We are pleased to introduce Cubik Electronic Product Support (EPS). This strategic expansion offers expert support in compliance testing, certification, and electronic product development.
We are pleased to introduce Cubik Electronic Product Support (EPS). This strategic expansion offers expert support in compliance testing, certification, and electronic product development.
Discover key factors to consider when choosing an electronics manufacturing partner. Learn how Cubik Innovation’s expertise, quality, and flexibility can help bring your product to life on time and within budget.
We catch up with our Apprentice Production Engineer, Jake, to talk about his journey, the challenges he's faced and what he's learned along the way.
Kiwa's Hot Swage Joint Analyser, a critical tool used to measure corrosion and ensure the structural safety of streetlight columns, relied on outdated parts and components that were no longer available.
EarSwitch is a wearable device for people with severe neurological conditions like MND. It detects ear movements, enabling users to control devices and communicate despite limited motor skills.
The Virt is a cutting-edge two-way camera IoT device that delivers a new era of connectivity for darts players and fans alike.
We are delighted to announce that we have been awarded the Cyber Essentials Plus certification for a sixth year, demonstrating our commitment to cyber security.
Speed to market is critical to the success of a product. We look at how you can develop a product with market readiness in mind to avoid delays and loss of a competitive edge.
Cubik Innovation is delighted to announce that Sam Beard has been appointed as Operations Director.
Kiwa are leaders in testing, inspection, certification and data services to a global customer base across a variety of market segments, including construction, utilities and public safety. Their hot swage joint analyser is used to measure the level of corrosion at the swage joint area of a streetlight column to determine its structural safety.
Kiwa approached Cubik for help with an existing product that was at risk of becoming unmanufacturable. Originally designed in the 1990’s, their hot swage joint analyser called for parts and components that had become obsolete since its inception.
Their objectives were to update the design to create a modern, handheld version and manufacture five new units, complete with full data pack including electronic design files and a software source file.
It was vital that the new design measured and calculated results in the same way as the existing device so that historic testing data could be inherited by the new instrument, without having to define new safety classifications.
The process began with reverse engineering the circuit and sourcing alternative components for the obsolete ones. We ran tests to understand how the device measured, inferring the method of operation and calculating results to fit those produced by the existing device. We then built a prototype breadboard version that allowed us to recreate the device’s operation and generate measurable results.
Using the output from our investigations, we created a custom PCB design and developed software to manage the system and record and present results via a digital display. Finally, we benchmarked the results against the existing device to ensure the results were consistent.
The hot swage joint analyser is one of the main tools used by Kiwa’s technicians to annually inspect and assess the structural integrity of over 130,000 lighting columns across the UK and Ireland, helping to ensure the safety of the public. As well as offering amore modern and functional aesthetic, the new design eliminates the immediate risk of obsolescence and creates a platform for further units to be built to support the scaling of the business.
Dr. Nick Gompertz created EarSwitch a wearable device that has the capability to change the lives of people with severe neurological conditions such as Motor Neuron Disease (MND). This in-ear innovation detects motion from one of the smallest muscles in the body, the tensor tympani, giving users the power to communicate and control their environment.
The Earswitch system comprises of an in-ear sensor and a processing unit that translates the information collected by the sensor and generates Bluetooth or USB data that is sent to the user's device. Nick and his team needed a multi-disciplinary team to help them develop their revolutionary device into a commercially viable product that satisfies strict medical regulations.
Throughout the project we worked collaboratively with several stakeholders including our colleagues in The Product Partnership. This enabled us to support Nick and the team from initial concept through to prototyping and into low volume manufacture for field trials.
For our part, we designed and developed a system architecture for the in-ear module and interface whilst keeping manufacturability in mind. The design was technically challenging and required miniaturisation of the in-ear module to ensure it fit the compact device, without compromising on quality and precision.
Once the device was ready, we assisted with regulatory approval including Electromagnetic Capability (EMC) and Medical Device Safety EN 60601-1.
