Innovating for growth and compliance
A 56-strong design and engineering team in the West Midlands has unlocked the commercial benefits of resource efficiency - and saved £1.25 million - after trialling a ‘cleaner’ design approach on a number of its product lines.
Fortress Interlocks manufacture the type of safety interlock systems which prevent machine operators from opening a safety gate while a machine is running. Prompted in part by the arrival of the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive, in 2005 the company conducted a detailed review of its product range – with a focus on environmental impact and waste minimisation.
Not only did the process aid regulatory compliance, it allowed the product designers to assess opportunities to innovate and strengthen their competitive edge by maximising efficient use of a range of resources.
With support from government-funded programme Envirowise, the company replaced its original KeyGard product with mGard. In doing so, the number of core components was reduced from 350 to just 23. Brass forgings and machined components were replaced with pressings and die cast zinc alloy parts. This reduced the weight of the product and generates less manufacturing waste.
The new product is also 100% recyclable due to the improved separation capacity of the new zinc and stainless steel parts. Not only did this new approach give the company faster assembly and shorter lead times, the life of the product was also greatly improved - with more than one million operations guaranteed.
These positive results led Fortress to develop a new product, eGard, using the same cleaner design principles to combine machine safety and control modules in one unit. This is ideal for small machines which incorporate push buttons, gate switches and safety functions. eGard allows for virtually any combination of these with trapped key and safety gate technology.
The new design has cut installation resource use, labour costs and assembly time. In addition, fasteners have been eliminated - facilitating easier separation and re-use of internal PCBs and LEDS – and a single plastic material has been used throughout the product’s housing.
It was during a designtrack visit from Envirowise that the suggestion of using the same plastic throughout the product was made. A glass-filled grade of PBT was chosen, with metal parts made from stainless steel. This allows recycling to be highly efficient.
eGard has helped the company to extend its commercial reach, while still appealing to a traditional customer base. The new product also led to the firm winning the ‘Green’ Innovation award at the innovation and Design Excellence Awards (iDEA) in 2006.
Crucially, since the redesign Fortress Interlocks has achieved an overall operational cost reduction in excess of £1.25 million and all products are now RoHS compliant. The firm is now looking forward to moving into its new factory premises later in 2007 and maximising innovation to explore as-yet untapped areas of the market.
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