Before it began the digital TV switchover in Cumbria in October 2007, the Government announced a £600million program to provide free set-top boxes to the disabled, partially sighted, the less well off and the elderly. Technology developed by TVonics has provided the first products to the government switch off scheme. Whitehaven in Cumbria was the first area to experience the digital switchover, with more than 20,000 homes already unable to receive analogue signals by late 2007.
To make the set-top-box easier to use, a number of new features had to be added to an existing product, in very short time. “The design features were agreed at discussion group meetings with our client, electrical retailer, Dixons,” explains Martin Laforges, product design manager at TVonics. “Protomold was our best option to deliver a fast time to market. Traditional steel tooling would have been to slow to meet the stringent delivery schedule dictated by the broadcasters engineering program.”
The main feature of the new ‘box’ is simplicity, with the incorporation of the latest generation automatic tuning technology, straightforward on-screen graphics that
allow users to easily select the chosen television or radio programmes, and built-in guides to assist the viewer at every step of the way. If the user isn’t sure what to do at any point, a ‘Help’ function provides an explanation of each option and button. Once the design for the set-top box had been finalised, TVonics called Protomold to help get the product into production.
“We submitted the initial design to Protomold via its online ProtoQuote™ system, which highlighted potential manufacturing difficulties such as the need to minimise undercuts, the proper use of draft and reinforcing fillets, and part ejection consideration. The system also provided us with tooling and part costs, allowing us to plan and manage our project carefully.”
ProtoQuote™ is a summary of potential problems with the part, explained in a clear, simple and non-technical way, incorporating suggested changes and, if necessary, re-designs. One of the main benefits of the ProtoQuote™ system is that it simplifies and demystifies injection moulding for everyone involved in the product development project and takes a lot of the guesswork out of the process.
“Protomold supplied around 30,000 pieces over a nine-month period, before we moved to hard tooling,” says Laforge. “For many of our projects it is difficult to get a feel for the eventual volumes until the product has proven itself. A commitment to hard tooling at an early stage isn’t economically viable; the manufacturing costs are prohibitive, to say nothing of the lengthy lead-time. Some people think using a raid injection moulding company like Protomold is only cost effective for small runs, but it can also offer a substantial cost advantage in runs of thousands of parts. Furthermore, the Protomold process cut the time from quote to first part by about six weeks, compared with opting for hard tooling from the outset.”
The early success of the digital recorder project meant that there was no need to look beyond Protomold for the next project, the set-top decoder, for which the initial volume of 6000 pieces has now been supplied.
Formed in late 2004, TVonics has more than 20 employees and over 100 man-years of experience in the design and manufacture of digital set top boxes and televisions. The company’s already impressive client list includes high street names such as the Dixons Group, Virgin Media, Aldi, Tesco, Comet, Argos, John Lewis and Marks & Spencer.
“The Protomold service has been fantastic – allowing us to make initial volumes of plastic parts and get the product to the customers fast,” states Mr Laforges. “The support along the way has also been first class. At various points we have introduced modifications, but these have been incorporated quickly and the modified moulds have been back in the injection moulding machines within an hour.”
