Tecni-Form rotational mould foot measurer for Clarks

Clarks, the chain of shoe shops, has rolled out a rotationally moulded product from Tecni-Form on its iPad measuring device.

Clarks’ iPad foot gauge was designed and developed for the precise measurement of children’s feet by Designworks Windsor. They asked Tecni-Form to produce the device’s main body in white, medium density polyethylene (MDPE), specifying an exceptional surface finish to complement the appearance of the iPad case. The Tecni-Form team was keen to demonstrate its advances in the moulding process, such that surface finish limitations are now a perception from the past.

Material suppliers worked with Tecni-Form to formulate a specific, high brightness, white MDPE rotomoulding powder. The formula assisted with the complexity of the moulding shape and the final gloss of the product.

With the surface finish achieved, Tecni-Form could manufacture to a ±0.5mm machining tolerance to ensure a clearance fit between the main body and a steel footplate insert. This eliminated a potential dirt trap on the upper face of the assembled device. In production, the component is moulded fractionally oversize and a CNC 3D machining station is used to create the correct recess profile to accept the steel plate.

A combination of uniform wall thickness and very low residual stress promote high strength in rotational mouldings. When Designworks tested production samples, the strength of the mouldings reached the 350kg load limit of the test rig - more than twice the specified minimum failure load for the component.

The cost of the rotational mould tools for the main body was between one tenth and one twentieth that estimated for a pair of imported injection moulding tools for the same product.

Charged with the complete assembly and distribution of the Clarks foot gauge, Tecni-Form convinced Designworks they were right in their choice of both moulding technique and manufacturer. The company is well advanced in terms of manufacturing automation and supply chain management, having developed a bespoke Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system that encompasses the entire operation, from RFQs to SOPs.

Tecni-Form has completed the delivery of 2,500 units for Clarks’ UK shops and has already begun fulfilling orders to equip Clarks’ branded outlets worldwide.