- Important allergy device gets aesthetic upgrade
- Midas MRIM™ perfect for anticipated design and numbers
- Short manufacturing times produced product in weeks
A Cambridge-based product design, development, and engineering consultancy formed in 2002 serves industries like laboratory instrumentation, medical, and veterinary. When they were approached by a leading animal health specialist to redesign their successful in-clinic canine allergy screening device, they were well placed to take up the challenge.
This product was mature technology and a proven performer but was in need of an aesthetic upgrade. The covers required redesigning with estimated volumes in the region of 50-100 a year. This presented a manufacturing dilemma; usually when volumes are this low, investing in a full set of injection mould tools is not financially viable.
One alternative is to use folded sheet metal. However, the client wanted to avoid the “painted biscuit tin” look, hoping instead for a more striking end result. They also needed the designs produced quickly and delivered in a matter of weeks.
Having previously seen Midas and our MRIM™ process at exhibitions, the design company thought that we were the obvious choice for this particular project. Midas MRIM™ is our unique composite resin tooling system which specialises in making complicated mould tools at competitive prices in the shortest of lead times. The flexibility of this complicated process also allows us to accurately manufacture single mouldings where other processes necessitate multiple.
Taking on board the advice from our design team, the design company were able to consolidate what at one stage were several cover components, into a single polyurethane moulding, helping to minimise costs for all concerned.
The polyurethane used in the MRIM™ process is naturally dark grey. This was useful as one of the design requirements for this application was to block light from entering the device. We also supplied the parts painted, with some screen printed and some with logo elements moulded-in, along with a separate cosmetic cover for the device door (where the blood samples enter). This was machined from flat sheet and then painted to match the main cover.
Both the design company and the client found Midas to be a very responsive and open supplier. The first batch of these newly designed, low volume moulded covers in design-intent material were supplied right first time in a matter of weeks from the receipt of CAD data and transformed a visually outdated device into a unit which any veterinary practice would be proud to own.
To find out more about how Midas could assist you on your next reaction injection moulding project, contact us today.