Mavida Projects specialise in mechanical equipment design. We have strong links to defence, construction, agriculture and general industry.
We can tailor our approach to the project, depending on its scale and complexity. We can take on the full Project Management, managing all the steps from early concept through to (& support of) the prototype build.
- Project Specification – meet with the client & review the requirements of the project. Inputs, outputs, interfaces, environment, working envelope (etc.) shall be considered & written up.
- Concept Design – ideas & concepts to be discussed, with preliminary analysis to determine the validity of the ideas. The potential of each concept is evaluated, with the best idea progressing to the next stage.
- Preliminary Design – more detailed development & analysis (calculations, FEA etc) will be conducted on the leading concept, ensuring the design meets with the Project Specification. A Preliminary Design Review (PDR) will be done with the key stakeholders.
- Research & Development – stage 1; during the PDR process, identify areas of the design or specific modules that may need to be validated through testing. Schedule design, manufacture & testing before committing to full prototype manufacture. This process should start as soon as possible & may continue past the CDR & up to the prototype manufacture (as long as we are confident that a solution can be found without affecting surrounding components).
- Detail Design – the design is completed. Detail drawings etc will be done & ready to be evaluated at a Critical Design Review (CDR). The CDR (involving key stakeholders) will evaluate:
- Design addresses all aspects of the Product Specification
- Design Standard – design meets all relevant specifications, both internal quality requirements and relevant Australian/International Standards.
- Prototype manufacture – a ‘first of type’ build of the equipment. Detail drawings & other OEM parts are quoted, ordered, delivered and finally assembled at our premises.
- Research & Development – stage 2; lab & site testing. The prototype will be fully tested & checked against all requirements of the Product Specification. During testing we have to be ‘light on our feet’ & implement changes (if required) to improve performance. These changes, as well as other low risk improvements (eg reliability, manufacturability), will progress the equipment design from prototype to product.
In addition, we can provide the following services; however they are generally not on the critical path;
- Rendering & Animation – we can produce high quality rendered images and/or animations. Perfect for visualisation and promotional material.
- Technical Support – Produce maintenance & operator manuals
- Training – we can conduct training courses; how to safely use & maintain the equipment.
We can extend our service after the prototype testing by assisting in the following areas:
- Product Manufacture (if required)
- Research & Development – stage 3; continuous improvement. Are there ways we can improve reliability? Reduce costs or improve manufacturability? Improve maintainability of the equipment?
For smaller projects or one-off builds, we can adopt a less formal, or ‘lean’ arrangement.