Sector | CleanTech
Project Scope
Mechanical Engineering
Proof of Principle (PoP) Development
Manufacturing Support
Background
AirEx are a climate tech company with a mission to tackle fuel poverty and climate change through novel, cost-effective smart home solutions. They have designed an IoT-enabled smart air brick that can be easily installed or retrofitted into a building and provides a low-cost solution for optimising ventilation and reducing fabric heat loss, whilst improving thermal comfort and protecting residents’ health.
AirEx approached eg technology due to our experience in successfully delivering products to manufacture. They wanted to launch an electromechanical device into a traditional and challenging market where it would stand up to the installation and operational requirements associated with domestic and commercial building projects. Designing something fit for high-volume manufacture, reliable operation and assembly into bricks and mortar, was a challenge that eg technology’s usability engineers, industrial designers and mechanical engineers, relished.
Standard air bricks contribute to 15% of heat loss in homes.
Poorly insulated, leaky buildings require more energy to heat, resulting in higher carbon emissions and a greater environmental impact.
The Challenge
AirEx wanted to integrate an intricate mechanism, controlled by temperature and humidity sensing, into a highly robust product suitable for installation into new and existing buildings in varying environments.
The eg team were a collaborative product development partner for AirEx, bridging the product development process from the User and Product specifications to Transfer to Manufacture. We worked closely with the AirEx electronics and software teams, who developed the non-mechanical design in-house. Regular communication, prototyping, testing and design iteration were essential throughout all project phases to ensure an efficient development program and reduced time to market.
Pragmatic concept development
The starting point for this project was a Proof-of-Principle (PoP) device that AirEx’s engineers had developed to explore usability and performance.
We weren’t starting from scratch or repeating work, so were able to use key aspects of the PoP design, but with a revised focus on high-volume manufacture, assembly and use.
The engineering team at eg technology took a pragmatic approach, which enabled a fast and efficient detail design development phase of the project.
Engineering the solution
With challenging design requirements comes a need to prototype, test and iterate regularly. Our approach varied between making one prototype to test a specific mechanical aspect, and making three or four integrated prototypes to understand performance traits across multiple units. We machined parts, 3D printed parts internally, and used external partners at key stages to reduce project risk and make sure that theoretical design simulations matched real-world performance.
Design data was shared with end-product manufacturing partners early so that parts and features that we anticipated being difficult to mould were discussed and changed in good time, further enforcing an efficient development pathway.
End Result
We worked closely with AirEx to deliver a market-ready product design quickly. Our mechanical involvement ran from concept to production and the smart air brick was the first device developed in an ongoing relationship between eg technology and AirEx.
Since the UK launch, the AirEx smart air brick has been installed into thousands of buildings across the UK, and Airex has secured established commercial relationships with energy companies, social landlords and installer organisations.
AirEx has won numerous industry awards, including a Business Green Technology Award, an Innovate UK Women in Innovation Award and the 2023 Sustainable Innovations Competition.
26,000 Units deployed • 25 Million kg of CO₂ saved • £25M Fuel Bill Savings
Are you ready to develop your product or idea?
For further information on how eg technology can support in getting your technology or ideas to market or to chat with one of the eg team about your product design and development requirements, please get in touch.
Further examples of our work in CleanTech
Every project we work on is tailored to the needs of our clients. This extends to their privacy requirements and as such this selection of case studies includes those which our clients are happy for us to share. For more information, please get in touch.
