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AEROSPACE AUTOMOTIVE BUILDING RAIL ELECTRONICS MEDIA & PR |
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When Mike Smith Design in Wolverhampton were given a project to create a new lighting system for the prestigious Tyne Bridge, they took an in depth look at a number of suppliers before selecting Superform to take on the task. Marc Hickman, Product Designer at Mike Smith Design said “While we were still hoping to get the Tyne Bridge project I began to do some research on the net and was looking for companies that would be able to help us to achieve the special requirements of such a project and while browsing, I came across the Superform web site”. The project was to replicate the original lanterns on the Tyne Bridge in Newcastle and to make them work. The lanterns on the bridge at that time were purely show pieces, the lighting luminance being provided by a higher level street light on an outreach bracket.
“A prolific project, one which we hoped do justice to,” said Marc. “Initially, we set out to take away the higher level luminaire, and have the lower level fitting provide the source of illumination for the whole bridge. To make this happen we needed specific reflector designing. Simple reflectors can usually be fabricated, but this design required a different approach. The conventional way of stamping the form out of a flat sheet was a ruled out for several reasons. Although the unit price would have been low, the initial set up and tooling charges would have been too high for a one off project. Resin and fibreglass mouldings were also considered, but rejected for similar reasons”. “Superform were the obvious choice as their pricing structure fitted the nature of the project. The tooling and set up charges were considerably lower than any of the other processes, making them the ideal choice for a one off run”. “Working with Superform was a pleasurable experience. They are professional and conscientious. I never had any doubt that they were capable of delivering both on quality and on time.
The lanterns are due to be installed on the bridge early in 2002. The design has already been 100% tested and approved and we are delighted with the work that Superform produced”. “We are working on more and more Projects of this nature are as both Architects and Authorities are requesting original lantern designs to be replicated and reproduced to today’s high specifications and standards. Working in partnership with Superform has enabled us to build a unique reflector which meets the stringent perimeters of such specialised projects and we will certainly be working with them again in the future”. |
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