Accelerating Product Development for Consumer Goods
Staying Competitive in an Era of Rapid Innovation and Evolving Demand
If your company makes consumer products, you are no doubt aware of several significant developments in recent years that have affected the industry as well as your ability to compete:
• Product performance requirements are increasingly higher or more stringent
• Advanced materials are dictating a need for new, improved processes
• Manufacturers are under increased pressure to reduce product design cycle time
• New talent and labor challenges are impacting growth
To stay ahead in a shifting market, today’s manufacturers must adapt, innovate, and partner effectively.
How can you ensure success in a continually changing environment? Ask EWI!
We have a proven record of helping our customers reduce risks, increase efficiencies, and expedite new process implementation. Here are some examples of how we do it:
Case Study #1
Getting the Right Part to Meet a Performance Requirement
A maker of electronic sensors needed a precision switch assembly from a supplier for a product. When the supplier stopped making the assemblies, the manufacturer had to develop its own assembly process to continue to fulfill customer orders. EWI was asked to review the component designs, materials, quality requirements, and production volumes. EWI worked with the manufacturer to select a resistance weld power supply, weld head, and electrodes appropriate for production, and then developed the welding process to meet all the product requirements. Having established the right equipment and process conditions, the sensor maker now makes, tests, and produces the welded components it needs to meet the increasing demands of its customers.
Case Study #2
Finding the Right Process for a New Component Material
A household tool manufacturer incorporated a new, plastic fuel tank into the design of an outdoor power tool. However, when the device was tested, the tank leaked. EWI diagnosed that the welding method being used to attach the tank could not accommodate slight variations in the dimensions of the supplied plastic part. By modifying the welding process to accommodate the polymer materials, the leakage incidence was significantly reduced to meet the product requirements.
Case Study #3
Reducing Production Cycle Time
A startup company engaged EWI’s plastics engineers for help in developing joint design options for a new home hygiene product. The polymer melt flow generated during welding was modeled using a computer aided design (CAD) approach to ensure that the joint gap would be completely filled with no excess melt escaping as flash. Based on the computer modeling, two joint designs were selected, then machined into the parts, welded, and tested. Having avoided a time-consuming trial-and-error process, the company was able to quickly implement the most robust design and joining process and move forward to high-volume production.
Case Study #4
Addressing Labor and Talent Challenges That Impact Growth
A U.S.-based computer manufacturer needed increase efficiency in its manual assembly workshop and redeploy its limited labor pool for its most critical operations. EWI conducted an onsite assessment of existing assets, procedures, and goals to identify technological solutions. Several process changes were identified to quickly enhance operations, and several repetitive tasks were automated. EWI redesigned product assembly cells utilizing collaborative robots to work alongside human co-workers who could now focus on tasks that required on-the-spot decision making and flexibility.
For a straightforward guide to creating high-quality products for mass production, download Designing Consumer Products for Manufacturability by completing the form below.
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Download EWI’s guide to Designing Consumer Products for Manufacturability today:
Work with EWI
Understanding the applicability and tradeoffs between materials and joining technologies helps product developers make better choices and improve the likelihood of achieving the product’s performance, aesthetic, and ergonomic objectives. EWI’s technology and process experts can assist your team in developing your product design, identifying your technical challenges, and moving forward to production efficiently and successfully.
LET’S TALK. Contact EWI today to explore your options today.