Fire Safety
Fulleon, the Fire Safety Products Division of the Eaton Corporation, specializes in sounders and beacons used worldwide. These products are either branded as Eaton Fulleon
or tailored to meet customer requirements. The business model for the product range is based on a modular template, allowing different modules to be fitted together to create an interchangeable product range. Below outlines a project where I served as the lead designer.
Multi Purpose Bases
From discussions with companies like Siemens
and Chubb, it was identified that two new product bases were required. The brief was to design the two new bases with a lower profile than the existing systems and capable of accommodating multiple types of connection fittings.
From the product range review, it was decided to take this opportunity to include additional features, such as a corner mount option. This feature was missing from the product range and will help boost future sales.
The previous bases were purely functional, and aesthetics were not a high priority when they were first designed. However, in today's consumer-driven world, people expect even the most industrial products to have a styled feel. As a product designer, I understand the desire to give a product a "wow" factor, no matter how routine the part may be.
The design allowed the base to be reduced to three-quarters of its original height. The limiting factor was the cable gland size required by the industry. By designing the screw thread into the molding, the need for the large and time-consuming back nut was eliminated. The product was also designed to accommodate a TPU plastic grommet, further streamlining the installation process. Adding sweeping curves to the products broke up the lines, giving them a more styled, sculpted feel. This feature was singled out by Siemens when they first reviewed the product.
