Industrial design is a combination of applied art and applied science, whereby the aesthetics and usability of mass-produced products may be improved for marketability and production. Industrial designers create and execute design solutions towards problems of form, usability, user ergonomics, engineering, marketing, brand development and sales. Industrial design offers benefits to both users and manufacturers of products. Industrial designers help shape the way we live through the design of products and systems used at home, at work and in the public domain. The origins of industrial design lay in the industrialization of consumer products. Industrial design demands imagination, creative thinking, technical knowledge and a keen awareness of new possibilities. Designers consider not just the physical objects they design but the way things are experienced and used by people in diverse settings.

 

AGS-Engineering is a world-leading product design and development consultancy applying creativity and expertise to ensure your idea becomes a profitable outstanding product for many years to come. We can provide a turn-key development service, taking products from market need right through to production. Alternatively, if preferred we can support clients at any stage in the product development process, working alongside clients’ own teams to provide the specific skills that they need. We have been a leader in the field for many years with exceptional design, engineering and model making facilities. We offer production domestically in the US as well as in China and Taiwan through our offshore facility.

 

Contact us to discuss how our industrial design team can make your products more functional, more marketable, more appealing to customers and serve your company as an advertising and promotional tool. We have seasoned industrial designers with industrial awards ready to help you.

 

Here is a summary of our industrial design work:

​

• DEVELOPMENT: Turn-key development services from idea to product launch. Alternatively, we can support you at any stage and as you wish in the product development process.

 

• CONCEPT GENERATION: We create tangible concepts for an exciting product vision. Our industrial designers generate design solutions for our clients based on the understanding gained from user insights and contextual research. Approaches used include generation of key themes and ideas from user insight, generation of product application scenarios, brainstorming and collaborative creative sessions jointly with customer. We realize and visualize initial concepts in a variety of sketch and physical formats to enable rapid iteration and assessment of early ideas. Our industrial design team and client are then able to review a broad range of ideas and can focus on key ideas for more detailed development. Common techniques include quick brainstorm sketches, storyboard illustrations, foam and cardboard models, rapid prototyping models…etc. After selecting the concept for development, our industrial design team refines the design using a range of rendering and modelling techniques using CAD data which is generated and refined for use in the design for manufacturing activity. Detailed 2D renderings, 3D CAD modelling, high resolution 3D renderings and animations provide realistic visualization and proof of chosen models.

 

• GATHERING USER INSIGHT: We gather insights to create an improved user experience. New and unique insights bring product innovation. Understanding users and consumers is key for gaining these insights and creating products which connect with people and enhance their lives. We undertake design research and user observation to understand the inner-workings of consumer behavior. This allows us to generate relevant concepts and develop them through the design process to useful desirable products. Controlled user testing is a key part of our product developments. We design research programs to investigate user behavior in a controlled environment. This includes identifying samples of required users (age range, lifestyle… etc.), setting up a controlled environment with video and recording equipment, designing and conducting interviews and product testing, analyzing user behavior and interaction with the product, reporting and providing feedback into the design process. The information gathered from human factors research can be directly fed back at early design stages to check direction and functional requirements, test usability and product validation. Information is gathered from many established and specialist sources and own observations, to gain an understanding of users' physical and cognitive requirements from the products under design. In addition, expert input from specialists is used in the design of some products such as medical devices and instruments. In order to ensure that the theoretical data is providing good guidance, we prototype and test our designs through all phases of the design process. Using techniques like foam modelling to test and iterate early concepts, functional prototypes mimicking the mechanical function and material behavior, we ensure our designs are kept on track in all phases of product development.

 

• BRAND DEVELOPMENT: We create a visual brand language, by designing new products for established brands as well as developing a new brand for companies without an existing brand. Much of the World’s business turns around brands and brand names. It is a fact that recognizable brands can sell at higher prices, enjoy better margins and obtain higher levels of customer loyalty than their competitors. Building a brand is about more than just logos, packaging and communications campaigns. When working for established brand name clients we understand the importance of remaining consistent with the core values without becoming constrained by the brand legacy. Our approach enables new ideas, creativity and innovation; yet continues to create products that support and extend the brand. We have a process to enable product led companies to define and build a brand. The process starts with understanding the client company, its products, the competitive landscape and insight into the customers' needs. Using various techniques we express these insights to aid understanding and decision making. We use this analysis in assisting the client in defining the market space. From there, we create a visual design language and brand guidelines which can be used as the basis for the product development and marketing process. A product-led branding development results in a visual design language which provides guidelines for all aspects of the product; including form, details and behavior of key touchpoints, packaging and product naming. The guidelines will enable development of future products within a consistent framework of form, behavior, color, gloss, finish and other specifications.

