Bustard heating
‘Optimisation and product development for an autonomous mobile heat control device.’
Bustard Heating is an SME based in Donegal that provides a range of heating and plumbing services to the domestic and commercial building markets.
Problem to be solved
As anancillary to their core heating and plumbing business, the company install a range of renewable energy and heat saving products. One such product is their “Mobile Heat Switch” used to autonomously control heating and hot water systems
by SMS phone text activation.
The company were keen to optimise their heat switch product by developing further end user functions and to introduce a manual / time clock control interface to their device. They were also keen to optimise the reconfiguration of the products interface components, dimensions and aesthetics to make it a more viable product of choice in the market place.
How Gateway Delivered solution for Industry:
Through an Enterprise Ireland Innovation Voucher the PEM Gateway in IT Sligo undertook an investigation to optimise the existing mobile heat switch device by re-designing the control box interface so that a manual time-clock activation device could be integrated, offering the end user both remote & manual setting functions. This included a 3D printed component to realise the design modifications and to test compatibility with the existing heat switch device.
The Gateway also investigated other options beyond GSM/SMS by developing a prototype arduino
board and programme to perform existing functions as well as additional diagnostics for the enduser.
PEM also reduced the packaging profile of the device by reducing the scale and dimensions of the product through re-design of its housing and internal components.
