Nicola Ellis
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Better Factory knowledge transfer project MINIROBOFAB
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Ritherdon steel enclosures with prototype powder coating finishes <br> Left to right: R18 electric meter box repair unit in 100% recycled grey<br> R400 in confetti black<br> R150 in static pink<br> R150 in surplus red<br> R400 in confetti green<br>2021- 2023<br><br> This project initiated automated production at the Ritherdon factory to optimize resources, aiming to make production easier to monitor while enabling the manufacture of lot-size-one orders of steel enclosure products with newly developed custom powder-coated finishes.<br><br> The goal of the new powder-coated finishes was to expand the visual functionality of Ritherdon products in the neighbourhoods and environments where they are used. Two lines of inquiry quickly emerged from this part of the project. The first was to develop a method for incorporating waste powder into fresh powder stock, reducing the amount of new powder consumed and reducing the amount of waste powder which leaves the factory. The resulting prototype finishes enable the products to visually blend into residential communities more effectively, appearing textured rather than being covered with industrial-style solid colors. <br> The second line of inquiry was to consider how colour is relevant to the people living in the areas where Ritherdon products are placed, and how making the products stand out can be a positive thing. This required creating a practical framework for applying multiple colors to the steel enclosures so they can visually celebrate a particular culture, cause, or community.<br><br> The new material cycle developed as part of this project is monitored and visualized by a new web app and secure database, which also predicts the required powder coating colors several weeks in advance, minimizing disruption to the supply chain. A similar monitoring system was developed alongside the installation of a robotic welding arm earlier in the manufacturing line, enabling the agile use of robotics in a factory setup much smaller than is usually feasible for this kind of automation. <br><br>The KTE Minirobofab consisted of the visual artist Nicola Ellis, SME Ritherdon & Co Ltd and technology provider Digiotouch <br> https://betterfactory.eu/ <br><br> The enclosures with prototype powder coating finishes are currently exhibited at Waag Futurelab, Amsterdam as part of GLUE art and design festival <br> https://waag.org/en/ <br> https://members.glue.amsterdam/

Ritherdon steel enclosures with prototype powder coating finishes <br> Left to right: R18 electric meter box repair unit in 100% recycled grey<br> R400 in confetti black<br> R150 in static pink<br> R150 in surplus red<br> R400 in confetti green<br><br> This project initiated automated production at the Ritherdon factory to optimize resources, aiming to make production easier to monitor while enabling the manufacture of lot-size-one orders of steel enclosure products with newly developed custom powder-coated finishes.<br><br> The goal of the new powder-coated finishes was to expand the visual functionality of Ritherdon products in the neighbourhoods and environments where they are used. Two lines of inquiry quickly emerged from this part of the project. The first was to develop a method for incorporating waste powder into fresh powder stock, reducing the amount of new powder consumed and reducing the amount of waste powder which leaves the factory. The resulting prototype finishes enable the products to visually blend into residential communities more effectively, appearing textured rather than being covered with industrial-style solid colors. <br> The second line of inquiry was to consider how colour is relevant to the people living in the areas where Ritherdon products are placed, and how making the products stand out can be a positive thing. This required creating a practical framework for applying multiple colors to the steel enclosures so they can visually celebrate a particular culture, cause, or community.<br><br> The new material cycle developed as part of this project is monitored and visualized by a new web app and secure database, which also predicts the required powder coating colors several weeks in advance, minimizing disruption to the supply chain. A similar monitoring system was developed alongside the installation of a robotic welding arm earlier in the manufacturing line, enabling the agile use of robotics in a factory setup much smaller than is usually feasible for this kind of automation. <br><br>The KTE Minirobofab consisted of the visual artist Nicola Ellis, SME Ritherdon & Co Ltd and technology provider Digiotouch <br> https://betterfactory.eu/ <br><br> The enclosures with prototype powder coating finishes are currently exhibited at Waag Futurelab, Amsterdam as part of GLUE art and design festival <br> https://waag.org/en/ <br> https://members.glue.amsterdam/ Ritherdon steel enclosures with prototype powder coating finishes <br> Left to right: R18 electric meter box repair unit in 100% recycled grey<br> R400 in confetti black<br> R150 in static pink<br> R150 in surplus red<br> R400 in confetti green<br><br> This project initiated automated production at the Ritherdon factory to optimize resources, aiming to make production easier to monitor while enabling the manufacture of lot-size-one orders of steel enclosure products with newly developed custom powder-coated finishes.