KDE

BACKGROUND

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

• Analyse and optimize the design of our industrial products

SOLUTION

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

• Project Overview: The purpose of this project is to design and develop robust and reliable enclosures that can withstand the challenging conditions of harsh mining environments. These enclosures will be used to protect critical equipment, electrical components, and instrumentation necessary for mining operations, ensuring their functionality and longevity in extreme conditions.
• Project Objectives:
  • Design enclosures that are capable of withstanding extreme temperatures, dust, humidity, and other environmental factors common in mining environments. 
  • Create enclosures that meet or exceed industry safety and quality standards. 
  • Optimize the design for efficient heat dissipation and component organization. 
  • Ensure ease of access and maintenance for enclosed equipment. 
  • Select appropriate materials and finishes to resist corrosion and wear. 
  • Develop detailed design documentation for manufacturing and assembly.
• Deliverables:
  • Finalized enclosure design drawings and 3D models. 
  • Detailed bill of materials (BOM). 
  • Structural and environmental testing reports. 
  • Comprehensive design documentation, including assembly and maintenance instructions. 
  • Regular project status reports and updates.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

• Environmental Testing Results: Measured results from environmental tests, such as temperature, humidity, and dust resistance, should demonstrate that the enclosures meet or exceed the specified criteria. 
• Structural Integrity: Ensure that the enclosures can withstand the mechanical stresses present in mining environments by measuring stress and strain levels within acceptable limits. 
• Compliance and Safety: 
  • Regulatory Compliance: Verify that the enclosures conform to relevant industry standards and safety regulations and maintain documentation of compliance.
  • Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC): Measure and document the EMC performance to ensure that sensitive electronics are protected from interference. 
• Design Documentation: 
  • Completeness and Accuracy: Review the design documentation to confirm that it is complete, accurate, and aligns with the approved design.
  • Clarity and Readability: Assess the clarity and readability of assembly instructions and maintenance guidelines. 
• Project Timeline: 
  • Timely Milestone Achievement: Monitor and document progress against the established project timeline, ensuring that project phases are completed on schedule. 
• Budget Adherence:
  • Budget Tracking: Compare actual project expenditures against the allocated budget to ensure cost control.

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Owner of a consumer products company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

E-commerce business that designs and sells automotive accessories.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire KDE to accomplish?

• KDE was hired to help design/engineer parts that were injection molded.

SOLUTION

How did you find KDE?

UpWork

Why did you select KDE over others?

• High ratings
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from KDE were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

KDE was hired to help design parts that were made with injection molding. The scope of the project included taking our rough ideas/drawings and turning them into CAD files that could be used to make injection molded parts. Feedback and suggestions were provided on part design in order to reduce tooling costs.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The goal of the project was to turn a rough drawing into functional parts that could be injection molded. The first step of the project was prototyping which went through several iterations based on testing 3d printed prototypes. Once the design was finalized, KDE helped make sure the part could be successfully molded.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Items were delivered on time and they were very responsive and quick to make any requested changes. We have several different projects ongoing and organization between projects has been very good.

What was your primary form of communication with KDE?

Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Great communication and desire to help find the optimal solution.

Are there any areas for improvement or something KDE could have done differently?

All of our needs were met.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of BRU

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Tea machines and Tea

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire KDE to accomplish?

• Mechanical design
• PCBA design

SOLUTION

How did you find KDE?

Referral

Why did you select KDE over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing first our budget
• Great culture fit,
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

What was the size of KDE’s team?

6-10 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

They improved the mechanical and electrical components of the product, designed it for mass production, and provided key deliverables such as 3D/2D drawings for mass production, BOM, PCB documentation and testing reports. KDE also offered valuable product improvement suggestions and consultations.

Additionally, it's worth noting that KDE was easy to work with and always available for communication. They were responsive to calls and inquiries at any time, and were consistently accessible online throughout the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• Strong Skills

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

The project management provided by KDE was excellent. The team consisted of four highly-skilled engineers who worked quickly and efficiently, dividing the workload in a smart and effective manner. They were always quick to respond to requests and kept us informed throughout the project. Thanks to their excellent management, we were able to meet all of our project deadlines.

What was your primary form of communication with KDE?

Virtual Meeting

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

What I found most impressive - their ability to provide a one-stop-shop for all our consumer electronics product development. From design to production, they were able to offer a full spectrum of services that made the entire process seamless and efficient.

Their team of engineers were not only highly skilled, but also easy to work with and always available for communication. This level of expertise and service is truly unique in the industry, and we were impressed by the quality and speed of their work.

