D'Addario
Locking Guitar Strap
The Planet Lock by D’Addario is a locking guitar strap design that can be easily locked onto any guitar button. The Planet Lock provides peace of mind that the guitar is safe and secure. Our challenge was to design and engineer a manufacturable ratcheting lock in an elegant, thin form factor.
Conceptual Ideation
D’Addario had an earlier version of a locking guitar strap on the market. The existing intellectual property provided a strong starting. Our primary directives were to allow for single hand lock/unlock, create a design that represents the D’Addario brand, make it thinner, reduce the cost to manufacture, and improve robustness.
Mechanical Design
We had to be sure that the finished product was as robust as possible while maintaining minimal thickness so we designed the parts to be assembled using ultrasonic welding. We worked closely with industry leading welding experts to develop features that would ensure the best possible adhesion. In addition, we defined all other manufacturing related details in 3D CAD: ribs and bosses, draft angles, and CMF specifications (colours, materials, and finishes) for the manufacturing partner to execute.