<br><br> The goal of the new powder-coated finishes was to expand the visual functionality of Ritherdon products in the neighbourhoods and environments where they are used. Two lines of inquiry quickly emerged from this part of the project. The first was to develop a method for incorporating waste powder into fresh powder stock, reducing the amount of new powder consumed and reducing the amount of waste powder which leaves the factory. The resulting prototype finishes enable the products to visually blend into residential communities more effectively, appearing textured rather than being covered with industrial-style solid colors. <br> The second line of inquiry was to consider how colour is relevant to the people living in the areas where Ritherdon products are placed, and how making the products stand out can be a positive thing. This required creating a practical framework for applying multiple colors to the steel enclosures so they can visually celebrate a particular culture, cause, or community.<br><br> The new material cycle developed as part of this project is monitored and visualized by a new web app and secure database, which also predicts the required powder coating colors several weeks in advance, minimizing disruption to the supply chain. A similar monitoring system was developed alongside the installation of a robotic welding arm earlier in the manufacturing line, enabling the agile use of robotics in a factory setup much smaller than is usually feasible for this kind of automation. <br><br>The KTE Minirobofab consisted of the visual artist Nicola Ellis, SME Ritherdon & Co Ltd and technology provider Digiotouch <br> https://betterfactory.eu/ <br><br> The enclosures with prototype powder coating finishes are currently exhibited at Waag Futurelab, Amsterdam as part of GLUE art and design festival <br> https://waag.org/en/ <br> https://members.glue.amsterdam/  Ritherdon steel enclosures with prototype powder coating finishes <br> Left to right: R18 electric meter box repair unit in 100% recycled grey<br> R400 in confetti black<br> R150 in static pink<br> R150 in surplus red<br> R400 in confetti green<br><br> This project initiated automated production at the Ritherdon factory to optimize resources, aiming to make production easier to monitor while enabling the manufacture of lot-size-one orders of steel enclosure products with newly developed custom powder-coated finishes.<br><br> The goal of the new powder-coated finishes was to expand the visual functionality of Ritherdon products in the neighbourhoods and environments where they are used. Two lines of inquiry quickly emerged from this part of the project. The first was to develop a method for incorporating waste powder into fresh powder stock, reducing the amount of new powder consumed and reducing the amount of waste powder which leaves the factory. The resulting prototype finishes enable the products to visually blend into residential communities more effectively, appearing textured rather than being covered with industrial-style solid colors. <br> The second line of inquiry was to consider how colour is relevant to the people living in the areas where Ritherdon products are placed, and how making the products stand out can be a positive thing. This required creating a practical framework for applying multiple colors to the steel enclosures so they can visually celebrate a particular culture, cause, or community.<br><br> The new material cycle developed as part of this project is monitored and visualized by a new web app and secure database, which also predicts the required powder coating colors several weeks in advance, minimizing disruption to the supply chain. A similar monitoring system was developed alongside the installation of a robotic welding arm earlier in the manufacturing line, enabling the agile use of robotics in a factory setup much smaller than is usually feasible for this kind of automation. <br><br>The KTE Minirobofab consisted of the visual artist Nicola Ellis, SME Ritherdon & Co Ltd and technology provider Digiotouch <br> https://betterfactory.eu/ <br><br> The enclosures with prototype powder coating finishes are currently exhibited at Waag Futurelab, Amsterdam as part of GLUE art and design festival <br> https://waag.org/en/ <br> https://members.glue.amsterdam/ Ritherdon steel enclosures with prototype powder coating finishes <br> Left to right: R18 electric meter box repair unit in 100% recycled grey<br> R400 in confetti black<br> R150 in static pink<br> R150 in surplus red<br> R400 in confetti green<br><br> This project initiated automated production at the Ritherdon factory to optimize resources, aiming to make production easier to monitor while enabling the manufacture of lot-size-one orders of steel enclosure products with newly developed custom powder-coated finishes.