A part of what we do here at Tresca is developing products for everyone from individual entrepreneurs to large corporations. Our team of engineers has years of experience developing products to ensure our clients are happy with the results. However, what does a product development engineer do? In this article, we’ll talk more about their responsibilities and day-to-day work.
Daily Responsibilities
1. Understanding Project Requirements
Almost every project starts with someone experiencing a problem. Now there may be millions of ways to solve the problem, however, there are specific requirements that any solution must-have. These requirements are what ensures that the end user’s experience is great while using the product that is the solution to the problem!
For any project, it’s important to understand the requirements of the project. The end-user of the product will have requirements and so will the client who is bringing the project to Tresca. Understanding why these requirements have been determined and why they are important will help the product development engineer walk in the shoes of the end-user. They will then be able to design a solution that will be made for the end-user in mind.
2. Product Ideation & Design
Once the engineer understands the problem and the requirements a possible solution must fit into, the fun part of the process starts! The engineer gets to let their imagination and creativity let loose and try to think of as many possible solutions as they can.
After they have thought about all of the possible ways to solve the problem, they will begin to check which one of their ideas fits the requirements of the product. This will bring their list of many ideas down to a select few. This is the reason that understanding the requirements of a project is incredibly important, the engineer must be able to think like the end-user and understand their emotions while experiencing the problem and solution.
Next, they will pick the best idea and begin designing a Computer-Aided Design (CAD) model for their idea. This is a digital 3D model made on a computer that can be used to convey ideas to others.
3. Testing & Iteration
When the CAD model has been completed, digital testing will be done using simulation software and/or a physical prototype will be manufactured to physically undergo testing. The testing may include normal use testing where they would use the product as a normal end-user would use it. It may also include stress testing to make sure that the product can survive the environment that it is meant to be used in.
As testing is completed, the engineer will gain insight into the product design and they will be able to see changes that need to be made to improve the performance of the product. They will then iterate on their design and make changes to the CAD model. Once that is complete, the product will undergo testing again until the engineer is happy with the performance and knows that the product fits into the requirements of the project.
Conclusion
The engineers at Tresca are always working on projects with this general process in mind. Some projects go through the entire process and others only go through parts, however, this process is always a part of a product development engineer’s day-to-day life.
Do you have a project that you need help with? Our team is ready to help you. Working with a company like Tresca Design will aid you in the entire process from start to finish. Your success is our success, from plan to product. Contact us today to talk about your engineering needs.