2017 DS Clutch Kit - Business SA Design for Export Awards
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South Australia's
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South Australia's
Design-led
Exporters
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South Australia's
Design-led
Exporters
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South Australia's
Design-led
Exporters
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AWARDS > 2017 Gallery
2017 SHORTLIST
PERFORMANCE CLUTCH KIT
FOR FORD FOCUS MK3
AUSTRALIAN CLUTCH SERVICES PTY LTD
Category
PRODUCT DESIGN
TRANSPORT
Design
STEWART FURZE
About
Australian Clutch Services (ACS) has recently released a range of performance clutch kits for the new Ford Focus RS Mk3. One of those kits is the "230mm Ford Focus RS Mk3 Twin Organic Performance Clutch Kit" (part number: KFD23659-2G) released under ACS' performance brand, Xtreme Clutch. It allows vehicle owners to upgrade their current clutch kit with a better performing product whilst retaining the driveability of the vehicle. The product is ideal for daily driven vehicle with minor modifications.The kit includes a 230mm alloy pressure plate, high quality friction disc material, steel backing plate and 4140 chromoly flywheel.
Design Challenge
Due to the great success of the MK2 Ford Focus RS performance upgrades offered by Xtreme Clutch worldwide in 2015-2016, Xtreme Clutch decided to invest in the development of performance upgrades to suit the latest model, the Ford Focus RS MK3, which at the time was still in the final stages of development and had not yet been released to the public. The goal of the development of this kit was to continue to develop close ties with specialist Ford Tuning groups around the world, especially in the UK where Xtreme Clutch has seen strong growth in recent years, giving Xtreme Clutch access to one of the largest tuning markets in the automotive industry. As the latest Ford models enter the market, it is clear that these vehicles offer exceptional performance and value for money, making them an ideal foundation for specialist and DIY tuners. The vehicles can easily be tuned to produce high horsepower figures and, as a result, often require upgraded driveline components, including clutches. Offering and successfully marketing performance upgrades for the highly sought after Focus RS MK3, would not only increase brand awareness for owners of these vehicles, but also anyone involved with tuning Ford vehicles.
Design Solution
Having established contacts in the Ford tuning market, particularly in the UK, it was possible for Xtreme Clutch to source information regarding the clutch setup in the latest incarnation of the iconic Focus RS. Having established the required information for the gearbox, bellhousing, crankshaft and OE style clutch, a new range was developed in-house at Australian Clutch Services. The prototype kits were tested in a vehicle in the UK as these vehicles were too new in Australia to source. Having confirmed the fitment and driving characteristics of the clutch, the kit was approved for sale in September 2016, making Xtreme Clutch the first company in the world with a performance upgrade clutch kit for the Ford Focus Rs Mk3. The twin plate kit offer a 230mm alloy pressure plate and can handle up to 1210 Nm of engine torque. In the performance market, the aesthetics of the products played an important role in the conusmer decision to purchase. For this new kit, as for their previous kit, ACS put a strong focus on the design and look of the product making sure the product can not only attract the attention of buyers but also meet the highest possible quality criteria.
Design Impact
Upon its release, Xtreme Clutch promoted the product through different marketing channels, including press releases in specialised magazines and trade show displays in the UK, the USA and Germany. Since Spetember 2016, Xtreme Clutch has sold dozen of of these kits which is exceptional given the low numbers of vehicles produced so far and the fact that these are not considered old enough to have significant modifications. It is expected that this will increase exponentially over the coming 12-24 months as the vehicles age, more are produced and as performance options on the vehicles increase, resulting in higher horsepower vehicles. Designed specifically with export markets in mind, the kit has allowed ACS to reach new markets such as the USA, where the kit has been extremely successful or Germany where the company had not seen an increase in sales for a few years. The success of this product has given ACS an increased motiviation to conquer the US market and the company is currently planning to open their own warehouse facility in this market before the end of the year with the objective to see their sales increase considerably in the next 3 years.