<br><br> The goal of the new powder-coated finishes was to expand the visual functionality of Ritherdon products in the neighbourhoods and environments where they are used. Two lines of inquiry quickly emerged from this part of the project. The first was to develop a method for incorporating waste powder into fresh powder stock, reducing the amount of new powder consumed and reducing the amount of waste powder which leaves the factory. The resulting prototype finishes enable the products to visually blend into residential communities more effectively, appearing textured rather than being covered with industrial-style solid colors. <br> The second line of inquiry was to consider how colour is relevant to the people living in the areas where Ritherdon products are placed, and how making the products stand out can be a positive thing. This required creating a practical framework for applying multiple colors to the steel enclosures so they can visually celebrate a particular culture, cause, or community.<br><br> The new material cycle developed as part of this project is monitored and visualized by a new web app and secure database, which also predicts the required powder coating colors several weeks in advance, minimizing disruption to the supply chain. A similar monitoring system was developed alongside the installation of a robotic welding arm earlier in the manufacturing line, enabling the agile use of robotics in a factory setup much smaller than is usually feasible for this kind of automation. <br><br>The KTE Minirobofab consisted of the visual artist Nicola Ellis, SME Ritherdon & Co Ltd and technology provider Digiotouch <br> https://betterfactory.eu/ <br><br> The enclosures with prototype powder coating finishes are currently exhibited at Waag Futurelab, Amsterdam as part of GLUE art and design festival <br> https://waag.org/en/ <br> https://members.glue.amsterdam/

Ritherdon steel enclosures with prototype powder coating finishes <br> Left to right: R18 electric meter box repair unit in 100% recycled grey<br> R400 in confetti black<br> R150 in static pink<br> R150 in surplus red<br> R400 in confetti green<br><br> This project initiated automated production at the Ritherdon factory to optimize resources, aiming to make production easier to monitor while enabling the manufacture of lot-size-one orders of steel enclosure products with newly developed custom powder-coated finishes.<br><br> The goal of the new powder-coated finishes was to expand the visual functionality of Ritherdon products in the neighbourhoods and environments where they are used. Two lines of inquiry quickly emerged from this part of the project. The first was to develop a method for incorporating waste powder into fresh powder stock, reducing the amount of new powder consumed and reducing the amount of waste powder which leaves the factory. The resulting prototype finishes enable the products to visually blend into residential communities more effectively, appearing textured rather than being covered with industrial-style solid colors. <br> The second line of inquiry was to consider how colour is relevant to the people living in the areas where Ritherdon products are placed, and how making the products stand out can be a positive thing. This required creating a practical framework for applying multiple colors to the steel enclosures so they can visually celebrate a particular culture, cause, or community.<br><br> The new material cycle developed as part of this project is monitored and visualized by a new web app and secure database, which also predicts the required powder coating colors several weeks in advance, minimizing disruption to the supply chain. A similar monitoring system was developed alongside the installation of a robotic welding arm earlier in the manufacturing line, enabling the agile use of robotics in a factory setup much smaller than is usually feasible for this kind of automation. <br><br>The KTE Minirobofab consisted of the visual artist Nicola Ellis, SME Ritherdon & Co Ltd and technology provider Digiotouch <br> https://betterfactory.eu/ <br><br> The enclosures with prototype powder coating finishes are currently exhibited at Waag Futurelab, Amsterdam as part of GLUE art and design festival <br> https://waag.org/en/ <br> https://members.glue.amsterdam/

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