The first stage of a product idea is designing it. The best way to do this is through an engineer. Communication with your engineer is crucial. See you both as a team. They can help design manufacturer files and create prototypes. The engineer also has an understanding of what is feasible for production. Properly communicating your ideas with them is vital, and misunderstandings about details can cost you time and money.
Be Clear About Your Requirements
Remember that you are going to build this with the engineer. It is important that you share all of the details. Some people hesitate to be open about how a product works to protect its confidentiality. In most cases, hiding details from your engineer is a bad idea. If you are unsure of yourself, then set up an NDA. It is important to find an engineer who you are comfortable with and trust. When your engineer ends up designing a project based on incomplete details that should have been addressed earlier and redesigning it, the lost hours and money are painfully felt.
Ask Questions
The best way to work with your engineer is to explain the why behind the lists and ask questions. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. If you don’t understand why your technician recommends a particular setting, ask them. New ideas can arise through discussion and understanding of the “why”. You should also ask yourself what recommendations he has for the product to meet the required product compliance requirements. These regulations may be different in North America and in Europe.
Be a Little Flexible
Sometimes a feature that you really want in your product may not be possible. Most engineers are great at what they do, but they are not wizards. It may be that a feature of a part can be 3D printed or made using other prototyping techniques, but may not be for large-scale manufacture. It may be technically feasible to produce, but the scrap rate caused by a difficult-to-machine dimension can make it too expensive to be attractive. Your technician should be able to recommend alternative solutions.
There is also the possibility that your engineer does not have the expertise in a particular area required for your project.
If you need help engineering or prototyping your product, please contact us. Our US-based engineering team will be happy to help.