EarSwitch is ground-breaking medical technology that will change the lives of people suffering with neurological impairments. It offers a transformational opportunity for people with the most severe communication restrictions to have a voice, take control of their environment and choose how to live their lives.
EarSwitch has been recognised innovative technology, winning numerous awards and securing significant investment.
Target Darts is a leader in darts equipment and sponsors some of the biggest names in the game including Luke Littler and Rob Cross. Their latest product creates a new category of connected IoT devices bringing the skill and excitement of the game to homes at the touch of a button.
The Virt Camera is a two-way camera system that allows users to play competitive darts against a global online community. It's front facing camera lets you opponent watch your throw, while the dartboard facing camera allows them to see your dart land in real time, high-definition video.
Target Darts approached Cubik with a prototype of their new product and asked us to conduct a design review that focussed on design for manufacture and supply. The Virt needed to stream two live video feeds to a remote server and an app that would configure and score the game. The biggest challenge was fitting the amount of tech needed into a sleek, compact design whilst maintaining a high-quality video feed.
As part of the design review, we produced a low volume build of the existing prototype to test and analyse. Using the output, we made design recommendations to improve performance and streamline the manufacturability of the product.
Getting the camera tech right was a big piece of the puzzle. Our team carried out extensive research and testing to select the best camera component. We then designed and built a bespoke PCB that enabled the camera to interact with off the shelf components to bring the whole system together.
With a refreshed design that employed design for manufacture principles, we went on to successfully support Target Darts through the regulatory certification process and achieved CE, UKCA and FCC approval.
The result, a market ready product that is now available to purchase: https://bit.ly/40fuW5k
The IZLID is a compact, lightweight infrared laser device used by the military as a command pointer for target marking and communicating with aircraft. It is small enough to fit into the user’s pocket, or attach to their belt for quick access, offering swift guidance to ground personnel over a range of 39km.
Close Air Solutions (CAS) asked Cubik to design a simulator that replicated the look and feel of the IZLID’s aesthetics, ergonomics and user functions, without the infrared beam. The IZLID simulator needed to connect to CAS simulation system via a single USB lead and return data back to the simulation system.
The IZLID simulator is used in classroom based military training to help soldiers gain knowledge and experience of how it would behave in a real-world application. Simulation is a critical part of military training allowing soldiers to experience realistic scenarios in a virtual world, improving their decision making and readiness for combat situations.
The Reskube offers a simple solution providing access to both continuous power and uninterruptible internet connectivity for itself and any connected devices during a power outage. It’s sleek and portable design means that it can be used in a wide range of settings from powering a home office to life saving medical equipment. This intelligent device has the capability to detect and resolve issues before they become a problem.
With our friends at Bang Creations delivering the mechanical design, we were brought on board to design and build the system architecture and support the product through regulatory certification. We worked closely with Bang to ensure the electronic system fit the custom enclosure without compromising on quality and performance.
Designed with critical remote workers in mind the Reskube gives users the confidence to work from any location without fear of disruption. Outside of the home, Reskube maintains continuous operations during outages for small sites such as retail stores, construction sites, doctor's surgeries, and primary schools, ensuring that critical systems and equipment remain operational. Additionally, it offers the added benefit of remote monitoring and management. In global regions where power outages are commonplace the Reskube offers a source of reliability and resilience in an environment with unpredictable connectivity.
Bristol & London based company, Switchee Ltd developed a smart thermostat solution aimed at reducing energy bills in social housing. The intelligent device learns the routine of the household, detects when the house is not occupied and turns the heating on or off accordingly. The device allows valuable data to be gathered remotely reducing the requirement for complex interaction or configuration from the user.
Switchee approached Cubik for help with the development of the software drivers which allow the operating system to communicate with the hardware. This quickly evolved into a larger scheme of work that incorporated the printed circuit board (PCB) design, prototype manufacture and firmware development.
Switchee is the first internet-connect device in social housing. It delivers real-time data that gives housing providers the insights and tools they need to proactively support residents and manage homes.
