What is Research and Development in engineering?
Regardless of the sector you’re in, Research and Development (R&D) will play a crucial role in your business’ ability to innovate and stay competitive. If you want to be at the top of your game you have to be keep up with trends, constantly learn new ways to improve and then implement this into your product.
For the world of engineering, research and development is the key to developing new products and improving existing ones. There are different types of R&D that break down the process to make sure that everything you’re doing is contributing to the right end goal.
Types of Research & Development
- Basic research
Used to gain a deeper understanding of the problems your business is facing, working backwards from this point to identify a solution.
- Applied research
This focuses on specific challenges identified from basic research and requires you to apply existing knowledge to form practical solutions.
- Experimental development
This is the development side of R&D where you create prototypes and tangible solutions to problems such as new and improved products to test new ideas after having tried out all existing solutions.
Successful application of R & D
There is no blueprint for how you should carry out research as long as the result of your efforts is an improved product or service and an increased understanding of your business: what works and what does not!
Success will look different for everyone but here’s a foundation of what you could expect to achieve:
- New products
- Patents protecting your inventions
- Technological advancements
As a result of these successes, your business is likely to of gained a competitive edge and the employees involved will have gained confidence in their ability to spark change and innovate in a way that benefits their business and its customers.
Innovation at igus®
At igus® we offer exceptional products that are tested to their limits to achieve the highest standards. We are proud of the culture within our business that values constant improvement and innovation and we practice this in a few different ways:
- The igus® test lab
Materials are manufactured by igus® in line with the motto “Tech up, Cost down”. Our products are designed to extend the service life of machines and applications, eliminate maintenance, and reduce costs. Every igus® product is tested thoroughly before it is made available for sale. To this end, we have been operating our own test laboratory since 1985.
- RCYL: The first bike made of recycled plastic is in production
We are always aiming to be ahead of the game when it comes to releasing new products and RCYL is just one example. Made of recycled plastic, this bike was designed to be low maintenance so it doesn’t require lubrication and is corrosion resistant.
- Our range of products and configurators
The catalogue of products that igus® have developed for customers is extensive and means that we likely have more than one solution to your problem. To find out about our product range visit the online shop here or contribute to your own research and development by using our free online configurators to realise your application with our products.
To find out more about igus® innovations, take a read of our other resources here.
What does the future of Research & Development look like in engineering?
The future of research and development in engineering holds so many exciting possibilities and the spotlight is on technological advancements. From the uptick in automated processes to the overwhelming power of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, R&D is becoming central to solving technical problems with practical solutions.
Therefore, research and development are crucial in the engineering industry for the continuous development of next-generation products, infrastructure and technologies that can keep existing assets and systems working and produce the products of the future.
Explore this topic more in-depth with this article from Gateley plc!
