Innovation nation - origin add expertise to eco-project

As part of an on-going project, this week’s Professional Engineer magazine has highlighted Origin Product Designs customer and partner, Whitfield Solar Ltd as one of the first 10 companies in their Innovation Nation.

http://profeng.com/features/innovation-nation

Over the last four years Origin Product Design has worked in close partnership with Whitfield Solar, developing an integral part of their solar hi-tech photoelectric cell panels.  Whitfield Solar currently has two installations of the revolutionary tracking system in Australia and one installation in Portugal. The systems are a result of decades of practical experience optimised by Whitfield with mechanical design development from Origin. Whitfield Solar like origin are an Innovative and enterprising company and we are proud to have been working so closely with their engineering team.

Origin product design on the Beeb

The BBC news team were holed up in the Origin design offices recently to showcase us as an example of one of the best high tech design consultancies currently working in Cambridgeshire and the UK. Their main thrust was to show the public that you can thrive in business plus enjoy all the benefits of country life without missing out on high tech advances.

Broughton, home to origin became only the second village the UK to receive 100mb/s broadband, making day to day communication with Europe, the USA and the Far East even quicker.  A great shop window for origin, the village and the county.

MEDTEC Ireland - another great success

Origin exhibited at Medtec Ireland with a fantastic opportunity to meet contacts and suppliers from the strong Medical design sector in Ireland. The exhibition took place at the SAS Radisson hotel in Galway with exhibitors from the UK, Ireland, Europe and the USA.

Neil and Richard met many of our current suppliers, re-established connection with companies previously worked with 12 years ago and created a number of new contacts. We're looking forward to following up very soon.

We like Ireland.

Happy 15th birthday ORIGIN

Today marks fifteen years since the inception of origin product design. 
Where has the time gone?
Through the many trials and tribulations during the past decade and a half we have consistently produced some brilliant work, innovative solutions and practical outcomes. We would like to thank our clients, suppliers, team members and everyone connected with origin. Here's to the next celebration.

To find out what that might be, come back or subscribe to our origin blog…

origin - a fifteen year history in brief

Of course there is a lot more to tell, and if you would like to know more or need to get a design idea off the ground - give us a call on 01487 824670

July 95 - origin initiated sharing an office in Histon. Had to beg bank for a start loan, to buy computer, plotter, fax, phone and desk – No going back now!
July 99 - Jim starts. Had worked with Jim previously at Isoworth and Camtech
October 99 - move to Causeway Road Broughton. Initially the intention was to work from a studio at home previously used by a graphic designer but origin outgrew it before we moved in – nice house though.
June 2001 - Ralph starts for a ‘year-out’ in industry from his degree.
May 2002 - buy our first Rapid Prototype machine. Building of extension to design office and meeting room.
April 2003 - Richard starts bringing extensive experience of medical devices and telecoms.
June 2003 - Ralph accepts full time position following graduation.
July 2005 - Origin 10th anniversary bash. Ouch!
October 2006 - Tom starts fresh from Loughborough University.
December 2006 - Buy 3 axis CNC mill, which stood mostly idle for the first year until Neil joined and learned how to use it.
January 2007 - Jeannie starts. Took the first 3 months to get through and re-organise the previous 12 years of paperwork. Buy Objet RP machine.
March 2007 - Neil starts bringing new industrial design skills to the team.
April 2008 - Start work on new workshops and lab.
December 2008 - start work on the Cobra!
March 2009 - move of workshops completed thanks mainly to Jim.
April 2009 - start conversion of old workshops into extended office space and bigger meeting room.
April 2009 - James joins origin and brings science to our creativity.
June 2009 - Ed starts. Another Loughborough graduate who has brought a new perspective to our nights out!
December 2009 - celebration in Edinburgh after achieving record year. 

May 2010 - Jon starts full time after 2 stints of contracts with us.
July 2010 - Richard Mensah starts…
 

Allen takes origin into the air

After 18 exciting  hours of flying time Allen ‘just’ managed to complete his first solo circuit. Only another 27 to go, including; navigating, cross country missions, landings at a variety of airfields. Not to mention five theory exams including air law, meteorology, flight planning and performance, navigation and radio communications. 

