Product Development
In order for leading companies to maintain their competitive advantage in the global marketplace, they must continually develop a constant stream of innovative, new products. As an independent product development company providing a powerful design and innovation capability, Sector Technology can help clients take new, breakthrough products to market.
We have a wide ranging knowledge of current advances in design, engineering and technology and understand the commercial implications of its exploitation. We also have the engineering and project management skills necessary to develop and deliver these innovative, new products.
Driving Future Product Development
Market-Driven Research for Cutting-Edge Solutions
Expert Design Engineering to Bring Ideas to Life
Multi-disciplinary Engineering Expertise
Research & Development
Project Management
Design & Innovation
Our integrated Technology for Innovation capability helps customers leverage a broad range of technologies and integrate them via our multi-disciplinary approach. We provide engineering product design and development services from idea conception through engineering design to technology research & development, technology transfer and production. This allows us to deliver innovative solutions with:
- Significant product performance advantages
- Reduced time to market
- Increased commercial return
- Reduced technical and commercial risk
We start with the customer and use a series of methods that help us to identify all our customer’s product specification needs, both essential and preferred. We also look at end-user requirements above and beyond the specification and pure functionality. This is followed by investigating the design and technology development required in collaboration with our customer, academic institutions and research organisations etc.
The project then passes into the preliminary design phase, where we produce a range of design configurations and concepts for further honing and refinement down to a short-list of preferred options. These are then investigated in more detail, producing preliminary CAD engineering models and calculations to enable final selection to take place.
At the same time, we apply the skills and knowledge necessary to ensure that the product is also optimised for manufacture, cost and reliability with assistance from contract manufacturers, as required.
The best configurations are then put forward for design review with the customer, prior to commencing more detailed design work packages using our extensive CAD and CAE capabilities.
Technology Research & Development
The application of advanced technology and use of effective & innovative research & development is a vital aspect of product development for today’s markets. At Sector Technology, research & development is integrated into the heart of the overall product development process to ensure that we are developing new technologies which provide our customers with an innovative, competitive advantage.
We have worked on many advanced engineering research & development projects for both products and industrial systems. These fall into the following broad categories:
- Advanced Energy Storage Devices
- Advanced Scientific Instruments
- Aerospace Equipment, Structures and Propulsion
- Automation & Robotic Equipment
- Consumer & Industrial Products
- Lifescience & Medical Equipment
- Micro-fluidic Devices
- Renewable Energy & Environmental Products
- Turbomachinery & High Speed Rotating Equipment
- Wind Tunnel & Aerodynamic Equipment
At Sector Technology, our implementation of R&D is broken down into a number of different project management stages. These usually include some, or all, of the following:
- Technology Research & Acquisition
- Technology Analysis
- Technology Transfer
- Prototype Design & Manufacture
- Manufacturing Process Development
- Test Rig Design And Manufacture
- DAQ & Instrumentation Design & Manufacture
- Product Development Testing & Re-design
Manufacture & Production
Whether considering the manufacture of a new, high volume product or that of a one-off, high technology machine, finding the optimum manufacturing route and best manufacturing partners is a key aspect of successful product and machine development. Sector Technology has a wide range of manufacturing contacts & experience for both high technology and high volume production processes and can assist the client in helping to optimise the production route chosen. This could typically consist of the following:
- Discussions with potential manufacturers during the design phase to ensure optimum design for manufacture and address potential problems in advance
- Investigate factors such as: production volume & OEM costs; lead-times; product complexity; near net shape processes; quality, environmental & legislative requirements
- Manufacturing route selection, quality planning and supplier selection
- Production monitoring to solve any technical problems that may arise as quickly as possible
- Inspection buy-off
- Manufacturing process development for new or modified processes, following detailed consultation with the client
- Final assembly and preliminary testing.
- Provision of required manufacturing documentation e.g. build schedules & Certificates of Conformance
Project Management
An important part of our product development process is a proactive & responsive project management system, to control & co-ordinate the necessary effort to ensure the required progress of the project. To achieve this, a Project Engineer/Manager is allocated, with a detailed understanding of the project and a responsibility for driving the project timescales and deliverables. The key aspects of our project management system are as follows:
- The project is broken down into appropriate work packages and issued as a detailed Gantt Chart. This is then used, and modified/updated, to keep the client fully up-dated with progress
- An Engineering Co-ordination Memo system will be established to ensure a monitored and traceable flow of information to and from the client
- A number of formal project reviews will take place as required by the project and client. Typically, this will include, an Initial Design Review, a 30% and 90% (or Final) Design Review, ensuring all design review gate requirements are successfully passed
- Informal, intermediate or ad hoc reviews to also take place during the design process, as required
- Other key reviews will then take place during the manufacturing and build phase, often resulting in a final pass-off or factory acceptance test, depending on the actual project
- Finally, on-site commissioning & testing may also be necessary
Future Development Projects
Sector Technology is frequently involved in new product and technology development for the next generation of products. These are often undertaken in collaboration with joint venture partners who can bring product application, market expertise and potential investment to the project. Some of our future development project areas are indicated below. If any of these are of potential interest, please contact us.
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