New Product Development Process

One of our main service areas here at Perception Engineering is assisting customers with new product development. We serve a wide range of customers in this area, but our approach is typically very similar and systematic by nature. It is first important to recognize what type of new product development project is presented to us and what stage of the development cycle the project is currently at. Is the design still resting in the back of someone’s head or an existing design already in CAD that isn’t quite at the prototype phase? Based on the category, current state of the project, and the needs of the customer, our team will map out the next steps to take and develop a timeline for action. Our process usually follows the depiction below:

We love to have customers be a part of the design process. Keeping our customers up-to-date with their design and getting regular feedback is the most effective way for us to push a design through the development stages. We use the browser-based project tracking software Asana to regularly update our customers in addition to email, Skype meetings, and both on and offsite meetings. While engineering a design with our customers, our team will also be focusing on the constraints of manufacturing. Design without manufacturing intent is a costly process which often involves hours of redesign and further concept development. At Perception Engineering we make sure that your design and prototyping stages are geared toward a manufacture-able product up front to save you time and money later down the road. After the design is generated in SolidWorks, our photo realistic rendering tools and in house FDM printers can give customers a better idea of the look and feel of their product before moving forward. Often this process will spark new ideas and modifications which may require multiple prototypes and further design analysis. When the final design is set, we produce the 2D prints for manufacturing and assist in finding the correct manufacturer for the product.

Some of our most interesting projects have come from inventors with napkin sketch ideas and a desire to create a finished, manufacture-able product. Let our experienced engineering team here at Perception Engineering transform your idea into a tangible design!

Thanks a bunch for taking the time to read our blog. We're always here to help out, so if you have any questions or need any contract services, please feel free to give us a shout! We'd love to hear from you.