Benefits of Using An Engineer In Design & Product Development
When you’re designing a product, you might wonder if the additional expense of hiring an engineer to review or develop your product is worth the cost that the engineering would incur. Depending on the product, or the intended use of the product, it can be very beneficial. Following are some key services that engineering can provide.
Structural Review
Design Engineers are trained to look at the big picture of a product and assess the design for form and function to ensure that the product will perform its intended purpose. They know what to look for and how to find answers to many of questions related to design and product development. One of the most important roles that engineers play, particularly in large structural products but also in the smaller and simpler products, is structural review. Structural review involves determining if the strength of the design is going to be acceptable for the intended use of the product. Engineers can determine the loads that are applied to a product and evaluate the product structure to see if the design can support the intended loads. Experienced engineers might even come up with potential load scenarios that an in-experienced person might not even think to consider.
Material Selection
The materials used in the structure of a product are directly related to the strength of the product, and will determine how well the product will hold up in operation. The geometry or shape of the structure must be developed in conjunction with the material used in the product design, to be certain the product will perform as required.
Some products require high-strength materials to keep the strength-to-weight ratio at an acceptable level. Other products might require materials which are more suitable for handling vibrational loads, low-temperatures, high-pressure, or operating in abrasive environments. Whatever the operational scenarios are, an experienced Design Engineer knows what material properties must be considered, and how to select the most appropriate material for the job.
Manufacturability
Experienced Design Engineers are familiar with manufacturing processes and the limitations of those processes. As a result, for those who not familiar with manufacturing and the processes required to generate manufactured products, it can be beneficial to utilize the experience and knowledge of an engineer to develop your product, so it can be manufactured efficiently. An engineer can provide expertise in developing the product, balancing cost, manufacturability and overall design efficiency which can ultimately help to result in lower overall manufacturing costs for a more efficiently designed product.
Codes, Standards and Regulations
Many products have certain requirements related to design, operation or performance that must be met to ensure the product operates in a predictable and safe way. These codes, standards and regulations often define how the relevant products are to be designed and manufactured, inspected, and the quality control requirements related to the development and manufacture of the product. An experienced Design Engineer knows where to look for applicable regulations. They also have experience in interpreting these standards which can sometimes be very complicated to interpret and apply to the design of the product.
Reduced Liability and Peace of Mind
Another significant benefit of utilizing engineering in the development of your products is that an engineer can provide assurance that your product will meet the requirements of what its intended to do. If you are looking to bring a product to market where if the product could fail and cause significant loss, insurance providers may require that the product be approved by an engineer. But even if engineering isn’t required, it can still provide peace of mind with the design in knowing that it has been reviewed by a qualified third party. And if the product does happen to encounter problems in the future, the engineering will be available to back-up the design.
If you have an idea for a product, or you already have a product that you would like to have developed or reviewed by an engineer, connect with us using the link below and find out how we can assist you in bringing your product to market.