Amey Plastics helps Chartered Surveyor build out his ideas

A Hampshire-based injection moulder has helped a Chartered Surveyor turn his idea for an educational learning tool into a reality.

Amey Plastics worked alongside Richard Winson to achieve his long-held ambition to help students follow his footsteps into the construction industry by planning and designing the tool making equipment needed for the individual components of the device.

His invention, ‘Bimbrix’, is a precision engineered, plastic ‘active learning’ tool, consisting of 1:5 scale building components designed to teach a variety of elements of construction technology including setting-out; estimating and tendering; construction programming and sequencing; facade detailing; centre-line calculations; and space planning.

“I spent many years training to become a Chartered Builder, then Surveyor, and have always believed there was a more practical, effective approach to teaching the necessary skills,” explained Winson. “The idea is to help students understand the concepts of 3D design and introduce them to BIM (Building Information Modelling).

“We started working together last summer, and Amey Plastics has been absolutely fantastic,” continued Winson. “I had little knowledge of manufacturing and they guided me through the entire process from design and prototypes, through modifications and adjustments, to the finished product.”

Having already received orders from respected education centres such as Highbury College in Hampshire and Chichester College in West Sussex, Bimbrix is now reportedly attracting great attention from those in the building and construction industry and people interested in manufacture of the plastic components.