Engineering is a broad and complex field, encompassing many different disciplines and applications. Many businesses, at some time or another in the product life cycle, could greatly benefit from advanced engineering solutions. Sometimes, however, they are held back from reaching more efficient and streamlined results because they simply don’t know how a product design engineering firm could take their production to the next level. Here is how engineering consulting, such as that offered by Engineering Science Analysis Corp., applies at various levels within the product life cycle.
Concept Engineering
At the concept engineering stage in the product life cycle, a company is embarking on a new product adventure. This can be a costly venture, and by engaging help in the initial phases of the product life cycle, a business can maximize its resources and minimize wasted time. Assistance at this stage includes proposals, technical writing, market analysis and research, and problem analysis.
Product Design
When a company enters the product design phase of the product life cycle, it needs to have the technical capacity to draft or model a product, and it may also need to manufacture and assemble a product prototype. This is the phase when engineering solutions and consulting services can provide support in advising on design requirements.
Validation and Analysis
At the validation and analysis phase of a product’s development, a business is looking to ensure that the product it has designed can perform in the way the designers intended. Modern analysis techniques can allow a company to perform computerized tests to predict how a product will hold up in real-world conditions. These include structural, mechanical, thermal and heat transfer analyses as well as predicting the likely lifespan of a product and its overall reliability.
Implementation and Support
Once a product is ready for market, the job of an engineering consulting firm isn’t over. Manufacturing the product in the real world is an enormous task that many companies seek help with. There are also marketing-oriented challenges to consider, from licensing agreements to finding the right distribution channels. These are all elements that a good engineering consultant can assist with.
The product life cycle has many stages, and at each step in the process there are numerous risks for a company. A smart entrepreneur is always looking at ways to minimize risk and maximize efficiency to streamline processes. By using advanced engineering solutions throughout the product life cycle, a company can reduce costs and improve product reliability.