frequently asked questions

how much does a custom case cost?

CUSTOM CASES VARY IN SIZE, COMPLEXITY, AND MATERIALS. AS A RESULT PRICING CAN VARY A LOT AS WELL. AS A STARTING POINT, IT’S COMMON FOR AN INSERT TO BE VALUED ABOUT THE SAME AS THE CASE SHELL. A $250 RUGGED/WATERPROOF CASE WILL OFTEN HAVE AN INSERT WORTH ABOUT $250 AS WELL. HOWEVER -THERE ARE LOTS OF EXCEPTIONS!

AT STINGRAY, WE DON’T TRY TO UPSELL YOU ON PRODUCTS OR FEATURES YOU DON’T NEED. IF YOU REQUIRE A LOW-COST METHOD OF TRANSPORTING YOUR GOODS, WE CAN CREATE A BARE-BONES DESIGN USING AN ECONOMY GRADE MATERIAL THAT HAS A HIGH DEGREE OF MANUFACTURABILITY TO KEEP COSTS DOWN. WE’RE EXPERTS AT THIS. IF YOUR APPLICATION VALUES AESTHETICS, DURABILITY, LONGEVITY, PREMIUM MATERIALS OR FEATURES, WE CAN CATER TO THAT TOO.

CUSTOM PRODUCTS MOST OFTEN REQUIRE DESIGN FEES. WE OFFER DESIGN SERVICES AT $110/HR.
DESIGN FEES CONSIST OF CAD (COMPUTER AIDED DESIGN), CAM (CNC PROGRAMMING), CREATING PROFESSIONAL LEVEL DRAWINGS, ASSEMBLY MANUALS, QUALITY CONTROL CHECKLISTS, AND SUPPLY CHAIN COORDINATION. ALL THESE STEPS HAVE BEEN STREAMLINED TO HELP DELIVER VALUE. TYPICAL CUSTOM FOAM INSERTS REQUIRE 2-8 HOURS OF DESIGN WORK.

how does the custom development process work?

WE WROTE A WHOLE PAGE ABOUT IT!

CAN I RE-ORDER A FOAM INSERT OR PRODUCT YOU’VE MADE FOR ME IN THE PAST?

ABSOLUTELY. WE KEEP CAD DRAWINGS AND THOROUGH DOCUMENTATION OF YOUR PRODUCT ON FILE SO RE-ORDERS CAN BE MADE EASILY IN THE FUTURE. IN FACT - THIS IS ONE OF OUR STRONGEST SKILLS.

DO YOU MAKE FOAM INSERTS OUT OF DIFFERENT MATERIALS?

YES. WE HAVE A FEW DIFFERENT FOAM MATERIALS THAT ARE GREAT FOR PACKAGING AND FOAM INSERTS. THE EXACT MATERIAL IS GENERALLY APPLICATION SPECIFIC. FORTUNATELY, WE ARE EXPERTS IN THIS AREA, AND CAN HELP DETERMINE THE RIGHT MATERIAL FOR YOUR PROJECT.

can you make custom foam for my tool chest?

YES …BUT IT’S EXPENSIVE. CUSTOM TOOL PALLETS CAN BE MADE, BUT DUE TO THE HIGH DESIGN COST OF DEVELOPING THESE PRODUCTS THE PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS BECOME LIMITED. TYPICALLY, WE DEVELOP TOOL PALLETS FOR SPECIALIZED APPLICATIONS, LIKE INVENTORY CONTROL, OR TOOL ACCOUNTABILITY. WHILE TOOL PALLETS CAN BE EXPENSIVE, COMPARED TO THE COST OF ACCIDENTALLY LEAVING A WRENCH IN THE INLET OF AN AIRCRAFT ENGINE - IT’S A BARGAIN.

what kind of cad files can i send you?