With a Switchee device installed, energy efficiency can be optimised on a case-by-case basis reducing energy waste, lowering heating bills and cutting carbon emissions.
Cubik Innovation have received notification that an expected production batch for November has been postponed which has left us with spare capacity on our line. To make good use of the production time, we would like to offer the spare production capacity to our customers at a reduced rate.
Place an order with us by close of play on Friday 11 November to be eligible to a 10% discount on your order.
We have limited slots, only the first 3 customers to apply will be accepted for this offer.
Call us on: 0117 244 3000 OR Email us: enquiries@cubik-innovation.co.uk
Last year, we won Start-up Business of the Year at the Bristol Post 2015 Business Awards and ended the summer with Managing Director, Paul Mullen, receiving Highly Commended in the Small Company Director Category at the Institute of Directors South West Region Director of the Year Awards. Not a bad year for our exciting young team.
Following on from our success, Cubik Innovation was recently shortlisted for the SME Manufacturing Company of the Year (Turnover below £25m) Award at the Insider Media Ltd Made in the South West Awards.
The award is for a manufacturing company based in the South West, with a turnover of less than £25m, that has demonstrated excellence and made an outstanding contribution to the manufacturing sector in the region between the period 1 July 2015 to 20 June 2016.
On Wednesday 2 November, Paul Mullen (Managing Director) and Luke Davies (Technical Project Manager), represented Cubik Innovation at this year’s ceremony held at Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel. The event showcases manufacturing from across the South West and offers local companies the opportunity to celebrate their ongoing commitment to world-class quality and excellence.
The evening was full of splendour and ceremony, with the duo dressed in penguin suits and Paul’s signature waist coat. The evening was hosted by acclaimed Comedian, Jimmy McGhie, with a very entertaining comedic interlude following the night’s guest speaker Don Cameron of Cameron Balloons. Don gave a brilliant insight into the world of ballooning and how a conversation in his local gliding club bar turned into the Bristol institution known as Cameron Balloons.
The highlight of the event was the awards ceremony itself. We were amongst good company having been shortlisted alongside Future Advanced Manufacture, Blue Badge Company, Woodwarm Stoves and Gripsure UK. But it was Marshfield Bakery who were crowned SME Manufacturing Company of the Year (Turnover below £25m).
We would like to congratulate Marshfield Bakery on their win, a well-deserved award for a fantastic company. If you guys’ fancy sending over any of your celebration cakes that would be great.
Happy new year to all our customers, design partners and suppliers - we hope you had a fantastic festive period.
Last year, was a big one for Cubik and our industry. We saw huge growth in the development of wearable technology and the explosion of the IoT (The Internet of Things) – but what’s next? Here are 6 trends we think you’ll be seeing more of in 2016:
3D printers move from the makers to the mainstream
In 2015, 3D printers reduced in price dramatically with many desktop FDM printers becoming fast, functional, reliable, and accessible. We’ve already seen from our own experience, more and more inventors and small companies using 3D printing to develop fast turn around prototypes, and this will only continue to build.
Following 3D system’s announcement to discontinue their entry level consumer 3D printer, The Cube, alongside the closure of Cubify.com and its popular retail product lines, the consumer pull for 3D printers in every home study and maker’s workshop, seems to have slowed. It is evident that the main players in 3D printing are certainly pledging their allegiance to the industrial market.
For the last few years 3D printing has rocketed in popularity and gained real footing as a functional manufacturing process. In 2016 and beyond, it will find its true calling to go hand in hand with design, prototyping and innovation within high tech engineering and business and will become less of a novelty and more of an industry standard.
In the higher end of additive manufacturing, boundaries are already being pushed regarding materials and composites which will only be furthered this year.
Taking healthcare into your own hands
With the introduction of smart watch applications, like FitBit, in recent years, this trend has the mileage to become something huge over the next 12months and a part of our lives for years to come. Devices which encourage healthy lifestyles and behaviours, promote effective medical management, provide relevant and accurate information at the time of treatment, and deliver cost effective, post treatment recovery planning are the future of personal healthcare, with a growing number of products already on the market.
