Realistic objectives that will help you avoid burning your money

In the arena of product development, time and money are in constant opposition and you are paying the bill. Trying to develop a product in a short time frame usually means lots of people working long hours and lots of blind alleys where resource is wasted. You are paying the bill.

Whatever your project is, try to break it into small manageable pieces that you can put a dollar price against and an acceptable time frame around.

Lets' suppose you want to develop a new kind of bicycle, one which has a motor to assist going uphill…the cost of conventional parts such as the frame, seat, lights, brakes can all be accurately identified. If you can use these existing parts in your new design it could save a lot of time. Make a note to tell the developer that this should be part of the development teams' objective, in other words, use existing technology, it is cheaper and readily available.

Identify the “new “ features, in this case it would probably include a small powerful motor, some form of controller to turn it on and off, an uphill, downhill sensor, safety protection to avoid it turning on at the wrong time, a battery with some form of charger and mechanical brackets to mount it all.

What size motor will be needed to accelerate up a 10 degree incline with a person weighing 200lbs sitting on the saddle? Any idea? What happens if someone weighing 50 lbs gets on, will it go into warp drive and take off?

This kind of questioning is what results in a working prototype that has few surprises. Remember that every aspect of design is mating desired function with reality, it takes time and consequently it costs you money. So use existing technology where appropriate, don't re-invent the wheel and be wary of anyone who says they can do it cheaply. A good engineer costs a company about $200K a year in salary, benefits, space to work, equipment, computers, coffee and thinking time, if your project is going to require one engineer working full time for a year or two engineers working for 6 months then expect the project to cost this much plus whatever profit the company adds and of course the materials.

Please call or email us today to discuss your Hi Power RF project and servicing needs; Tel 970 371 0356 or email rfsales@freng.com