TAP40

Improving Indiana's economy, health, and quality of life by connecting Hoosier businesses with Purdue staff and faculty.

A central piece to the Technical Assistance Program's mission of helping Indiana by providing businesses with up to 40 hours of consultive services from Purdue faculty. While also focusing on improving Hoosier businesses' capabilities at scale across the state.

The TAP40 initiative was started in 1986 to address an acute need with a discrete solution. TAP40 provides Indiana businesses with up to 40 hours of Purdue faculty and staff assistance per year. The requirements of participating companies vary on what to fix, how to fix it, where to start, or where to go. The solutions provided take the form of guidance, analysis, or validation. TAP40 has worked with a wide range of companies, such as Major Tool and Machine and Foppers Dog Treats. Below is a sampling of areas in which we have provided assistance.

Business Management
Activity-based costing guidance
Budgeting guidance
Engineering economics
Expansion/retraction decision factors
Forecasting guidance
Profitability considerations
Strategic planning
Venture capital investments

Manufacturing
Advanced process control
Automation Electrical issues
Mechanical issues
Processing issues

Materials & Chemistry
Composite properties
Corrosion analysis
Counterfeit identification
Environmental safety
Heat treating
Material characterization & selection
Polymer & monomer properties
Product evaluation & testing
Product failure analysis
Properties analysis Solder & weld recommendations
VOC issues

Product Validation & Applied Engineering
Acoustics
Aerodynamics
Circuit and electronic design
Design input and review
Finite element analysis
Fluid dynamics
Heat and power issues
Human factors
Problem solving
Product evaluation and testing
Rapid prototyping
Reverse engineering
Sensor use & application
Thermodynamics
Wireless systems

Productivity & Process Optimization
Distribution & logistics
Plant layout
Scheduling
Sourcing & make/buy decisions
Statistical analyses
Warehouse management

Quality Assurance
Data analysis for processes and products
Data trending
Experiment design
Quality control techniques application
Sampling and sample size calculations
Survey design and analysis