“.STEP” FILES ARE THE INDUSTRY STANDARD. WE CAN ALSO WORK WITH .IGES, AND .X_T FILES.
IN SOME CASES, WE CAN ACCEPT .DXF, AND PLAIN OLD .PDF DRAWINGS. THESE METHODS OF DATA TRANSMISSION HAVE THEIR DRAWBACKS, WHICH SOMETIMES CAN INFLATE DESIGN PRICES. WE PREFER TO AVOID WORKING WITH .SLDPRT .SLDASM, AND FUSION 360 FILES DUE TO THEIR CORRUPTIBILITY.
(FORTUNATELY, SOLIDWORKS AND FUSION360 CAN EASILY EXPORT IN .STEP FORMAT).

WE’RE ALWAYS TRYING TO SAVE YOU MONEY. OFTEN SENDING THE ITEMS DIRECTLY TO US FOR MEASUREMENT IS A BETTER APPROACH WHEN CREATING A CUSTOM FOAM INSERT. FEEL FREE TO SPEAK WITH US ABOUT YOUR SPECIFIC PROJECT! 

can i design my own foam insert and have you cut it out?

YES, YOU CAN … BUT IT’S OFTEN NOT QUITE AS EASY AS IT SEEMS. …AND SOMETIMES COSTS EVEN MORE THAN HAVING US DO THE DESIGN WORK FOR YOU. IT TAKES A PROFESSIONAL DESIGN STAFF MEMBER YEARS TO UNDERSTAND ALL THE NUANCES THAT GO INTO A DESIGN THAT WORKS. ALSO CONSIDER THAT THE DESIGN IS ONLY HALF THE BATTLE - CNC PROGRAMMING AND ASSEMBLY DRAWINGS ARE STILL REQUIRED WHEN PRODUCING PARTS.

can i buy foam from you and cut it myself?

YES! WE STOCK A CLOSED-CELL POLYETHYLENE FOAM THAT IS GREAT FOR D.I.Y.’ERS. FOAM CAN BE CUT WITH A SHARP BLADE, OR A SKILLED HAND CAN USE A HANDHELD ROUTER. WITH THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF PATIENCE, THE FINAL RESULTS CAN BE VERY REWARDING AND ECONOMICAL. YOUTUBE IS A GREAT RESOURCE FOR TIPS AND TRICKS ON HOW TO DO THIS AT HOME.

can I bring you my foam for you to cut?

YES, BUT WITH SOME LIMITATIONS. WE ACCEPT NO LIABILITY FOR CUTTING ERRORS OR ISSUES WHEN MATERIALS ARE SUPPLIED TO US. WHILE WE ARE EXPERTS IN CNC ROUTING, WE ARE WISE ENOUGH TO KNOW MISTAKES HAPPEN FROM TIME TO TIME. SOME MATERIALS ARE NOT PARTICULARLY ROUTER-FRIENDLY, AND WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO PROCESS IT. MATERIAL COSTS REPRESENT ONLY A PART OF THE OVERALL COST OF A CUSTOM FOAM INSERT. MATERIAL PROVIDED CAN SOMETIMES REQUIRE ADDITIONAL PROGRAMMING BE REQUIRED. IN PRACTICE, SUPPLING YOUR OWN MATERIAL GENERALLY DOESN’T SAVE YOU VERY MUCH $$. WE’RE HAPPY TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT IT BEFOREHAND TO SET EXPECTATIONS ACCORDINGLY.

is stingray business-to-business only?

NOPE! WHILE BUSINESS TO BUSINESS TRANSACTIONS ARE MOST COMMON, STINGRAY CAN WORK WITH INDIVIDUALS AS WELL. THE TRUTH IS THAT MOST PROJECTS ARE COST PROHIBITIVE FOR INDIVIDUALS TO UNDERTAKE. UPFRONT DESIGN FEES CAN BE EXPENSIVE WHEN YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A SINGLE FOAM INSERT OR PRODUCT. THIS IS LESS OF A CONCERN FOR BUSINESSES BUYING PARTS IN BULK, AS THE DESIGN FEE ONLY APPLIES ONCE ON THE FIRST PRODUCT MANUFACTURED. FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT TO US TO INQUIRE. THERE’S NO FEE FOR ASKING!