Guthrie Douglas - TESS Systems
United Kingdom
Guthrie Douglas are a team of engineers who specialise in “creating technical shading systems for extraordinary spaces”.The Story
Called “TESS systems”, Guthrie Douglas’s products use a unique spring mechanism which adapts to its environment and holds the fabric flat. This means it can be applied to any type of glazing-regardless of shape or scale.
Their products are installed on glass roofs, internal structures and in all types of outdoor spaces. You can see their solar shades at a lot of high-profile locations, including Oxford University, Olympic Pools and Durham Cathedral.
One of the things which sets Guthrie Douglas apart from the competition is their willingness to improve the products based on research and feedback. Recently, they updated two key lines: the TESS 100 and 400 systems. Both ranges have been given improvements to overall performance, installation and the ease of which the systems’ parts can be replaced.
SWR were trusted with creating a new stainless steel fitting as part of a significant upgrade to their TESS 100 and 400 blind systems. Previous versions let in too much light at the hem bar end of the blind so a stainless steel part was needed for greater fabric coverage and to reduce the light gap.
The Result
Guthrie Douglas designed the fitting themselves and sent the blueprint over to us. After close discussion, it was decided each individual component would have to be sourced. This meant collaborating with one of our suppliers to get hold of the right parts.
Component samples were then put together and tested in our own workshop. As we pride ourselves on being wire rope specialists, engineers from Guthrie Douglas worked alongside us during product development for training and advisory purposes.
After the design was agreed, we created a second sample to test the breaking load. This was to ensure the fitting was strong enough to withstand the highest level of force possible before manufacturing could begin. After further testing and final approval, the components were put into production at our supplier’s facility.
An initial batch of 2000 fittings were delivered to Guthrie Douglas. We also supplied the customer with ‘call off’ orders, including 250 parts followed by an additional 200 at their request. All orders stuck to a strict delivery schedule which ensured they were delivered on time and to exact specifications.
We are delighted to have worked closely with the customer on such an important part of their product line.
“What we achieved through the product development programme with SWR will generate interest, give us something to promote and provide a better end user experience. This is beyond a supplier customer relationship and we are grateful to SWR for the support they gave us.” Julian Harding - Technical Director at Guthrie Douglas