With an ever-growing consciousness towards health, an NHS in financial trauma and an ageing population, the demand for this technology is increasing. As technological barriers are broken down, and IoT is improved, this industry will boom.
IoT still homeless
As the standards which will inevitably force competing entities to connect and work together move further apart, our connected home of the future could be along way off. Google (and friends) introduced their ‘thread’ the networking protocol once anticipated to lead the IoT evolution. But with the sheer volume and diversity of standards available it’s still a market that is difficult to navigate for both developers and consumers alike.
Despite this IoT is showing no signs of slowing. You don’t need to be in the industry to know home automation is massive and undoubtedly the future of domestic living. Over the past year we have seen the number of new enquiries coming directly from this industry grow exponentially.
One of our larger customers, Switchee, a start-up based at London’s Makerversity, are developing a smart thermostat exclusively designed to help affordable housing providers fight fuel poverty and boasts a range of additional features geared towards clever automation. The unit detects high humidity levels to safeguard against dangerous mould, alerts users when the temperature drops below a safe level and includes a messaging feature for contacting dependant tenants quickly and easily. Switchee is already on trial with several leading Housing Associations. Check back for our full case study in the coming months with details on how our Software and Production teams have helped make this happen.
Smart metering, finally
In 2013, an £11bn Government scheme was launched with plans to install an estimated 53 million new smart meters to around 30 million homes and small businesses. It gained a lot of attention in the press with multi million pound fines imposed on partnered utility companies for repeatedly missing supply targets.
With the rescheduled rollout due to begin in October 2016 and a planned conclusion in 2020, utility companies will need to up their game to meet installation deadlines. The government has also reported a £90 million investment is needed from the development team behind the infrastructure to improve the vital communications system that has rendered many of the country’s existing smart meters ‘dumb’.
A nod to the future
Whilst touchscreen is still very much at the forefront, we predict a new revolution in user interface to be gesture recognition. This trend is already gaining momentum as semiconductor manufacturers add gesture recognition functions and applications to existing sensor product lines; and the rise of electromyographic wearable sensors gains momentum.
USB C as standard
The USB C is small enough to work with the smallest of peripheral devices. It allows for reverse plug orientation and carries significantly more current than previous generations. We have seen a gradual turn to this type of connection amongst our customers which is sure to continue this year and progressively become an industry standard.
One more prediction
So there we have it, 2016 predictions made. We predict 2016 at Cubik HQ to be much like 2015 – but better! We hope to me a new cohort of exciting and innovative inventors, SMEs, and organisations with promising ideas, plans and concepts for electronic products and systems.
If you’d like to begin the new year by kicking off a new project, get in touch with our team to discuss our bespoke electronic product design, concept to production process.
Cubik Innovation are proud to announce that it has recently become a business support provider of the West of England Growth Hub, helping our local business community to grow sustainably.
The resource works by creating a two-way referral and collaboration process between the West of England Growth Hub and the existing local business support infrastructure. Finding the help that you need in a quick and easy manner has always been a challenge for businesses. The West of England Growth Hub gives us the opportunity to offer our support and expertise to a wide community.
This fresh approach will be a unique offering nationally and we are excited to be involved in this prospect. It will facilitate access to the most appropriate local providers, via a tailored, intuitive website journey. This is all based upon extensive research and wide consultation with local businesses. The West of England Growth Hub’s unique approach ensures that everything they do reflects the voice of businesses; and the community is at the heart of all it does.
Speaking about becoming a Registered Support Provider, Cubik’s Managing Director, Paul Mullen commented:
“This is a fantastic opportunity for Cubik to give back to the community it serves and has been an integral part of since we were founded in2012. We work with a vast cross section of businesses and sectors and becoming business support for the Growth Hub will assist with our development as well as the companies we work with through the Growth Hub. Lots of very exciting things are coming out of the West of England, it’s a perfect time for us to get involved!”
