Renfrew Group

November 2007		When 'Shopbox was exhibited at the Daily Mail Ideal Home Show, the reception from the public, press, and small businesses was one of enormous enthusiasm, with the most common expression being "what a fantastic idea". Shopbox is designed to receive perishable goods purchased on-line at any time of the day. An integrated refrigeration unit keeps the goods fresh for many hours and over a weekend if necessary. And because it‘s secured by the person making the delivery it can also receive other goods such as parcels.It is in fact the only product of its kind in the world and was awarded the "Winner of the Innovative Product Award" at last year's Ideal Home Show.' Stuart Archbold OBE- Chairman Archbold Logistics Ltd

November 2007		With its larger capacity engine, new chassis and revised suspension, Truimph had a great platform to begin re-inventing the Sprint ST. They evolved the design by retaining the essential cues of the original such as the three aperture venting, and the triple element face, whilst also retaining the stance of the original yet creating a smooth, classically proportioned form which would embrace the faithful yet excite the newcomers. Using the same engine and revised chassis including upside down forks, radial brakes, swing-arm (from the Sprint) and high-level silencers, they designed the Speed Triple around an Italian influenced ‘sawn-off’ style. Underscored with stainless steel and brushed aluminium parts, the Speed Triple was inspired by the truncated look popular on the streets of southern Europe. The brief for the Speed Triple was to maintain the brutal edge and minimalist appeal of a machine built entirely around its engine. Renfrew Group prepares designs for many motorcycle clients including Triumph. This work includes visuals, initial CAD data, and clay modelling which is carried out in our auto-studio. After sign-off and re-scanning, we create A and B surface CAD data and also supply our clients with prototype RIM bodywork sets and instrument parts through our rapid prototyping division Rapitypes

April 2006		Consumers are becoming increasingly choosy when selecting products for their home environment. Kitchens in particular are often shrines to contemporary style and the proliferation of metal finishes in recent times has dictated the appearance of large and small appliances alike. When Renfrew Group was invited to prepare designs for a new coffee maker we began by analysing the user benefits in the context of these choices whilst also drawing on Scandinavian influences and current lifestyle product trends.The filter coffee maker represents the final proposal taken to production by Morphy Richards. By carefully considering the overall packaging, the design offers a minimal footprint for maximum work top area. And in a bid to keep separate tooling costs to a minimum, the new design also incorporates a version with an attachable, rather than a stand-alone milk frother.

April 2006		Renfrew Group designed and developed the Virtual Chaperone for Synaptiq Ltd. The system was developed for securely recording ‘one to one’ consultations between a healthcare practitioner and patient or, in fact, for any advice giving professional and their client. The recording is immediately encrypted and archived to provide objective evidence supporting or refuting claims of negligence, misconduct and misunderstanding. It also provides valuable information during informed consent, complicated consultations and when ‘bad’ news is broken to a patient.Renfrew was commissioned to package the technology within a minimal volume enclosure and to create an object that was non-threatening yet which also imparted an air of authority. Synaptiq requested a small desk footprint and a slim display console for the touch-control screen interface, and we responded with an enclosure, which effectively disguises bulky components through gradual tapering of the adjoining surfaces and resulting in a product, which is confident and contemporary. Synaptiq is now also developing the ‘clinical black box’, a system that records the data and events from a hospital operating theatre and Renfrew will again be involved from the beginning of the program.

April 2006		The patented P80 lighting system for Abacus Lighting is designed with a cast aluminium core module to IP67. This carries the light source, control gear and 2 reflector types for highway and utility areas and a variable optical solution for illuminating challenging landscapes. The core lighting module is dressed with outer housings, presently in three distinct lighting themes, each representing a particular era in time, and styled to complement the specific architecture and built environment. Not only does the new design reduce manufacturing inventory but it also allows simple theme changes or refurbishment to take place without the replacement of the core lighting module. The result is an elegant architectural lighting range designed to offer urban planners and lighting specifiers a no compromise solution to design and performance. Abacus Lighting is using some of the original prototypes in the forthcoming lighting exhibition.

Sept 2005		The Rada Autotherm 3BSM. The only fully thermostatic bath and shower mixer approved to the toughest TMV3 healthcare standard. Approved for both high and low pressure use and to the TMV2 standard for residential use. This bath shower mixer is unique as it is the only product of it’s kind with the facility to deliver one maximum temperature for bathfill and another for showering. It will automatically re-set a safe maximum showering temperature, where a higher bathfill temperature has already been set. It is also designed for easy “above-the-bath maintenance” – through body removable from the base manifold for easy access to check valves and filters. Kohler Mira Ltd including Rada, Meynell and Alstone is owned by the Kohler Company of America.

June 2004		Renfrew Group was invited by PCL to design a new cabinet-type forecourt tyre inflator and water dispenser for global distribution. High on the list of priorities was the need to reduce the overall size of the finished enclosure to increase shipping density and to reduce the overall cost by 30%. The packaging of the internal components and assemblies made use of a space reducing stacked approach, which positioned the two hose reels one above another at an angle of 10 degrees with a single roller outlet per hose. The compressor dimensions determined the footprint. Access to the cabinet was through panel removal covering 90% of the enclosure. The new design is slimmer and taller than the old enclosure with a readout and user interface at a more convenient level. The cabinet manufacture has been simplified through DFM design and assembly is now 40% faster than with the original. Structural integrity has benefited from a reduction in component count and the facility to be shipped in any orientation, whilst the density of the internal packaging has reduced the size of the shipping support structures. The new Air Towers are the first of a new range of products designed by Renfrew Group.

February 2004		When introduced in 1992, the original Tornado ushered in a new era of affordable slant bed CNC lathes with a host of innovative features such as the monoque polyconcrete ballast chassis, low turning centre and vibration isolated ancillaries.Today the specification offers bigger capacity turrets, higher spindle speeds, off-centre machining axis with driven tools which give machining centre capability and ‘lights out’ running. We created a new look for the Tornado range, which embodies and projects the latest technology more effectively, and gives the brand a higher value appearance. The designs were conceived as part of a suite of system components, which will link seamlessly into a cell manufacturing option with Fanuc robot and integral materials handling interfaces.

October 2003		After metering a measured dose of sensor chemistry directly into the eye region, a miniaturised fluorescence spectrometer emits an eye-safe level of light at the excitation wavelength of the specific fluorescent dye in the eye sensor chemistry. The instrument uses a photodiode to record the reflected fluorescence emission spectrum (through FRET) produced by the eye sensor, and this is proportional to the concentration of glucose in the lachrymal fluid in contact with the sensor chemistry. Developing the metering and sensing systems to provide measurement and monitoring using optical techniques was a complex task and several patents now exist to protect these developments. Renfrew Group is involved in the ongoing development of this patented system.

March 2003		The Daytona 600 was our first commission for Triumph Motorcycles, completed in 2002. The design was the first of a new style, which has taken the brand into a new era of sharp focus. Through sketch designs, CAD layouts and physical modelling, the design moved forward into production in record time and was launched at the 2002 Motorcycle exhibition at the NEC in the UK. Since then we have completed six design development projects for the company and have supplied engineering assistance, batch prototypes and prove-out parts. Two of these new models will be presented at the forthcoming 2004 exhibition in November.