The 2012 Montie Gear Student Design Contest is now in the judging stage.  Here are videos about the three finalists.

Click on a picture to watch a video.

Luca Harrell – Industrial Design Major – Virginia Tech

Jake Eck – Industrial Design Major – NCSU

Josh Little – Industrial Design Major – NCSU

Montie Design Networking Event Friday

Join us this Friday, 30 Mar, from 4:00 to 6:30PM for our Final Friday end of the quarter networking event at Montie Design.  This is a casual, easy going way to relax a few minutes in the company of fellow professionals.  Click Here to pre-register.

 

Join us at the NC Defense Business Association Expo on April 3-4

Please visit our booth at the Expo in Pinehurst, NC.  This event is a great way to find defense related vendors and network within the NC defense business community.  Click Here to sign up.

 

Call or Email Today to Discuss Your Project

Want to talk product development or need help with a project?  Don’t hesitate to contact Montie at 919-481-1845×107 or montie@montie.com.

Take a peak at the final three designs for the 2012 Montie Gear Design Contest!

 

By Josh : A tree mounted multi-use organizer.

 

By Jake : An elevated cooking surface with stove.

 

By Luca : A collapsible wet/dry tree mounted container.

 

 
The 2012 Montie Design / Montie Gear Student Design Contest is underway!  We have entries from NC State, Appalachian and Virginia Tech.  The students are competing for a shot at having their product commercialized at a micro manufacturing facility that we are setting up in Spring Creek, NC.

Click on the image below to see a short video describing the contest.

Merry Christmas from all of us at Montie Design!  I hope you have a joyous Christmas and enjoy the holiday season.

Innovation vs. Invention – Case In Point

“Innovation” is an often misused term.  Simply put, innovation is where you combine existing intellectual property (or know how) in a new and creative way.  Invention is where you create new intellectual property.

There is an awesome video of a new product that has achieved viral status on YouTube.  You can watch the video here.  This device (called a Fly Board) allows the user to fly like Iron Man for a few feet into the air.

Water is pumped from an impeller (same as impeller on a Jet Ski) through a hose and then ejected from four nozzles to propel the user through the air.

Is this an example of invention or innovation?  There are many examples of using nozzles to eject water in a high velocity stream (think fire hose).  Water is often piped through flexible hoses (think fire hose again).  This product is an example of innovation because existing technologies from fire hoses were combined with using a personal watercraft as a remote power source.  This is a great example of cross pollination because technologies from different industries were innovatively combined to create a new product.  On a personal note, I want to try this new product.  But, I’m pretty sure I won’t be thinking about product development terminology as I’m flying through the air.

Want to talk product development or need help with a project?  Don’t hesitate to contact me at 919-481-1845 x107 or montie@montie.com.

Merry Christmas,
Montie

Flex Circuits Seminar, and Networking Events

Paul Tome with EPEC Technologies  joined us for a lunch and learn event on Tuesday, Nov 15th.  He lead a discussion called the “Secrets of Flex Circuit Design”.  Paul has 15 years of experience designing flex circuits.  Paul is the Flex Circuit Product Manager for Epec Engineered Technologies (www.epectec.com).

 

IDSA Southern Regional Portfolio Review at VT

Last weekend was a lot of fun.  The industrial design students in our region have an amazing amount of energy and talent.  It was an honor to serve as a professional reviewer at the event.

 

PCB Carolina Show in Raleigh

The PCB Carolina show was held on Tuesday at the Raleigh Convention Center.  The convention center is an awesome venue for this type of event.  Shows like this are a great way to meet new clients and catch up with existing clients and friends.  You may be wondering why a mechanical design firm would exhibit at a show focused on PCB design and manufacturing.  All those printed circuit boards have to end up in some sort of enclosure (hint – think Montie Design).

 

DEFNET Event in Raleigh

Last night the folks at Wake County Economic Development put on the 3rd DEFNET event.  These events are designed to enable networking between the local companies that do work in the defense market space.  This event included a short speech by David Price.  Sign up for the event announcements by emailing Wayne Watkins.

Congressman Price speaking at the Wake County Economic Development DEFNET Event.

(Morrisville, N.C.) Montie Design, an innovative concept-to-marketplace product design and development firm, is continuing a string of educational outreach events by hosting a November 15 Lunch and Learn featuring Paul Tome with EPEC Technologies. Tome will be leading a discussion called the “Secrets of Flex Circuit Design” at the Montie Design studios located just off Aviation Parkway in Morrisville. The event is free but requires advance registration online at https://www.eventbrite.com/event/2434228844. Continue reading “Luncheon Continues String of Educational Outreach Events to Manufacturing Sector”

Earlier in the year we sponsored a student design contest for students in NC and Virginia.  Nick Pennington submitted a contest winning slingshot design.  We liked his design so much that we invited him to serve as a summer intern at Montie Design and commercialize his design.  Nick managed to successfully complete two versions of his design.  Look to see both versions in the Montie Gear catalog in time for Christmas.

 

 

 

 

All the parts were finished this week, so Mason could start assembling his new table this week. He was one of our interns this summer. If you are looking for an entry level Industry Designer, then check out his LinkedIn profile.

Table is Made of Aluminum Plates for a High Tech Look

 

(Morrisville, N.C.) Montie Design, an innovative concept-to-marketplace product design and development firm, recently participated in the North Carolina Defense Business Association (NCDBA) Breakfast with a Prime event August 25th as one of the presenting companies. Held at the Research Triangle Park Archie K. Davis Conference Center, Breakfast with a Prime featured a main presentation by renowned government contracting group IEM and was well-attended by representatives of private businesses, local government and universities. Continue reading “Montie Design Participates in Defense Business Event”

Rob and Nick are putting the finishing touches on the new Montie Gear Slingshots. These slingshots were the winning entries of Nick Pennington in the 2011 Montie Gear Student Design Contest. Nick worked with us all summer to commercialize his entry, resulting in 4 different slingshot models.