 

• SUSTAINABLE DESIGNS: We integrate sustainable design into the development process to make better and more sustainable products. Our understanding of sustainable design is maintaining the core qualities of the product whilst improving environmental impact. We consider the entire product supply chain and use evaluation tools to ensure sustainable design changes focus on real improvements. We offer a number of services for creating and implementing sustainable product design. They are product design complying principles of sustainability, green technology development, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) services, redesign for sustainability, training clients on sustainability. Sustainable product design is not just designing an environmentally sensitive product. We must also include the social and economic drivers that make the product commercially viable and appealing to consumers. Sustainable design can provide ways to maximize profits and minimize environmental impacts. Sustainable design or redesign Increases profits through cost reduction and potentially leads to additional sales, improves environmental and social performance, compliance with current and future legislation, results in new intellectual property, improves brand reputation and trust, improves employee motivation & retention. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a process for assessing the environmental aspects associated with a product over its entire life cycle. LCA can be used for analysis of the energy input and carbon output of the life cycle stages to the overall environmental impact with the goal to prioritize improvements on products or processes, comparison between products for internal or external communications, optimization of the environmental performance of a business. Green technology describes knowledge-based products or services that are “green” and “clean”. Green technology products and services can improve performance and efficiency while reducing costs, energy consumption, waste and pollution. Green technology can give clients the competitive advantage through generation of Intellectual Propety and new product and process development. Examples of green technologies we can incorporate in your industrial designs are solar photovoltaic powering of products, using advanced batteries and hybrid systems, implementing and using energy efficient lighting, air conditioning, heating and cooling….etc.

 

• INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY and PATENTS: We development IP to create truly innovative products for our clients. Our team of industrial designers and engineers have developed hundreds of patents for clients in diverse sectors such as consumer products, medical devices, industrial machinery, renewable energy, packaging. Developing intellectual property enables our clients to access regulated markets with successful, innovative and patented products. Our IP process is built on a unique combination of technical knowledge and understanding of patents and the creative and inventive nature of our industrial designers. Our rules on IP ownership are straightforward and under our standard terms of business, if you pay the bill, we transfer the patent rights to you.

 

• ENGINEERING: We turn inspiring concepts into successful products through expert engineering and attention to detail. Our skilled engineers and facilities allow us to take on challenging projects. Our engineering activities include:

 

• Design for manufacture and assembly (DFMA)

• CAD design

• Materials selection

• Selection of processes

• Engineering Analysis - CFD, FEA,Thermodynamics, Optical…etc.

• Cost reduction and value engineering

• System architecture

• Testing and experimentation

• Hardware, software, firmware

 

A product not only needs to work well but also must be manufactured reliably in order to succeed in the more than ever competitive marketplace. The design of each component needs to take into account the materials and manufacturing processes to be as functionally and cost effective as possible. Our assistance in the selection of the right materials goes hand-in-hand with the selection of the manufacturing processes. Some of the factors for material and process selection are:

​​

• ​​​Aesthetics, form and feel

• Shape & size

• Mechanical and electrical properties

• Chemical and fire resistance

• Safety

• Traceability

• Biocompatibility & Sustainability

• Production volumes & tooling budgets & cost targets

​

We refine and predict the performance of components, products and systems using computer analysis and engineering tools and methods before committing to the time and expense of manufacture and testing. Engineering analysis helps us to reduce the number of prototypes, and thereby the cost and time to get to a final design. Our capabilities include Thermodynamics and Fluid Mechanics including calculations and CFD for analysis of fluid flows and heat transfer, Finite Element Analysis (FEA) for analysis of the stress, stiffness and safety of mechanical components, Dynamics Simulations for complex mechanisms, machine elements and moving parts, complex optical analysis and design and other types of specialized analyses. Whether intricate plastic parts for drug delivery or high strength power tools for the home improvement sector, complex mechanisms feature in many of the innovative products we develop.

 

• SIMULATION & MODELING & PROTOTYPING: Simulation, modeling and prototyping is offered at all stages of a project to ensure solutions stay on track. Using CNC and rapid prototyping technologies, our industrial engineering team responds rapidly to support our development projects reducing lead times.

