New Product Introduction Services

Ready to manufacture? Let us help you take your product from production-ready into piloting (EVT, DVT & PVT) and Mass Production.

Once the design is locked into place, suppliers are selected, and DFM is complete, it’s time to start the New Product Introduction phase. Designing, building and validating production tools, assembly jigs & fixtures as well as PCBA fabrication are a handful of the activities during NPI. We deploy a meticulous verification and validation strategy to ensure that your product is validated from an engineering, design and product perspective (EVT, DVT, PVT). Our new product introduction plays a crucial role in product management, reducing errors and ensuring the product conforms to the requirements and industry standards. We can work with you from the very beginning of the piloting phase to enable this until the first production run.

Key Benefits

Cross disciplinary speed

There are a lot of moving parts once DFM is complete and it is not time to sit back and wait for production. We are on the ground in factories overseeing tool shops, PCB fabrication, raw material deliveries and much more. Nothing gets changed or modified without our review and approval. Knowing what to watch for and how to communicate with suppliers effectively are key factors in a successful NPI.

Planning and control

It can be hard to understand how all the parts come together and keep an eye on the big picture. Our project management team oversees all aspects of the project and monitors key activities to keep schedules upto date, mitigate risk and manage expectations. We are your eyes and ears to ensure a timely process and that you hit your project launch date. Your product can reach the consumer and begin generating revenue sooner than you may think.

Process efficiency

As well as designing the product, we also design fixtures for key assembly steps, testing and line balancing to remove bottlenecks from the process. Process flow, cycle times and yield rate all need to be checked, validated and improved to ensure consistent and cost effective manufacturing. Collecting real data is the only way to ensure process stability and efficiency.

Testing and certification

We build custom quality systems and test plans for every product that we work on. Our process ensures engineering and design requirements are tested and confirmed, improvements are logged and implemented, and gate reviews are held to progress from one phase to the next.long-term relationships with certified test labs who will carry out pre-testing and full certification for all necessary regions and requirements (UL, CE, CCC, EMI, EMC etc).

key services

Our trained staff perform a variety of test services for our clients.

Tooling

Injection Moulding

Die Casting

Stamping

PCB Fabrication

SMT

Key Validation Processes

At KD, we have all the knowledge and expertise to analyse and confirm the product meets all criteria before mass production.

Pre-EVT

Ensuring all tools and fixtures are prepared correctly before EVT can be carried out.

Typically all mechanical tools are tested as soon as they are fabricated using what we call T-0 shots. This allows us to modify and improve the tools to optimize the design and efficiency to ensure that we are getting good parts for the EVT build. During this phase we are also working on developing concepts for assembly jigs, test fixtures and quality control plans. PCB’s are being fabricated and checked to ensure specs are being followed and all material is being arranged and inspected.

EVT

Ensuring all technical specifications can be achieved

Typical build: 25–50 units

Building parts using off tool mechanical components and factory made PCBA to ensure all functional requirements of the PRD are met. EVT is the most critical milestone review, and unlike the prototypes, this build is completed with the intended materials and manufacturing processes. This is where design flaws are uncovered after the initial functional analysis and testing. Multiple EVT builds may happen to ensure these flaws have been addressed before moving to DVT.

DVT

Ensuring all technical specifications and design criteria can be achieved

Typical build: 50–200 units

The ideal scenario is to have a mass production-ready configuration to test. In the DVT stage, the main focus is perfecting the tools and techniques for a consistent run and ensuring that the products meet the aesthetics, functional and the environmental requirements. With a typical build of at least 50 units, the products are put through rigorous tests (drop test, life cycle test, environmental test) to ensure they are meeting all reliability requirements and are compliant with regulatory certifications.

PVT

Ensuring the production line can run at full capacity and deliver the required quality and efficiency

Typical build: 500–1000 unitsPVT is the first official production run. This stage is to verify that these products can be made at the volumes required for the target cost. These units theoretically should be suitable to sell and will become part of the volume ramp-up. Yield rates are expected to be lower than production targets but with a clear view to improvement.It is important to implement all quality assurance and quality control procedures during this stage. This will allow the process engineer to check for failures within the manufacturing process prior to mass production.

Hear From Our Clients

Over the years, our team of product experts has helped various clients conceptualise, refine, and successfully launch products to market. Get inspired by our previous work by reading our case studies to understand just how we developed complete solutions for complex products.

Read Case Studies

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