The West of England Growth Hub is powered by Business West for The West of England LEP.
For more information and to see how you can get involved, visit: www.wearegrowth.co.uk or email: info@wearegrowth.co.uk
The testing processes for software and hardware were rocked when the mobile revolution began. Development teams and testers were forced to think about power sources, the implications of touch technology, bandwidth and dropped connections. But testing trends and recognised procedures are set to see further disruption, this time from the looming shadow of The Internet of Things (IoT) and its far-reaching impact.
IoT is a unique phrase. Obscure yet obvious sounding, it is clear to see why understanding its exact meaning is the first stumbling block in adopting this new technology. Simply put, it means connecting ‘things’ to the internet that didn’t have the capacity for connection before. For example, your thermostat or your washing machine. Smart watches are the most pertinent example. Once a humble time piece they are now a demi-smartphone, connecting you to your calendar, emails, and social networks in addition to being able to track fitness and daily vitals.
The IoT is becoming something that we rely upon to optimise personal performance and enhance domestic life whilst reporting and collating huge volumes of data. With a task so big it is essential these devices are tested adequately using processes that are fit-for-purpose and mindful of this ever-developing technology.
Usability
As for consumer electronics, leveraging a balance between functionality and intuitive usability is an important consideration. Devices must adhere to specification whilst being usable by the average user without hefty training. This becomes crucially important for connected IoT devices as they are often small and minimal for a key purpose.
Think of your Nest. It is collating and sending and receiving data readily across several functions. Making the design consideration of how to integrate these services into a slick, small user interface, quite challenging. These gadgets are geared towards becoming digital partners in life, work and play but it is only achievable through user-centric design. Carrying out user testing to validate interface and experience design is a core process.
Connectivity
Connectivity is the backbone of successful IoT integration, an obvious but central necessity. In cases where connections may be intermittent or unpredictable, it is vital that data will be delivered and saved correctly when it is restored. Testing for this is important and can be achieved by disabling connections during bench testing alongside scalability testing to guarantee connectivity in scenarios with a high number of user instances across numerous features.
Security
According to studies conducted by Hewlett Packard, 70% of connected IoT devices are vulnerable to security breaks with issues surrounding data encryption and password requirements.
Integrating security best practice into the development process as well as understanding expert knowledge on the subject isa necessary task with ever-growing IoT customer bases. Testing for security short comings through development, and prior to release, is the next step. It’s best not to wait for the headline or damning PR incident to uncover your product’s security shortcomings.
Devices
Depending on the purpose of the product, connecting to other devices in the connected homes of our future may be crucial. Having these devices available to test may be a challenge due to the sheer size of the market so gathering a minimal reference set to test on is the next best option. Coordinating user testing during proto release stages goes further by arming your team with the analytics to understand which devices are the most frequently connected, guiding the direction of further testing.
The key to testing for IoT is being mindful of the developing market it sits in. Any process must be regularly reviewed and kept attuned to changes. The rules are almost certainly set to evolve as we see the industry take a firmer hold.
As we head into 2017, we find that the beginning of the new year is the perfect time to reflect on the events of the past 12 months. For Cubik, 2016 was a year of success and growth with many positive changes taking place throughout the year.
January
The beginning of the year saw the team raring to go with the new and exciting projects we had lined up and taking us right through February.
March
We kicked off March with the upheaval of our production lab to make room for a dedicated mechanical assembly area for one of our customers. We also sponsored Wessex TSG (Tears, Sweat & Glory) who took part in PLOD – Cotswold Way 2016 on behalf of children’s charity Action Medical Research, an event which we were proud to be a part of.
We rounded off the month with our Managing Director, Paul, appearing in the Bristol Post on 30 March for the Big Business Interview. Little did Paul know that his face was soon to be seen in many other publications throughout the South West.
April
We had an exceptionally busy month interviewing candidates for our 2016 Internship Programme. With masses of talent on display, a tough decision lay ahead!
