Request for Proposal: Thermally Enhanced Ice Cream Penetration Utensil
1. Project Overview
We are developing a high-performance ice cream utensil ("First Bite") for hard-packed freezer ice cream (-18°C). Please quote a required baseline and optional experimental upgrades:
- Titanium spork body — CNC machined, hollow handle
- Baseline thermal core — fully enclosed 3 mm² copper spine from grip to within 5 mm of the leading edge
- Experimental thermal core — 3 mm low-temperature micro heat pipe with demonstrated -18°C condenser startup
- Optional CVD diamond — local heat-spreader/wear layer on tine leading edges
Weight, BOM, retail price, thermal response, force, dishwasher durability, and food-contact compliance remain prototype targets pending quotes and testing.
2. Quantities & Timeline
50–100
Prototype / pilot run
Q4 2026
Q4 2026
1,000–5,000
First production run
Q1 2027
Q1 2027
10,000+
Scale production
Q2–Q3 2027
Q2–Q3 2027
3. Technical Specifications
3A. Titanium Body (CNC Machining)
| Material | ASTM B348 Grade 2 Titanium (Commercially Pure) |
| Total length | 165 mm (±0.5 mm) |
| Handle | Hollow tube, OD 12mm, wall 1.2mm, length 100mm. Must accept 3mm heat pipe insert. |
| Spork head | 32mm wide, 3 tines. Tine tip thickness 0.6mm tapering from 1.5mm base. Tine edge radius 0.15mm. |
| Surface finish | Bead-blasted matte or brushed (vendor preference). Tine edges polished to Ra < 0.4μm before diamond coating. |
| Tolerances | ±0.1mm on critical dimensions (tine geometry, handle bore). ±0.3mm on non-critical. |
| End caps | Two titanium caps (handle top + handle bottom). Bottom cap has thermal contact pad for heat pipe bonding. Laser-welded or brazed seal. |
3B. Thermal Core (quote both options)
| Baseline | 3 mm² oxygen-free copper spine, fully clad and isolated from food/lip contact |
| Experimental | Sintered-wick copper heat pipe using a low-temperature fluid such as methanol or acetone; vendor to propose fluid, charge, wick, and pressure rating |
| Diameter | 3.0 mm (±0.1 mm) |
| Length | 140 mm (±1 mm) |
| Operating envelope | Demonstrated startup with condenser at -18°C plus survival of the proposed dishwasher wash/dry cycle |
| Thermal data | Provide measured watts transported versus evaporator/condenser temperature and orientation |
| Hermetic seal | Must survive 100+ cycles from -18°C cold-end exposure through the proposed dishwasher maximum with zero leakage or deformation |
| Bend | Optional: 15° bend at 60mm from evaporator end to follow spork head curve. If not possible, straight is acceptable with thermal epoxy bridging. |
| Standards | RoHS compliant. Food-contact safe (sealed inside titanium handle, never contacts food directly). |
3C. CVD Diamond Coating (Surface Treatment)
| Method | Microwave Plasma CVD (MPCVD) or Hot Filament CVD |
| Substrate | Grade 2 titanium spork head (pre-assembled, before handle attachment) |
| Film thickness | 100 μm (acceptable range: 50–200 μm) |
| Coverage area | Leading 15mm of each tine edge (both sides) + leading edge of spork bowl. ~60 mm² total per unit. |
| Adhesion | Must pass tape test (ASTM D3359) and survive 100 dishwasher cycles without delamination |
| Surface finish | Polished to Ra < 0.1 μm after deposition. No尖锐 edges — all diamond-coated edges must maintain 0.15mm radius for lip safety. |
| Deposition temp | ≤750°C (titanium phase transformation limit is 882°C — stay well below) |
3D. Assembly
| Bonding | Thermally conductive epoxy (k ≥ 5 W/m·K) between heat pipe and handle at grip zone + spork head base. Air gap (0.3mm) at mid-handle for thermal isolation. |
| Sealing | Laser weld end caps. Handle must be hermetically sealed (IP68 equivalent — survive indefinite dishwasher immersion). |
| QC | 100% visual inspection. Record tip temperature at 0, 10, and 30 seconds with a 35°C grip fixture and -18°C test medium; compare against bare titanium and solid-copper controls. Batch test: 1 in 50 gets thermal imaging and leak testing. |
4. What We Need From You
- Quote for prototype run (50–100 units) — titanium body machining only
- Quote for prototype run — full assembly (body + heat pipe + diamond coating)
- Quote for production scale (1K, 5K, 10K units) — full assembly
- Estimated lead time for prototypes
- Estimated lead time for production runs
- Which of the three components you can manufacture in-house vs need subcontracted
- CVD diamond coating capability — do you have MPCVD/HFCVD in-house, or can you subcontract?
