I’ve developed two mandolines from the ground up and significantly contributed to the design and engineering of half a dozen more.
Prepsolutions Standing Mandoline
This mandoline features a unique design where the blade moves instead of the food. Utilizing a hopper instead of hand-held operation completely eliminates the risk of cutting fingers. This was likely my most complex product design project, incorporating springs, cams, snap features, and a storage mode. The effort was worthwhile, as it was successfully picked up by Walmart.
Prepsolutions Multi Slicer
Our lowest-cost mandoline, this model still includes several desirable features. It offers julienne cutting, multiple slicing thicknesses, and can be used by hand, on a countertop, or over a bowl. Previously, we had a very old mandoline with entirely removable plates, which was awkward and somewhat dangerous. The new version, which I designed from the ground up, has been sold at Walmart for several years.
Prepworks Dial and Slice Chef’s Mandoline
I designed the core mechanism for this mandoline, while the industrial designer handled most of the CAD work. The mechanism uses a single large cam to adjust the slicing thickness and engage the julienne or French fry thickness blades. To change settings, the user pushes in and twists the knob. A face gear disengages when the knob is pushed, preventing accidental movement and ensuring the cam is in the correct position. This is one of our more premium models, featuring a stainless steel deck, robust frame, and a fold-out steel leg.
Prepworks Adjust-a-Slice Chef’s Mandoline
We later updated our existing Adjust-a-Slice mandoline with a stainless steel deck and new styling to match the first “Chef’s” mandoline.
PL8 Hand Mandoline
This item was designed before I joined the company but sales stagnated so we decided to modify it. My role was to value engineer it, making it more cost competitive. We maintained all functionality but removed most of the costly stainless steel wire while minimizing the tooling investment.
PL8 Mini Mandoline and PS Mini Mandoline
These two are specialized for smaller foods and thin slices. Their compact size makes them particularly easy to handle. They are two variants of similar products at different price points.
