Meet our Experts: Milad Farhangnia, Head of Mechanical Engineering.
Engineering and Improving Productivity.
(video transcript)

My name is Milad Farhangnia and I’m the Director of Mechanical Engineering at Conquip. I lead a team of engineers who deliver both market-driven and bespoke customer projects.

How does your team improve productivity in new product development?

In our approach to developing new solutions, we prioritise maximising the productivity of our equipment. We evaluate the success of our developments based on the following criteria: utilisation rates, maintenance and downtime, operative skill and training.

Our approach to new product development usually starts with market research, which entails our sales, customer service and marketing departments speaking to customers and operators and understanding their requirements.

Based on this a scope the engineering department put a proposal drawing together, which they believe solves the customer issues. Once the proposal drawing has been put together it is shared with customers and site operators who get feedback.

Based on said feedback, the proposal drawing is modified, and a prototype is put together. Once the prototype has been manufactured, it is tested in-house and potentially trialled, in a controlled environment. Based on their trial and their feedback, the product is further improved to a point where we are confident that we have met the requirements. Following this we put the product in production and deploy it to sites.

How does your team develop customised equipment for customers?

When looking at bespoke solutions for our customers, we start this process by sitting down with the client to understand their challenges we’re able to provide them with solutions which they may not have initially considered. One way in which Conquip has been able to lead in this aspect is due to our extensive range of product types, which allows us to capture design aspects of other products to create an optimum solution.

How does rigorous testing play a part in developing new solutions?

In regard to productivity, there are two critical parameters we monitor during the development process. One is the number of cycles the site can achieve per shift, and the other is how to minimise the downtime of equipment. One of the key aspects in the development process before the product is sent to the customer is a testing methodology, which may vary from functional testing, cycle testing, load testing and or site trials. This allows us to find and resolve any issues with our product before it is sent out to the customer. This way, when the product is with the customer, they’re able to use it with minimal downtime.