Jabil Circuit Inc. is introducing a new Innovation Acceleration Services that it says will compress the entire product lifecycle enabling companies to bring products to market quicker.
“Innovating at the speed of digital requires continual application of new technologies, automation, analytics and manufacturing know-how,” said Bill Muir, chief operating officer at the St. Petersburg, Fla.-based company, in a news release.
“We are developing a complete ecosystem of digital connections to create new business opportunities, improve experience and deliver value-added, from start to finish,” he added.
The company is offering a digital prototype lab, managed supply chain, procurement and 3-D printing services. Previously customers had to search for their own services, but this way Jabil helps companies find what they need quickly.
Jabil said the services will enable customers to respond faster to changing product and market demands while reducing risks and costs.
The Radius Digital Prototype Lab is co-located at Jabil's Blue Sky Innovation Center in San Jose, Calif. It provides a cross-functional team of brand and product specialists, designers and engineers as well as quality and implementation people. The lab provides complete user insight, design, build, analysis and testing services under one roof.
The DPL includes 3-D printing, CT scanning, five-axis computer numerically controlled machining, paint and assembly; and clean room and testing facilities. It follows a strategy that enables proof-of-concept models to be produced in as little as five weeks, when it typically make take 12-26 weeks.
As an example, Jabil cited work with RayVio Corp., of Hayward, Calif. The startup company worked with Radius to come up with a water bottle with a unique embedded LED technology to provide clean water. The project took six weeks to come up with a prototype.
Another Jabil customer, Superfeet Worldwide Inc., a custom insole maker in Ferndale, Wash., said it was able to cut its time to market in half. On Sept. 28 it announced that it will partner with Jabil and is planning to provide custom 3-D printed insoles next year.
Jabil's new managed supply chain and procurement services utilize the company's platform that orchestrates over 700,000 parts across a global network of over 17,000 suppliers sourced from more than 30 countries.
The company is also defining best practices and consulting services to accelerate additive manufacturing for large scale production.
Jabil, which is publically traded on the New York Stock Exchange, is an $18 billion company. It's holdings include Clinton, Mass.-based injection molder Nypro Inc.