Against all the odds Allen managed to pass the CAA class 2 flying medical! Next steps are build on the solo hours and smooth out the landings which are far short of perfect but as Allen's teacher says “any landing that you walk away from is a good landing” If the helicopter skids could talk, they may have a different opinion…and the ultimate realistic goal after gaining a license for the Robinson R22 is to advance to an R44 (4 seater) licence which requires a bit more training.  Watch this airspace! 

Link to MFH Helicopters 

A decade of original design - thanks Jim!

After many, many years as Allen’s friend and colleague, Jim has racked up more than a decade at Origin. Jim Collins gives his top 10 highlights. Of course there have been many more but these were what came to mind on first prompting…

1. Using an Electric train down the garden moving office furniture to the current premises.
2. Initial viewing of foundations of Initial office.
3. Building of meeting room and 2nd office space and spreading next door.
4. Taking over the end unit and developing the workshop.
5. Arrival and installation of Origin’s first prototype machine (FDM).
6. Arrival and moving CNC machine....twice.
7. First tentative steps into Europe (Lyon), start of things to come.
8. Crazy Origin 10 year birthday celebration - in a camper van, go-karting, golfing and bowling plus a ‘few’ beers.
9. Celebrating record year with a fantastic Christmas in Edinburgh.
10. And after all that of…the general social side of mixing with a group of like minded people - bbq's, garden parties, golf, bikes, beer and laugh.
    

Mix in some exciting projects and interesting work – being at Origin makes for the perfect job. Here’s to the future.

Good show…good show!

Medtec 2010 is over long live Medtec 2011… if the quantity of visitors was indicative of the times then this was more than made up for by their quality. It was great to meet up with clients and receive such positive feedback and encouraging to hear what a good job we're doing.
Medtec offered the Origin Product Design team members a fantastic opportunity to talk to people in the Medical Device / Pharma field some of whom didn't realise the extent of our expertise and the services we offer, such as; prototyping, test and verification as well as our creative flair - even though it's all on our website. Proving that is good to talk.
Once again it was great to see that the 'origin purple' branding is paying dividends and visitors were interested in what we do as well as taking advantage of a plentiful supply of big purple chocs.
After such an impressive expo maybe Origin Product Design will be found 'en France' next year too - WATCH THIS SPACE!

Origin Product Design - LIVE at MEDTEC 2010

Thank goodness the Eyjafjallajokull (not easy to pronounce) Volcano has not really affected us.

Day One (featuring; Dick, Neil and Jim) - and a great reception from all we have encountered. Our stand has proved to be inviting and we hope informative. We have been catching up with customers, suppliers and industry news. But more importantly we have been delighted to make some very interesting new contacts. 
So all-in-all Medtec has proved to a positive experience.

Day Two featured - Allen, Edward and James… Another good day meeting more interesting and interested people. Winding up focuses the mind and we look forward to more discussions with those who expressed a desire to get involved with origin.

We look forward to next year's MEDTEC. If you didn't get a chance to talk to any of us at the expo - please feel free to call us on +44 (0)1480 824670 or contact us via our website.

Jeannie and Allen tie the knot - 01/02/2010

An auspicious palindromic date indeed, notably for Origin Product Designs MD Allen and his new bride Jeannie. A bright and cold day kept all the guests dodging the shadows and the cutting wind. Jeannie looked lovely in classic silk gown topped off with a fluffy feather boa. While Allen supported by both his sons appeared very dapper to boot. All who know him, knew this was a very important day and inside he was holding it together. The ceremony was held at Huntingdon Register Office. Followed by a vintage bus ride to the Three Horseshoes in Abbots Ripton for the wedding breakfast. The guests included the Origin team, family and close friends from far and wide. The venue and the celebration was top notch.
Both Jeannie and Allen enjoyed the whole day and evening. They certainly made everyone very welcome.
After a couple of days recovery the happy couple jetted off to Safari in Kenya and then on to Mauritius for the full well deserved honeymoon treatment…