Engineering Design
Client:
William Pullan and Family
Project:
Engineering Design
Industry:
Horticulture
Andrew Pullan, of William Pullan and Family, a director of a landscaping and horticultural business in Wetherby, West Yorkshire, approached us to design, engineer and manufacture a working machine prototype that would eliminate the need for the use of cherry pickers during commercial horticultural operations.
We designed and fabricated a fully functional machine which can reach heights of up to 6 metres and moved in all directions. Its main features and benefits include:
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A bespoke engineered wrist control cutting head to fine-tune any cutting movements
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A self-levelling system to deal with uneven surfaces and adverse cambers
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Slewing arm system to allow the hedge to be cut at a much faster rate than manual operations
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Pendant controlled unit to be used up to 6 metres away from the unit, ensuring health and safety risks are kept to minimum, and the user can see the shape of the hedge easily.
The entire geometry was worked out and simulated in SolidWorks 3D CAD software. Hydraulics and the electronic controls were all developed and assembled in our workshop by our engineers. After the first functional prototype was created to prove the function of the machine, a slimmer version was proposed in order to make the machine more efficient and suitable for its market.
This latest model is currently being used in the field, with a view to further development or manufacture towards the end of the year.
Client:
Blue Planet
Project:
Engineering Design
Industry:
Portable Architecture
Project Stages:
Concept generation, prototyping, tooling, design for manufacture, injection mould tooling
Blue Planet Buildings wanted to produce a product that meets the needs for emergency accommodation around the world offering a solution for temporary office buildings and a low carbon foot print.
P1 technology were assigned to help design a low cost flat-packed building that did not require skilled tradesmen for the assembly and which could use in-built solar power to meet the energy requirements of the users. Panels were designed to incorporate all utilities including solar power, gas, water and electricity using a ‘plug and play’ principal so that they could be assembled in minimal time.
The design resulted in needing only two people and a battery powered drill for assembly. Two or more units could be also be locked together to create larger buildings if required and users are flexible in overall set up of the building including the amount of power, windows and doors.
P1 Technology also helped to create substantial cost savings on shipping and delivery allowing for six buildings to be shipped at the same cubic capacity of one standard container. The modular design can be used for living accommodation, office space, temporary site offices, emergency medical facilities, schools, communications relay stations. The product is now in production and has received worldwide interest as well as being shortlisted for an Innovation Award.