Visit the M H Media Interactive web site

Design consultants add value to Unidrive

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Nov 25, 2002

Control Techniques has just launched a new range of control units called Unidrive SP.

Control Techniques has just launched a new range of control units called Unidrive SP.

In an unusual move for an industrial engineering company, Control Techniques brought in market innovation specialist, Smallfry to work with its 60 strong development team.

Smallfry co-ordinated the project, ensuring the focus remained on the relevant issues - not simply aesthetics, but on vital user-centred design issues.

"Control Techniques' aim was to bring together their specialised features for superior drive control in one well-designed cost-effective package", says Smallfry Managing Director Steve May Russell.

"Our input demonstrates design isn't just about styling, and can be just as important in the development of industrial equipment as domestic durables.

We worked alongside their team of electrical engineers, technicians, financial co-ordinators, marketing executives and senior managers to create a development programme which met all their objectives, and which everyone understood and supported".

The integration of the two teams and careful consultation of customer needs has ensured the end product is the right one.

Steve May-Russell further explains Smallfry's role: "A good level of communication is vital in a complex project like this.

As objective consultants we could make sure everyone articulated their expectations, champion the needs of the user, and make sure the whole process was benefit-driven.

Ultimately our role was to bring together the whole system into an appreciably superior product in terms of usability, function and style".

Both the internal stakeholders and key customers were consulted throughout the development programme providing valuable feedback.

Smallfry also worked with installation engineers to see, first hand, the problems associated with installing and commissioning drive systems.

This helped to unify the objectives of the team and to ensure that the end product was the best solution for Control Techniques customers and end-users.

Following an analysis of Control Techniques customer base it was apparent that certain market sectors would benefit from additional customised feature sets, focussed on the needs of their application.

A series of optional plug-in "solution modules" was created to provide additional control, communications, interfaces and connectivity as and when it's needed.

With capacity to house up to three solution modules onboard, the standard Unidrive SP product is incredibly flexible, with maximum opportunity for customisation to different customer requirements.

As well as overcoming the usual issues associated with designing this type of product such as the safe segregation of high and low voltage areas; interference/EMC shielding; ingress protection and heat dissipation, the team overcame many user identified issues to produce a superior drive control unit.

The new product has introduced smartcard technology allowing the operator to program over 1000 control parameters in one go, directly or remotely.

Complex parameter setups can be stored on the cards for instant programming of a new drive thus saving costly down time when units have to be maintained or replaced.

The units also include an optional removable display, which means there no longer needs to be a display on every controller making the system more cost effective and secure.

The removable display can also be mounted on the outside of the installation cabinet to allow quick access to regularly reprogram drives.

The new Unidrives are easy to install in a standard cabinet with due consideration to safe wiring and colour coded option modules.

As an example of the attention to detail, a small but important feature included in the Unidrive SP is a slot on the front of the drive to allow the installer to add identification to each drive using standard wire numbering markers.

The new units are not only easier to install and work with but also have a new streamlined aesthetic and distinctive colour scheme.

Proving that even an industrial product can look good.

Smallfry has also worked on industrial projects with clients such as Hydrovane and Massey Ferguson, as well as on consumer durables with Char-Broil, Boots, Triton and Marks and Spencer.