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Product Development

With the dual demand of increasing the number of products to market and the need to move these products to market faster, companies are being particularly innovative with product design and development. Come back to this section often to learn who is doing what.

Product Development Assistance from Manufacturing Networks
Small to midsize manufacturers face similar product development challenges as their larger kin, but lack similar resources. The Manufacturing Extension Partnership can offer assistance.

Big needs and limited resources. Both descriptions frequently characterize the small to midsize manufacturer when it comes to product development efforts. However, while smaller enterprises face the same innovation and product development challenges as their larger brethren, the difference is they frequently lack the same breadth of internal resources to tackle the challenges. Luckily, a number of external resources exist to help fill the gap.

For example, such a situation faced manufacturer S.R. Smith in recent years as it sought to redesign and redevelop two rotational-molded pool slides for which it did not have the internal expertise, although it did maintain a small internal engineering team. The situation also faced entrepreneur Walter Berry, who not only had an idea for a toilet flapper replacement that would not leak, but who also had obtained new product development funding to pursue his idea. However, what he needed next was engineering expertise.

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Product Development Articles & News

GE Appoints Tech Center Leader

Current CIO for corporate information services takes helm of advanced manufacturing center

11/19/2009

Improve Your Innovation Pipeline

External collaboration and improved portfolio management are among the strategies for success.

11/18/2009

Boeing Introduces New Version of Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet

First test flight in early 2010

11/18/2009

Hyundai to Roll Out Small Car for Indian Market

Hyundai already has 21% of the Indian market.

11/18/2009

Grant Money Available to Wisconsin Manufacturers

Funds can be used for lean implementations and product-development processes

11/16/2009

High Quality Patents -- The Objective Analysis

As we strive for the high quality of patents sought by President Obama's Strategy for American Innovation, we should thus strive equally to avoid subjective judgments of what does or does not qualify as a patent-worthy invention.

11/16/2009

GE to Set Up China Aviation Joint Venture

Firms await regulatory approval, eye mid-2010 launch.

11/15/2009

Global Demand for Bioplastics to Reach 900,000 Metric Tons by 2013

In the next few years, Braskem and Dow Chemical each plan to open plants in Brazil that will produce polyethylene from sugar cane-based ethanol, while Solvay is expected to open a bio-based polyvinyl chloride facility.

11/13/2009

3D Parts Catalog Technology -- A Critical Business Component for Manufacturers

By optimizing how 'standard parts' are managed and procured, manufacturers can reduce their direct material spend relative to standard parts by an average of 2% in the first year.

11/13/2009

PPG Receives Wind-Development Grant

Company partners with MAG to explore wind-blade materials

11/13/2009

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Events

How a Chemical Manufacturer Boosted Safety, Operational Excellence, and Efficiency with Mobility

11/5/2009

Best Practices in Supply Chain Execution: AMR's Insight, SAP's Vision and Sony's Innovation

11/12/2009

Future of Manufacturing Study, Insights and Warnings: A Roundtable of Industry Experts Weigh In

11/17/2009