A Compact Design for Heat, Light & Power with a 20% Savings
A Ceres’ customer had an existing product that was drawing increased demand both domestically and abroad. Delivery lead-times were becoming an issue with NMC’s sales objectives because the existing design required a full-body weldment.
NMC Rental Services defined the goals of the project for a unit that was lower cost, easier to work on, had more efficient fuel consumption and the ability to add-on exterior lighting. These demands were all required to fit into a smaller footprint which would enable units to be shipped in ocean containers.
With these objectives in mind, Ceres initiated a project focused on reducing metal and labor. Utilizing strategic bend placement, the unit was made into a panel assembly, designed for manufacturability. This reduced material costs and eliminated over 50% of the welding on the entire unit. A return air feature was designed into the base unit and became standard, an industry first and giving ever user the option to increase fuel efficiency.
Incorporating storage into the tongue and designing the axle as the widest point allowed the heater to nest two per container. Several optional features were introduced, such as a roof-mounted light tower, a status strobe light and gas leak detection. All of the initial objectives – and then some, were realized on this project, including a cost reduction of over 20%. The simplified design created a product that was easier to source, reducing risks associated to being overly complicated.