  • Precision CNC machining

  • High accuracy SLA (stereolithography) 3D printing

  • Vacuum casting

  • Thermoforming

  • Woodworking shop

  • Dust free assembly facility

  • Painting and finishing

  • Test laboratory

We can deliver rough models to quickly check ideas and test ergonomics, test rigs to support research and experimentation, detailed aesthetic models for marketing and investor approvals, functional realistic models to obtain initial market feedback, rapid parts to support your in-house development or production, pre-production prototypes for testing, validation and clinical trials, and production assembly of complex high value products. Your SLA 3D printed parts can be painted to your chosen color and finish. We use vacuum casting for pre-production prototypes and marketing models, low volume or short lead time production, low tooling cost small production runs or pre-production release of parts. Vacuum casting offers us very high surface finish and reproduction details, large and small parts, wide choice of finishes, colors and textures. We can take care of all your CNC Prototype Machining needs from one-offs to low volume production runs. A wide range of skills are used to rapidly create finely detailed models at any scale.

 

• REGULATORY SUPPORT: We help you understand the relevant industry standards and regulations from the very beginning on to manage risks and avoid delays. For highly regulated sectors such as medical devices, we have specialist regulatory consultants and we work with safety and performance test houses around the world to suit the needs of the project. Our regulatory services include regulatory submissions for medical devices for CE and FDA approval, safety & performance testing to CE, Class 1, Class 2A and Class 2B, design history documentation, risk analysis, support with clinical trials, assistance with product certification.

 

• TRANSFER TO PRODUCTION: We support you to ensure you get to a reliable, safe, standards and regulations compliant and cost-effective manufacturing of self-promoting products as fast as possible. We identify, assess and manage the potential new suppliers required for the manufacture of your product. We can work in coordination with your purchasing team and provide as much or as little input as required. Our services can include identifying potential suppliers, generating initial questionnaire and assessment criteria, reviewing selection criteria and potential suppliers, preparing and issuing RFQ (request for quotation) documents, reviewing and evaluating quotations and selecting preferred suppliers of products and services, working with our clients' procurement team to assess and assist integration of the supplier to their supply chain. AGS-Engineering assists clients to bring the design solutions into production.

 

A vital part of this process is the manufacture of the production tooling, as this defines the quality levels for the rest of the product's life. Our global manufacturing business AGS-TECH Inc. (see http://www.agstech.net) has extensive experience in custom manufacturing of new products. Injection mould tools made from high quality steel can produce millions of identical parts. Making sure the moulds are made with the correct size, shape, textures and flow properties is very important. Mould making is a complicated process and our team smoothly manages both tool and mold makers to deliver better quality within promised lead time. Some of our common tasks include liaising with toolmakers to ensure plastic molds are made to specs and on schedule, defining specs, reviewing tool design and mold-flow calculations to catch mistakes early on, reviewing first articles from mold tools to assure nothing is overlooked, measurement and inspection of parts, preparation of inspection reports, reviewing tools until required standards and quality is reached, approving tools and production samples ready for initial production, establishing quality control and assurance for on-going production.

 

• TRAINING: We are transparent and open so you can see how our knowledge, skills and processes are put to work. You can share them with your team as you wish. If preferred we can train your team so you can continue on your own.

You can visit our manufacturing site http://www.agstech.net to learn more about our manufacturing capabilities and expertise.

​

- QUALITYLINE'S POWERFUL ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE BASED SOFTWARE TOOL -

We have become a value added reseller of QualityLine production Technologies, Ltd., a high-tech company that has developed an Artificial Intelligence based software solution that automatically integrates with your worldwide manufacturing data and creates an advanced diagnostics analytics for you. This tool is really different than any others in the market, because it can be implemented very quickly and easily, and will work with any type of equipment and data, data in any format coming from your sensors, saved manufacturing data sources, test stations, manual entry .....etc. No need to change any of your existing equipment to implement this software tool. Besides real time monitoring of key performance parameters, this AI software provides you root cause analytics, provides early warnings and alerts. There is no solution like this in the market. This tool has saved manufacturers plenty of cash reducing rejects, returns, reworks, downtime and gaining customers goodwill. Easy and quick !  To schedule a Discovery Call with us and to find out more about this powerful artıficial intelligence based manufacturing analytics tool:

- Please fill out the downloadable QL Questionnaire from the orange link on the left and return to us by email to projects@ags-engineering.com.

- Have a look at the orange colored downloadable brochure links to get an idea about this powerful tool. QualityLine One Page Summary and QualityLine Summary Brochure

- Also here is a short video that gets to the point:  VIDEO of QUALITYLINE MANUFACTURING ANALYTICS TOOL