3D Printing Case Study & C-Monsta

In June 2020, we were approached by Mark Yeadon, Founder and Director of C-Monsta, to manufacture a working prototype of his organisation’s state-of-the-art equipment to dry wet suits, fittingly named ‘The Wetsuit Hanger’. Manufactured via our 3D printing capabilities, the completion of this prototype demonstrates the resources on offer here at Get It Made, as orders can be completed from CNC machining, to 3D printing service, to Plastic injection moulding. 

In light of this work, we asked C-Monsta founder Mark Yeadon about what the company’s mission was, and how it started: 

"C-monsta was born out of a love of cold water. Surfing in Scotland in winter, which is the only time we get significant waves, s cold. To stay in the water longer than 5 minutes without becoming hypothermic, you need a wetsuit, boots and gloves. Due to the extremity of the temperatures, when you get back from a surf, your priority is usually self-preservation, getting warmed up in a hot shower, drinking warm fluids and trying to replace some of the calories you have burned.

One of the consequences of this is that your wetsuit, boots and gloves get neglected and end up sitting for days in a tub in the back of a van or car until you find the stinking pile a few days later. When neoprene, which wetsuits are made from, is neglected, it rots the fabric and the seams.

This was all totally unsatisfactory to me so I decided to try to solve the problem and came up with the C-monsta wetsuit hanger. Using my prototype, my wetsuit lifespan lasted two winters instead of one, saving me £350 every two years, I always knew where all my wetsuit kit was, and I never lost a boot or glove. Doubling the lifespan of my kit also has ecological implications - the manufacturer of neoprene is notoriously harmful to the environment. It is a low-tech solution with a relatively high impact on kit maintenance and lifespan.

Before the design of the product could be approved for mass production, our team of project managers undertook the process of curating a working prototype of the component, as can be seen below. The part is for the drying of wetsuits, boots, and gloves, all upon the same piece of equipment, creating a convenient tool for those who are bold enough to brave UK waters (or any water for that matter!). The picture below demonstrates how the wetsuit itself would be hung on the bottom hanger, with sea boots placed upon the far-left and far-right hangers, and gloves on the remaining inside left and right hangers."

When asked about the process of creating a prototype for their product, Mark Yeado stated: 

"I love problem-solving, but this was the first time I had worked on designing and manufacturing a product. I had gotten to a point where I had designed and proved the concept but could not find a way to manufacture it economically. I was given the grant to work with a designer at the Glasgow School of Art, where Nick Bell took my idea, refined it and modelled it for injection moulding. We ran out of time on the project before completing the design, and I couldn't afford to pay for the design to be completed, so I rolled up my sleeves, and worked out how to use Fusion 360 (which is an amazing piece of software) and finished the modelling process on my own. It was at this point that I needed to get a model 3D printed."

At the heart of C-Monsta’s mission is a focus on environmental sustainability. As well as being manufactured in the UK, the entirety of the wetsuit hanger is made from recycled plastics, as C-Monsta bids to leave behind the smallest carbon footprint possible. When asked about the importance he places upon sustainability within his business, Mark Yeadon stated:

"Most brands that are trying to operate ethically have a fairly serious nature and tone, but we are trying to keep it fun and light-hearted and, at the same time, make products that are functionally and environmentally legitimate. We use recycled plastic and recycled packaging. We have done a lot of research into using marine recycled plastic, but it has proved too expensive for now, and C-monsta is too small to have a separate product made from that material, but it is the aspiration of the brand. C-monsta wants to burp and fart its way to B-Corp."

A keen surfer, Mark had thought of the idea of the wetsuit hanger for a long time. However, this was the first time that he had taken a project from the prototype stage to being mass-manufactured on a large scale. We asked him why he trusted the team here at Get It Made to ensure that the vision of his project was honoured:

"I did a lot of phoning around, and very few people could cope with the size of the C-monsta wetsuit hanger, but the guys at Get It Made were up to it. When the model arrived, I was amazed by the quality of the finish. The approach of Get It Made is very straightforward, proactive, pragmatic and professional. They helped me choose the best materials to simulate my final product, were quick to price with good communication, delivery was quick, and the product was perfect. A great experience; I remember how happy I was when the first sample arrived."

And when asked whether he would work with Get It Made again in the future:

"I have been working on other products and had other parts 3D printed elsewhere, but I don't even bother getting prices any more because the standard of finish from Get It Made is so good."

The Wetsuit Hanger is the latest in a long line of products curated by C-Monsta, which continues to grow from strength to strength. As well as the hanger, clothes and even hair combs can be purchased from the company’s website. After the success of these products, we asked Mark whether any new products were on the horizon for C-Monsta

"We have been working on several other products but have prioritised expanding the brand's geographical boundaries. Once we have distribution worked out we can then broaden the product offerings of the brand. We hope that the C-monsta hanger will be a product that all cold water lovers will have access to and be able to offer more fun and innovative products delivered with good humour."

For anyone looking to purchase any products on sale, visit C-Monsta.

Here, at Get It Made, we not seeking to be the world's biggest and most dominant supplier for bespoke manufacturing, we want to partner with a few key clients who we work together very well with. You can be one of them! If you need help with a project you are working on and want to speak to one of our dedicated Project Managers, visit Get It Made and get a 3D Printing quote today.

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