News

Tuesday 6 March 2007

Innovative tool trolley design great news for builders

A pioneering invention which would limit the amount of bending, lifting and carrying done by builders and labourers is being developed by a Nottingham Trent University student. John Scott’s robust tool trolley design can hold a workman’s entire kit and doubles up as a workbench when unfolded – enabling essential work such as door maintenance to be carried out.

Builders would no longer need to lug a number of heavy tool boxes around and the trolley is on wheels so is easy to manoeuvre. The one metre high design is made from aluminium and plywood and the unfolding worktop can be adapted to suit the user’s needs.

The trolley has just been awarded first prize in an international design competition in Harbin, Northeast China, and is currently on a tour of Chinese universities to showcase students’ design work.

John came up with the idea as his final-year project for the BA Product Design degree at Nottingham Trent University’s School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment. He is now studying towards at MA in Product Futures at the university and works part-time for his father, who owns a building company in London. 

John, who is hoping to market the idea, said:

“This is a problem I’ve seen time and time again so I wanted to take steps to tackle it. Builders often carry six or seven tool boxes with them, ferrying them between their van and the property where they are doing the work. Also, current parking restrictions often mean workers have to park some distance away from the job so this can prove very difficult. This design is on wheels so eliminates that problem.”

John’s course leader, James Dale, said:

“John’s invention is an excellent piece of user-centred design that originated after spending hours observing how builders, joiners and DIY enthusiasts actually worked. John’s attention to details, combined with strong market awareness gives the product a great commercial potential and this is clearly why it stood out in the design competition.”

ENDS

Notes for editors: The design competition was organised as part of a collaboration between Nottingham Trent University and Harbin Institute of Technology. It received entries from ten Chinese institutions.

For more information please contact: Dave Rogers, Press Officer, on Tel: 0115 848 8782, or via email: dave.rogers@ntu.ac.uk

or Therese Easom, Press and Media Relations Manager, on Tel: 0115 848 8774, or via email: therese.easom@ntu.ac.uk