Rychiger never shies away from the seemingly impossible. If none of the machines and components in our standard product range meet your requirements, we assess your idea by carrying out a feasibility study to see whether your project is viable. A proof of concept or a proof of principle makes a product or process tangible. Iterations allow us to find out what works and what does not. In all these tasks, we work closely with your team. While we do not shy away from taking some risk, we always remain realistic and focused on the practicality of a solution
«If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got."»
–Henry Ford
New approaches for innovative products
Innovative products for the healthcare and food&beverage markets demand novel processes and technologies. Our experienced team of project engineers, sales reps, designers, software developers and lab technicians constantly come up with new solutions for advanced tasks. To meet your expectations, our specialists are eager to break new ground.
A proof of concept or a proof of principle makes products and processes not only tangible but also testable. This approach is very useful for:
- Redesign of process modules
- Development of transport systems in conjunction with new control platforms
- Process sequence testing and assessment of various process parameters
- Large sample batch production with controllable process parameters (for instance for aging and market testing)
- Testing of design versions
- Upgrading, improvement and optimization of OEM process modules to match customer requirements
Seven steps to success
At Rychiger, a proof-of-concept process follows a clearly defined road map and normally takes between two months and a year. It is generally completed in seven steps:
- Customer request
- Development of machine concept and process modules
- Risk assessment with Rychiger traffic light system (for process modules, as well as other machine components such as control and transport systems or feed mechanisms)
- Decision whether certain functions (process modules) are to be realized in a functional prototype with a high degree of innovationfor subsequent testing
- Development and testing of functional prototype (to evaluate the actual process, key parameters and other important aspects such as ergonomics, kinematics and production rates)
- Analysis of findings and further development of functional prototype (e.g. for endurance testing, or move from single-station to multi-station machine)
- Design of process modules and final machine (based on steps 1 to 6)
Quality based on practical experience
At Rychiger, development is never based solely on theory. We always keep practice in mind and work towards a tangible result. A proof of concept therefore follows clear principles:
- Practical use: We quickly move from theory to practice, as this is the only way to find out whether an idea or process actually works. We do this with the help of software tools, test controls, camera systems, 3D printers and plate lasers. Where required, we switch from small models to real machine dimensions. To optimize ergonomics, we often produce mockups, especially for the healthcare sector. Mockups are real-size models of certain plant sections or entire machines.
- Quality: Quality is our goal and always at the forefront of our minds. Other important factors are speed and user-friendly design, especially with regard to easy cleaning. We never settle for the first draft, and work closely with the customer to fine-tune the design until all parties are completely happy with the functional prototype. We believe in real partnership and your input as the customer is of equal importance to us as the proposals of our engineers.
