https://lavignelabs.com Brian Barrett is a hardware and manufacturing engineer based in Shenzhen — electronics and PCB design, fast prototyping, and reliable production. 13+ years where hardware actually gets built. Open to a full-time role, or focused project work. en https://lavignelabs.com/articles/designing-moldable-parts/ https://lavignelabs.com/articles/designing-moldable-parts/ Sun, 18 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT Most injection molding problems are designed in, long before the mold is cut. A skimmable checklist for walls, ribs, bosses, corners, holes, text and finish, so the file you send is one a shop can actually mold. Sourcing https://lavignelabs.com/articles/cantilever-snap-fits/ https://lavignelabs.com/articles/cantilever-snap-fits/ Sun, 18 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT Snap fits are some of our favourite features to design. The maths is nice, but a handful of thickness ratios gets you most of the way, and which way the hook faces decides whether the mold is simple or painful. Sourcing https://lavignelabs.com/articles/wechat-shared-history/ https://lavignelabs.com/articles/wechat-shared-history/ Sat, 17 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT WeChat desktop doesn't sync history between computers, so a dual-boot PC ends up with two histories that drift apart. Here is how I pointed both operating systems at one folder, and what went wrong on the way. China tips https://lavignelabs.com/articles/fast-injection-molds/ https://lavignelabs.com/articles/fast-injection-molds/ Fri, 16 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT The standard story says a mold takes 30 days plus revisions. There is another way: 10-day injection molds, cheaper than regular tooling. Here is how they work, what the catch is, and when to use them. Sourcing https://lavignelabs.com/articles/taobao-factory-sourcing/ https://lavignelabs.com/articles/taobao-factory-sourcing/ Thu, 15 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT Taobao looks like a shopping site for phone cases and sneakers. It is also one of the best places to find real factories, including specialised ones. What matters is the supplier, not where you found them. Sourcing 淘宝王 https://lavignelabs.com/articles/lowest-cost-manufacturing-china/ https://lavignelabs.com/articles/lowest-cost-manufacturing-china/ Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT The factory with the polished English-speaking sales team is rarely the cheapest place your part can be made. Here's why, and how to find the people who actually make it. Sourcing https://lavignelabs.com/articles/fast-prototyping-china/ https://lavignelabs.com/articles/fast-prototyping-china/ Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT Many teams prototype with the wrong supplier, then wonder why the replies dry up by revision three. Here's how fast prototyping in China actually works, and who to ask. Sourcing https://lavignelabs.com/articles/yes-doesnt-always-mean-yes/ https://lavignelabs.com/articles/yes-doesnt-always-mean-yes/ Mon, 15 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Most manufacturing disasters I've seen weren't technical — they were communication failures. After 13 years here, this is how I keep 'yes' from becoming a $40,000 surprise. Working in China https://lavignelabs.com/articles/what-landed-cost-includes/ https://lavignelabs.com/articles/what-landed-cost-includes/ Tue, 09 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT The factory quote is the number everyone fixates on — and it's often barely half of what a unit really costs to land on your dock. Here are the line items teams forget. Costing https://lavignelabs.com/articles/vetting-a-factory/ https://lavignelabs.com/articles/vetting-a-factory/ Thu, 28 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT A supplier's quote tells you almost nothing about whether they can actually build your product. Here's what I check — in person — before a cent moves. Sourcing