Accelerating Product Development

Expert Consultation and Collaboration for Progress

About Us
Expedite R&D Consulting LLC, founded by Dr. Thomas J. Lynch, specializes in teaching and training scientists, engineers, and technicians to accelerate product development and optimize processes in many different fields through the use of Design of Experiments (DOE). Our methods reduce companies’ time and costs while delivering superior product performance compared to conventional “trial-and-error” or “one-factor-at-a-time” experimentation.

Once key input (factors) and output (responses) variables are identified—often through process mapping—a DOE project can be initiated, paving the way to smarter, faster innovation.

Courtesy of StatEase

From Lab-scale

to Pilot-scale

to Production

What is DOE and How It Accelerates R&D

Design of Experiments (DOE) is a structured, statistical approach that helps researchers identify optimal process conditions with the fewest number of experiments. Key benefits include:

Efficiency: DOE reduces the time and cost required to reach optimal results compared to traditional experimental methods.
Multi-variable analysis: It evaluates multiple input factors simultaneously and quantifies their impact on various performance metrics (e.g., yield, purity, cost, performance).
Predictive Modeling: DOE generates statistical models that are valuable for future troubleshooting and process control.
Designs: Different types of DOE designs (e.g., screening, factorial, mixture, computer-generated custom) are tailored to specific study goals.
Interaction Insights: Unlike traditional methods, DOE uncovers how input factors interact with each other to affect output responses.
Robust Outputs: The results are reliable, scalable processes ready for production.

Here are some broad examples of how Design of Experiments can be used:

Developing new products: Designing optimal composite materials for specific structural applications by varying factors like fiber type and content.

Biotechnology: 1) Optimizing bioprocesses like fermentation and cell culture to ensure high yields and product quality. 2) Refining genetic engineering and synthetic biology efforts to ensure desired outcomes.

Drug development: 1) Optimizing drug formulations to improve stability and bioavailability. 2) Refining clinical trial designs to ensure efficient and reliable results.

Manufacturing: Improving paint application in automotive manufacturing by optimizing factors like paint viscosity, application method, and drying time to reduce defects.
Chemical Industry: Developing processes that reduce waste and improve the environmental footprint by identifying optimal ingredient substitutions.

Refining existing products: Optimizing the recipe of a chocolate cake by experimenting with different amounts of flour, sugar, and baking time to achieve the desired taste and consistency.

Optimizing Marketing campaigns: Testing different advertising levels and pricing strategies to increase sales.

Services offered

Experimental Design Workshops

Young berded man speaking on a business training standing in office during a conference or

DOE classes and hands-on training
Customers’ experimental design and planning support
Data analysis and interpretation
Technical report writing
Formal training is not always necessary. We can begin by applying DOE methods immediately to active problems, guiding teams through to successful resolution.

Common Barriers to Adopting DOE (and How We Overcome Them)

Perceived complexity: DOE can seem intimidating and there may be a perceived need for statistical expertise, but practical training simplifies the learning curve.
Habitual experimentation: Many researchers rely on familiar, ingrained “one-variable-at-a-time” approaches, which are inefficient, believing the answer is always “just one more experiment away”.
Software costs and usability: DOE software is a worthwhile investment, but is not intuitive. Our training ensures efficient and effective use of these tools to reap the time and cost savings.

Companies that Benefit from Expedite R&D Consulting Services

Expedite R&D Consulting supports organizations of all sizes—from small teams of just a few researchers to companies with hundreds of scientists. The common thread is a research laboratory, quality control lab, or pilot plant that has not yet fully embraced Design of Experiments (DOE) methods. The facility does not need to be state-of-the-art—only equipped with capable personnel, essential labware, and instruments that can be utilized for product or process development and optimization.

Thomas J. Lynch, Ph.D.
Senior Principal Scientist, CEO

Education & Experience:

Ph.D. in Chemistry, Texas A&M University, 1977-81:
- Organometallic chemistry and heterogeneous catalysis.
Postdoctoral Scholar, Dept. of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCLA 1981-4:
- Homogeneous catalysis and inorganic cluster chemistry.
Assistant Professor, Dept. of Chemistry, University of Nevada – Reno, 1984-90:
- Polymetallic complexes that exhibit high effective molarities and unique electrochemical properties.
Research Scientist, Hoechst Celanese Corp. 1990-6,
Technology Manager & Platform Leader, J.M. Huber, Corp. 1996-2004
Senior Principal Scientist, Kemira, Inc. 2004-24

Dr. Lynch holds numerous patents and has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals. A full list is available upon request.

Dr. Thomas J. Lynch

Dr. Lynch brings over 35 years of experience applying DOE, MSA, SPC, ANOVA, and other statistical tools across various industries. His work includes:

Developing semiconductor photoresists and anti-reflective coatings
Engineering functionalized minerals for elastomers, thermosets, and thermoplastics
Synthesizing and optimizing polymers including dispersants, flocculants, emulsifiers, and rheology modifiers
Organometallic and organic synthesis, and catalysis

Selected Case Studies
The following studies, performed by Thomas J. Lynch and colleagues, exemplify the diverse applications and benefits of using design of experiments (DOE) in R&D and production environments.

1. Emulsion Polymerization: Polyacrylamide Copolymer

Developed an inverse emulsion at lab scale, using DOE to simultaneously balance the optimal properties of four responses.
Production scale-up issues were solved via a 20-run custom mixture design and led to further improved performance at lower cost.
Optimized formulation defied conventional wisdom by using only two surfactants instead of three or more.

2. Functionalized Industrial Minerals: Reinforcing Kaolin Clay

Created a highly-reinforcing, surface-treated kaolin clay as an alternative to silica and carbon black.
The DOE consisted of three surface reagents as mixture factors and the kaolin percentage in the elastomer as a continuous factor.
DOE identified an optimal formulation not included in the original design—confirmed with follow-up validation runs.
Resulting clay provided unexpectedly high reinforcing properties (e.g., tensile strength, modulus, tear strength for elastomers, and air retention in tire applications.
See “Treated Clay Product, Methods of Making and Using and Products Therefrom” US 5,840,113; US 5,840,795.

3. Semiconductor Lithography: Deep UV Photoresist

DOE optimized lithographic processing steps (e.g., soft-bake, UV exposure, hard-bake, etching).
Achieved smallest industry-leading photoresist dimensions.
See “Positive Deep UV Resist DX46”, Sematech Conference, Fremont, CA May 3-4, 1994.

4. Oligomeric Emulsifier Synthesis

Eight synthesis variables evaluated in a DOE screening design.
DOE identified key factors and surprising interactions, leading to a superior emulsifier.
Final in-house production-scale product outperformed years of previous outsourced versions.
See “Thermal initiators for polymerization in mineral oil and methods” WO 2023211908A1.