Saving Time and Accelerating Design
EV battery and electronics design engineers face mounting pressure to deliver innovative solutions quickly. As technology continues to drive progress in industrial and domestic sectors, the emphasis on bringing new products to market efficiently has never been greater.
When evaluating electromechanical (Emech) components made from 2D materials—particularly the technical materials offered by Materials Direct—designers have access to advanced options for thermal interfaces, electrical isolation, environmental gaskets, tapes, optical films, and more.
But what are the key factors—or “levers”—that determine a product’s time-to-market? Let’s explore how Materials Direct supports engineers in accelerating the design process.
Fast, Easy Access
Materials Direct’s self-service selection and ordering portal offers 24/7 access, enabling engineers to quickly select and order parts through a seamless, end-to-end process that typically takes less than five minutes. Additionally, Materials Direct eliminates minimum order quantities (MOQ) and minimum order values (MOV), with a “no tooling ever!” promise, allowing you to modify your design as often as needed. This approach is significantly faster and more efficient than traditional methods, which often require searching multiple websites and reaching out to sales offices.
Comprehensive Choice and Availability
With access to a wide range of materials in one place, engineers save time and avoid the frustration of navigating multiple supplier sites. Materials Direct simplifies procurement by consolidating the selection process and ensuring the vast majority of materials are in stock, ready for immediate use.
Rapid Processing and Delivery
Even custom parts can be processed and dispatched within 24 hours if required. By leveraging state-of-the-art automated machinery, Materials Direct manufactures, packages, and ships custom components quickly—all without incurring tooling costs.
Production-Ready Parts from the Start
Traditionally, ordering material sheets has been the quickest way to acquire materials for prototyping. However, converting these sheets into full production-ready parts often poses challenges without the proper equipment. Materials Direct addresses this issue by offering production-ready parts from the earliest stages of design, with no minimum order quantity or value requirements.
This flexibility allows designers to iterate daily if necessary, ensuring prototypes are functional and representative of final production versions. As the process transitions from prototyping to pre-production, having 100% production-ready parts helps minimize development stages, saving time and reducing costs. It also mitigates unexpected issues that can arise when moving from hand-cut parts to tooled versions.
By streamlining material selection, reducing processing times, and offering production-ready parts, Materials Direct empowers engineers to focus on innovation, ensuring their designs reach the market faster and with greater efficiency.
Materials Direct also accommodates full production volumes. With a credit account, you can place blanket orders, taking advantage of additional discounts, and schedule deliveries throughout the year.
Conclusion
Reducing time-to-market is critical to achieving success. Materials Direct provides a comprehensive solution for design engineers by offering fast, efficient access to a vast range of technical materials, streamlined ordering processes, and rapid delivery—especially for custom parts.
With production-ready components available from the earliest design stages, engineers can avoid common pitfalls, reduce development cycles, and focus on innovation. By leveraging Materials Direct’s advanced capabilities, design teams can confidently bring differentiated solutions to market faster, maximizing efficiency and gaining a competitive edge.
