Research & development
Structured investigation of unfamiliar problems: literature and standards review, first-principles analysis, experiments and options studies that end in a clear recommendation.
Engineering research & development · Toowoomba, QLD
Engineering answers for problems that don't come off the shelf.
Design and Innovation Solutions is a small, specialist consultancy that researches, designs and proves out engineering solutions across disciplines. If a challenge has stalled because nobody has solved it before, that is where we start.
What we do
Research and development across engineering disciplines, from the first sketch to a proven result. We take on the parts of a project that don't fit a standard scope.
Concept & detail design
Concept generation, trade studies and detailed design of mechanisms, structures and systems, documented to the level your manufacturer or certifier needs.
Analysis, simulation & testing
Hand calculations, numerical modelling and physical testing used together so a design is understood, not just simulated. Results are explained, with their limits.
Prototyping & proof of concept
Getting an idea into hardware quickly to learn from it: test rigs, instrumented prototypes and pilot builds that de-risk the path to a production design.
How a project runs
R&D is uncertain by nature, so we keep the process transparent: short stages, clear deliverables and decisions made with you at each step.
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Understand
A conversation about the problem, what has already been tried and what a good outcome looks like. No charge for this stage.
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Investigate
A scoped study that maps the options, the physics and the risks, and recommends a direction with an honest view of feasibility.
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Develop
Design, analysis and prototyping in iterations, with results shared as they arrive so the plan can change when the evidence does.
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Deliver
Documentation, drawings, test data and a handover suited to your next step: manufacture, certification or further development.
About Design and Innovation Solutions
Design and Innovation Solutions is a small company specialising in research and development for a range of engineering disciplines. Being small is deliberate: the engineer you speak to first is the one who does the work, and every project gets senior attention from start to finish.
We are based in Toowoomba, Queensland, and work with clients across regional Queensland and further afield. Most of our work arrives as a question that has already been asked elsewhere and not answered. If you have one of those, we would like to hear it.
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Toowoomba, QLD 4350Serving regional Queensland and beyond
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Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 5:00pmAustralian Eastern Standard Time
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Confidential by defaultHappy to work under your NDA before any detail is shared
Frequently asked questions
Short answers to the questions we hear most. Anything else, just ask.
What kinds of problems do you take on?
Anything where the answer isn't already known: a machine that needs to do something no existing product does, a failure nobody can explain, a process that needs to work at a different scale, or an idea that needs to be tested before money is committed to it. If a problem is routine, we will say so and point you to someone cheaper.
Which engineering disciplines do you cover?
Our core is mechanical and mechatronic engineering, and we regularly draw in structural, electrical, materials and software expertise as a project needs. Where a problem sits outside our own experience we bring in trusted specialists and tell you when we are doing so.
How is R&D work scoped and priced?
In stages. The first conversation is free. From there we usually propose a fixed-price investigation with defined deliverables, then quote development work once the direction is clear. You are never committed to the next stage before the results of the current one are in.
Who owns the intellectual property?
You do. Designs, data and reports produced for a client belong to the client unless we agree otherwise up front. We are comfortable working under your NDA from the first meeting.
Do you only work with clients near Toowoomba?
No. Being in Toowoomba makes site visits across the Darling Downs and south-east Queensland easy, but most collaboration happens remotely and we work with clients anywhere in Australia.
What do you need from me to get started?
A description of the problem in your own words, anything that has already been tried, and any constraints you know about (budget, timeline, standards, site conditions). Photos, sketches and data are welcome but not required for a first conversation.
Have a challenging engineering issue?
Tell us about it. We will let you know honestly whether it is something we can help with, and what the first step would look like.
engineering@disolutions.com.au- Location
- Toowoomba, QLD 4350, Australia
- Hours
- Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 5:00pm AEST