How Rapid Prototyping Helped Redesign the Tim Hortons Coffee Lid

In 2017, design firm One Twenty Three West partnered with Forge Labs to rapidly prototype a redesign of the iconic Tim Hortons coffee lid. The challenge was significant: Tim Hortons serves billions of cups of coffee each year across Canada, and the existing lid had long-standing usability issues—including spillage, uncomfortable drinking edges, and limited recyclability. Even small design improvements could affect millions of customers every day.

Using industrial SLA 3D printing, the design team produced more than 20 prototype iterations in just two weeks, allowing the concept to move from sketches to real-world testing at unprecedented speed. The result was the maple leaf lid design now used across Canada.

SLA-printed prototypes showcasing multiple design iterations of the Tim Hortons lid redesign

The Design Problem

The original Tim Hortons lid had several usability problems:

• Frequent spills during transport due to poor sealing
• Sharp drinking edges that were uncomfortable
• Inconsistent fit with cups across locations
• Non-recyclable material contributing to waste

At Tim Hortons' scale, these issues were magnified. With more than 2 billion lids used each year, even small improvements could have a significant environmental and customer experience impact. The redesign needed to improve functionality while remaining compatible with high-volume injection molding production.

Rapid Iteration

Working from initial sketches, the design team quickly translated concepts into CAD models that could be tested physically. Over two weeks the team produced:

• 20+ CAD design variations
• Multiple SLA prototypes per day
• Daily design reviews and refinements with stakeholders

High-fidelity SLA prototypes demonstrating the evolution from initial concepts to final design

Physical prototypes were tested with real coffee cups to evaluate spill resistance, drinking comfort, lid stiffness and flexibility, and seal performance. Rapid iteration allowed design improvements to be validated within hours rather than weeks.

“The ability to iterate physical prototypes daily allowed us to refine the design quickly and validate functionality before committing to tooling.”

Why SLA Prototyping Was Critical

The lid design required extremely thin features—approximately 0.8 mm wall thickness—similar to injection molded polypropylene. Most 3D printing technologies struggle to produce reliable parts at this dimension.

Industrial stereolithography (SLA) allowed the team to produce prototypes with:

• High dimensional accuracy for proper fit testing
• Smooth surfaces similar to molded plastic
• Realistic thin-wall geometry that behaved like the final product
• Fast turnaround enabling same-day iteration cycles

Forge Labs SLA laboratory featuring industrial 3D Systems ProJet 6000 HD printers

The prototypes were printed in Accura Xtreme White, a resin chosen for its visual similarity to injection-molded polypropylene and its mechanical toughness at thin dimensions. This allowed prototypes to behave similarly to the final molded product during functional testing.

The Maple Leaf Solution

Through rapid iteration, the team eventually converged on a distinctive maple leaf feature integrated into the lid. The maple leaf design solved multiple problems simultaneously:

Concept renders showcasing the maple leaf spill reservoir and improved drinking ergonomics

Spill Control

The recessed maple leaf shape captures small spills during drinking, preventing coffee from running down the side of the cup.

Ergonomic Guidance

The shape naturally indicates where users should drink, creating a comfortable and intuitive drinking position.

Brand Identity

The maple leaf reinforces Tim Hortons' Canadian identity while giving the lid a recognizable visual signature that differentiates it from every other coffee lid on the market.

This design balanced functionality, manufacturability, and branding—a combination that would have been difficult to achieve without the ability to rapidly iterate physical prototypes.

From Prototype to Production

The final design moved into high-volume production using recyclable polypropylene and is now used on Tim Hortons cups across Canada. With billions of units produced each year, the redesign demonstrates how rapid prototyping can improve products that are used daily by millions of people.

The two-week prototyping process replaced what would have traditionally been a 2–3 month development cycle. Early physical validation prevented costly tooling revisions and ensured the design worked correctly before any injection molds were cut.

Lessons for Product Development

This project highlights several key advantages of rapid prototyping for consumer product development:

• Fast iteration cycles reduce development timelines from months to weeks
• Physical prototypes reveal usability issues that CAD models cannot
• Design decisions can be validated before committing to expensive tooling
• Small design improvements scale dramatically in mass production—a lid change affecting billions of units started with a single 3D printed prototype

For high-volume consumer products, early prototyping can prevent costly design errors and significantly accelerate time to market.

Rapid Prototyping Services in Canada

Rapid prototyping allows engineering teams to move from concept to physical product quickly. Using technologies such as SLA, SLS, FDM, and MJF, companies can test form, fit, and functionality before committing to expensive tooling.

At Forge Labs, our rapid prototyping services support:

• Consumer product development
• Industrial product design
• Robotics and automation hardware
• Medical and wearable devices
• Automotive and aerospace components

By producing functional prototypes within days, product teams can evaluate designs early and reduce development risk before entering full production.

Our Rapid Prototyping Process

1. Design Review

Our engineering team reviews CAD files to identify manufacturability issues and recommend the best prototyping technology for the application.

2. Technology Selection

Depending on geometry and performance requirements, prototypes may be produced using:

• SLA for high-resolution parts with fine features
• SLS or MJF for functional nylon components
• FDM for large engineering thermoplastics

3. Prototype Production

Parts are produced using industrial additive manufacturing systems capable of delivering production-quality prototypes with tight tolerances and realistic material properties.

4. Testing and Iteration

Teams evaluate prototypes and refine designs before moving toward tooling or production. This iterative process allows multiple design improvements to occur within days instead of weeks.

Technologies Used for Rapid Prototyping

Modern rapid prototyping relies on several additive manufacturing technologies, each suited to different applications:

SLA (Stereolithography)

High-resolution resin printing ideal for consumer product prototypes and parts with thin features. Learn more about SLA.

SLS (Selective Laser Sintering)

Durable nylon parts suitable for functional testing and end-use applications. Learn more about SLS.

FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling)

Engineering thermoplastics such as ABS, Nylon, and ULTEM for structural prototypes and large-format parts. Learn more about FDM.

MJF (Multi Jet Fusion)

Production-grade nylon prototypes with excellent mechanical properties and fast turnaround. Learn more about MJF.

Each technology allows product teams to evaluate designs under real-world conditions before committing to manufacturing tooling. Explore our full materials library and design guidelines.

Rapid Prototyping Services in Toronto and Canada

Forge Labs supports product development teams across Canada and the United States. Our rapid prototyping services help companies move from CAD design to physical testing quickly, with most prototypes shipping within days of order placement.

Teams across Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, and the broader North American market rely on rapid prototyping to accelerate product development and reduce manufacturing risk. Whether you are developing a consumer product, industrial component, or medical device, our engineering team can recommend the right technology and material for your application.

Further Reading

• SLA Technology Guide
• Rapid Prototyping Services
• SLA Design Guidelines
• Complete Rapid Prototyping Guide
• Materials Library