The Masking Master: an ingeniously designed hand tool
A challenge that many painters encounter is the efficient and precise application of tape during painting or plastering. Product developer Ronald Neutel realized while painting his house, including window frames, door frames, walls, and ceilings, that applying masking tape correctly is a difficult and time-consuming task. The conclusion was that this process could be simpler and more efficient. After surveying all the masking problems encountered in practice, the idea for the Masking Master was born!
Following a market exploration, it became clear that there was a significant market for a product that addresses this challenge, as such a product did not yet exist.
Masking Master was in search of a partner who could both manufacture the product and manage the project related to creating the molds. After discussing proposals with several parties, Fleur Plastics was ultimately chosen for the project.
The Development
The developer already had product drawings and a prototype. However, this prototype was created through 3D printing, so a scan was first needed to assess how suitable the product would be for plastic injection molding. Potential production issues should ideally be addressed in the design phase, as any changes made once the molds are created, when working with steel, become very costly and sometimes impossible.
During the analysis, it quickly became clear that further design optimizations were necessary. Certain "rules" must be followed when designing products for plastic injection molding. For instance, the wall thicknesses needed to be strong enough to ensure a high-quality product but not so thick as to increase cooling time, which would raise the product cost. Additionally, we had to ensure that thick sections were not injected behind thin channels. Thinner material cools faster, so if a channel leading to another compartment is thinner than the following section, proper injection molding becomes impossible.
To keep the project on track, we connected Masking Master with a product designer and facilitated this process. After optimizing the design with the product designer during the design phase, we moved into the mold request phase. In this case, we brought together various parties at the table to thoroughly review all drawings and to examine the molds, especially where injection points would be placed.
This approach brings together four parties with different areas of expertise: ourselves as the injection molding producer, the product designer, the toolmaker, and the product developer with functional oversight. This collaborative effort ensures the best possible outcome for the product.
“I’ve encountered many companies, but I rarely come across one as customer-friendly, supportive, and knowledgeable as Fleur Plastics.” – Ronald Neutel, product developer and founder of Masking Master
The Material
The Masking Master consists of a total of 15 components. These can be divided into 3 categories, each using a different material.
The storage box is made from a polypropylene random. Polypropylene random is a transparent material, allowing the Masking Master to be visible when it is inside the storage box.
The outer parts of the Masking Master are made from a blend of Nylon and Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene, or Nylon ABS. This choice was made because the product will come into contact with acids and bases during use, as well as with UV rays and water when used outdoors. This makes Nylon ABS very suitable for the outer parts of the Masking Master. Additionally, Nylon ABS has high flow properties and greater stiffness, making it more robust, which benefits the durability of the final product.
The inner parts are mounted under tension but are also movable components. For this reason, Polyoxymethylene (POM) was chosen for the inner parts. One advantage of POM is its very high sliding properties, as well as its resilience. For example, there is a ring in the Masking Master where the tape is pressed over, which is mounted with some pre-tension. With POM, it becomes possible to injection mold such components while still achieving a functional product.
The Result
The result is an ingeniously designed hand tool that allows tasks related to painting, spraying, and plastering in and around the house to be performed much faster, more accurately, and ergonomically. With the Masking Master, tape can be perfectly aligned at a distance of 1, 3, or 5 mm, and cut to the correct length for a perfect overlap in the corners, resulting in a professional finish.
The tool can be used to apply, align, and cut masking tape with one hand and in one motion. This not only makes masking five times faster but also safer. The blades always remain within the contours of the Masking Master, and since the tool can be operated with one hand, the other hand is always free to hold onto something when working at height.
