Full development and product manufacturing start in ~ 18 months
Client – Trimble – An established technology company
Expertise Applied
- Product Design & Development
- Electronics Design
- Mechanical Design
- Enclosure Design
- Rapid Iterative Development Cycles: Build-Test-Learn
- Prototype Development
- Manufacturing Handoff
Problem
The client needed to produce a charging and Ethernet docking station for their existing ruggedized handheld computer. Their internal teams were capacity-constrained, and did not have experience developing docks and cradles.
Solution
SGW Designworks developed a complete design – including all mechanicals and onboard electronics, that worked with two of the client’s handheld products.
Results / Outcomes
- Multiple prototype cycles led to the right product configuration
- Leveraging knowledge from other similar projects (without infringing IP) sped up the electronics development portion of the project
- The product was successfully launched within 18 months of project kickoff
Overview
Trimble needed a docking station for their T41 and T42 industrial handhelds. They knew that SGW Designworks was well suited to develop the product because of their history of work on similar products. This dock would present some specific challenges:
- It would need to be compatible with two handhelds – which are similar but not identical in exterior geometry
- It would need to provide not only charging to the handheld, but also Ethernet connectivity
- The product would need to be produced in low volumes, so tooling costs would need to be low
The mechanical team focused on development of a retention system to hold the units in the dock, and ensure reliable connection between the handheld’s onboard pads and the docks onboard pogo pins. A number of design and prototype iterations led to the best design.
The embedded systems team focused on the charge circuit and Ethernet connectivity. Deep collaboration between the teams ensured that the PCBA footprint was compatible with the mechanical design.
The client was engaged throughout development to provide design input, use-case context, and to test prototypes. With iteration complete and the design frozen, the contract manufacturer was engaged to work through design for manufacture (DFM).
SGW Designworks tested and validated initial production units, and the product was successfully launched.
| Hardware Developed | Technologies Leveraged |
|---|---|
| Enclosure: molded plastic and sheet metal | Solidworks FEA |
| Current-limited charge circuit | SLA nd SLS 3D Printing |
| Ethernet connectivity | Solidworks 3D CAD |