Finish Line Product Development Services, a Friend of FORGE partner, is a product development consultancy complementing your existing product development team with experts, processes and reference designs exclusively for startups and small companies. In this Tools of the Trade, Finish Line drives home how essential documentation is for consistent product quality. If a product fails…
Enterprise Bank, a FORGE Steel partner, is an independent, innovative bank that values the entrepreneurial spirit and stimulates the economy by helping to create new businesses. In this Tools of the Trade, Enterprise Bank Senior Commercial Lending Officer Debbie Novotny goes over the different loans available from the U.S. Small Business Administration. When you need…
Bayard Design, a FORGE Iron partner, provides engineered solutions to its customers’ product design projects. Its team can help run product design projects from concept through to commercial scale. In this Tools of the Trade, Bayard Design writes about what startups can do to cope with ongoing supply chain shortages. The supply chain shortages immediately…
Plastics Manufacturing Resources, a FORGE Iron partner, connects companies to a wide range of plastics manufacturing options, from injection and blow molding to additive manufacturing, thermoforming and more. In this Tools of the Trade, they write about the many industries that can benefit from plastics. If you’re looking into manufacturing your innovative product from plastic,…
Are you a start-up with a cool new concept attempting to build your first proof-of-concept prototype? Or a VC funded company translating your technology to production? Or perhaps a design group in a blue-chip corporation with a new set of specifications for a device? When designing a new device (or redesigning an old one), the…
A Document Review is similar to a Design Review but focuses on communicating the important features of a component or custom part to suppliers, QA personnel, and manufacturing. A Document Review may also cover the release of a Procedure (e.g., manufacturing or test instructions). The document, whether actual paper or an electronic file, is an…
The plastics industry is constantly evolving. Companies and manufacturers are continually looking for new ways to meet consumer demands and new regulations and find new and exciting ways to use and reuse plastic.transparent polymer resin. While the idea of recycling and renewable materials is not new, consumers and lobbying groups have increased the demand for…
Identifying a Contract Manufacturer is an important milestone. Before launching into the search, there are a few key considerations. Precision Products, Inc. (PEKO) of Rochester NY, a FORGE Partner, shares a guide that covers not just who to call, but how to prepare for the selection of a manufacturing partner. The PEKO guide was built…
So many things go into the process of designing and building a prototype. Here are a few general steps in the process. – Find a problem your company wants to solve – Discuss ideas with your team – Research existing knowledge and technology – Design a concept – Explore the market (Does one exist?) –…
Bossard is THE fastener expert. Its services services can help you find the right fastening solutions for manufacturing and make your company more competitive by slashing time to market. This industry leader has complied a list of suggestions below, exclusively for FORGE readers. When designing your product, many questions need to be asked. For example:…
