INDUSTRIAL & MECHANICAL DESIGN

Design around
the electronics.

Industrial design is a supporting capability at IDEAS — integrating the electronics into practical, durable and manufacturable products.

Industrial designs by IDEAS: phones, set-top boxes, smart devices and a ceiling fan

SECONDARY CAPABILITY

From mechanical boxes to finished product form.

Our industrial design capability covers product form, custom enclosures, mechanical integration, ergonomics, materials and manufacturing considerations. It is deliberately integrated with the electronics rather than treated as a separate design exercise.

FEATURED DESIGN · SMART GAS METER

A housing designed around the electronics.

The industrial design for an ultrasonic smart gas meter: a compact electronics housing that clips onto the meter body and carries the display, keys and service access. The form was developed together with the PCB, display and battery layout, so the electronics, the user interface and the moulded parts fit as one product.

Smart gas meter industrial design — Industrial design render — electronics housing on the meter body

Soft, rounded housing that sits flush on the meter body
Recessed window for a large 8-digit volume display with a secondary read-out
Two tactile keys for display paging and service functions
Round optical window for the status indicator and on-site service / reading port
Sealed battery and service compartment under a separate cover
Mould-ready parts designed with draft angles, wall thickness and snap-fits in mind

FEATURED DESIGN · LABORATORY MICROSCOPE

Ergonomic form for everyday lab work.

Industrial design for a family of compound laboratory microscopes, developed for a microscope manufacturer. One design language covers monocular and binocular models, giving the range a strong, recognisable identity while keeping the moulded parts and assemblies common across variants.

Laboratory microscope industrial design — Microscope family — monocular and binocular models

One design language across monocular and binocular models
Sculpted arm that doubles as a safe carrying grip
Large, low-mounted coaxial coarse / fine focus knobs on both sides for relaxed hand position
Wide, low base for stability, housing the illumination electronics and controls
Two-tone colour and material split that highlights the user controls
Shared moulded parts and sub-assemblies across variants to reduce tooling cost

FEATURED DESIGN · AUTOMATIC GREASE LUBRICATOR

Built for earth-movers and heavy hydraulics.

Industrial design for a range of automatic grease lubrication pumps for earth-moving and construction equipment — excavators, loaders and backhoes. The pump keeps pins, bushes and hydraulic linkages greased while the machine works, so the housing had to survive vibration, dust, washdown and the weather while staying easy to refill and service in the field.

Automatic grease lubricator industrial design — Lubricator range — three reservoir sizes on a common pump body

Three reservoir sizes on one common pump base — a family from a single set of tools
Transparent ribbed reservoir: grease level visible at a glance, stiff enough for rough use
Rugged sealed base housing the motor, drive and control electronics
Heavy-duty wall bracket for mounting on the machine chassis
Industrial sealed connector for power and control wiring
Front-mounted pressure-relief valve, outlet and filling fittings for easy field service

FEATURED DESIGN · EV MOTOR CONTROLLER HOUSING

A sealed, heat-sinking enclosure for traction electronics.

The enclosure for a 15 kW traction motor controller for light electric vehicles, designed around the power electronics inside it. A moulded cover seals the control and power boards onto a thick aluminium base plate that doubles as the heatsink, mounting directly to the vehicle chassis. Battery and motor phase terminals come out through insulated bosses on top, and the signal harness plugs into a recessed automotive connector, giving a compact, rugged unit for under-floor mounting in light EVs.

EV motor controller housing industrial design — Motor controller housing — front and rear views

Aluminium base plate acts as heatsink and chassis mount, pulling heat straight out of the power stage
Moulded cover sealed to the base with a perimeter screw flange, designed for dust- and water-resistant installation
Battery and U / V / W motor terminals on insulated, raised bosses for safe, easy cabling
Recessed multi-pin automotive connector, protected by the housing shoulder, for throttle, sensors and CAN
Integrated fuse / busbar link on the top face for quick service access
Low profile with stiffening ribs and generous radii — strong, easy to mould and easy to clean

FEATURED DESIGN · VEHICLE STYLING

From CAD styling to vehicles on the road.

Exterior styling and body design for off-highway and utility vehicles: an agricultural tractor and a rugged light utility vehicle. Each design was taken from 3D CAD styling, with bonnet, grille, lamps, fenders and body panels shaped around the existing chassis and drivetrain, through to built prototypes and production vehicles.

Tractor and utility vehicle styling by IDEAS: CAD design and built vehicles — Tractor: CAD styling and the production vehicle · Utility vehicle: built prototype and CAD front view

Tractor bonnet, grille, headlamp and fender styling designed around the engine, cooling and operator platform
CAD concept carried through to a production tractor with a refreshed, stronger front face
Utility vehicle front end with bold grille, round lamps and integrated indicators and fog lamps
Body panels designed for sheet-metal fabrication on a rugged ladder chassis
Service access to engine, lamps and wiring kept in mind from the first CAD model