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Published 08 Nov 2012

Tooling

Oh, I did go on a bit about the handle design, didn’t I? Well you probably didn’t read it all the way to the end and I can’t blame you. Anyway, I said I’d write about the tooling adventure next but I promise I’ll keep it brief.

The handle needed to be extendable, light, strong, fire retardant, and environmentally friendly. Once the design was perfected I approached a number of UK companies for tooling quotes.

I was surprised by how many outsourced the work overseas. Even companies that manufactured in house sent the tooling work to China.

Although I had had a computer model made of the design, and from that rapid prototypes, I was not confident that the design was ready to be tooled and mass manufactured. I was looking for a company that could help me tweak the design if necessary. Also, I am not an expert in plastic, and as there are thousands of different types, I was looking for reliable advice that could guide me in selecting a type that was appropriate for the product.

Finally I found a plastic manufacturer in the Northeast that worked closely with a tooling company in the same district. The tooling costs were three times that which I was quoted by other companies. It was the single biggest decision for me to take in developing the product, but I am so glad I did. They assisted with the product design, tweaking a few features to strengthen the structure of the handle and extension rod. The tooling was then commissioned.

The first batch of handles produced weren’t right. The threaded part broke too easily. Although it is a low-tech product, it has to withstand a certain amount of force as it is pushed and pulled in and out of the chimney flue. I had insisted on recycled plastic for all the components. Having fire retardant material in the plastic made it more brittle than it would have been.

Working with a local tooling company meant that the tool could be adjusted even after it had been made. Tiny pieces could be shaved off or added in. It took three more sessions of tweaking and small batch manufacturing with different types of plastic until the handles and rods were right. I had to go for a compromise in the end. The clamps are 100% recycled plastic, but the handles and rods, that take a greater strain, are virgin polycarbonate. These can be readily recycled, but the best thing is to keep them forever and buy replacement felt heads every several years…

Sally Phillips

Inventor of Chimney Sheep

chimney sheep
product development
PlanetCare Microfibre Filter Starter Kit

PlanetCare Microfibre Filter Starter Kit

55.00 GBP

How does it work?

This ingenious washing machine microfibre filter kit uses cartridges to physically catch and retain the fibres that come loose when you wash your laundry. Each cartridge will last around 15-20 loads of laundry and is easily replaceable in just a couple of minutes.

No chemicals are used in the construction or the functioning of the filter. Fibre retention is based solely on physical retention with the help of clever patent-pending technology.

You can also send the used cartridges back to us and we'll forward them on to PlanetCare. They will ensure that they are reused or recycled.  This ‘closed loop’ system ensures that there is minimum wastage throughout the whole process.

Something to think about:

Doing the laundry can have a huge environmental impact, whether that be using tonnes of energy running the washing machine and tumble drier - or the pollutants that are released from the products you use. Using a microfiber filter is just one way of reducing that impact. Why not make a few more changes - we've tonnes of handy tips in our blog.

 

What's in the box?

You'll get everything you need to fit your PlanetCare washing machine filter with these handy starter kits, meaning you can get it in place and start catching microfibers straight away.

The Mini Starter Kit includes:

  • 1 housing top with a cup, 1 holder, 4 screws, 1 tube (1.5m), 1 silicone lubricant, 1 counter, and 3 filter replacement cartridges.
  •  3 cartridges. These can last up to 60 washes.

The XL Starter Kit includes:

  • 1 housing top with a cup, 1 holder, 4 screws, 1 tube (1.5m), 1 silicone lubricant, 1 counter, and 3 filter replacement cartridges.
  • 13 cartridges. These can last up to 260 washes.
    Note: All the filter cartridges are 100% recycled and refurbished for use again and again via a closed-loop service.

       

      Is it easy to install?

      The microfiber filter is very easy to install. In fact, for most washing machines this process takes less than 10 minutes. The filters are compatible with all types of washing machines.

      There's actually a handy how-to video and a useful installation guide  you can take a peek at if you need a little bit more guidance.

      It’s a good idea to position it high enough above the floor/surface so the cover can be removed to change the filter and position the device so that it is easy to screw the cover back after each filter change.

      Please note: you will need 13 cm on the side of the washing machine and approx. 60 cm in height clearance so that you will be able to easily unscrew the housing and change the filter comfortably.

      The filter must be placed outside the washing machine on the drain hose. It should not be raised above the height of the drain hose exiting the washing machine. The hose length should be held to a minimum. Raising the filter and a long drain hose will both reduce the efficiency of pumping and filtering and should be avoided.

       

      What are the dimensions of the filter housing?

      The filter housing alone, without any attachments, measures the following:

      • height 325 mm, width (hose attachment direction) 122 mm, and depth 130 mm.

       

      Is the microfiber filter easy to use?

      For the first load, just make sure the filter cover is replaced correctly and screwed tight before using the washing machine. Try a short wash and make sure all connections and covers are fixed and watertight.

      It’s also a good idea to hold the top of the device when replacing the filter cover to avoid putting pressure on the bracket fixings when unscrewing the cover.

      After that, you do not need to do anything until the cartridge is full.

      >Easy!

       

      How does the closed-loop system work?

      When your cartridge is full you can send it back to us directly, simply go onto the delivery website Parcel2Go and produce a label to send the cartridges to us, don't forget to include your order details as we'll refund you the postage cost. We then send these off to PlanetCare who disassemble the cartridge and remove the fibres and filtering medium.  This is done in a controlled environment, ensuring that caught fibres do not pollute water or the environment.

       

      What does Planetcare do with the fibres?

      >At the moment PlanetCare is safely storing the used filtered materials. Once they have sufficient quantity, they will reuse/recycle it all. At the moment they are planning to reuse the materials by converting them into insulation mats. But, they're always on the lookout for viable solutions and will choose the best available option to reuse/ recycle the fibres.

      The waste will never be burned or sent to a landfill!

      The remainder of the cartridge is cleaned, and fitted with a new filtering medium ready to be used again.

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