls in early-stage product development is choosing a material that’s perfect for small runs but impossible—or very expensive—to scale. Maybe it requires manual trimming. Maybe the cure time is slow. Or maybe it doesn’t bond well with other parts in a more complex assembly.
To ensure scalability, prioritize:
- Automatable processing methods
- Shorter cycle times
- Availability from multiple suppliers
- Predictable behavior under high-volume tooling conditions
Even if a material costs slightly more per unit upfront, if it allows for faster throughput and fewer errors at scale, it often pays off.
Final thought
Choosing the right material isn’t just a technical decision—it’s a business one. The wrong choice can stall your growth, inflate your cost per unit, or lead to quality problems once your product reaches a larger market.
Work closely with your design and manufacturing partners early in the process to stress-test material options. Don’t just think about what works now—think about what will still work when you’re making 10,000 units a month.
The goal isn’t just to launch—it’s to scale smartly, and choosing the right material is a major part of that.