Ever since its establishment in 1942, Thule’s goal has been to develop innovative, safe and easy-to-use products for outdoor enthusiasts and families with an active lifestyle. Today, the company has 3,000 employees worldwide, with products that are associated with high quality and smart solutions. Among the products for which they are well-known are roof boxes, in which they are world leaders.

THE TASK

When Thule decided to produce a new child bicycle seat, the list of requirements was long. It had to be easy to assemble, eliminate trapping risks, and radiate sportiness, just like their other products. It had to be intuitive to use, easy to adjust and comfortable for a growing child – in short, an attractive solution for parents and children alike.

Veryday AB, tasked by Thule with responsibility for the project, brought on board Svekon, who would be responsible for the design. The work was based on Veryday’s design sketches and surface models.

DEVELOPMENT

Originally, three design proposals were developed during the concept stage. The selection of material was verified by FEM calculations, as well as physically in the laboratory. Plastic components were constructed in 3D, taking into account manufacturing processes and the final product’s quality and mountability. Validation and verification were then carried out in Thule’s own test rigs, in close cooperation with Thule’s Test Center.

“Together with Svekon, we found solutions in which functionality and design cooperate well. Svekon is a good design partner. They solve technical problems without compromising the design idea, which is important to us.”

Anna Carell, Project manager at Veryday

The schedule was tight before the planned launch in spring 2014. Through an intensive collaborative effort involving manufacturers, assembly operators, and test centres however, the goals of highest quality standards, surpassing international safety requirements, and offering the product at a competitive price were achieved on time.

“It was exciting to develop a new product for a customer breaking into a new segment, of which neither we nor the client had any prior knowledge. We have had to learn along the way about how to create what we believe to be the best child seat on the market, the Thule Ride Along ™ Child Seat.”

Jesper Blom, Design engineer, Svekon