Lightspeed News & Events

Program connects old, new to boost manufacturing jobs

noreply@blogger.com (Alex) — Wed, 13 Jan 2016 12:45:00 +0000

Program connects old, new to boost manufacturing jobs

LANE TURNER/ GLOBE STAFF

Lightspeed, in Haverhill, helped the startup Tank Utility produce its smart meter.

By Jon Christian G L O B E C O R R E S P O N D E N T J A N U A R Y 1 2 , 2 0 1 6

A year after he founded his Somerville startup, Nick Mashburn had a product, a smart meter that notifies fuel delivery companies when tanks need to be refilled. He also had a customer, a Canadian fuel company that wanted 1,200 meters.

What he didn’t have was someone to manufacture them.

Enter the Manufacturing Initiative, a program that connects hardware startups with manufacturers. After helping to tweak the design of his prototype, the initiative put Mashburn in touch with Lightspeed Manufacturing, a Haverhill contract manufacturer that so far has produced and shipped 500 of the smart meters for Mashburn’s company, Tank Utility.

“It was really nice to be able to find folks that could guide us through that process,” Mashburn said of Lightspeed, “and who had the expectation that we would be manufacturing much, much more.”

Read full article here

Ball serves as eyes of police

noreply@blogger.com (Alex) — Mon, 24 Aug 2015 11:17:00 +0000

BUSINESS PLAN

Ball serves as eyes of police

MA RK LORE N Z FOR THE B OS TON GLOB E

Rich Breault with the Explorer, a round, throwable camera developed by Bounce Imaging and built at Lightspeed Manufacturing in Haverhill.

By Wendy Killeen G L O B E C O R R E S P O N D E N T A U G U S T 2 0 , 2 0 1 5

Imagine you are a police officer or other first responder going into a dark building, an unlit stairwell, a tunnel or an attic. Dangerous, even for the most experienced.

But what if you could get a look inside those spaces before you enter?

It’s possible with the Explorer, a round, throwable camera developed by B ounce

I m aging and built at L ight sp ee d Manu fact ur ing in Haverhill.

Bounce Imaging was a gold winner in the 2012 Mas sC halle nge startup competition and accelerator program.

That’s when Rich Breault, a founding partner of MassChallenge and president of Lightspeed, became enthused with the tactical camera. His company created a prototype and worked on the product’s development for three years. It is now sending a pilot run of the first 100 Explorers to police departments around the country.

We talked with Breault, 52, of Haverhill.

Q. How does the camera work?

A.As it rolls, it takes images from six cameras and stitches them together and transmits the data back to the responder’s mobile device. With a finger, the responder can move it around and see a 360degree panoramic view of the space.

Q. Size and materials?

A. Like a softball. The electronics in the center are covered by a hard plastic shell and a rubber overmold.

Q. The key?

A. The software inside. It’s something not easily duplicated and will potentially save lives.

Q. Other advantages?

A. It’s reusable. In a school shooting, for example, it could be thrown in a classroom, and if clear, be retrieved and then thrown in another room.

Q. Cost?

A. Base model, $1,500; and up to $2,500 with advanced features.

Q. Future?

A. We are going into fullscale production in the fall. The main focus now is first responders, but there are possible applications for the military and, down the road, low cost [civilian] panoramic cameras.

Wendy Killeen can be reached at wdkilleen@gmail.com.

Rich Breault Lightspeed MFG cuts chain for MassChallenge March 10th 2015

noreply@blogger.com (Alex) — Mon, 16 Mar 2015 11:50:00 +0000

MADE@ MassChallenge aims to aggregate prototyping and manufacturing resources for early-stage entrepreneurs

On March 10th, MassChallenge Boston unveiled MADE@ MassChallenge, a 5,000 sq. ft hardware lab and maker space that will enable hardware startups to prototype in-house as part of the four-month accelerator program. MassChallenge startups and alumni will gain access to essential tools and equipment as well as mentorship and guidance from industry experts.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10153083452905822&set=vb.90379160821&type=2&theater

CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY Names Lightspeed Manufacturing 2013 EMS Company of the Year

noreply@blogger.com (Alex) — Sun, 13 Apr 2014 13:48:00 +0000

CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY today announced Lightspeed Manufacturing as its EMS Company of the Year for 2013. The distinction is bestowed annually on EMS companies that have demonstrated profitability and sustained excellence among their peers.

Click here for full article

MassChallenge partners with Lightspeed, adds Microsoft/City of Boston civic prize

noreply@blogger.com (Alex) — Sun, 30 Mar 2014 12:23:00 +0000

Although MassChallenge‘s transition from Fan Pier to Drydock Avenue is expected to be completed later this spring/early this summer, the world’s largest startup accelerator program is already making some big moves.
MassChallenge and Lightspeed MFG
MassChallenge is expanding its partnership with Lightspeed MFG, a Haverhill-based electronics manufacturing, prototyping, and repair company.
Last year, Lightspeed donated some manufacturing equipment, including 3D printers, software, and computer equipment, to MassChallenge.
When I asked why his company decided to donate the equipment to the accelerator, Lightspeed founder Rich Breault explained, ”We came in to MassChallenge and thought it was great, but I asked them, ‘What do you guys do for hardware?’ They didn’t even have a screwdriver in the place.”
This week, Lightspeed and MassChallenge have revealed that they are going to be working more closely together in the future.

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Tech start-ups welcome in Haverhill

noreply@blogger.com (Alex) — Sat, 04 May 2013 14:27:00 +0000

About 60 years ago, the world’s first commercial product that included a transistor was built by Western Electric in downtown Haverhill. Today, Bounce Imaging, which Popular Science cited as having one of the best inventions of 2013, is relying on a company in the city’s Ward Hill neighborhood to create a high-tech orb that signals danger before first responders make their move. Brenda J. Buote Boston Globe
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LightspeedPROTO Launched, Dedicated to PCBA Prototype Services

noreply@blogger.com (Alex) — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 13:56:00 +0000

Haverhill, Massachusetts, USA – Lightspeed Manufacturing , a leading Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) provider, announces the launch of LightspeedPROTO, a new division of Lightspeed Manufacturing devoted solely to providing prototype electronic assemblies and related services such as engineering and Design for Manufacturing (DFM) assistance.