Product Development, Reverse Engineering and DFM Consulting

An experienced second opinion before you commit

Some projects do not need a full design team. They need an experienced engineer to look at a concept, a drawing or a failing part and say what will work, what will not and what it will cost to make. LTM engineering consulting covers new product development, reverse engineering, design for manufacture reviews, tolerance analysis and cost reduction, for startups, OEMs and manufacturers.

Consulting services

• New product development: from requirement and sketch to concept options, prototype design and production drawings.
• Reverse engineering: parts and assemblies without drawings measured, modelled and redrawn, with material and tolerance recommendations.
• DFM and DFA reviews: design reviews that reduce operations, part count and special tooling before release.
• Tolerance stack-up analysis: worst-case and statistical stack-ups on critical assemblies, with tolerance allocation.
• Cost reduction engineering: redesign for standard stock sizes, simpler fabrication and fewer machining setups.
• Failure investigation and design review: root cause review of broken shafts, worn guides, loose joints and overheating drives, with corrective design.

Examples of consulting questions we answer

• Will this concept meet the load and life target, and which component is the weak link?
• Why does this shaft, guide or bearing keep failing, and what is the smallest fix?
• Can this fabricated part be made from standard sections or bought-out components instead?
• Which tolerances on this drawing actually affect function, and which can be opened to cut machining cost?
• Is this supplier's machine design sound enough to approve before we place the order?
• What is a realistic plan and budget to take this prototype to a production-ready design?

Each question is answered with calculations and a short written report, so the recommendation can be checked and defended inside your organisation.

Consulting is often the first step before a larger project. A short design review can confirm whether an existing concept is worth developing, or show that a different approach will be cheaper and more reliable, before significant money is spent on prototypes and tooling.

How a consulting engagement runs

You share the drawings, parts or problem description. We agree the questions to answer and the deliverable, then work through calculations and design reviews with short progress calls. The output is a written report with findings, recommendations and, where needed, revised models and drawings. Engagements can be fixed scope or hourly.

Where cost savings usually come from

In mechanical products the biggest savings rarely come from cheaper suppliers. They come from removing a machining setup, replacing a fabricated part with a standard section, opening a tolerance that does not affect function, or merging parts. A DFM review before release is far cheaper than changing tooling or drawings after production has started. Our free fabrication cost calculator shows which cost driver dominates a part.

Deliverables

Depending on scope: design review report, feasibility study with concept options, reverse-engineered 3D models and drawings, tolerance stack-up sheets, cost-down proposals with estimated savings, and a development roadmap from prototype to production.