Oral Care -- Technical Consultant
A client was facing a manufacturing problem with a new dental floss product. ATI located a technical expert with relevant experience in steaming and processing and helped facilitate an on-site visit by this technical consultant to the client's European plant. The expert troubleshooted the problem and provided a technical solution that enabled the company to introduce a successful new oral hygiene product.
Allergen Control Technologies -- Technology Searching
Identified state-of-the art allergen control products and technologies from sources worldwide to address cat dander, dust mites, and related indoor air pollutants. Among the products of interest: personal dust monitor, anti-allergen dust spray, bio-filter for odour control, air purifier and ionizer, air cleaning system for vehicle passenger compartment, filter media for liquid, dust and air filters, fabric which provides an effective barrier against dust mites and other allergens, anti-allergen hard/soft surface cleaner, and vacuum cleaners with HEPA filters.
Test-kit for Cleanliness of Food Surfaces -- Sample Retrieval
Client asked ATI to obtain samples of a product that were available only in Europe. When U.S.-based as well as Canadian-based distributors were unable to provide a sample, we contacted the manufacturer directly, obtained several samples, and forwarded them to our client, all within one weeks' time.
Creative Household Products -- Novel, Unique Products
ATI located small firms developing novel, unique, creative consumer products, including: Attractive air freshener balls for sports, cars and homes; a vegetable and fruit freshness enhancer; collapsible household storage containers; antibacterial household wipes; a new dye transfer inhibition laundry product; a home dry cleaning kit, and a nickel-allergic detection kit for jewelry.
Product Development and Design -- New Product Development Assistance
ATI identified the leading product design and development firms who conceptualize new consumer product and category ideas and develop aesthetically-pleasing, ergonomically-sound products incorporating consumer wishes and desires. Examples of products identified: filter for a showerhead, dust attractors, automated kitty litter box, air purifiers, new dusting and cleaning implement, handheld insect repellant for use in Europe, non-aerosol spray delivery system.
Contract Detergent Manufacturing -- Contract Manufacturer
A client sought companies that could contract manufacture a "no-rust" soaped scouring pad under development. ATI located five firms that had the necessary equipment, technical expertise and capacity to handle the request, and arranged conference calls with each that enabled our client to select the best company to handle the request.
Product Was Warping, Bowing -- Quality Control
A client was experiencing problems with warping and bowing of a popular consumer product due to humidity. ATI located sources that offered a range of innovative approaches: use of an alternative raw material; electrostatically punching micron-size holes in the product, a solution that had met with success on a related product; applying a coating that sealed out moisture and withstood temperatures involved in the manufacturing process; and, rigorously reviewing the client's manufacturing process and challenging commonly-held assumptions and intuitions about the process that weren't always borne out, and ultimately suggesting improvements to the process to create a more dimensionally balanced product that wouldn't warp.
Novel packaging -- Market intelligence
A client was looking for companies who manufacture plastic lids that cover babywipe tubs, and were interested in determining if one or more could design a lid that was similar to a popular, easy-to-use product sold in Europe. We were able to locate the firms that designed and manufactured this product and put our client in touch with the respective European units and with the company's sister division in the U.S.
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