New product design contest on Desall.com: inuvai and Desall invite you to design the case style and the interface of an innovative purification system dedicated to water treatment.
inuvai is an expert division of Fresenius Medical Care that offers innovative filtration systems tailored to the needs of different industries and laboratories.
With over 250 million m² of hollow fibres produced every year, Fresenius Medical Care is one of the largest membrane manufacturers in the world.
Coming from the medical field inuvai is accustomed to meet the highest standards required to safeguard the patient’s life. With a broad portfolio of different systems, membranes, housings and permeabilities inuvai is able to answer to specific needs always providing highest purity, productivity and safety
What we are looking for
inuvai is looking for the case design for a new water purification system based on the use of ultra-filtration membranes capable of filtering nano-particles. This device can be installed in different configurations depending on where it is used, for example in public buildings or industrial settings.
For more information about the structure of the purification system, please refer to the downloadable Material files.
Guidelines
For the correct realisation of your proposals, keep into consideration the following guidelines:
Product typology: The system will be made up of a number of units which may be combined when the device is installed. The contest will take into consideration 2 main units.
Filter unit: it shall have easy access from the front of the case through a main standard inspection door. The door shall be easy to open and may also be transparent;
Hydraulic unit; it shall have easy access from the back of the case through a service inspection door.
Configurations: Unit dimensions are designed to fit smoothly into standard pallets, facilitating transport operations. Units that make up the device will be combined in two main configurations, small and large.
Small configuration:
Width: 450mm
Depth: 600mm
Height: 1400mm
Large configuration:
Total Width: 450mm
Total Depth: 1400mm
Total Height: 1400mm
In addition to the main units there will be an electronic box, which will be located on top of the unit. In the small configuration it will be located in the front area of the filter unit and should be accessible through the main door for inspection or a dedicated front service door. In the large configuration it will be located inside the hydraulic unit and does not require a dedicated service door.
For more information about the configuration and dimensions of the various modules of the purification system, please refer to the downloadable Material files.
Therefore, you are invited to design the case of the 2 main configurations of the purification system following at least one of the following design approaches:
Design a single case that completely covers the 2 different filtering and hydraulic units, for both the large and small configurations. The units will be placed inside but will no longer be separable.
Design a case for each unit, considering a modular system, for both the large and small configurations. The different elements will be assembled together during the installation and the filtering and hydraulic units will be recognisable and identifiable externally.
Proposals showing both design approaches for both large and small configurations (4 variants in total) will be given priority for evaluation.
Interface: As far as the use of the purification system by an operator is concerned, the device is very simple, with only an on/off interface. Indeed, the entire purification system will be controlled by an artificial intelligence algorithm. There are no particular indications concerning the type of switch, which must however be consistent with the aesthetics of the product and easily accessible.
One of the most innovative aspects of the product will be the device feedback interface, which will not be based on the display, but will use dynamic light signals that can be directly obtained from the surface of the case (preferably areas of light) and should be visible for a distance of 10 mt approximately. Preferably the status should refer to each one of the two banks (rows) of filters. You can also think of light signal areas in other device parts.
Below is a list of states that the device will need to communicate and which you are invited to design:
filtration on: the filter is running and the dirty water is passing through the membranes and the purified water is produced;
aging status: filtering the dirty water many particles of dirt are trapped by the membranes reducing the filtration capacity. This status should indicate the remaining filtration capacity of the single filter/row of filters;
back wash: is the process to wash the filter membranes taking away the particles and release them in the drain water;
leak test: the system is checking if there are any leak in the process;
bank down / defect: this bank is out of order, a technical intervention is needed;
system stopped (but power on): system is on but not processing the water, available for intervention.
Aesthetics and shapes: the concept and technologies behind this system are very innovative compared to the standard products of competitors. This approach and the ease of use for the operator should also be reflected in the shapes and aesthetics to be sought.
It is therefore necessary to redefine the aesthetics of this product typology, abandoning a style purely linked to the hydraulic world and aiming for a technological and avant-garde character. A simple, minimalist and high-tech style will be particularly appreciated.
With regard to the second design approach, the modular one, from an aesthetic point of view, the various elements should be imagined as independent but at the same time characterised by aesthetic compatibility and formal balance, so that they can be combined to get the configurations desired by the client.
There are no special colour indications, but the colour of the case must take into account the possibility that the system will be installed in places where there is considerable accumulation of dust. It may be possible to identify the various units by using a different case colour.
Please refer to the downloadable Material files for benchmark product examples.
Logo: you are recommended to include the inuvai logo on the case of the system by ensuring it is adequately visible. The logo can be part of the light interface of the device. The vector file of the logo is provided inside the Material files.
Materials: Plastic is preferred for the case. It will be highly appreciated to search for alternative materials, preferably recyclable or recycled, suitable for the use contest of the product. The case of the device, which is featured by large surface areas, must be manufactured using the most suitable production techniques, for instance plastic thermoforming, sheet metal moulding, etc.
Please always consider product industrialisation, avoiding any processing or solutions that are not compatible with mass production.
Where to use: places where the purification system is installed are technical areas of establishments open to the public, such as swimming pools, hospitals, hotels, or industrial settings, like fish farms.
Deliverables: upload all the images that better present your projects. The images in the gallery (maximum 5) must have a proportion of 4:3; allowed format file: .jpg, .gif o .png; colours: RGB; max file size: 1MB. As regards the representation typology, a 3D render is preferable, but project sketches are also allowed.
Evaluation criteria: in the evaluation of your submissions the Sponsor will take into account the following criteria:
Aesthetics 5/5
Degree of innovation 5/5
Technical feasibility 4/5
Robustness and durability 4/5
Economic sustainability 3/5
Awards:-
1°: €5000
The selection of the winner by the Sponsor will be the result of an unquestionable evaluation and it will take into account originality, feasibility and consistency with the brief presented.
Option right
For the duration of the option right, the Sponsor offers an extra chance to all participants setting a fee of Eur 3,000.00 = (three-thousand/00) for the purchase of the license for the economical exploitation of the projects not-acknowledged as the winning proposals.
Deadline:- 03-08-2021