A traditional metal bashing plant since the 1960s has completed its latest innovative project building on its reinvention as a high tech developer of clever electro-mechanical products.
North East engineering company Tharsus Group, which employs 90 people at Blyth and Hebburn, has helped industrial consumables specialist Propeller GB to develop its idea for a unique vending machine into a marketable product.
The new Pro-Vyda machine dispenses all sizes of production parts, tools and safety equipment direct on to the shop floor.
The project saw the Peterlee-based Propeller GB approach Tharsus with its early concept for a new industrial vending machine, seeking its help in developing the idea from a prototype into a market-ready product.
Tharsus Group's engineering team worked with Propeller to develop the Pro-Vyda concept, taking it from the design and refinement stage through to detailed costings, prototypes and eventually full production.
The team believe that Pro-Vyda is unique to the market, thanks to a flexible modular design that allows full customisation of its dimensions, drawer sizes and interior layout for each client, and its use of RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology to link to back office inventory and costing systems.
Tharsus Group's technical director Dave Swan explained the aim behind the development: "Many of our clients come to us with a great idea for a product, but they lack the engineering expertise to take it through the development process, which is where our multi-disciplinary team of experts really add value.
"In Propeller's case, we could see the commercial potential for a vending machine that could sit closer to the actual workspace and quickly dispense parts on the spot.
"We worked with them to develop the idea to a level that would achieve the EC quality conformance mark, then went on to produce proof of concept and full prototypes for Propeller to review. The final stage was to go into full production of what is now a very marketable product that saves time and money.
"The beauty of the Pro-Vyda design is that we can customise it on Propeller's behalf for any type of tool or component, in any type of industry, and at a very late stage in the manufacturing process if necessary. It would be equally at home on a factory floor or in a hospital and it's a prime example of how we are able to bring our expertise to bear in transforming an innovative idea into a product ready for mass production."
Propeller's technology director Jon Elwell added: "Creating a way of bringing inventory to the user, whether it's on a fast-moving production line or at any other work station, saves time and money.
"Although we had the initial concept and the software solution to make it work, we needed a partner like Tharsus with the innovative approach and engineering expertise to turn a concept into a product.
"Thanks to support from a couple of rounds of investment funding we were able to go into production with Tharsus rather than create our own manufacturing facility, and we are now marketing Pro-Vyda right across the UK manufacturing sector, where take up has been very healthy.
"There is a lot of potential out there and we expect to take it to the global market within the next 12 months. We are now working with Tharsus as our manufacturing partner on our new RFID innovations."
No comments:
Post a Comment