- Thermal-core sourcing — can you fabricate the copper-spine baseline and source a custom low-temperature 3 mm heat pipe?
- Sample of previous titanium CNC work (photos or physical samples)
- Export/shipping terms to US (FOB, DDP, etc.)
5. Vendor Qualification Requirements
- ISO 9001 minimum (ISO 13485 preferred — medical-grade experience is a plus for food-safe titanium)
- Titanium CNC experience — must have prior production of titanium consumer goods or medical devices
- Heat pipe integration — either in-house capability or proven supply chain for micro heat pipes
- Diamond coating — in-house CVD preferred but subcontracted acceptable if QC is maintained
- Communication — Weekly progress photos during prototyping. English OR Mandarin — buyer is Mandarin-proficient.
- IP — design is published as defensive prior art (public domain). No NDA required, but manufacturing process improvements developed during prototyping remain vendor IP.
Language: 所有沟通均可使用中文。买方会说普通话。
6. Copy-Paste Vendor Message (AliExpress / Alibaba)
For reaching out to vendors on Alibaba/AliExpress messaging. Copy and paste:
Hello,
We are looking for a manufacturing partner for a premium titanium consumer product — a high-performance ice cream utensil.
The baseline product has 2 required components and 2 optional experimental upgrades:
1. CNC machined Grade 2 titanium spork body (hollow handle, 3 tines, 165mm total length)
2. Fully enclosed 3mm² copper thermal spine from grip to near the leading edge
3. Optional: custom 3mm low-temperature micro heat pipe with demonstrated startup at a -18°C condenser
4. Optional: CVD diamond thin film heat-spreader/wear layer on tine edges
Full technical drawings and specifications are available.
Initial order: 50-100 prototype units
Production scale: 1,000-10,000 units within 6 months
Questions for you:
- Can you CNC machine Grade 2 titanium to tight tolerances (±0.1mm)?
- Do you have experience with hollow titanium handles (for inserting components)?
- Can you manufacture the copper-spine baseline?
- Can you source or manufacture a custom 3mm heat pipe whose working fluid and wick are validated with the condenser at -18°C? Commodity water/laptop heat pipes are not acceptable.
- Do you have CVD diamond coating capability (MPCVD or hot filament)?
- If you cannot do all 3 components, which can you do, and can you manage the full assembly with subcontractors?
Please provide:
1. Quote for 100 prototype units (full assembly)
2. Quote for 5,000 and 10,000 production units
3. Lead time for prototypes
4. Photos of previous titanium CNC work
5. Shipping terms to USA (California, 94550)
Looking forward to your response.
Best regards
7. Evaluation Criteria
| Factor | Weight |
|---|---|
| Titanium CNC quality (tolerance, finish, tine geometry) | 30% |
| Full assembly capability (how many components in-house) | 25% |
| Prototype cost and lead time | 20% |
| Production scalability (5K–10K unit cost curve) | 15% |
| Communication quality (English or Mandarin) | 10% |
8. Technical Reference
Full design disclosure with physics analysis, performance model, and comparison table:
🔗 LITF-PA-2026-072: Thermally Enhanced Ice Cream Penetration Utensil
🔗 Open-source CFD simulation (oil-filled vs copper handle)
STL/STEP files available on request after initial vendor qualification.
⏰ Response deadline: August 31, 2026 for prototype round consideration. Rolling evaluation after that for production scaling.