Company At A Glance
Business Type
Custom Machine Shop
SR&ED Category
Experimental Development
Team Size
5
Scope
Machine Design, Mobility, Power Systems, Fabrication
Province
Ontario
The Challenge
The company set out to redesign a large ride-on industrial machine into a compact unit that could be pushed and controlled by one person in tighter spaces. The existing machine performed well, but its size, weight, and operator requirements limited where it could be used. The challenge was that the machine could not simply be made smaller without affecting its core performance. Reducing the frame size and changing the power system created uncertainty around stability, traction, operating force, battery runtime, solar charging capacity, weight distribution, and operator control. The team had to determine whether the machine’s original function could be preserved in a smaller, mobile, solar-powered format without making it too heavy, underpowered, unstable, or difficult for one person to operate.
What We Documented
01
Uncertainty
Uncertainty
The company did not know whether the machine could be redesigned into a smaller, one-person mobile format without losing the mechanical performance of the original large ride-on unit. The uncertainty was tied to the interaction between machine weight, power requirements, solar charging, battery runtime, frame strength, balance, and operator handling.
02
Iterations
Iterations
The team tested different frame layouts, wheel positions, handle designs, motor and battery configurations, solar charging setups, weight distributions, and structural reinforcements. Some versions were easier to move but lacked operating force. Others provided better performance but were too heavy or unstable for one-person use in tight spaces.
03
Knowledge Gained
Knowledge Gained
The company gained new design knowledge about how to balance power, weight, mobility, frame strength, and energy storage in a compact industrial machine. The final design showed how the machine’s core function could be maintained in a smaller format using a redesigned mobile frame and alternative power system.
Results
Why This Qualified
- Required experimentation beyond routine machine downsizing
- Large ride-on machine performance could not simply be transferred to a compact push unit
- Weight reduction affected stability, traction, operating force, and structural strength
- Solar and battery power created uncertainty around runtime and power delivery
- Multiple frame, power, wheel, and control configurations were tested
- New knowledge was gained about creating a compact, one-person mobile version of a larger industrial machine
