“As well as manufacturing great quality tools and injection moulded components for our Genie II device, the real value for us has been BEC’s ability to build a relationship with our design agency. They worked through the designs and imparted their extensive technical knowledge to give us the best possible product, on time and on budget.”
Michael Andreou, Director, OptiGene
Project: Genie II
Service: Technical Moulding
Manufacture Time: 45 days
Our Client: OptiGene develops and manufactures instrumentation that support amplification and detection of DNA and RNA. Their research showed that current DNA testing technology was prohibitively expensive and asked us to help them develop a portable device, fully accessible to scientists, so DNA testing could be carried out cheaply, quickly and on-site.
Our Mission: To review first concept drawings and CAD for the Genie II from a production moulding perspective, taking into account re-determined size parameters and portability. It also needed to house and protect specialist technology and electrical components.
BEC Solution: Working with the design agency, we reviewed and made a few design adjustments to the drawings, before carrying out a “cost -down review,” which included design for manufacture and design for total quality. Our on-site toolmakers were then able to manufacture the two single cavity tools and one 1+1 mould tool. We sourced the specialist plastic material to meet cost, durability and colour match requirements and then injection moulded the four components. The Genie II was born and has already made its TV debut on BBC news. (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-20229813)
Result: The Genie II means scientists can now test the DNA of ash trees on site, giving results in minutes to help establish how widescale ash tree disease and therefore dieback is across the UK.
