02 9824 5555How Sevaan Group delivered a complete metal solution for an aluminium armoured wetsuit
When Sevaan Group was approached by Australian innovators Ironskinn to produce a market-first armoured wetsuit to protect commercial divers, SCUBA divers, free divers and those into serious spearfishing, we were excited by the challenge and thrilled by the final product. At Sevaan Group we love to work with innovators and product owners to produce a commercially viable product.
As Ironskinn Managing Director John Sundnes explains, this was one of the reasons he chose to work with us.
“Ironskinn required a lot of fine-tuning and Sevaan Group were up for it; unlike other companies we approached whose attitude was ‘when you have a need for 100-offs then call us.'”
We’re fiercely proud that Sevann Group was able to supply a complete end-to-end metal fabrication service for the makers of Ironskinn that they could stamp as designed and manufactured in Australia.
Shark Proof Armour
The brief was challenging and required our team at Sevaan Group to bring all our design and metal fabrication capabilities to the table.
Essentially, we were making a shark proof armoured dive suit that allowed the diver to move with no restrictions.
Made of extremely tough aluminium platelets held together by an elastic in-form setting, the Ironskinn dive suit is very light and very strong and is designed to protect divers from a wide range of marine hazards such as shark bite, oysters, mussels, barnacles and rotten metal from boats when working on them underwater.
The aluminium platelets are rated as being harder than shark teeth, which means that an individual wearing the Ironskinn would likely sustain a scratch rather than a lost limb in the event of a bite from a medium sized shark.
A Design Challenge
Sevaan Group was handpicked by Ironskinn ahead of sizeable international competition for a number of different reasons, with one being our ability to interpret the requirements and set up CAD and manufacturing sequences to make the concept a physical reality.
As Ironskinn Managing Director John Sundnes explains:
“The aluminium platelets have a particular shape and particular curvature. Thin metal can behave in unexpected ways, so that a part may come out a little differently compared to its CAD, so we needed expertise to handle that.”
The other key design factor was ensuring the suit allowed freedom of movement, as Sevaan Group Managing Director Jim Tzakos explains:
“A key designed principle was that the platelets are made so the suit doesn’t get in the way of kinetic movement of humans in the elbows, knees, hips etc.”
A Complete Solution
At Sevaan Group we pride ourselves on our precise and accurate metal work, but beyond this our ability to provide a complete metal fabrication and machining solution for Ironskinn is what made us the ideal partner.
As Jim Tzakos explains:
“John brought the concept to us, which we analysed and provided initial costings for the prototype manufacture. We then reviewed the design and worked closely with our international supply chain to make this concept a reality… it was our challenge to come up with a new design at a particular price point.”
Australian Made
Another important factor for Ironskinn was using an Australian business, not only because of the convenience and ease of communication but because it meant their intellectual property is secure. “We looked at many potential manufacturers overseas and saw there was concern over intellectual property protection,” explains John.
“So, it made sense to use an Australian company to protect our intellectual property.”
A Quality Partnership
At the end of the day, we know that there is no substitute for quality. It is our commitment to ensure precision accuracy across all our processes that enables us to deliver products as complex and intricate as Ironskinn.
And there’s nothing better than a happy customer.
In the words of Ironskinn Managing Director John Sundnes, “What we are making needs a high degree of quality because if it is made wrongly it just won’t work… we achieved a quality result and extremely good protection of our brand.”
Ironskinn is currently being tested by professional divers and we are looking forward to seeing big things from this innovative product.
At Sevaan Group we value partnerships and relish challenges. We are always excited about collaborating with product owners on innovative design.
Our work with local NSW company Ironskinn is a perfect example of how we can help you turn an ambitious concept into a commercially viable product.
Our effective, seven-step process will provide you with a roadmap to production, by devising the metal fabrication and machining solution that’s right for your product.
