Date: May 01, 2009 Source: Company Data (
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Summit Safety provides the Pathfinder™ Systems using the PULSE™ (Personnel Ultrasonic Locating Safety Equipment). The system is the world's first and most revolutionary Firefighter tracking and locator system. Summit Safety was in the process of releasing RIT Tracker™. Its simple and intuitive interface allows the firefighter to focus on navigating to the victim while simultaneously being aware of the surrounding conditions.
Summit Safety was pushing their timelines because they built in several improvements into the new Tracker from previous versions. They integrated new front-end electronics to improve signal input while simultaneously rejecting noise and increasing the system operating range. The new design also incorporates a doppler rejection technique that allows the firefighter to walk or crawl while scanning. An integrated long-wavelength, smoke-penetrating, red flashlight is included to help firefighters spot one another in dense smoke. Additionally, the RIT Tracker is significantly smaller in size and incorporates an internal Gear Keeper retractor.
The new system was a great enhancement for the firefighters using the product. In training sessions, many firefighters have felt confident enough to use the RIT Tracker with as little as one minute of instruction. In fact, all you have to do is scan a 360° circle and go in the direction which gives you the strongest signal. The RIT Tracker will always tell you the direction of the shortest PATH to the firefighter, whether it is down a hallway, around a corner, or up the stairs. The RIT Tracker will NEVER tell you to go through a wall.
Challenge: Product development cycles are shrinking everyday. Summit Safety had a great new enhancement to their lifesaving device. Everyday firefighter put themselves in harms way to help others. The new Tracker helps ensure firefighters avoid unneeded dangers and helps bring them home every day.
Summit Safety needed parts that would help complete the Tracker project and they did not have the luxury of time. Even though time was not on their side, Summit Safety did not want to pay a premium for the molds and they certainly did not want to sacrifice quality.
"We had the designed the parts ready, but needed them in hand fast. We needed something to happen in a short time and in a large quantity," said Zach Haase. "We also needed the tools built so we can then transfer them in-house after the first initial run."
Solution: After searching the internet and remembering Quickparts from past tradeshows and trade publications, Summit Safety reached out to Quickparts for help. Submitting his files online was easy and within minutes Summit Safety was engaged by a Quickparts sales manager to discuss the specific requirements of the project.
"As soon as I quoted I was contacted by a Quickparts Sales Manager," said Zach. "We worked together to ensure that the designs would produce successful parts. They provided very insightful Design for Manufacturing Analysis which helped me identify potential design flaws."
Faced with an aggressive schedule to have product to market, dedicated Quickparts team members worked to help Summit Safety create the best design for what they needed. The Quickparts engineers helped Summit Safety understand certain design limitations and work through changes together. At that point Summit Safety released the program to Quickparts to begin the tool build process. One side note that the Quickparts team needed to work with was that Summit Safety planned to bring the tools in house after they received the initial run of parts.
Benefit: By working with Quickparts, Summit Safety received parts in hand within the tight schedule they had on the project. They received invaluable design for manufacturing help and the project came together as a complete success.
