Dane Systems in Stevensville, Mich., relies on Rexroth's CKR compact modules to achieve high speeds, high precision, and high load capacity — all of which contribute to a faster time to market.

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The pressure is always on to get products to market faster. What should you know about reducing time to market? Motion System Design talked with Bosch Rexroth's Richard Rey, Electric Drives & Controls, and Kevin Gingerich, Linear Motion & Assembly Technologies, to find the answer to this and other questions.

IN TERMS OF TIME TO MARKET, WHAT'S CONSIDERED LEADING EDGE?

Gingerich: Leading-edge time to market is the elimination of all wasted effort in the conception, design, and manufacture of a product. You want to go from concept to cash as quickly as possibly.
Rey: Fast means delivering product capability and application knowhow that will increase machine efficiency so end users can get their products to market as quickly as possible.

IN WHAT APPLICATIONS IS TIME TO MARKET MOST IMPORTANT?

Gingerich: Consumer electronics are probably under the most pressure. Consider digital cameras; it's not long before an existing model is replaced by one with more megapixels or pre-programmed shooting modes. It's critical to get something into the market quickly so that a company can maximize what I call the "window of uniqueness." If no one else offers an equivalent product, it's possible to charge a little more for it and make more money.

Look at it another way: If someone makes an engineering mistake and the product is delayed, companies often measure the cost in terms of wasted time or the extra dollars spent in engineering, building new prototypes, and so on. Very few companies measure the cost of lost opportunity. If a company misses its market-introduction window by three months and had planned to sell 5,000 digital cameras during that time, each with a profit of $50, that's $250,000 of lost opportunity, in addition to the now seemingly trivial costs of a few thousand extra dollars in engineering time and testing.

Rey: Time to market is most important in machine applications where OEMs want to market a new machine concept. This typically occurs at an industry trade show or a major packaging or printing and converting show. Time to market is also important when meeting demands required by an industry segment. These demands can range from faster cycle times to higher parts quality.

WHAT ARE LIMITING FACTORS WHEN TRYING TO MINIMIZE TIME TO MARKET?

Gingerich: If we look at assembly cells, either for positioning or pick-and-place operations, the critical factor is the time involved in designing, sourcing, and installing the linear motion system. Many factors need to be considered — load, orientation, speed, travel, precision, environment, and duty cycle — before an engineer can select the proper linear actuator. If the selected actuators are undersized or poorly suited to the task, the designer will lose a lot of time going back to the drawing board.
Rey: When it comes to developing new machines, timing is everything. Machine builders must ask themselves: Is a new technology currently available or is it on the cusp of being available? How does the technology's availability match up with the time frame of marketing the machine? New technology allows the machine builder to become a test or prototype site. Consequently, the machine builder can tout his machine as having the latest, greatest technology.