engineering – overview
Our professional technical staff has a broad range of engineering expertise, including the following core areas:
- electromechanical product development
- innovative new design concepts
- mechanical engineering design
- electrical engineering including hardware, firmware and software
- systems engineering
- engineering analysis
- technical feasibility assessments
- design audits and due diligence support
- problem solving (FMEA, RCA, CAPA, etc.)
- prototyping, product testing and reliability
Our position in the marketplace is centered on our ability to tackle complex engineering challenges. Our engineering staff members are problem solvers, innovators, detail focused, and team oriented. We can take on any challenge, and it is through our methods, staff, passion, and strategic alliances with several specialty engineering companies that our teams can persevere and arrive upon viable solutions for the most difficult technical hurdles.
Mechanical Engineering
One of our primary competencies at DI is mechanical engineering. Our position in the marketplace is centered on our ability to take top priority projects with a high level of technical complexity from any point in the project through completion.
Mechanical engineering services at DI have a primary focus in the world of new product design and development. In addition, our technical staff tackles a variety of challenging engineering problems and performs design audits, due diligence work, technical viability analyses, engineering analysis work, and design optimization projects.
Over the past twenty years, our team has become expert at a wide variety of prototyping levels, including new exploratory designs, proof-of-concept, alpha and beta prototypes, preproduction and field test prototypes, and production verification. We have extensive experience, as well, with design for manufacturing, engineering testing, reliability, and quality management.
Electrical Systems Engineering
Our electrical engineering team has diverse experience across several product categories and technologies. Our expertise includes:
- Embedded system design
- Hardware, firmware and software
- Various microprocessor platforms
- Rapid electrical system prototyping for proof-of-concept
- Connectivity – WiFi / BLE / Cellular
- Internet of Things (IoT)
- Control systems including motor controls, machine controls, and sensor implementation
- Industrial, medical, automotive, and consumer products
- Automated equipment and semi-automated control systems
- Platforms: Linux / Proprietary / RTOS (freeRTOS/Custom)
- Software development tools: Code Compressor, MPLAB IDE, Keil uVision
- Agile / Confluence
- JIRA / Github / Perforce
Systems Engineering
Systems Engineering is an interdisciplinary approach that focuses on the integration of the various components within an overall product or system. A project starts with defined customer needs, which drive the functional product requirements. The goal is to design a quality product that meets the user needs along with the business and technical objectives.
At DI, our senior engineering staff have broad experience with complex electro-mechanical systems, and we work as integral team members with our clients’ teams to handle tricky technical challenges and ensure project success.
Problem Solving
One of our core skills at Design Integrity is problem solving. Sometimes, we are called in to help with a specific technical issue or design challenge. A product might not be working perfectly in the field, or a new design concept might be failing in the test lab. Other times, we are asked to develop a next generation product or device that performs a task that has never been done before.
Over the years, our team has developed a variety of proprietary problem solving processes that work for different situations and challenges. Our processes range from rapid tactics that some would call “fire fighting” to thorough, comprehensive problem solving efforts rooted in the traditional failure modes and effects analysis methodology.
Whether we work with a rapid or comprehensive approach, our processes involve gaining a thorough understanding of the issue, determining all the possible causes, isolating and eliminating variables, testing hypotheses, and determining the root cause of the problem. Once the root cause is found, our focus shifts to finding a practical solution that is cost effective, relatively fast to implement, and able to be verified with testing.
Design Audits and Due Diligence
Our engineering team supports our customers with a variety of technical due diligence services, including:
- product design audits
- third party technical assessments of engineering systems and products
- design assessments
- technical viability analysis
- technical research and support of mergers and acquisitions
To read more about our technical due diligence services, click on the link below:
Engineering Prototyping
One of our core value-added services involves the fabrication and testing of functional engineering prototypes, including:
- proof of concept (PoC) prototypes – test feasibility / viability / areas of technical risk
- functional prototypes – built and tested to prove out specific functional requirements
- alpha prototypes – typically “looks-like-works-like” prototypes with a level of production intent
- beta prototypes – typically “looks-like-works-like” prototypes that prove functionality, run through cycle life testing, and include housings and handles that simulate the production design with prototype parts
- prepilot production prototypes – typically built with single cavity or unit tooling to verify all requirements
- pilot production prototypes – typically built at the intended factory using certified production tooling
Most of our engineering projects that run from initial concept through production launch involve most if not all of the above-listed prototype builds. Our project planning process includes a review of the full prototyping and testing plan with our clients prior to project approval.
Product Testing
Products sold into the medical, industrial, and consumer product markets need to be designed and developed to high levels of quality and reliability. Otherwise, the products will likely not be well received in the marketplace. Quality and reliability should be designed into the product from the start.
In addition, an extensive engineering testing plan can be developed and implemented to ensure that all key project requirements are tested and verified throughout the program. DI has extensive experience developing new products that require high quality and reliability, and our team has developed proprietary engineering and project management processes over the decades to ensure success.
Early in each project, we recommend the documentation of a test plan that itemizes every test and performance specification the product must pass before production approval. During the project, prototypes and preproduction units can be run through functional, accelerated life, and field testing on site with end users. Statistical data can be analyzed to assure the team that the product meets specifications.
Our senior engineers have developed dozens of complex new products for companies such as Snap-on, Baxter, CASE New Holland (CNH), Miller Electric, Hospira, SRAM and Illinois Tool Works. Extensive product testing has been an integral component to each of our successful new product development programs.
Contact Us Today
Reach out to discuss your engineering needs or talk with a staff member about our expertise.