In this article, we’ll outline the hardware design development strategies that our consultancy has developed over two decades, enabling us to produce top-tier products in the shortest possible timeframes.
Everyone in the field of Product Design knows that managing time and recourses is a very challenging. To bring a product to market in good time, it’s crucial to adopt an accelerated hardware design development process. Doing so without compromising quality requires an efficient strategy with the right blend of knowledge and resources.
Expert Team
i4 Electronics’ team of hardware design and software engineers deliver invaluable expertise and creativity to our design process. Collaborating closely with the other discipline-specific designers within our multidisciplinary design consultancy, our team are familiar with delivering hardware development projects across a wide range of industries (and often on short notice!).
Streamlined Processes
For us, a successful project starts with a comprehensive understanding of our client’s needs. By closely collaborating with them to define their specific goals and requirements, we ensure that backtracking is kept to a minimum, allowing us to focus on progression towards the end result.
Leveraging Existing Libraries
Through years of successfully executing client projects, we’ve developed an array of libraries containing pre-validated components and design templates. For a component to be included in our libraries, it must pass our tests for standards for reliability and quality. This strategy can be adopted by anyone, but after 20 years of scaling our operations, we are positioned for reaping significant benefits. This approach allows us to accelerate project development while maintaining consistency and reliability throughout the process.
We also hold strong relationships with manufacturers to keep our libraries up to date with the latest, industry-leading components.
Testing and Compliance
Ensuring that a project is compliant with regulatory standards from the start is critical. Our engineers bring years of experience in EMC testing and compliance conformity, often working with our regulatory team. Often, regulatory issues can surprise teams late in the project— one of the biggest time drains (due to back-tracking) in electronics design.
By clarifying regulatory requirements at the projects outset, you can avoid the need for time-consuming revisions later on.
Design Reviews
To maximize the chances of achieving a working prototype on the first try, we conduct continuous and detailed hardware design reviews throughout the project. Regularly discussing and testing progress helps to identify and address potential issues early on, thereby minimising rework and delays.
Facilities
A critical advantage in achieving rapid hardware development is the access to comprehensive facilities. At i4PD, we have developed an in-house electronics lab equipped with ESD protection, testing, and rework tools. This allows us to complete rapid prototyping, testing, and debugging jobs. Ensuring that every step of the hardware design development process happens under one roof is another major time-saving advantage.
Achieving noticeable time savings in a hardware design project involves making small gains that add up to a significant overall reduction. Mastering and implementing these processes requires experience and time, our engineers at i4 Electronics have excelled at refining our processes to be as efficient as possible.
To have a look at a selection of previous projects, please have a look at our portfolio of case studies.
If you’ve got a new product or idea you would like to develop, book a call to speak to one of our experienced engineers to discuss the next steps towards rapid hardware development.
