Our customer required a development overmould tool to be replaced with a twin-shot high-volume production tool, to create an oral medical device that treats sleep apnoea and problematic snoring. The complex tool was fully hardened, with 2 fixed half ejection systems operated by hydraulic cylinders, a 4-drop open system for the first shot and an 8-drop open system for the second shot, plus interlocks and pressure pads.

Faulkner Moulds had substantial input into the component design to ensure the split line was suitable for twin-shot, as this element was completely different in the previous overmould development tool. The component design was designed with overmoulding principles and we worked closely with our customer’s designer to develop a suitable split line for twin shot, among other tooling features.

Once we had finalised the design, we rapidly moved to tool production to meet our customers strict delivery and production schedule.

We have created the tooling for a variety of complex automotive and caravan parts, including a rear piston, contact frame, contact path, dashboard, interior trim, fuel systems, large caravan battery box plus lid and handle, electrical control panel and an awning light and lens.

Our work on the caravan parts won us the 2018 Plastics Industry UK ‘Toolmaker of the Year’ Award. We successfully delivered a major project for our customer in the leisure and automotive industry – 4 tools, weighing 4 tonnes, in just 5 months! With extremely challenging delivery timescales, our customer would have lost significant business if the tooling was late.

Described by our customer as, “Honest, reliable and transparent”, Faulkner Moulds pulled out all the stops and delivered every one of the tools early, putting our customer in a comfortable, advantageous position. We solved several problems, incorporating innovative tooling solutions, without compromising their customer’s delivery date, quality requirements or budget.

Furthermore, all four tools moulded right first time, on size, with no flash or other issues. They continue to run efficiently, supported by Faulkner Moulds’ post-delivery guarantee.

“Faulkner Moulds are a rare breed in this field. Excellent quality, on time, every time, no exceptions. I have nothing but praise for this professional toolmaker.”

Sales and Marketing Director, manufacturer in leisure and automotive industry.

“Throughout the whole experience we had superb quality design, toolmaking and customer service from Faulkner Moulds.” – Will Green, Director, Richard Carter Limited.

Image shown is section through shovel handle to show overmoulds.

Our work on this project won us the UK ‘Toolmaker of the Year’ award in 2016. The manufacturing process for creating the Shocksafe shovel handle was greatly simplified to significantly reduce assembly time and costs, and improve competitiveness. A process which previously involved glueing together 5 different handle components was achieved through a single tool and moulding process. We created a ‘one size fits all’ tooling solution to 9 shovel head components that are individually forged and by nature are dimensionally irregular and misshapen. We also successfully incorporated an overmoulded handle shaft with a fibreglass core, fitted to a shovel head with a fibreglass sleeve covering all components, and overmoulded all of these whilst ensuring polypropylene filled all the spaces with everything bonded together. The tool moulded first time in the press and now runs reliably, creating 3,000 handles a month. The project was achieved on time and budget (only 4 months from initial meeting to end result). The overall strength and style of the shovel has improved. The project and product are 100% made in England. Our customer is delighted with the results and has patented this unique manufacturing process.

“Throughout the whole experience we had superb quality design, toolmaking and customer service from Faulkner Moulds.

We knew the Shocksafe handle designer and toolmaker would require a highly technical understanding of how all the component parts could be overmoulded and assembled together successfully. We chose Faulkner Moulds for their proven track record in product development and high quality tooling.

A benefit to working with Faulkner Moulds is that Duncan is not just a ‘yes man’ who simply delivers the tool he is initially asked for. Duncan will look critically at the product and every aspect of the manufacturing process and come up with his own, innovative, recommendations. With Faulkner Moulds, we are reassured that we don’t just get what we believe we want, we get exactly what we need”.

(Image shown is section through shovel handle to show overmoulds).

Faulkner Moulds designed the product and created all of the tooling for The Water and Rodent Non-Return Valve (WARNRV). We were finalists in the 2017 Plastics Industry Awards for Industrial Product Design of the Year for our work on this product. The WARNRV Inventor was also shortlisted for the Travis Perkins Innovation Award and won the Examiner Business Innovation and Enterprise Award 2016. A world first, it successfully prevents rodents and noxious fumes from entering properties and stops the backflow of sewer effluent during flooding. A truly universal fit, it fits easily into straight and curved clay and plastic pipes, and is fitted outside the property, within the inspection chamber for the sewerage system. The product is so unique that a British Standard was being written just for this product, whilst we were simultaneously developing it.  The WARNRV now sells across the world. Our customer says, “We were delighted that Faulkner Moulds designed a superb product that looks and functions far better than anything else on the market. The NRV is moulding excellently and selling successfully. It truly is a Premier League product, making the competition look Sunday League in comparison”.

“Faulkner Moulds has been our preferred injection mould tooling supplier for many years and we have developed a close working relationship. We have tools from Faulkner Moulds that have been in operation for up to 15 years and are still producing excellent products. As a manufacturer of quality tableware, our products must be safe, hygienic and hardwearing, with a perfect finish. Faulkner Moulds consistently design and produce immaculate, high quality tooling that moulds reliably and is built to last.”

