SERVICES
KE&D is a full‑service engineering consulting firm specializing in the design, manufacturing, testing, and integration of complex electromechanical components & systems
Our unique combination of deep technical expertise & broad entrepreneurial experience enables KE&D to provide leading-edge engineering & design solutions that are also practical, cost-effective, and robust
We offer real-world application of systematic approaches to producing competitive products, particularly with developing and implementing critical product cost reduction strategies involving comprehensive design, supply chain, and manufacturing initiatives
Engineering & Design
KE&D leverages extensive experience in developing new technology, designing products, and solving engineering challenges across diverse industries to offer unique and practical state-of-the-art solutions to a variety of engineering and design projects
- Overall technical expertise specializing in the design & manufacturing of complex electromechanical components & systems
- Electronics hardware packaging, especially high-power, high voltage systems, such as AC inverters, DC-DC converters, and other types of power supplies, as well as low/mid/high frequency RF systems, such as power amplifiers, modulators, antennas, and other types of RF devices, including EMI/EMC & thermal management for the complete system
- Heat sink design for liquid or air cooled systems, optimizing the balance of high thermal performance with size, weight, and cost-effective fabrication & assembly processes
- Ruggedized design to meet shock, vibration, ingress protection, EMI/EMC, and other environmental condition standards, including highest levels of ISO 16750, 19453, 20653, 11452, and 7637 testing standards
- Design for manufacturability, especially to support automated assembly & testing for high-quality & cost-effective volume production
- Detailed design, fabrication, and assembly drawings & documentation, including bill of materials (BOM) with procurement strategy & sourcing recommendations
- Geometric Dimensioning & Tolerancing, along with critical dimensioning of fabricated parts and statistical tolerance analysis for dimensional stackups in complex assemblies, including 2D Root Sum Squared (RSS) method and 3D Monte Carlo simulations
- Document control process & product data structure, including product data management (PDM) & product lifecycle management (PLM) databases
CAD & Simulation
KE&D utilizes mechanical CAD tools for product design & documentation, along with FEA/CFD applications for engineering simulation of thermal management systems, structural integrity, and electric machines
- Mechanical CAD 3D modeling & 2D drawing with SolidWorks®
- Thermal analysis & design with Mentor® FloTHERM and MotorSolve Thermal
- Structural analysis & design with SolidWorks®
- AC Induction machine analysis & design with Mentor® MotorSolve IM
- Synchronous Reluctance machine analysis & design with Mentor® MotorSolve BLDC
- Taguchi robust design methods employed for sensitivity analysis of simulation variables, including design of experiments for optimization of system parameters
System Integration
KE&D has a wealth of real-world experience & know-how with integrating electromechanical technologies at both the component & system levels
- High-power electrical interconnections, high-voltage AC & DC cabling, and low-voltage signal wire harnesses
- Mechanical mounting schemes, including shock & vibration control
- Cooling system design & integration, including pumps, filters, fans, plumbing, ducting, plenums, and radiators / heat exchangers
- Interconnection of rotating shafts with custom couplings & spline interfaces
- Laser alignment & precision balancing of high-speed rotating shafts, gears, couplings, machines, and complete drivetrain systems
- Development & installation of industrial equipment, operating mechanisms, and other devices for manufacturing, testing, and process control
- Integration of ancillary electrical & electronic system components, such as contactors, relays, switches, and other power distribution devices, pre-charge circuitry, safety interlocks, and user interfaces
- Extensive practical experience in handling the challenges of grounding, shielding, insulation, and EMI suppression associated with the integration of high-power AC electromechanical systems
Manufacturing
As experts in manufacturing strategy, new product introduction (NPI), and volume production operations, KE&D can perform a variety of functions in product manufacturing to best fit the needs of our clients
- Complete prototype & low volume fabrication, assembly, and testing in-house at our facility & with outside partners
- Design & documentation of process instructions for repeatable, robust, and cost-effective volume production
- Strategize & implement product lifecycle management (PLM) & enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems
- Establish sourcing relationships and negotiate pricing & supply agreements with supply chain partners
- Develop material planning & inventory strategies to limit exposure & optimize cash flow while avoiding shortages to meet production demand
- Production ramp planning & manage transfer of products to higher volume production with various out-sourced CMO partners at local, national, and international locations
- Provide operations management & sustaining engineering support through entire product lifecycle
- KE&D can work directly with supply chain & CMO partners for seamless new product introduction & product lifecycle management to facilitate turn-key manufacturing operations for our clients
KE&D also has extensive expertise in materials & manufacturing processes, including advanced fabrication methods, quality assurance (QA) protocols, and quality management systems (QMS) for both low & high volume production
- Optimized selection of materials & processes to best fit requirements
- Precision machining techniques for maintaining proper tolerances
- Stamping, bending, forging, and other metal forming processes, including automated progressive die operations
- Gravity & pressure die castings, plaster mold & investment castings, injection moldings, and extrusions
- Welding, brazing, soldering, hardening, heat treating and other complex metallurgical processes
- Specification of material properties, fabrication surface finishes, and material coatings, such as plating, anodizing, chromate conversion (Alodine), and powder coating
- Dimensional quality control with Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM) inspection & statistical process control tools
- Design, development, production, installation, and servicing of products per IATF 16949:2016 Quality Management System standard
Testing & Qualification
KE&D leverages years of hands-on experience & maintains close relationships with outside partners for comprehensive & verifiable testing of products for validation, reliability, qualification, compliance, and certification
- Product validation testing to ISO 16750 / 19453 / 20653 environmental standards, including electrical loads, mechanical shock & vibration, high & low temperature storage & operation, temperature steps & cycling, salt fog, humidity, ingress protection, and chemical resistance
- Product validation testing to ISO 11452 / 7637 EMC standards, including radiated, conducted, and coupled immunity
- Active dynamometer testing of electric machines & complete drive systems in both motoring & generating modes up to 400 Nm continuous torque, 700 Nm peak torque, 15000 RPM, and 1000 VDC input voltage
Product Development
Through our vast experience in the development of complex electromechanical components & systems for both high & low volume production, KE&D can add significant value to our clients through all stages of product lifecycle
- Strategic product development planning to help navigate products through complete lifecycle from initial concept to end-of-life, including early phases of product definition & drafting of specifications based on customer, market, and operational requirements & limitations
- Product cost reduction, including building detailed product cost & financial models, performing systematic cost analysis & optimization, and developing & implementing critical cost reduction strategies involving comprehensive engineering, supply chain, and manufacturing initiatives
Project Management
Our deep understanding of the product development process, coupled with our real-world experience in a broad range of roles in engineering & operations management, enables KE&D to provide our clients with practical & effective project management support
- General project management, including coordinating development plans, creating & driving schedules, orchestrating project logistics, and resolving technical issues to meet project targets on time & on budget
- Leading collaborative efforts between engineering, supply chain, and manufacturing, especially with regard to guiding products through the transition from initial prototype to volume production