Research & Development
- » Design
- » Development
- » Prototyping
- » Testing
With a global staff, Knowles' highly skilled R&D experts continue to evolve and expand our cross-functional technology platforms, under the direction of the Hearing Instruments Group and the Electronic Devices Group.
Knowles' R&D experts are members of a team assembled to collaborate with you about your component or product design challenge. Contributions may include expertise in acoustical engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, physics, materials science and computer modeling. This experience runs deep and extends across a wide spectrum of applications such as distinctive types of receivers, speakers and microphones.
Knowles' R&D experts are active in both new product development and explorative research. They are frequent contributors to scientific, educational and industry groups and forums.
» DESIGN
- Ultrasonic welding capabilities form an extensive 'toolbox' for developing product concepts.
- Anechoic chamber testing enables our engineering teams to fully characterize product performance during the design phase.
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» DEVELOPMENT
- CAD and 3D modeling capabilities support rapid movement from product concept to marketing reality.
- Extensive modeling and finite element analysis (FEA) tools are complemented by precise measurement capabilities.
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» PROTOTYPING
- Rapid prototyping in Itasca, Illinois supports R&D and applications engineering to efficiently evaluate and refine new product concepts.
- Laser cutting and welding technologies are offered on an extremely small scale, complementing Knowles' micro assembly capability.
- Precision assembly is a core capability.
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» TESTING
- RFI testing capabilities assure robust designs.
- Laser measurement systems assure accuracy to better than 0.0001".
- Scanning electron microscope (SEM) capabilities provide advanced defect and failure analyses.
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