Factory Design shrinks Techne DNA cloning device

Factory Design has redesigned the Thermal Cycler (pictured), a scientific device which can clone DNA and increase the size of a DNA sample.

Factory Design was appointed by Bibby Scientific, which owns the brand Techne, a specialist in temperature control and laboratory equipment.

The consultancy was introduced to the company through East Midlands Development Agency Different by Design in 2006.

The product needed to be redesigned with a smaller footprint to accommodate a new Techne-designed engine, according to Factory Design director Peter Tennant. He says, ’It was the size of a suitcase and now it’s about the size of a shoebox.

’Each component has been reconfigured and the unit formatted with the colour and brand values in mind,’ he adds.

A second product, the SPM40, has already been redesigned by Factory Design under the Bibby Scientific brand Stuart.

This machine, which can test the melting point of any substance, uses image-recognition software to automate a procedure that was previously manual.

Factory Design creative director Adrian Berry says the Thermal Cycler comprises a stacked ’hub unit’ and ’satellite unit’ to reduce the device’s footprint.

’It had to be low-cost to manufacture, so we used the same mouldings to create the satellite and hub units,’ Berry adds.

’Design is often overlooked in favour of technical functionality, but we have created something with personality, which has improved the functionality of a working product,’ says Berry.