How to Prevent Unexpected Manufacturing R&D Costs

The research and development (R&D) process for manufacturing mission-critical aerospace, medtech, defense, high-tech, or space exploration components can be costlier than expected without the right resources and strategy. This post will outline several ways to prevent expensive delays and redesigns in the R&D phase to keep your project on track and within budget, including:  

  • Engage a single-source component manufacturer to eliminate inefficiencies 
  • Seek a dedicated R&D lab to receive access to all the resources needed for success 
  • Work with design for manufacturing (DFM) experts to ensure your part is optimally designed 
  • Consider rapid prototyping to streamline design, development, and testing 

Continue reading to learn more about these tips for preventing unexpected manufacturing R&D costs on your next mission-critical component manufacturing project.  

Engage a single-source component manufacturer 

Engaging a full-service single-source component manufacturer can help you avoid the hidden costs of managing multiple vendors, helping to take your project from R&D to full production without skipping a beat. Single-source manufacturers, like KMM, offer almost all of critical operations required under one roof to help including:  

With a single-source manufacturer, you can enjoy a smoother project management experience, greater accountability, enhanced design optimization, and increased accuracy.  

Seek a dedicated R&D lab 

Nothing can be more frustrating than enduring unexpected and expensive R&D delays with a manufacturer without a dedicated lab with resources to advance your innovation from concept to completion time-efficiently. However, with access to a full lineup of dedicated state-of-the-art R&D equipment, an ISO class 8 cleanroom if required, and a team of manufacturing experts ready to help expedite your project timeline, the R&D phase will progress quicker and more efficiently to prevent unexpected costs. 

Work with DFM experts 

Working with a mission-critical component manufacturer specializing in design for manufacturing (DFM) is another way to help prevent unexpected R&D costs. This cross-functional discipline involves engineers, designers, technical developers, production experts, and others to ensure a component is optimally designed for manufacturing. DFM helps dodge surprise costs once production begins by catching design flaws or inaccuracies, enhancing accuracy and precision, and improving production efficiency for a shorter new product development cycle. 

Consider rapid prototyping 

Rapid prototyping uses sophisticated technologies like CAD and 3D printing (additive manufacturing) to quickly convert your engineering drawings into high- or low-fidelity prototypes, reducing the time and costs associated with design, development, and testing.  

A few of the time- and cost-saving benefits of rapid prototyping include:  

  • The ability to validate and enhance your designs and concepts early 
  • Perform functionality testing before proceeding to full production 
  • Elicit faster feedback for a speedier R&D process 

However, the most valuable advantage of rapid prototyping is that it’s an effective R&D strategy even for challenging parts with ultra-tight tolerances, difficult materials, and complex designs, making it an essential cost-saving R&D tool for many applications. 

There are many ways to prevent headaches from incurring unexpected costs during the manufacturing R&D phase, including those we’ve explained in this post. Contact our team to discover other strategies and resources to help keep your mission-critical project on track. With a combined 100-year history of bringing innovations to life, we have the technologies, perseverance, and skills to help you achieve the impossible – and protect your bottom line. 

KMM Group, Ltd

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KVI Group, M&S Centerless Grinding and Meron Medical have merged to form KMM Group, Ltd. This exciting collaboration diversifies our offering and better allows us to think big and act boldly while maintaining the same precision and expertise you’ve come to expect.