Waterevolution project completed...

Our client, Waterevolution engaged with us to develop their design concept of a sustainable household system that would lower utility costs and be kind to the environment. The system involves the use of wastewater from the shower and bath to flush the household toilets and a heat recovery system that used the warmth from the wastewater to heat further hot water.

The initial brief was to design the system for manufacture. We challenged this and produced a system that is cost effective, streamlined, simplified and ready for manufacture.

We are pleased to announce, the project has been completed and our client is very happy with the result.

'Origin took Waterevolution’s concept for a domestic heat and grey-water recycling unit and created a product. The unit they developed for us was smaller, lighter, more ‘intelligent’ and cost less than one fifth of the prototype design that we had arrived with. Their focused but pragmatic approach was instrumental in achieving the result. They helped us to realise what we actually wanted and what the market would buy. They challenged us even when it would have been easy to avoid the argument and the result is infinitely better for their rigour. Not only were the team impressive for their skills and approach but they were fun to work with and tireless in their enthusiasm to ‘get it right’. A very valuable and enjoyable process which we would happily repeat...'

Stephen Bates, CEO, Waterevolution

A new year placement joins Origin

We are pleased to welcome Hanna Petts who has joined Origin on her placement year from Loughborough University.

Hanna is studying Industrial Design and Technology and has joined Origin to further her knowledge and experience. In particular she is looking to gain a better understanding of the design process from concept to realisation, and working directly with suppliers and customers.

Welcome aboard!

A new Product Designer joins the team

We are pleased to announce that Steve McGonigal has joined the Origin team!

Steve specialises in creative product design, user centered design, product graphics and design for manufacture.  Steve brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience having worked for several years as a product design consultant and prior to this, he headed up the Industrial Design team at Fujifilm Electronic Imaging Ltd. Further to this Steve also lectures in Industrial and Product Design at the University of Hertfordshire.

Welcome aboard!

Origin’s Adam Stops is published internationally

While in his previous position as a post-doctoral researcher at iMBE, University of Leeds, Adam developed a new technique to model human cartilage.  The work has recently been published in a top international journal.  Simply, the work was interested in understanding how the two constituents of cartilage, the porous, foam-like collagen structure and the interstitial fluid that flows between the collagen structure, interact to provide time-dependent properties. 

Understanding this interaction has been an important pursuit for researchers for over 60 years, as it is this interaction that defines how well our joints work, how they degrade and degenerate, and ultimately, how likely we are to develop osteoarthritis.  Adam’s work developed an alternative technique to measure and represent this important interaction, and subsequently, demonstrated how this technique could advance current whole-body computer simulations. 

For the full article please visit Science Direct

Another year, another MEDTEC

 For the 4^th year in a row Origin exhibited at MEDTEC UK 2012, and over the two days we met some great visitors, from fantastic opportunities to new suppliers. Further to this a number of our clients and current suppliers dropped by, and we also got the chance to re-connect with old contacts. 

Thank you to everyone who came and visited us, it was a really good show. 

Origin hits the kart track

On a late Friday afternoon just outside of Cambridge, in a tranquil village, the peace and quiet was swept away by the Origin team who were each let loose behind the wheel of a kart!

Any friendships were brushed aside, and our polite bunch turned into raging bulls!

Alright, I lie; it was more like the Wacky Races...

With an initial 10 lap qualifying we had our grid set,   Adam Stops taking pole position.

A cleanish start we all peeled away from the grid and started a 30 lap race. The quality of driving for a karting circuit would have suited banger racing better and dastardly deeds were indeed part of the planned tactics by certain members of the team. However I am pleased to report no-one achieved received a black flag, and the race did continue to the full laps. Finally Tom Kelsey took the chequered flag and the rest of us limped home with bruised egos.

1st Tom Kelsey, 2nd Adam Stops, 3rd Allen Pearson

One week to go till MEDTEC UK

There is just one week left till MEDTEC UK 2012 gets underway, and if you are still undecided on attending, then have a look at the show review Eureka magazine has provided in their May 2012 edition.

MEDTEC is one of the medical sectors key calendar events, and for the 4th year in a row we will be there exhibiting, to showcase our capabilities in innovation, expertise, and state of the art technology.  Come and see us at our stand – 1604 – we look forward to seeing you there.  

23-24 May, Hall 9, NEC, Birmingham

Charity Zumbathon

Helen Moore one of our product designers, is not only enthralled and busy with her work here at Origin, but she is also a active mum of two away from the office, and still finds time to partake in a charity Zumbathon for Breast Cancer. Held at her local community hall, Helen and her fellow Zumba fanatics danced away for a solid three hours and raised well over £1000. Congratulations Helen!

4 seasons in one wedding day

 As mentioned last year, Origin’s Tom Kelsey proposed to his girlfriend Kathryn Bell – who did say yes!

We are pleased to announce that they got married this month. The day saw four seasons of weather presenting itself, even a flurry of snow! However this did not dampen the mood, and made for the perfect day.

Congratulations to you both!

Lights... High speed camera.... Slow motion action!

We have recently taken delivery of our own Photron High Speed Camera!

The opportunities to record at high speed frame rates / shutter speeds and then replay the images in super slow motion will prove invaluable when developing our innovative designs or assessing existing products for our customers.

Our camera records in 1024x1024 mono, providing enhanced light sensitivity compared to a colour camera, which will enhance our capabilities by allowing us to capture ultra clear images of the components, products or systems we are working on.  This will be beneficial to our customers in our design, research & development and testing roles.

We are visiting Ecobuild this week

This week the Ecobuild exhibition is upon us, opening from 20-22 March at London’s ExCel. With over 1,500 exhibitors, numerous attractions, demonstrations, great seminars and speakers, this is a fantastic opportunity to visit the world’s biggest event for sustainable design, construction and the built environment.

Two of our team members, Allen Pearson and Ed Murray will visit the exhibition this Thursday, looking forward to seeing the multitude of new products that will be launched at the show and visiting a number of exhibitors, seminars and demonstrations.  

Origin’s Adam Stops becomes a CEng IMechE

Yesterday evening our very own Adam Stops received his CEng certificate whilst attending the Evening Dinner for the Presidential Institution of Mechanical Engineers Yorkshire Region. 

The Presidential Dinner combines a presentation of certificates to new Fellows and Corporate Members of all grades who have joined the Institution over the past year, together with an opportunity for members and businesses to network and strengthen existing relationships.

Congratulations Adam, great news... 

“I am delighted to be awarded the status of Chartered Engineer, and I am proud to be a member of the highly respected Institution of Mechanical Engineers.  My passion, my hard work and my dedication over the years have culminated in this professional qualification.  I hope to apply this newfound status within the innovative and exciting projects we have here at Origin Product Design.”  Adam Stops

Register for Medtec 2012 and we'll see you there, stand 1604

This year we will be exhibiting at the medical device manufacturing event -  Medtec UK Exhibition and Conference being held at the  NEC, Birmingham, 23 – 24 May 2012.

The event promises many new products, strong daily schedules, seminars and presentation by authoritative medical device and cleanroom professionals. This is the event for world class medical device and health care manufacturing solutions and registration for tickets is now Open.

We look forward to seeing you there, please come and visit us at stand 1604.