Shortly after the tables were turned when South West Business News interviewed Paul for their April Big Interview piece where Pauls love for technology was personified in a terrific article written by Gavin Thompson.
Finally, Cubik were fortunate enough to be featured in the Innovation Space Blog for CFMS where another great piece was written. This time describing what sits at the heart of what we do.
May
Another busy month for the team starting with being featured in a brilliant article for Insider South West which showcased our talented apprentices. Our Project Management team attended the South West Business Showcase 2016 and were on the lookout for innovative design ideas.
Also in May, we renewed our sponsorship of local rugby club Cleeve RFC and the University of Bath’s Team Bath Racing. We are proud to support our local community!
June
We welcomed our new Design Manager, Matthew Griffiths and our latest Design Engineer, Eli Plaza to the team. We were also pleased to receive work experience pupil George Lear from Mangotsfield School. After George had been shown the ropes for the week, he produced a terrific journal to demonstrate the knowledge he had gained in the short time he’d spent with us.
June was also month of planning, with the whole team preparing for the move to larger premises.
July
It was all hands-on deck as we waved goodbye to the Bristol & Bath Science Park where we had spent four happy years as tenants, but waved hello to a new larger space in Verona House. The change in premises gave another injection of growth into our production lab, providing us with greater capabilities for batch and prototype manufacture.
We took on another work experience student, Will Couch, who we welcomed from BTE Academy. We also extended a warm welcome to our new Office Coordinator, Mercedes Tilling, who was our first recruit in the new building closely followed by our Design Engineer Intern, Charlie Freestone, from University of Plymouth.
August
We showed our commitment to ISO standards and quality processes and procedures as we were yet again awarded our ISO 9001:2008 certificate after passing our 2016 audit.
September
This September marks Cubik’s 4th birthday. To celebrate we tucked into a glorious cake!
This month, we were attended several tech events including the End of Summer Big Breakfast at the Engine Shed Bristol and Venturefest Wales where we thoroughly enjoyed networking. Our Technical Project Manage, Luke Davies, was also lucky enough to attend the Protrack Seminar in Gloucester and came away with a generous goody bag.
Finally, we partnered with the West of England Growth Hub, a partnership which we are very excited about and are sure will produce many good things in the future.
We concluded the month by supporting the Macmillan Coffee Morning where one of our resourceful engineers brought in DIY smores, yummy and all for charity.
October
Our hard work throughout the year was recognised when we were shortlisted for the SME Manufacturing Company of the Year award at the Made in the South West Awards 2016. The event attended by Managing Director, Paul Mullen, and Technical Project Manager, Luke Davies, who enjoyed the evenings events. Even though we didn’t take home the prize, it was an honour to be nominated for such a prestigious award.
We also saw Cubik’s very first Annual Pumpkin Carve Off which where the whole team were encouraged to carve a frightful pumpkin - we even invited Amalgam Models to compete for the prize!
November
Another event to round off the calendar was the Bristech Conference held at the Bristol Watershed and attended by our Business Manager, Sophie Adams-Foster. After the event, Sophie advised that she had met some truly interesting people throughout the day and had come away with many new ideas for the business.
Cubik become a member of the Made in Britain campaign, an achievement which we are especially proud of due to our commitment to manufacture all our products within the UK.
December
Snowmen, snowmen everywhere! We rounded off a fantastic year by treating our customers/friends to a PCB themed Snowman Christmas card game. The PCB was designed by our 3rd Year Production Apprentice, Shannon Cribb and the system was designed by 2nd Year Production Apprentice, Barney Smith. We’ve heard that they have gone down a treat so we will need to get our thinking hats on for next year’s card!
The year ahead
As we look ahead to the new projects which 2017 will bring, we start the year with a free 2-hour SET squared workshop at the Engine Shed Bristol on 17 January, presented by our MD Paul Mullen.
Another item on the cards for the New Year will before an open day to be held at our offices in Verona House to invite customers and friends to our new office, so watch this space!
