Welcome to PRAD Technologies!

PRAD provides contract research and development services to the process industry, bringing our strengths in chemical engineering, specifically in particulate/multiphase processes and rheology.  Our clientele is diverse and includes a range of industries — biomedical/pharmaceutical, food/nutraceutical, cosmetics/toiletries, energy/minerals, ceramics/polymers, specialty products, and others. 

Our Approach

We use state-of-the-art rheological (bulk, surface/interfacial, extensional), and other physico-chemical techniques for characterization of materials.  We apply advanced computational tools to understand the physical processes that allow our clients to control/refine the engineering of their products. 

We believe that in this competitive and rapidly changing business environment today’s performance as market leader is no guarantee of tomorrow’s continued presence in the market.  A corporation has to sustain its competitive advantage through a commitment to continued R&D.  PRAD can help identify a corporation’s competitive advantage, keep it abreast of the changing product/technology space, and enable it to keep up with these changes at a very fundamental level. Having us as your partner will enable your organization to deliver consistent and improved results, quarter after quarter, by having an eye on the fundamentals. We enable you to deliver a cost-effective, sustained commitment to pursuing advanced R&D that can lead to:  (i) better product knowledge, (ii) improvement of product performance/behavior, and (iii) creation of new intellectual property and future commercial value. 

Our Process

Generalist Phase:  We assume long-term relationships with our clients on a retainer basis—providing them with frequent seminars on topics of special interest to their internal groups, general R&D advisory on different projects, and specialized subject-matter expertise leading to specific short-term studies/projects to be conducted by PRAD using our facilities.

Proposal Phase:  Once we identify our client’s R&D blocks, we work with their team to propose specific contract-based short-term studies using our approach and our fresh ideas to find solutions.

Deliverables Phase:  We apply advanced methodology and the latest in industry knowledge to deliver solutions to our client’s challenges.

Implementation Phase:  We then work directly with our client to implement the findings into their manufacturing practices. 

PRAD’s  client base being very diverse, we like to start the process with an invited seminar as a forum for identifying ways that we can work with your company to impact your bottom line.  Write to us (kamesh@pradinc.com) or call us (651-739-7746) today to schedule a special topics seminar, and find out how we might be able to advance your R&D goals. 

The PRAD Advantage

PRAD provides the latest developments in thought leadership within the industry to some of your most complex R&D challenges in the area of particulate/multiphase processes.  We bring fresh perspectives in solving a variety of technical problems in the manufacture of complex materials, with an emphasis on the rheological aspects. 

We work on a spectrum of problems ranging from formulation, to production, to the utilization of a multitude of materials—semisolids (pastes, creams, gels), dispersions (suspensions, emulsions, foams), liquids/melts/solutions—spanning the needs of the process industry.  We have expanded our capabilities to address the rheological challenges involved in the processing of nanomaterials (e.g., particles, dispersions, fibers, films, coatings, and composites) that have shown to be very useful in favorably impacting material characteristics. 

As a contract R&D organization, we operate as a virtual extension of our client’s in-house R&D team, fully meeting their expectations and standards in terms of confidentiality, work-quality, time-frames, and budgets. 

By partnering with PRAD, our clients can stay top of their niche technology, save time and money in identifying research direction, reach development milestones, and remain flexible in response to changing market conditions that demand continuous improvement in the company’s portfolio and refinements of their specialized product knowledge that allows them to distinguish themselves from their competitors. 

PRAD enables our clients to:  (i) avoid the expense associated with the purchase and maintenance of new capital equipment, (ii) avoid having to hire specialists to study every single nuance that comes their way, (iii) stay abreast of the latest trends and developments within their product-technology space, more purposefully engage their in-house R&D groups towards ongoing/immediate projects, and free up their in-house capacity to more effectively manage their core business and product portfolio.  Our R&D work leads to both intellectual property developments, as well as fresh perspectives on existing product lines that may serve as marketable product differentiators (e.g., “our product is more reliable”, “our product lasts longer”, “our product is more eco/bio-friendly”, etc. ). 

Why Hire PRAD?

You may not hire PRAD if you want to do the same old thing, in the same old way.  A partnership with PRAD is an investment in and a commitment towards your future.  A company that is concerned with its future has a deep understanding of its business, its customers and their needs, and the broader market place in which it operates. Such a company will thrive in any environment.  It invests in innovation, in innovative ideas, and innovative partnerships.  Partnering with PRAD allows you to do that in a cost effective way.  We keep an eye on your horizon so that you can focus on what’s in front of you.  When driving somewhere, you need to look both at where you are and where you are going. 

The foundations of a “good business” rest in the quality of your product and in properly understanding where the demand for that product is.  A good product will market itself.  A product focused company, that is equally aware of its market and its place within that market, is a thriving company.  If you don’t invest in R&D on your product portfolio, you risk losing your competitive advantage.  The time to play defense, is when you have a strong offense.  The time to play offense, is when you have a strong defense.