BLACK BOXDESIGN SOLUTIONS
Let’s talk
An empty graphite studio with an amber architectural seam, sharing the camera and room of the engineering study.

RONNIE ADSHEAD / MECHANICAL & PRODUCT DESIGN ENGINEER

Out of the dark.
Into the world.

SolidWorks-led mechanical and product design. From concept and prototype to production-ready detail, across industries and manufacturing processes.

Step inside the Black Box

DEFENCE / AEROSPACE / INDUSTRIAL / PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

EAST SUSSEX, UK — REMOTE, HYBRID & ON SITE

Illustrative engineering study: an optical scanner traces the right-hand gate as an amber wireframe beside its matching solid counterpart, with paired reader panels and green entry indicators.

02 DEFINE THE POSSIBLE

Give the idea
a shape.

An idea becomes a model you can question, refine and develop. The same process works for any product.

ILLUSTRATIVE STUDY / ENTRANCE CONTROL

The same fictional gate pair fully resolved: symmetrical housings, matching reader lenses, green inward entry arrows and a centrally mounted cobot with an underside optical scanning head above.

03 RESOLVE THE DETAIL

The detail makes
the difference.

Fit, movement, access and assembly. The details that make a design practical to build, use and maintain.

Explore design engineering
Illustrative CAD studio with an exploded enclosure and rear-housing CAD study, complete desk prototypes, reference-based SpaceMouse Enterprise controls, keyboard, mouse, straight stationery and a face-up caliper. Two near-frontal Bambu H2D printers and a Formlabs printer sit on a dim distant shelf behind the full desk.

04 THE DESIGN STUDIO

The thinking
behind the thing.

SolidWorks, material decisions and physical prototypes. A design process that travels well between industries.

What we can build together

+ INSIDE THE BLACK BOX — DESIGN STUDIES

Illustrative products and studio. Real engineering principles. Client work stays under NDA.

EXPERIENCE ACROSS

Defence

Aerospace

Industrial systems

Entrance control

Commercial products

05 WHAT I DO

Different products.
One engineering mindset.

Extra capacity for your engineering team, or a fresh pair of eyes on a difficult product. I work across components, mechanisms and complete products. Materials, tolerances, tooling and assembly belong in the same conversation—from the first model to the release pack.

01

Mechanical design

FROM CONCEPT TO COMPONENT

Whether it’s one component or a complete assembly, I work through the interfaces, materials and manufacturing decisions, as well as the model.

  • SolidWorks parts, assemblies & surfacing
  • Production drawings, GD&T & drawing packs
  • Design for manufacture & assembly
  • Prototype, fixture & production support
Talk through the engineering
02

Product development

FROM A QUESTION TO A WORKING PRODUCT

Start with a need, a rough concept or a product that needs to improve. I connect the function, materials and process, then work through the iterations that make the idea ready for manufacture.

  • Concept development & product architecture
  • Metal, polymer & electro-mechanical assemblies
  • Prototype, test & design refinement
  • Design for manufacture & production handover
Develop a product together

ALSO BEYOND THE CADOne more thing I build for engineering teams.

03

Practical automation & digital tools

MACROS, SCRIPTS & SMALL TOOLS

Macros, scripts and small tools that take repetitive work off your plate. If you keep doing the same steps in CAD, spreadsheets or file handling, we can look at a simpler way. Built around the way you already work, then tested on your real job. If the tool needs a screen or a web page, I build that too.

  • CAD & spreadsheet macros
  • Scripts for batch tasks, file handling & data cleanup
  • Report generation & connections between tools
  • Simple web tools, configurators & company websites
  • Focused prototypes, testing & practical handover
Find a useful starting point

MATERIALS & PROCESSES

Designed for how
it will be made.

The right shape is only part of the answer. I design with the material, manufacturing route, assembly and working environment in mind.

A press-brake punch folding one full-width sheet into a V, with two straight raised flanges and a single central bend.

01 / FORM & FOLD

Sheet metal & fabrication

Bend allowances, fold sequences, access and assembly. Enclosures, brackets and practical fabricated structures.

A lathe turning a stepped cylindrical component with a carbide cutting tool.

02 / DATUM & TOLERANCE

Machined components

Functional datums, sensible tolerances and tool reach. Design decisions informed by real CNC and CAD/CAM experience.

Plastic granules feeding through a heated screw barrel into a mould cavity.

03 / SHELL & STRUCTURE

Injection-moulded plastics

Wall sections, ribs, draft and clear interfaces. Housings, covers and ergonomic parts that fit the product and the process.

A ladle filling a shot sleeve that injects molten metal into a closed die.

04 / CAST & FINISH

Die-cast components

Robust metal parts, practical tooling and the detail needed for finishing, machining and assembly.

05 / FORM & TRIM

Vacuum-formed products

Draft, radii, tooling and trim profiles. Lightweight shells, covers and panels with a clear route from CAD to manufacture.

Strap clamps securing a workpiece on a tooling plate during drilling.

06 / PROVE & REFINE

Prototypes & fixtures

Printed proof parts, jigs, fixtures and test rigs. Build enough to answer the question, then improve the design.

THE ENGINEER BEHIND THE BOX

One point of contact.
A maker’s mindset.

I'm Ronnie Adshead, a contract mechanical and product design engineer based in East Sussex. I work remotely, hybrid or on site, using SolidWorks to take ideas from concept through to production-ready designs.

I currently work in the defence sector. My wider experience spans aerospace, industrial systems, entrance control and commercial products, with hands-on ownership of designs from the first prototype to production.

Earlier work in 3- and 5-axis CNC and CAD/CAM gives me a practical understanding of tooling, setups and the factory floor. I bring that knowledge into design decisions, supported by SolidWorks PDM, simulation and clear manufacturing documentation.

20+YEARS IN DESIGN ENGINEERING
CSWPSOLIDWORKS CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL

A PRACTICAL WAY FORWARD

Start with the question.
Keep moving forward.

  1. 01 / UNDERSTAND

    Find the real problem.

    A conversation about what needs to work, what’s in the way and where help will make a difference.

  2. 02 / DEVELOP

    Make it tangible.

    Models, prototypes or working screens. Something concrete to test and improve together.

  3. 03 / DELIVER

    Make the next step clear.

    Usable output, explained decisions and a handover that helps you carry the work forward.

EVERY GOOD PROJECT STARTS SOMEWHERE

What’s inside
your black box?

A new idea. A stuck project. Something that could work better. A rough outline is enough to start.

Based in East Sussex. Remote, hybrid and on-site work by arrangement.

Tell me what you’re working on.

Creates an email draft for you to review and send.