2018 DF Hexcyl - Business SA Design for Export Awards
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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
Celebrating
South Australia's
Design-led
Exporters
Main menu:
AWARDS > 2018 Gallery
2018 FINALIST
HEXCYL PRO SHELLFISH BASKETS
HEXCYL SYSTEMS PTY LTD
Category:
PRODUCT DESIGN
AGRICUTURE AQUACULTURE EQUIPMENT
Design:
IAN PENDERGRAST
PAUL HUXTABLE
GARRY SEIDL
ANDRE SEIDL
About
The Hexcyl Pro Series range of shellfish baskets are designed to maximize the efficiencies inherent in the adjustable longline oyster farming system and have been purpose built to withstand the day to day rigors of repetitive handling and relentless effects of constant exposure to the harsh marine environment.
Design Challenge
Choosing impact resistant, UV stable materials with the ability to cope with the rigors of regular handling and constant exposure to the elements is the foundation on which the integrity of the Hexcyl Pro Series shellfish basket design rests. The harshness of the marine environment required selection of materials with unique characteristics capable of withstanding the extremes of heat, subzero temperatures and wind generated wave energy common to many shellfish farming locations around the world. Incorporating the design of Hexcyls' unique patented square axle pivot bank and J-hook connection system was essential to ensuring catastrophic component wear was eliminated in the Pro- Series product range.
Design Solution
Combining robust material selection for longevity with design consideration for simplicity of assembly, ease of use and efficiency of stacking, storage and day to day handling provided the design solutions for the Pro-Series product range . The injection molded components consist of a pair of suspension clips, body halves and end doors. The hexagonal basket shape produces a structurally robust geometry ideally suited to the daily demands required for load, space and handling efficiency. The interlocking basket creates an extremely efficient, stable stacking pattern for storage and transportation of baskets to and from the farm. Locking the suspension clip in the upright operating position eliminates all unnecessary wear leading to catastrophic component failure at this connection point.
Design Impact
One of the key design elements not to be overlooked is the conscious effort the Hexcyl design team have made to ensure that all materials selected are fit for purpose to be used in the marine environment. Extended product life ensures our product range does not have built in redundancy (planned obsolescence) that would require a product such as ours to prematurely enter the waste stream which in turn adversely affects both the marine and terrestrial environments. For shellfish farmers product longevity makes both economic and environmental sense.
Other Key Features
Three injection molded components are paired and clipped together by hand for simplicity of assembly. The injection molded components consist of a pair of suspension clips, 2 x body halves and 2 x end doors. Tailoring the volume of the Hexcyl Pro-Series shellfish basket to 25 litres ensures that oyster farmers achieve the most economic and efficient carrying capacity per individual basket handling. The comprehensive range of Pro-Series shellfish baskets available in 3, 5, 10, 15 and 20mm square mesh apertures are designed to meet the needs of shellfish farmers to efficiently house single seed oysters from 4mm screen size spat right through to 160+ mm mature stock. The 25 litre basket dimensions allow for a design load of 7 - 10kg to maximize the safe load bearing capacity of the adjustable longline infrastructure while meeting OH&S requirements. The super-efficient nesting of the basket body and end doors enables 15 complete 25 litre shellfish baskets sets to be packaged per carton. The carton dimensions allow for a maximum of 24 cartons (360 baskets) per pallet providing the most cost effective configuration available for warehousing, transportation and container shipping. The unique duel suspension clip design prevents baskets from sliding along the adjustable line whether orientated in the standard linear fashion or attached across a set of parallel lines. The square axle pivot bank and J-hook connection system allows for any number of custom attachments to be designed and fitted for inter-tidal, sub-tidal or floating applications.
