How can you get hands-on experience in Product R&D?

R & D is all about innovations and experimenting with new things and hence may not get exactly hands on experience but basic principles and logics of R&D can be obtained which can serve as hands on for any type of R& D work.

R&D is very usefull tool behind every product which is used by the customers in day to day basis, product should be free from like impurities, allergens and CFC etc.

R&D is the attitude to find solutions to real needs. Since R&D projects come with a range of challenges, you should be willing to consider these challenges as an opportunity to improve yourself, the product, or the service you want to innovate. You can start by critically analyzing the scenario you want to innovate (needs assessment) with in mind the goals and the objectives you want to achieve. But first of all, before starting, innovate your point of view. This would make the difference!

There are many opportunities for college students, especially for undergraduate students, who could look for Intern positions. Many of them are paid positions which could allow you to get relevant experience over the summer or other times of the year depending on the opportunity. Be on the lookout on job sites and Linkedin for these opportunities.

??Pursue internships or co-op programs with companies in your field of interest. ??Participate in research projects during your academic studies. ??Join relevant clubs, competitions, or hackathons to apply theoretical knowledge. ??Seek mentorship from professionals in Product R&D. ??Contribute to open-source projects or collaborate on research initiatives. ??Attend workshops, seminars, and conferences to network and learn from experts.

You may not have the perfect prototype but the key is to rapidly create what you think or believe will solve for the problem statement. Agility is equally important since researchers tend to look for the most perfect solution risking losing precious time required for iterations.

It's essential to remember that a prototype's purpose is to test functionality, not to impress with its finish. Starting with low-fidelity prototypes, you conserve resources and allow rapid iteration based on user feedback. Moreover, prototyping educates you in practical problem-solving and exposes you to the iterative nature of R&D. Dive in, get your hands dirty, and learn by doing. There's no substitute for the insights gained from actual creation and testing.

To get hands-on experience in Product R&D, start by working on small, self-initiated projects or internships in relevant industries. Collaborate with experienced professionals to gain insights and practical knowledge. Participate in workshops, online courses, or certifications related to R&D. Experiment with different materials, tools, and technologies. Lastly, document your findings and continuously improve your skills through feedback and iteration.

Prototyping phase with conception is a challenging task with a lot of revisions and updates until the picture is clear with all its arrangement. A system design approach is essential to be followed incorporating the ideas from different department engineers. For example, in aerospace and UAV defense projects lot of conception just starts with an idea until all the sub-assembly parts are arranged in the most perfect way considering the wiring, harness, PCB, connector, etc. into the main mechanical prototype model and assembly. Here the most optimized solution is picked, and this goes to the next detail phase of design with all the GD and T drawings, configuration architecture, family trees, etc. Change proposals also follows for revisions.

The function of a prototype is to arrive at a test conclusion. You can build a prototype before you have a clear problem statement. Prototyping is a method and not the only one, to reach an outcome within the framework of a project. You can also try and build the final product. Totally depends on the context of the challenge. Having a guideline that stipulates that a prototype must be included, means finishing of the prototype becomes the goal instead.

Testing and iterating are critical components of R&D that transform good products into great ones. It’s a process that hones the product’s relevance and usability. When testing, it's vital to approach feedback with an open mind and a focus on learning that every piece of criticism is a step toward improvement. The iteration phase is where resilience and adaptability are essential; not every idea will work, and that's okay. The goal is to evolve the product incrementally based on real-world use and feedback, aligning it ever closer to the user's needs and the market's demand. This is where true innovation and breakthroughs happen, in the cycle of testing, learning, and refining.

Don’t be afraid of failure, getting your hands dirty, learning new tools which you may have never used before, and also when you show your prototypes, be curious, gather feedback, and then go back to your lab/garage to make the product better to fit the needs, or to pivot it into a use that you might not have envisioned earlier or even to kill it, if people don’t see a use/value for it. All pivots and failures are as much about learning and celebrating growth as are the success..

Once you know what you want to know, the method to get there will come and knock at the door. It's more important to be there to welcome it in, than to be out the back trying to guess who's coming.

Fancy term: design validation. An engineered product provides a service through technology within a range & balance of reliability vs cost that has a satisfactory performance for an end user. Smart businesses strive to listen & go beyond expectations in feasable steps. That said you can't improve what you don't measure; so good test benches, instruments, and methods are key to rigor & robustness. All about gains. Cheers.

Always engage in value added activities especially solving shop floor team's problems. Minor contributions leads to big achievements and satisfaction.

Um time sempre apresentará solu??es melhores e mais duradouras do que um trabalho individual. Aprender a trabalhar em time, respeitar opini?es diversas e tirar valor delas é fundamental em uma iniciativa de P&D.

You might find a project that is running that is volunteers only so could be a good way of getting a new or wider experience in R&D.

Um bom time de P&D tem na sua composi??o pessoas mais maduras e experientes e também pessoas mais jovens, dinamicas e muito conectadas com as mudan?as rápidas pelas quais passamos. Pessoas com diferentes forma??es, culturas e experiências deixam o time mais rico. Talvez n?o mais veloz, mas mais efetivo nas solu??es.

Talk to your most important customers about their more important problems. Then prioritize those problems in terms of what can be solved with the resources you have. Choose that intersection between what your customers need and what you can do as your R&D space.

Over the years I have learnt- Never underestimate the power of storytelling and influence. It’s not enough to have a brilliant idea; you need to make others feel the same excitement and bring them on the same journey as you. In engineering, it’s easy to get tangled in technical details or assume others understand your vision just as you do. The key is to turn these technical aspects into something valuable for those who approve projects or use your product. Without this, even the best ideas might not see the light of day. So, focus on refining your storytelling skills. Learn to present your ideas in a way that’s not just informative, but also engaging and persuasive.

Try not to solve a problem that doesn't exist! Seems obvious but you do see a lot of things that, on the surface, seem to be a great idea but don't really solve anything.