FEATURE SUPPLY CHAIN SOLUTIONS


DON’T BE RESTRICTED BY YOUR TESTING CHAMBER


chamber, and particularly for the DGTCS client in architectural coatings, is the ability to create an environment that means after testing, they can be sure of having the upmost confidence in product integrity, even in varying climates.


AN EXAMPLE IN ACTION As in the majority of cases, the main problem experienced by DGTCS’s coatings client was limited in-house testing facilities, with restricted capacity within their existing climatic chamber. With nothing ‘off-the-shelf’ available to meet its requirements, the client approached the DGTCS team to develop a bespoke design within a two week time-frame. The main challenge came with working


Michael Sansum, project development manager at cold and humidity-controlled storage provider DawsonGroup TCS (DGTCS), comments on the importance of New Product Development (NPD) and the value of creating a bespoke solution for testing


N


PD is an essential part of business safe-guarding and growth; factors


that only continue to grow in importance in the uncertain market conditions almost every industry is expecting to face post- Brexit. Investing in facilities and solutions to encourage innovation to happen sooner rather than later is a smart move, and one that a number of UK businesses are already seeing the benefit of. One such company, and a DGTCS client,


is the second-largest supplier of architectural coatings and sundry products in Europe. They supply decorative, wood care, and specialty coatings to professional painters via a network of more than 550 service centres and more than 3,500 independent wholesalers and decided that their previously limited test chamber was preventing further product innovation with a growing risk of competitors overtaking them.


THE SOLUTION: TEST CHAMBERS Test chambers are a crucial part of the new product development process, although it’s common for them to be


20 APRIL 2019 | FACTORY EQUIPMENT


kept separate from the rest of the production process. In fact, they are often located off-site or an additional cost is paid to use a third-party facility. In cases where test chambers are brought in-house, they can be limited capacity- wise due to space either being at a premium at the manufacturing facility or other areas of production being prioritised and therefore dominating what room is available.


Test chambers are a crucial part of the new product development process


Below: Michael Sansum, project development manager at Dawson Group TCS


with a relatively small chamber size and yet needing to achieve a sensitive balance between temperature and humidity. With the addition of high-quality


humidifiers and dehumidifiers, the innovative test chamber allows for close control and can create a wider range of environments than ever before. This was a crucial element of the brief; the chamber needed to be incredibly flexible and accurate, giving the manufacturer the upmost confidence in product integrity at varying climates when testing its paints and thinners. Choosing to site the unit internally at


their manufacturing facility has provided ease of access, greater capacity, and increased space for a range of different testing methods.


NPD is an essential part


of business safe-guarding and growth"


Issues around space shouldn’t deter


manufacturers from investing in their own test chamber. Similarly, an existing unit that is limited doesn’t have to be the end of the story, especially as it’s such as essential facility to aid efficient and effective NPD. The true value of a test


THE KEY TO SUCCESS The differentiator on this project was a client that was committed to investing to achieve higher levels of innovation as well as the ability to safe-guard existing products. Plus, a strong working relationship with DGTCS to create something bespoke. The new test chamber now provides a


long-term and flexible solution for in- house testing requirements. The increased capacity allows them to complete a broader range of testing, which in turn, offers further insight into how products behave at different temperatures and humilities.


DawsonGroup TCS www.dgtcs.co.uk T: +44 (0)1623 516 666


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