Are there any areas for improvement or something KDE could have done differently?

no

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the CEO of an elevator IoT company. We design and build new sensor-based products for monitoring elevator activity and performance.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire KDE?

We hired KDE to help design custom enclosures for two different products. The first product was a sensor-based IoT device. The other product was a camera-based safety device.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We were looking for mechanical engineers who had experience designing enclosures that involved mounting and aligning various electronic components. And we were hoping to find professionals who could also help with the design itself, since we did not hire industrial designers to help with the aesthetic designs of the devices.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

For both projects, we provided an initial set of product requirements to KDE, which included a rough set of specifications, a general idea for the layout of the components within the enclosure, and references to any mechanical drawings or CAD files we had on hand for the parts to be housed within the enclosure. These were not professionally specified requirements; only rough concepts that were hand drawn by me (an electrical engineer). Mykola of KDE took these rough ideas and turned them into real, manufacturable designs on the first iteration. We only needed to make very minor changes to the overall design based on slight changes to our BOM. Mykola executed flawlessly, and the very first 3D prints we ordered based on his design worked extremely well. The final phase of the projects involved KDE performing DFM work to prepare the parts for injection molding.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We worked only with Mykola, a Mechanical Engineer with KDE.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

To date, we have 3D printed nearly 200 copies of the first enclosure Mykola designed for us, which were used to build the first batch of units that have been shipped to customers and are now deployed in the field. Thanks to Mykola's DFM work, we are now in the final stages of the injection molding process, and have already received samples that look and feel great.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Mykola was highly responsive, and clearly understood every request I made. For most minor changes to the design, KDE was able to provide us with a revised version of the design within 24 hours. I'm extremely pleased with how efficiently and effective they work.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

I was truly amazed that KDE was not only able to develop a sound mechanical design for the enclosures we needed, but also think about design elements to make the product both practical to use and aesthetically pleasing. The fact that I did not need to hire a separate industrial design firm made it extremely quick and easy to get our first design from idea to production. The value I have received from KDE is much, much higher than I expected, and I could not recommend them more highly. Even the injection mold company I hired thought that the DFM-prepared CAD models were almost perfect, and only required a few tiny changes before machining the molds.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

None. Mykola at KDE is the best contractor that I have worked with in my career. He was able to perform precise, high quality work in very little time. He exceeded my expectations in every way.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CTO of Nitride Thermal, and we make thermal cameras for cars. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with KDE?

We needed help in mechanical engineering. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

KDE is helping us build and develop a heads-up display system — it has a PIQO projector and a piece of glass that shows the screen, and it can project for 40 feet. Some optics, mechanical engineering, and design are involved in the project.

I first met with them in Kyiv to discuss the project — I sent them some sketches, and we designed block diagrams together. The process has been back and forth since then.

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with Dmytro (CTO), Yaroslav (Industrial Design Engineer), and three other engineers. 

How did you come to work with KDE?

We found them through a reference.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $100,000–$250,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in August 2016, and it’s ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

Although I’m also a mechanical engineer, it’s good to have a team of engineers support my project. For one, I’ve some people I can brainstorm with. Having them also allows me to do additional tasks and run my company since I’m not immersed in development. 

Our projects have different requirements, and KDE has successfully fulfilled them. They’ve made a big difference to our company. 

How did KDE perform from a project management standpoint?

KDE’s project management is phenomenal. We have daily meetings, and we work together on tasks and requirements. We also discuss bottlenecks and other issues. 

We plan our goals four months in advance, and if we deviate from that or have new requirements, they’re very flexible in adapting. They’ll even go the extra mile if it’s necessary. We’re still working with them because they’re open and good at collaboration. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

KDE’s high level of professionalism is impressive. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

They can improve their design concepts. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be clear with your requirements and schedule as soon as possible so everyone can grow and work together. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I was the CEO of a Kickstarter company, and we were developing a Bluetooth speaker that uses flames to visualize the music played on it.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with KDE?

We needed help with product engineering. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

KDE provided mechanical engineering and prototyping for our company. They did some electrical engineering for a custom printed circuit board (PCB). They built our product from scratch; it was based on our idea and concepts. KDE supported us from the beginning of the project until its completion.

KDE also helped to source manufacturers in constructing the product’s various parts. In addition, they assisted in determining products and components for importing. We built the prototype in Ukraine out of products imported from China.  

KDE used SOLIDWORKS to make 3D drawings and renders as well as analytical graphics, such as temperature transfer and gas distribution.  

What is the team composition?

I had one point of contact. 

How did you come to work with KDE?

