Successfully Bringing Hardware to Market
Mobile Emotion: How start-ups benefit from platforms without plastic expertise
The First Hardware Start-up for Camping Sites
Guido Rasch founded mobile emotion, a start-up that developed a reservation system called Pitch Control under the Camigo brand. This system allows travelers to search for available RV parking spaces online and make immediate reservations. Pitch Control is a solar-powered pillar at the campsite, connected to an app that displays the booking status in real-time. It also tracks whether an RV is actually on-site. Previously, there was no online booking option for simple campsites despite high demand.
The Search for the Right Process
Guido Rasch developed the Pitch Control hardware from scratch. The electronic outdoor pillar presented him with several challenges. Due to its outdoor use, Pitch Control required a plastic cover that would securely enclose the solar panel and reliably protect the electronics from UV exposure and weather conditions.
"I’m a businessman with a technical inclination, but I had no experience with plastic processing," comments Rasch. While searching for a production method, he moved from silicone and injection molding to thermoforming due to lower tooling costs. He contacted a thermoforming supplier, but they hit a limit during the development of the series product. The cover was drawn from 3mm material thickness, but in real-world testing, it couldn’t withstand the mechanical stresses, and the corners of the deep-drawn part cracked. The problem: the thermoforming machine could not process material thicker than 3mm. Mobile emotion was forced to find an alternative manufacturer and invest again.
Challenge
Development of a camping pillar prototype requiring plastic parts, without prior experience in plastic processing. The previous supplier was unable to deliver the required material thicknesses due to the limited machinery.
Solution
With formary, mobile emotion gained access to a wide range of suppliers and material options. Thanks to quick processes and proactive advice in the area of thermoforming, the start-up was able to realize its prototype in a short period of time.
Switching to the Platform Leads to More Expertise and Proactive Consulting
Guido Rasch used the change of supplier to search for companies that specialize exclusively in thermoforming and could bring more experience-based expertise to his project. Through a Google search, he found formary: "What was on the formary website was exactly what I needed. I provide my requirements, and then something comes back relatively quickly. I felt like I was understood as a start-up with little experience in plastic processing, and at the same time, the processes were streamlined." As a start-up that itself implements digital processes, the digital interface was the reason mobile emotion chose to place their inquiry with formary. Equally important in the decision-making process was the intensive consulting and informative guidance, ranging from technical possibilities to tooling options and material properties. Rasch immediately recognized that formary offered understanding and proactive project development, especially for start-ups with limited prior knowledge.
“What was on the formary website was exactly what I needed. I provide my requirements, and then something comes back relatively quickly. I felt like I was understood as a start-up with little experience in plastic processing, and at the same time, the processes were streamlined.”
— Guido Rasch
formary: The Partner for Optimal Product Development
Together with formary, Camigo redesigned the plastic cover. The key requirement was weather and UV resistance for long-term outdoor use. The prototypes were tested in three different material thicknesses to enable selection based on economic factors and functionality. Stability tests were conducted in two phases, with the results used directly for the installation of the first prototypes. For an upcoming trade show, the second prototypes (including production tools) were delivered in an expedited process. The final plastic cover for the pitch control is made from 8.0mm ABS recycled plastic. The part was formed using a plate machine by a supplier specializing in ABS and shaped with a 5-axis CNC milling machine.
Another important aspect was the connection point between the deep-drawn cover and the column: the cover was designed to slide in rather than be placed over the column. This required a negative tool design, allowing for an overcut on the outside edge to create a seamless, high-quality visual transition to the column.
Additionally, a specific RAL color tone and UV protection were needed for the ABS plastic covers. Since painting is often outside the core expertise of deep-drawing companies, formary sourced the painting service from its post-processing network and integrated it into the overall offering. The painting company was also included in the technical approval call.
How is the Camigo Project Progressing?
In the second series delivery, the fit of the cover for the pitch control will be further refined in collaboration with formary’s design team to improve the product. Camigo has consistently secured additional parking space providers.
At the same time, Camigo remains the only hardware startup brand in the RV parking space sector. Guido Rasch explains, “This is of course time-consuming, but it also protects us from copycats. Anyone can build an app, but developing hardware and molding plastic parts is something not everyone dares to do.”
For upcoming projects, formary will continue to support the hardware startup with expertise, intensive consulting, and a strong supplier network as a reliable partner.
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Founded in 2015 and based in Wangen im Allgäu, mobile emotion GmbH is a company in the IT technology/tourism sector that specializes in the development of an innovative IoT-based reservation system for motorhome pitches. With its user-friendly app and property management system (PMS), mobile emotion offers a modern and efficient solution for travelers and pitch operators.
