Scale Control

Quooker develops, produces, and sells boiling water taps and related products. BPO helped Quooker with the development of the Scale Control. The Scale Control reduces the water hardness to prevent limescale build-up in Quooker systems and improves the taste of the water in regions where the water hardness is high.

The Scale Control consists of a stainless-steel bottle containing resin granules that ensure that the hardness of the water that flows through the bottle is reduced. To allow the water to flow efficiently through the resin granules, the bottle contains an interior that brings the water to the bottom and distributes it there. The bottle is closed with a cap that is connected to the bottle by means of a screw connection. This connection is robust and can be tightened and loosened several times, allowing the product to be emptied and refilled.

Concept development

BPO has been involved in the project from the start to propose various solutions within the requirements and wishes set by Quooker. From this, three concepts were eventually developed in an iterative process with brainstorms and intensive collaboration with Quooker. During this concept development, we looked at various basic configurations for the product, ways to seal the bottle and techniques to connect the existing coupling backwards compatible. In addition, the optimal dimensions for the product have been investigated so that the desired volume is achieved, it fits well in a kitchen sink cabinet with space for (un)coupling and it can stand stably.

Finally, a choice was made from three fundamentally different directions. The chosen concept was then further developed by refining the main dimensions, recording technical details such as the exact screw thread and seals between the different parts. FEM analyses were also performed to validate the connections under pressure and to quantify the forces required to open the cap and coupling. The concept design has short tolerance chains, which made it possible to realise a reliable, leak-free product.

Sustainability

When the contents of the Scale Control are saturated, the bottle as a whole is exchanged. The used bottle is returned to Quooker. The product has been designed to be easy to open, empty, clean and refill. This allows the resin granules to be reused and prevents materials from being discarded with each cycle.

The Scale Control has now been successfully introduced in various countries. More information can be found at https://www.quooker.be/nlbe/229-accessories/scale-control-r-51-191-00-2.html.