Innovative product design ensures that you can deliver a positive experience to end users each and every time your product is used. Therefore, it is important that you understand who your customers are, develop a clear customer experience vision, establish an emotional connection with customers, and create a quality framework for product development. Careful research and development of your ideas are key factors in improving the performance and functionality of both new and redesigned products. The design must be functional and, in many cases, visually appealing as well. But above all, it must be affordable to maintain, support, and manufacture to ensure product longevity and success.
At Kemperle Industries, we have extensive knowledge of the design and engineering pipeline. Whether your design is in its initial stages or somewhere in the midst of creation, we can help bring your vision to life!
Product Development Pipeline
Ideation
It all starts with an idea. Initial design inception often starts with a sketch or outline on paper, sometimes even a basic model in your preferred graphics editor. During our initial consultation, we take the time to discuss your specific needs, design requirements, and the overall goals for your project. Once this information is gathered and sorted, we begin to lay the foundation for an effective custom roadmap. Proper execution of this step ensures each phase of your project is executed properly, and efficiently.
Drafting
Once the information gathering stage is complete, we move into the drafting phase where we build your custom roadmap with actionable steps and executable timelines. This process is fundamental to a well-executed design project. Each step of your project is broken down into phases. These phases are assigned resources and timelines with properly crafted goals in order to ensure your project moves in a smooth and timely manner. The result is a fully visualized custom roadmap that ensures your projects stays on course.
Concept Sketching & CAD Design
In this stage we take the carefully crafted roadmap of the previous stage and begin a process that establishes the foundation for what will ultimately become your design. With the information compiled, we begin a creative process that transcends several stages and many iterations with the primary objective of enabling us to bring your project to life. This stage is the most interactive and generally the most time consuming. Throughout this process you will watch your design evolve and mature until it reaches its peak potential.
Prototyping
In this step, we use the developed CAD Designs to create a functional prototype using one of our many available processes. With everything from 3D Printing, CNC milling, Laser Cutting, and much more we have a variety of different ways to bring your project to life. We typically approach this step in two stages: the Alpha Phase and the Beta Phase. In general, we do not define the number of iterations per stage, but you can expect at least 2-3 and often more, of each depending on the complexity of the design.
Initial Evaluation & Testing
The purpose of this phase is to begin evaluation and testing of the design in its current stage. This stage is intermittent and is also done at several points throughout the design processes. Prototypes are created while progressing through the Alpha and Beta stages in order to test functionality. This information is then used to make any necessary design changes. Most of these changes happen in the Alpha stages. The Beta stage is generally reserved for small refinements and the implementation of any remaining Design for Manufacturing criteria.
Industrial Design & Design For Manufacturing
The criteria for this stage begin during the Concept Sketching & CAD Design phase. By specifying things like materials, hardware, process, and functionality we begin to outline our DFM and Industrial Design requirements. Like a few of the other phases, this one is iterative as well, with the goal of getting the CAD Data to a point where it can be considered for manufacturing.
Life Testing & Final Beta Prototype
A critical but often overlooked step of the entire design process. Once on this stage, your project has reached the apex of the design cycle. The goal of Life Testing is straightforward, does the design hold up to its intended use? Using a design that is frozen we create the necessary test cycles that will stress critical components of your design in order to ensure no part fails before its expected EOL (End of Life). Once tested and fully verified your project is ready for manufacturing.
Manufacturing
This is the final stage of your project. Here we make the necessary preparations for the manufacturing handoff. During this stage, we can help facilitate the transfer process and even help you find the appropriate manufacturing partner for your project ensuring a smooth transition. If your project falls under our Specialized Manufacturing service, we would begin the necessary steps to transition your project into the manufacturing stage. This stage is ongoing and continues for the life of your design.
Areas of Expertise in Product Design and Engineering
Today, intricate components, complicated mechanical systems and their sub-assemblies are key components in a wide variety of products we use today. From tools found in the medical industry to components found in everyday household items, almost everything we come into contact with throughout the course of our day has gone through the product development cycle. At Kemperle Industries, we specialize in the following engineering and product design categories:
Digital transformation has led to highly accurate models of complex systems and the introduction of state-of-the-art digital twins.
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Solve design problems with our engineering expertise; from complex electromechanical assemblies to relatively simple everyday parts we’ve seen almost everything.
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Create product designs that are visually appealing and can stand the test of time to achieve market success and longevity.
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Today’s products are more complex than ever due to their heavy reliance on electronics and integrated electrics. To improve quality and prevent conflicts, designers must offer effective methods of collaboration. It is critical that both disciplines are able to work together to ensure mechanical and electrical cohesion resulting in a better end product.
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There is an increased demand by manufacturing companies for personalized products. We can help create attractive products that meet customer’s expectations without little to no impact on production costs.
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One of the most important steps in product development, and often the most overlooked step is Life Testing. With every product it is critical to put it and any of its critical components through rigorous testing to ensure everything operates within the specified parameters.
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With effective Sustaining Engineering, bring your product back to its fundamentals and identify areas for performance enhancements and improvements.
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Sometimes an already existing design requires optimization or refinement. This is often due to changing times, conditions and circumstances. Allow us to find the most optimal path to +optimizing your design.
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To successfully launch increasingly complex products, balancing and evaluating potentially conflicting performance attributes is critical. Your designs performance can be tested through simulation in order to begin to understand how it will behave within its intended use case.
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From the early stages of development through the end of the process, it is critical to identify and address design problems before they begin to impact things like longevity, operability, performance, and manufacturability. Through simulation individual components in an assembly can be checked and tested to ensure their real world counterparts will behave as expected.
Request a quoteWhy Choose Kemperle Industries?
Kemperle Industries offers an efficient process, the right expertise, advanced tools, and product design services that can assist your company in getting your products to market in expedited fashion. Our expertise in design and engineering will help you meet or exceed your sustainability, aesthetics, and functionality requirements.