Faulkner Moulds has designed, manufactured and maintained the tooling for various catering items for several years. The items are used in schools, hospitals, care homes, childcare centres and other public institutions. As such, their safe and hygienic use is of paramount importance. They include: plate tools (various sizes), sweet dish, potato dish, pasta bowl, tray with compartments, plastic knives, cups with and without handles and plastic drinking beakers (various sizes).

The multi-faceted beaker illustrated is one of several sizes we have produced as a four impression tool with an impeccable, ultra-hygienic, highly polished mirror finish. All of these catering items are designed to be virtually unbreakable and to fulfill the requirements of EU and Food and Drug Administration regulations governing materials for food contact.

Our customer commented, “We have tools from Faulkner Moulds that have been in operation for up to 15 years and are still producing excellent results. Faulkner Moulds consistently design and produce immaculate, high quality tooling that moulds reliably and is built to last”.

This revolutionary product enables wheelchair users to be safely evacuated in an emergency, up or down stairs or along rough terrain. With critical health and safety, as well as legal, obligations to perform to, the Wheelchair Evacuator required an elegant, ergonomic design. We designed it to be lightweight (with a combined weight of less than 4kg), yet extremely strong – enough to transport a person weighing up to 30 stones (190kg).

As part of the product development process, we carried out several safety, strength and stress tests, producing plastic and aluminium prototypes for this purpose, and also for the inventor to showcase at trade fairs. In addition to the Evacuator, Faulkner Moulds also designed and created the tooling for the handle clamps, rubber handle grips and for its smaller sister product, the Wheelchair Liberator.

“As a quality moulding company ourselves, we have worked with Faulkner Moulds on a number of projects and I continue to recommend them on many occasions. Duncan Faulkner guided us through the product development, working with 3D computer images and 3D printed models each step of the way.  Combining the skills of product design, with tooling design and manufacture, Faulkner Moulds is able to turn ideas and concepts into a product that can be moulded efficiently.”

Our customer required this production tool to be designed and created in just 3 weeks to meet their deadline. We finished the tool 2 days ahead of schedule. The tool moulded successfully first time, achieving the customer’s production target of 12,000 to 14,000 components on time. Our customer was delighted with the results.

“Faulkner Moulds have helped turn our basic 2D drawings into full production ready solutions. Duncan Faulkner shows real passion for Design for Manufacture (DFM) principles and he has a genuine interest in our products, their function and the market place they serve. This enabled him to offer some very cost effective tooling design solutions and product features we would not otherwise have been able to implement.

We feel this was a critical step in the development of our products and demonstrated that Faulkner Moulds are more than just a traditional tool maker. The earlier they are involved in the design phase the shorter the overall leadtime for design, toolmaking and initial moulding process development will be.”

For this innovative, patented invention, we created a full design and mould manufacturing service. The electrical wiring box revolutionises the way that electricians fit wiring and sockets into walls, prior to plastering. Instead of the traditional ‘noggin’, this invention offers a much quicker and user friendly way of fixing wires into a partition wall. Already successfully sold across England, Scotland and Wales, the product was a finalist in the Electrical Times Awards.

After moulding the original wiring box, we are delighted our customer has returned to us to design and create the tooling for 2 sister products.

Having carried out work for this customer before, we were delighted to be able to help them add to their range of quality shovels with the full design and tooling manufacture for a snow shovel. With almost 275 years of manufacturing experience, our customer has built up a reputation for shovels of high quality and strength, offering customers durability and value for money. We created an elegant and appealing curved design that is distinctly different to other snow shovels available. Our design combines strength with aesthetics. It was essential that the snowshovel is tough, lightweight, non-stick and easy to use and clean. The 15” x 17” snow shovel has now become a highly successful addition to our customer’s range.

“A good example of exemplary partnership between the customer, toolmaker and moulder with, more importantly, the toolmaker taking ownership of the project. Impressive the way both the toolmaker and moulder worked professionally towards a common goal”.

Judges’ comments, ‘Supplier Partnership – Toolmaker’, 2016 Plastics Industry Awards.

Faulkner Moulds were finalists in the 2017 Plastics Industry Awards in the Industrial Product Design of the Year category for our work on the WARNRV. The WARNRV inventor was shortlisted for the Travis Perkins Innovation Award and won the Examiner Business Innovation and Enterprise Award 2016.

The customer has stated that, due to the involved and long-term nature of this project, creating the NRV would have been impossible using foreign designers and toolmakers, calling it, “A great example of British design and engineering” and describing Faulkner Moulds’ product design as, “Genius!”.

“Faulkner Moulds were resolutely committed to the WARNRV project. We worked intensively in partnership for months, successfully creating it and achieving its British Standard. This would have been impossible without Faulkner Moulds’ innovation, responsiveness, expertise and sheer determination.” – Jeff Monks, Chairman, Fisher Plastics.

“We were delighted that Faulkner Moulds designed a superb product that looks and functions far better than anything else on the market. The NRV is moulding excellently and selling successfully. It truly is a Premier League product, making the competition look Sunday League in comparison”. – Tony Ruddiman, CEO, The Flood Company.