Business Details
33 Years
experience
Engineering Design & Product Development Services
Acorn Product Development has been a leader in product development consulting for 30 years, delivering comprehensive design and engineering services across diverse industries. Our team of experienced professionals guides clients from initial concept to final implementation, providing strategic and technical insights to ensure product success. With expertise in industrial equipment, data center technology, consumer products, life science instruments, and IoT development, we combine user-centered design with precision engineering.Our history includes pioneering work in rack-based data center equipment and liquid dispensing systems, emphasizing reliability, safety, and manufacturability. We empower clients through partnerships, advocating for their success in global markets while maintaining a commitment to innovation and technical excellence.
Services
Engineering Design
User-Centered Design
Manufacturing Support
Product Development
Data Center Equipment
Medical Devices
IoT Development
Prototyping
Regulatory Compliance
Global Supply Chain
Details
- Year established: 1993
Highlights and features
- We offer 30 years of experience in product development across regulated industries.
- Our multidisciplinary team integrates user-centered design with technical engineering expertise.
- We provide global manufacturing support with a co-located Asia engineering team.
- Our process ensures compliance with medical device regulations like ISO 13485.
- We combine creativity and technical rigor to accelerate time-to-market for complex products.
Services
Engineering Design
Our engineering design services focus on transforming concepts into functional, manufacturable products. We specialize in mechanism design, structural analysis, and embedded systems development for medical, robotics, and consumer industries. With 30 years of experience, we ensure precision and reliability through finite element analysis, thermal testing, and design for manufacturability. Our engineers collaborate closely with clients to meet industry standards while optimizing for cost and scalability.
User-Centered Design
We create intuitive user experiences by combining industrial design, interface development, and brand identity. Our process identifies unmet user needs and emotional triggers to develop products that resonate with target audiences. Multidisciplinary teams work alongside engineers to balance technical feasibility with aesthetic appeal, ensuring solutions that are both functional and marketable across consumer, medical, and IoT sectors.
Manufacturing Support
Our manufacturing support spans global supply chain development, contract manufacturer selection, and production validation. We provide tolerance analysis, tooling reviews, and on-site vendor audits to ensure seamless transition from prototype to mass production. With a co-located Asia team, we offer localized expertise in manufacturing optimization and quality control for complex electromechanical systems.
Medical Device Development
We specialize in medical device engineering with ISO 13485-certified documentation processes. Our team navigates FDA and EU regulatory requirements while maintaining focus on user safety and clinical effectiveness. Expertise includes diagnostic equipment, wearable devices, and life science instrumentation, with a track record of successful regulatory submissions and market approvals.
IoT Development Services
We develop IoT solutions integrating hardware, firmware, and cloud connectivity for industrial and consumer applications. Our capabilities include sensor integration, wireless communication protocols, and edge computing systems. By combining mechanical design with embedded software expertise, we create scalable IoT platforms that meet performance, security, and interoperability standards.
People
Ken Haven
Founder / Chairman
With 40+ years in product development, Ken founded Acorn in 1993 after leadership roles at NeXT Computer and Hewlett-Packard. He holds mechanical engineering degrees from Cornell University and drives strategic vision for the firm.
Tim Lau
Founder / CTO Emeritus
Co-founder Tim Lau brings 40+ years of technology development experience from NeXT Computer and Plantronics. His expertise in manufacturing liaison and product innovation continues to influence Acorn's technical direction.
Tom Dutremble
CEO
As CEO, Tom combines mechanical engineering expertise with MBA-level business strategy. He specializes in high-volume manufacturing design and has led complex automation projects across medical and industrial sectors.
Brian Lewis
General Manager, West
With 20+ years in healthcare engineering, Brian leads Silicon Valley operations. He specializes in life science instrumentation and holds 15 patents for software-controlled medical devices and clinical trial systems.
Gwynn Masada
Project Director
Gwynn brings 18 years of experience developing medical ultrasound machines, robotics, and beverage dispensing systems. She excels at translating technical requirements into user-focused products for startups and global brands.
Questions
What industries does Acorn specialize in?
We work across healthcare, robotics, life sciences, consumer electronics, industrial equipment, and IoT. Our 30-year track record includes medical devices, data center hardware, and automated systems.
How does Acorn handle regulatory compliance for medical devices?
Our ISO 13485-certified processes ensure compliance with FDA and EU medical device regulations. We document development workflows and perform validation testing to meet quality system requirements.
Can Acorn support manufacturing outside the US?
Yes, our Asia engineering team provides localized support for manufacturing transfer, supply chain development, and quality control in partnership with global contract manufacturers.
How long does a typical product development project take?
Timelines vary by complexity, but our phased approach typically delivers proof-of-concept prototypes within 6-12 months, with full production support available thereafter.
