In need of the forum's help assessing a new idea..

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RennStand

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Jun 10, 2016
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Location
Florida, USA





The forum admin has kindly allowed me to post this, which I truly appreciate as I really need the forum’s help in taking the next step to turning my idea into an actual product. I’ve always enjoyed caring for the cars in my household, and it was partially through necessity but also the desire to have a bit of fun that I came up with an idea for a new type of safety stand that would allow me to support my cars exactly where the manufacturer says I should. At the onset I thought it should be very light, amazingly compact, height adjustable of course, and most importantly strong and durable enough that I could work under my cars in confidence and safety.

Well I really wanted to see if I could do it, so to make a looooong story short, I drew up multiple designs, had them tested by an engineer from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University for durability, built a few prototypes, and ended up with a couple of granted patents and I still have more pending. It was a lot of hard work, but I had a great time getting to this point … and it’s here that I need your help. I now have to put together a business plan (my first ever) and I need to have an idea of where I could price these. I would like to keep the stands accessible to most DIYers, and at the same time I’d like to keep them built in the USA if possible, but I understand that might pose a bit of a challenge. Still, I’d like to give it a shot.

An article was just written about my stands by one of the mods at NICOclub which is the largest website for Nissan enthusiasts (though the stands work with any make). The author shares his opinions and describes the benefits of the invention far more eloquently than I ever could:
http://www.nicoclub.com/archives/rennstand.html

Please understand that I don’t have any product to sell, and may never, but if you have a moment and you’re willing to, please help me by sharing your initial thoughts of the stands, and what you feel would be an acceptable price range for a pair. Your input is greatly appreciated!

Thank you so much,

Frank Ceravolo
CEO, RennStand Inc.
[email protected]
 
There is a lot that needs to be done in order to bring that to market and be successful. Quite frankly, I'd partner with a company that already has the infrastructure in place to manufacture and market it. You can maintain a measure of control, and you have access to both manufacturing and sales resources you need.

Your costs will depend upon what you have to invest in order to bring your prototypes to market. Partnering with an established manufacturer can keep those costs lower and increase profits.
 
Nice Idea! I'd want to see a beefier pin on the legs, and perhaps a nylon or phenolic pad/cap so the stand has no metal to metal contact.
 
Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit
There is a lot that needs to be done in order to bring that to market and be successful. Quite frankly, I'd partner with a company that already has the infrastructure in place to manufacture and market it. You can maintain a measure of control, and you have access to both manufacturing and sales resources you need.

Your costs will depend upon what you have to invest in order to bring your prototypes to market. Partnering with an established manufacturer can keep those costs lower and increase profits.


Sound advice, i'd somehow patent my designs first so the are not simply copied.
I could see the stand on the right being sold on a site like Griots Garage.
 
I'd buy the stand on the right immediately so nicely done.

Price point for me (a midwesterner where homes are 140k to 240k for lower middle to middle class (think teachers).... Would be about $30-$40 per stand tops.
 
I think the design and functionality of the product are fantastic. I can totally see this in my garage. I love seeing the availability of a pinch-weld adapter. Such an oft-overlooked item. After a little sleuthing, I'd pay $175-200 for a pair based on the current price of high-quality jack stands, depending on capacity and lift height.

The only bit I'd like to maybe see is a non-metal adapter to prevent metal-to-metal contact, especially for the pinch-weld. A nice blow-molded case to store them when disassembled would be a nice addition too.

I'd also look into vehicle-specific adapters, like for Corvette. I could see Corvette guys eating this up:
http://www.corvettemods.com/C5-C6-C7-Cor...CFQctaQodaccF-Q
 
Maybe consider a one piece design for the base to bring the cost down a bit. I also like the idea of non-metal to metal contact. So maybe coat the contact point in some sort of material. That way the paint doesn't gradually grind off. They kind of remind of some push up bars I was looking at the other day. It's nice you don't have to get under the car or drive the car up on ramps. If you need a sales rep let me know. Thank you.
 
Thank you for letting me know you appreciate the design! I've developed a few different adapters, and its possible the production models will have some rubber padding to prevent metal-to-metal contact. I appreciate your input very much!
 
I'm also going to third the suggestion of removing metal to metal contact. Maybe some thick rubber or something. That's a fine 911 you have it up on the stand on. Getting low-to-the-ground cars up in the air aside, I'd want something to cushion the precious car, maybe even cradle it. Liking the "pinch points" idea.

An observation: It looks like you are creating more stability than a standard jack stand? Would it be possible to incorporate a tripod idea, a third leg under load, that goes in the middle, or is there plenty stability with the thick rails as is, and that would be redundant? (Some cars get real heavy, I'm thinking of the first person that tries this on any Rolls Royce, Bentley, or maybe a Jaguar or Aston Martin.. Yep, all the Brits lol. Or full-size Germans or Caddy or Lincoln or whatnot. Regular exotics may not have as much weight..)
 
I really appreciate your input, and I agree with you that the one piece design would be less expensive to manufacture. However, I would have to sacrifice the height adjustability, which in the prototypes is roughly in the 11 to 15 inch range, which could vary in the production models if they ever happen. Keeping the height adjustability in the bases allows me to keep that center piece fairly low-profile so that it can still fit under lower clearance vehicles. By the way, if this ever takes off I'll keep your offer in mind:) Sales is not my strong point unfortunately. Thank you!
 
I like the concept, and agree, a protected contact point is necessary.
I hate to real honest here, but right now, someone has already read this, tweaked it, and has manufacturing in China lined up.
 
If you are going to have them manufactured overseas and have any input to as where, choose Taiwan if your considering China.
 
Thanks for complimenting my car:) That's a 993 I've had since 2009, and I've just about exclusively dona all the maintenance on my own. It's incredible how you can get to know a car the more you work under it, and in was in large part due this car that I was inspired to come up with the idea.

I actually have an adapter now that fits into a recess in the jacking point of that 993, so it is fully connected to the stands throughout their use and so far there has not been any damage to the jacking point from the stands so far, but I agree with you, and ideally I would prefer to cushion it as well, and I thank you for the suggestion!

Regarding the stability, you're absolutely correct as well. The width of the bases fore to aft are about 12", and the side to side width increases as the stands are raised which we thought was pretty cool. We actually did design a support bar that sets after you remove the jack, but the stands were so strong in testing without it that we felt it wasn't needed and just presented an unnecessary additional step. The aluminum models, which are about 90% aluminum, were simulated with a friction coefficient of zero, which even an oil covered floor can't match, and we are able to rate them at 2 tons/pair by industry standards. Two other versions, hybrid and full steel, were incredibly strong. That's just using off the shelf materials too. We also tested for gross misuse, like torsional testing due to one of the feet of the stands coming down on a tool or an uneven surface and they held without structural damage.

I'm happy you mentioned the heavier cars, because I had an incident with one of the prototypes where we were lowering the front of an f350 onto a single stand, and the mechanic who operated the jack let the handle out too quickly and the truck literally fell out of the air with the stand under it. I was expecting at least some visible structural damage, but it didn't budge. I wish I had recorded that lol.

Thank you again for your thoughts and input!
 
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