It started as a student project but an innovative tool, which revolves around one of SA’s favourite pastimes, has become a blazing success, which could soon hit the international market.

The Braai Tool (TBT), is multifunctional and incorporates five key braai utensils into one sleek product.

The idea was born in 2014 during the Industrial Design BTech course at CPUT when students had to design, prototype, manufacture, market and sell a product they created for a net profit of at least R5 000.

The product proved to be a winner and, with the help of CPUT’s Technology Transfer Office, its magnetic hinge and groove system were patented.

“We’ve also done some research into the Australian market because barbecuing is huge in Australia. So, with the help of CPUT’s Technology Transfer Office (TTO), we have also filed for a patent in Australia” says TBT’s Sebastian Bosman.

Bosman said The TTO would also subsidise his participation in the LaunchLab - which is designed to take entrepreneurs through the process of building a viable company.

He says the TTO has given him the ingredients to turn a university project into a commercial product.

“The TTO gave us the financing to produce our initial units. They have paid for the patent, both locally and internationally and they’ve given us great legal advice. They also sent us to Design Indaba, funding our first step into the commercial space.”
TBT has just placed an order for another 1 000 units of the product.

• TBT operates from the communal work hub at 75 Harrington Street, Cape Town.

For more details click here

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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CPUT Design students have turned their talents to alleviating the scourge of shack fires.

Students from Industrial, Graphic and Surface Design were tasked with creating customised packaging for an imported fire prevention tool called the Fireball.

The FireFighter is exported from China where it is used successfully in factories and small apartments.

The circular ball is tossed or rolled into the fire then explodes when its sensors detect the heat.

Students were divided into multidisciplinary groups of six and had four days to redesign the Chinese packaging of the FireFighter to suit a local audience.

They then presented their work to a panel and a winner was chosen.

One of the winning students Sebastian Bosman, who studies Industrial Design, says each discipline brought its own specialty to the project.

“I think our product is a good reflection of the huge amount of work we put in, the brief was also very specific and the lecturers were very hands on during the process,” he says.

“Everything from the colours to how the packaging could have a dual purpose was carefully considered.”

Industrial Design students focused on the actual packaging and wall mounting, Graphic Design students concentrated on reinterpreting the instructions while the Surface Design students concentrated on the materials used.

The FireFighter is a community outreach project of local company Ritcom who envisage distributing it in vulnerable areas soon. 

Written by Lauren Kansley
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Liaises with the media and writes press releases about interesting developments at CPUT.