We had an in-house engineer, but after realizing he wasn’t good at executing the project, he looked for a team to solve the task. We went to Upwork and posted an RFP, and our engineer interviewed several vendors. He shortlisted some for me, and I did the final interviews.

KDE was among the shortlisted vendors. Compared to the other applicants, they were the best-qualified candidates.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $60,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement lasted from December 2016–December 2019. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

KDE was able to deliver a working prototype.

How did KDE perform from a project management standpoint?

KDE was good at project management. We used Skype to communicate and Trello for project management. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

KDE’s team is a very nice group of people. They were pleasant to work with, and you can have productive conversations with them about how to take the project in the right direction. 

I worked with many teams where there were bad emotions involved. With KDE, they were always easygoing, and they solved problems as they came up. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

At the time, they didn’t have an in-house electrical engineer. That meant we had to have Skype calls with a third-party engineer to solve our issues. However, I think they have their own electrical engineer now.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It would be really smart if you had a clear idea about what project you want to develop to streamline the process. In the beginning, figure out what kind of budget you’re looking at. 

The more detailed your product description, the more you’re going to get a valuation of what it’s going to cost you and how long it’s going to take you. That was one of my problems — I didn’t have a clear enough idea about the project’s scope.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there?

I’m the founder of a kitchen appliance firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with KDE?

We needed a partner to help us take products from a prototype to the mass market.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

KDE has helped us develop products, such as electric lunch boxes. They've also done mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, firmware and software engineering, and Android app development. Some of the technology they use includes SolidWorks for the mechanical aspect and C+ for firmware and apps.

They're currently working on developing more products with us as an ongoing partnership.

What is the team composition?

We work with the owner and a team of mechanical and electrical engineers, including Roman (Electrical Engineer).

How did you come to work with KDE?

We found them on Upwork and were satisfied with the initial small project we gave them, so we continued the partnership.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent $200,000–$300,000 with them so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in August 2016, and it’s ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

A couple of products hit the market. In addition to that, they produce quality deliverables while meeting timing and goals set for them satisfactorily — they continuously strive to improve their high-level quality.

How did KDE perform from a project management standpoint?

They work on multiple projects at the same time and handle that well. In terms of communication, we use Trello and Slack.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I like that they display good teamwork and team spirit.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don't think there's anything they can improve on.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You need to understand the full scope of your project and the work that it requires, to manage expectations correctly.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Make Ideas is a product development and licensing firm with expertise in creating brands and products for open, 'blue water' market spaces. As shown by our awards and projects, our process results in the creation of intellectual property that generates growth and value.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire KDE, and what were your goals?

We had a new concept for a new consumer product and we need a team to take our concepts and drawings and turn them into Solidworks .stp and part files so we could start manufacturing of the product line.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We looked at thier past work and time to complete projects. Found that they were very responsive and fast.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

We started with hand drawings and project schematic design, then they did concept CADs provided in .stp 3D format. We then went through product testing and refinement resulting in the goto market version of the product.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

A project director is the main contact with one engeering preforming the CAD work.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

The product line is currently being sold in major big box retailers such as Target and Walmart and other major retailers worldwide.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

We communicate almost daily and they provide estimates to complete the project phase or turn around of tasks. We provide redline mark ups on drawings and they implement.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Their quality of work and speed of completion are impressive.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

None that I can think of. They get it done.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a water purification company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with KDE?

We were looking for someone who could do a prototype model of one of our purifiers for microbiology testing.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

KDE is doing mechanical and electrical engineering software for our product. They’re also helping us contacting manufacturers, sorting our PCB’s manufacturing, and product design as well.

What is the team composition?

We’ve been working with 4–5 people from their team; Dmytro (CTO),  Alex (Electrical Engineer), and Roman (Senior Engineer), and a couple of mechanical engineers.

How did you come to work with KDE?

I found them on Upwork. I interviewed with Dmytro, and I liked how honest he was about the project, unlike other companies that won’t tell you how much it’d take to have an actual physical product on a shelf — they were transparent about it, and we like that.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent more than $150,000 with them so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2016, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

The fact that they’re all professional engineers and that they charge less than local providers is essential for us — it’s been great to work with them.

How did KDE perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re great; I can talk to them daily on Skype, and they show me constant updates on their work. Every time there’s a problem, they contact me right away.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have all the engineering in-house, so they don’t need to outsource anything. Also, their honesty, communication, and manufacturing stand out the most — they don’t make us spend money on useless stuff.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think there’s anything they can improve on.

Any advice for potential customers?

Be honest and tell them everything you need upfront so they can precisely quote your project.

BACKGROUND

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

• Mechanical Engineering

SOLUTION

• Online Search
• Other

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App