The term “invention” is usually reserved for some product or process that has not been proven or patented before. Product design can certainly be part of an invention. Design is the process that shapes an idea or concept and brings it to something that is visual or tangible. You really cannot invent something without some sort of design concept. They are terms that are not mutually independent.
Questions often asked about injection molding and automation. As always, we are here to answer any other questions you have through the contact form or directly by phone.
How do you determine costs?
The materials costs depend on whether your resin is a “commodity,” if your color is custom or “standard,” and packaging specifics.
Who builds what an engineer designs?
Noble uses a network of suppliers to achieve product design. Our team brings specialists in tooling, controls, packaging, and electronics together to provide complete solutions for our clients.
Why do businesses need strategic sourcing?
Noble has been a successful addition for clients looking to reshore product manufacturing, particularly to position them for strategic success. The challenges of material supply, transportation, and workforce shortages are hitting around the globe. Our automation, relationship strength, and technical tools serve to make confident those businesses looking for both domestic and overseas options for manufacturing.
Should software engineers be involved in product decisions?
For products that require firmware or a software application, input from software engineers is critical. If you add a button to a product, the software designer/engineer has to be able to make that button work as the product designer wants it to. Product development is a collaborative effort and anyone who has a responsibility in any stage of the development from idea to putting it in the box for the customer should be involved in product decisions. Roles can be small or larger but all have an impact.
How long does the design process take from beginning to end?
Design processes are highly collaborative, and depending on the number of features, can take just a few or several weeks. With a complete design, specialized tooling and components can take another 4-5 months to build. Product qualification depends on the number of components and assembly steps, taking from 2-5 weeks for complete documentation and acceptance.
How do we incorporate robotics?
Noble employs robots in many ways. We use them for work that is complex, but also for quite simple tasks. Depending on the needs of our customers, a robot could be doing very simple repetitive tasks, or working as a central brain to coordinate a number of machines and auxiliaries.
Why does creating a product roadmap matter?
Before embarking on a trip, most of us review GPS data and plan out which way we are going to travel, and plot out stops. The same process applies to developing a product. When will we build it based on market opportunities, resources, and the time for engineering and testing? What else are we passing along the way that might impact this product? How does it fit in our overall trip schedule for the quarter, the year, and the next five years? If we only built one product at a time we might not need a complex roadmap, but we would still need to know which way to go.
What is quality assurance?
Quality assurance (QA) is any systematic process of determining whether a product or service meets the specified requirement. QA is not the actual act of measuring or monitoring a product, it is the act of ensuring this was done correctly.
What is the difference between domestic vs overseas tooling?
For a long time, there existed significant differences in quality and costs between domestic components and overseas tooling. Those gaps are narrowing, and while the direct costs of overseas tooling hold an advantage over domestic molds, the risks associated with overseas molds are getting higher: namely the protection of intellectual property, ancillary costs like tariffs and transportation, and global challenges to the supply chain, workforce, and pandemic-affected transfers of materials.