Modernizing Heritage | Mangaluru Tile Product Development

Mangaluru tiles are a time-tested roofing solution with deep cultural and architectural significance, originating from the coastal regions of Karnataka. Traditionally manufactured using wooden moulds, the industry has gradually transitioned to metal moulds to improve durability and consistency. This project focused on modernizing the tile design while preserving its core identity and functional heritage.

The client approached us to develop a new tile design, validate interlocking performance, and design production-ready moulds suitable for CNC machining. The tile design went through three iterative cycles, with key emphasis on aesthetics, water flow behavior, and interlocking efficiency. 3D-printed prototypes were used to physically test interlocking and fit before committing to tooling.

Once the design was validated, CNC-machined metal moulds were fabricated and tested using clay. Subtle refinements were made to account for material behavior and manufacturing realities, ensuring repeatability and quality in production. The project demonstrates how traditional products can evolve through thoughtful design and manufacturing engineering bridging heritage craftsmanship with modern tooling and production systems.

Impact

Design-to-tooling completed within 3 months across 3 design iterations

50% reduction in development time

45% reduction in overall cost

Faster turnaround time from design validation to production

Eliminated trial-and-error through prototyping and early tooling validation