Argonne staff members now have access to cost-effective and diverse professional engineering services at Chicago-based innovation center mHUB.
mHUB’s Product Engineering Solutions is the consulting branch of mHUB, and it offers organizations access to mHUB’s contractors to collaborate on innovation and product development. mHUB discusses a challenge, product idea or goals with a client and pulls together a team with the right experience and skill sets to complete the project in the most efficient manner.
Available services include: cost analysis, CAD, system design, hardware development, machining, lab testing, field testing and more.
mHUB’s pricing tends to be two to three times less expensive than typical product development firms because there is much less overhead in the mHUB model. Rates can range from $35 to $225 per hour, depending on the experience level and skill set.
In addition to the cost-effective nature of mHUB’s services, another key attribute is the diversity of talent and skill sets among mHUB’s 850 members, meaning there is essentially always someone or a team that is perfect for the job.
These teams have access to all the tools, mentorship and benefits a world-class manufacturing ecosystem like Chicagoland has to offer. The client pays mHUB, mHUB pays the contractors, and the contractors sign a non-disclosure agreement and intellectual property assignment directly with the client.
Typical projects range from $10,000-$150,000 and are broken into several phases, with scheduled check-ins, phase-gates, mid-project deliverables and constant communication so the project remains on task.
Areas of focus for mHUB include: the Internet of Things, connected devices, smart cities, health technologies, aerospace, clean technologies, automation, equipment manufacturing, robotics and consumer goods.
mHUB’s talent pool includes: Mechanical engineers, electrical engineers, automation engineers, materials engineers, firmware developers, web/mobile developers, software developers, industrial designers, prototypers and fabricators.
Launched in 2016, mHUB is dedicated to physical product development and manufacturing. Argonne and mHUB recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that provides Argonne staff access to mHUB’s expertise and resources, including mHUB’s maker space.
The Argonne point of contact for accessing mHUB’s professional engineering services or for learning more is Alex Mitchell (ext. 2-5573), head of communications for the Science and Technology Partnerships and Outreach (S&TPO) directorate.