Author: William Garver, Principal Consultant

Jun 10, 2016

Navigating the Connector Design Review Process

There are usually several Design Reviews conducted throughout the New Product Development cycle for electrical connectors. These reviews occur when the product is ready to pass from one of the several development phases to another. The primary purpose of a design review is to evaluate the ability of the outcome of design and development activities to meet requirements. The Design Review also provides a forum for all those involved in some aspect of the new product, to voice his or her opinions, concerns and approvals. This paper describes some of the topics required for the development and release of a typical new connector, such as one having stamped and formed contacts assembled into a polymeric housing. .

http://www.connectorsupplier.com//navigating-the-connector-design-review-process/

Dec 30, 2015

Connector Design Checklist

There are fundamentally three specific elements of an electrical contact that are used within a multiple position connector. A multiple position connector for this purpose is defined as one which contains a molded plastic housing and a series of contacts that are attached to wires or printed circuit boards and installed into the molded housing. The contacts may be installed either before (ex., insulation displacement) or after (ex., crimp-snap) the wires have been attached. The contact elements are:

Separable Interface “Front End”

Permanent Interface “Back End”

Contact Retention Area

This article details several of the important design considerations for each of the three elements.

http://www.connectorsupplier.com//connector-design-checklist/

Sep 14, 2015

How to Successfully Launch a New Connector Product

Release/Launch, is a very critical phase in the process, but it is the one that is often overlooked or not recognized for the importance it contributes to a total process. This article will address the skills needed that may be used to facilitate this process. Strong Marketing skills are necessary to lead this phase.

http://www.connectorsupplier.com/how-to-successfully-launch-a-new-connector-product/

Apr 22, 2015

The Engineering Phase of New Product Design

In a previous article, it was suggested that to assure a successful connector development and launch, companies need to optimize the talents of their employees to assure that critical needs are addressed. It was suggested that the New Product Process consists of four specific phases, each requiring specific and unique skill sets. They were identified as:

Creative/Innovative

Engineering/Scientific

Implementation/Manufacturing

Release/Launch

Unlike the earlier Concept/Innovative Phase, in which there is a small team of six to eight individuals working alone to create concepts and ideas and then getting together to brainstorm the concepts, this Engineering/Scientific phase requires many highly skilled engineers spanning all aspects of product and manufacturing design. To be effective, it takes an interactive team of people from each discipline working in close cooperation with each other.

http://www.connectorsupplier.com/the-engineering-phase-of-new-product-design/

Mar 20, 2015

The Creative Phase of New Connector Development

In a previous article, it was suggested that to assure a successful product development and launch, manufacturers need to optimize the talents of their employees to be sure that critical needs are addressed. It was suggested that the new product process consists of four specific phases, each requiring specific and different skill sets.

In this article, the first of the four phases, the Creative/Innovative section, will be developed in more detail. It will address not only the skills needed but also some tools that may be used to facilitate the process.

http://www.connectorsupplier.com/the-creative-phase-of-new-connector-development/

Mar 20, 2015

Necessary Skills for Successful New Connector Development

Successful new product developments and product release to the market requires that a company recognize and implement a structure to optimize the talents and skills of the staff and in creating an effective organization to assure that the critical needs are addressed.

The new product process consists of four specific phases. They are identified as:

• Creative/Innovative

• Engineering/Scientific

• Implementation/Manufacturing

• Release/Launch

http://www.connectorsupplier.com/necessary-skills-for-successful-new-connector-development/

Do You Know Basic Connector Attributes?

Connectors, unfortunately, may contribute to an unacceptably high product failure rate. One reason for this is that connectors are typically a low priority in the initial design phase of the system.

http://http://www.connectorsupplier.com/apex-on-how-to-specify-connectors-in-new-product-designs/