Innovation & technology
LINDAL Group is a fully integrated product development service provider offering customers an extensive range of product design, development, engineering, manufacturing and supply services. Our extensive capabilities mean we can support customers from the ideation and concept creation stage of new product development, through to the innovation and development cycle and into high volume manufacture and supply.
Global Innovation Centre
A 'one-stop shop' for new product development
Global Innovation Centre
A 'one-stop shop' for new product development
LINDAL Group’s Global Innovation Centre (GIC) is an ISO 9001 accredited one-stop shop for new product development. The GIC is focused on developing breakthrough products and disruptive technologies, bringing sustainable and competitive advantages to Lindal Group and its customers.
Products created by the GIC fall into two main categories. Firstly, new stock items which Lindal offers across its customer and market segment portfolio and secondly, bespoke customer specific developments where Lindal has entered into a collaborative agreement with a specific customer.
Our experienced engineering and laboratory teams create new product design concepts and take these from the Proof of Principle stage right the way through to fully validated products, ready for high volume manufacture and supply.
Product design, development & innovation
LINDAL Group provides its customers with an end-to-end product innovation process; from concept creation through to full-scale, high-volume manufacture and supply.
We operate a proven project management methodology that employs a systematic gate review process, ensuring rapid and reliable new product introduction to the market.
Central to this philosophy, we incorporate regular customer and project management review meetings at all key stages of the project. Our capabilities include;
1.
Concept creation
- Determining customer and user requirement goals
- Facilitating brainstorming sessions with clients, drawings, CAD renderings, solid model preparation and other visualisation techniques
- Conducting feasibility studies
2.
Proof of Principle
- Creating concept “mock-ups”
- Engineering and laboratory based testing of design candidates
- Material selection for function, compatibility, stability and security of supply
3.
Rapid prototyping
- Utilising a range of techniques including;
- SLA
- 3D Printing
- Component machining
4.
Design for manufacture
- DFx or Design for Function (performance, manufacture, cost etc.) studies
- Product and Process Failure Mode & Effect Analysis (PFMEA)
- Other risk management tools to ensure successful new product introduction
5.
Low cavity production tooling
- Single to four-cavity hardened steal tooling
- Representative product supply for testing and validation
- Single and bi-injection tooling
- Design transfer to industrialisation
New actuator design
From initial concepts to successful market launch
New actuator design
From initial concepts to successful market launch
LINDAL group can draw on many different examples of how it has worked collaboratively with its many valued customers. In one instance, a customer was looking for a new actuator design to rejuvenate a product which had been launched several years earlier.
Our designers and engineers met with the customer’s technical and marketing teams to discuss the design brief and to agree the project priorities. Time was of the essence for the customer so we rapidly mobilised the team to create prototypes and after a preferred design candidate was selected by the customer, samples from low-cavity tooling were produced for market testing and consumer feedback. The consumer trials were very positive and as a result, we were instructed to move forward with high volume industrialisation.
The product was successfully launched less than 18 months following the project start date, on time and in line with capital cost and unit price commitments agreed with the customer. This is a typical example of how the Lindal team often needs to work with creativity, speed and accuracy for our customers.
Product & formulation testing
Product & formulation testing
A key feature of LINDAL Group’s new product development capabilities are the laboratory services we have to offer. Here, products can be tested for all aspects of aerosol performance including functionality, formulation compatibility and long-term stability testing. We operate both wet and dry laboratory capabilities where new products can be filled and tested using customer product or other reference formulations to determine performance and fitness for purpose.
Laboratory services
Laboratory services available to our customers include;
1.
Can filling and product testing
- In-house low volume filling capability
- Full product testing
- Expertise to help customers optimise filling line set up and establish optimal process conditions
2.
Stability and compatibility testing with customer formulations
- An essential requirement for all aerosol technologies is to ensure long term stability and compatibility of formulations with aerosol packaging components
- LINDAL defines and runs test protocols on behalf of customers
3.
Product performance testing
- Aerosol spray characterisation; Including particle size analysis, discharge and flow rates, pack life uniformity and consistency…
- Actuator and Valve functionality and performance testing. This includes top load and force to activate, stress testing and product robustness assessment…
4.
Product and process specification
- Assistance provided with product process and specifications writing
- Regulatory submissions and drug master file support
- Material selection and alternative supplier qualification
Leonhard Fischer
In-house manufacturing technology
Leonhard Fischer
In-house manufacturing technology
A key aspect of LINDAL Group’s manufacturing strategy is the competitive advantage we bring for our customers by leveraging the expertise of our in-house manufacturing technology company, Leonhard Fischer.
Fischer is involved at the earliest possible stage of the product development cycle to ensure valuable insights in “design for manufacture” are integrated into the product design process, whether it is for our own products or for customer specific designs.
Fischer then designs and manufactures mould tooling, assembly and automation technologies that are tailored to specific customer user requirements for all types of applications, from low-volume, semi-automated pilot scale equipment; laboratory test apparatus or high-volume fully automated production equipment.
Looking ahead, Fischer is preparing Lindal for industry 4.0 with the integration of intelligent connected technology into all the equipment they produce.
Tooling & equipment
Our in-house manufacturing technology company Leonhard Fischer is experienced in all aspects of design, development and manufacture of injection mould tools and high speed assembly and automation equipment. Fischer can build customised assembly lines using its platform technologies or design fully bespoke machines to manufacture complex new products.As part of the product development cycle, Fischer influences product design at the earliest possible stage to ensure parts can be moulded and assembled to the highest quality whilst ensuring high volume cost effective production is achieved. Fischer offers our customers a unique capability of a one-stop shop that delivers fully integrated and project managed solution for tools, equipment, automation and manufacturing conversion.
1.
Tooling
- Low to high tool cavitation
- High precision small components
- High volume capabilities
- Mono/bi injection
2.
Automation
- Fully integrated moulding and assembly cells
- Standalone technologies
- Robotic handling
- Full IPQC check stations
- Vision systems
- Industry 4.0 prepared
3.
Service & maintenance
- Planned Preventative Maintenance
- Spares and service agreements
- Internet connected real time line support & data logging
Manufacturing equipment
In-house integrated moulding and assembly cell solution
Manufacturing equipment
In-house integrated moulding and assembly cell solution
Our customer, a leading global player in the personal care market was looking for a partner that could take its product concept from the design stage though to high-volume manufacture. The Lindal team worked closely with the customer’s design team and provided design change recommendations prior to “freezing” the product design.
Our team at Fischer then created an integrated moulding and assembly cell solution with full in-line checking and individual cavity separation and traceability.
The industrialisation process was fully project managed by Lindal across more than five manufacturing locations around the world, creating a truly “global product” platform for the customer. This is a very reliable and successful model that has subsequently been repeated for several of our other customers.