We would like to finish by saying a huge thank you to everyone who we have had the pleasure of working with over the past year. The support and collaborations we’ve had have been fundamental to our growth and development. We wish you a very Happy New Year.
Ryan Smith joined us from University of Plymouth where he is currently studying Robotics and we have thrown every possible challenge at him.
What do you think of your time with Cubik?
It’s been great! I have learned so much, and that’s above and beyond the technical skills you would typically expect. I’ve picked up some good design tips and lots of best practices that I have seen other designers use. But that is not the reason to do a placement year. A year in a real business offers the opportunity to see how that business works including how customers are dealt with, and how things are done in a real-world setting. It has given me a great insight into the world of electronics, a part of the world which the end user doesn’t typically get to see.
One thing that you don’t experience at university is customers. When you’re writing an essay, or designing a project, the closest thing to a customer that you encounter is your lecturer. At Cubik, I have been given the chance to interact with real customers; to go through design development cycles, talk through problems, and produce reports on tests that I have conducted.
There are not many companies out there that would trust an intern to travel to a customer’s office and trouble shoot problems on behalf of the company.
On reflection, the most important skill I have learned at Cubik is the way to write documents. I know it sounds a bit crazy, but writing a good quality technical document is harder than it initially seems. It needs to hold all the possible information it can, including all the technical stuff; yet also be simple enough for anyone to read. The document could be read by somebody with no technical experience who knows nothing about the design process. This will be helpful in years to come, with final year projects and exams. Being able to write a good quality document is invaluable.
How has this year helped me?
There is only so much university lecturers can teach you about the world of work. No number of exams can prepare you on how to interact with a customer in a particularly tense meeting. Being in an active design environment forces you to think quickly, and to learn even quicker. My Cubik experience has strengthened my desire to be an engineer. I have spoken to other interns who haven’t enjoyed their experiences as much as I have and unfortunately haven’t been given the opportunity to have those experiences. I’m fortunate to have seen every part of the electronic design process and been able to directly be a part of it. Not many interns can say they’ve done that.
Has Cubik helped you?
Of course! The things I have learned will help me for many years to come; and will help the rest of my time at university. I have found things I enjoy, and things I don’t. That’s the idea after all. All in all, this year has been a success, and I have gotten everything I wanted out of it, and more. I would recommend a placement with Cubik to anyone.
Following our success at the IoD Director of the Year Awards, we continued our winning streak, at the Bristol Post Awards where we were awarded ‘Start-Up Business of the Year’. The team’s spirits were high after just being shortlisted, so to win is beyond expectation and entirely humbling.
The award ceremony was hosted at Brunel’s Passenger Shed where delegates heard from a range of inspirational speakers including Andy Green of Bloodhound, who gave attendees a high speed glimpse into the world of land speed records and flying Tornado F3s.
The team at Aardman Animations took centre stage receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award for a company so synonymous with the huge success the city has enjoyed in the creative industries.
After just two awards it was our category, and we were delighted to hear Cubik Innovation called out as Bristol Post’s Start Up Business of the Year 2015. At this point, our Science Park colleagues, ‘The Noise App’, which enables the public to report noise complaints to their local authorities quicker and easier, would have found its purpose. Cheering, clapping, and photo snapping ensued from the Cubik table for a quite a while following the announcement.
On receiving the award, Cubik’s Managing Director, Paul Mullen, commented:
“It feels amazing to have won. It is great to have this kind of recognition for a start-up. To get on the shortlist was an amazing feeling and I didn’t expect to win it this evening. Bristol is a fantastic place to be based in. There are a lot of inventors here, and I can’t imagine being anywhere else.”
This award is a testament to the hard work of our young and talented team of engineers and creative brains, but also a huge nod to our customers: the inventors, entrepreneurs, SMEs, and corporations who come to Cubik armed with stunning design concepts, products, and ideas. Without these customers, an award like this would have been impossible.
We would like to thank the award’s organisers and judges for a fantastic evening. Everyone who attended was delighted and left the event with a sense of pride for our city, which is so obviously alive with great ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit. A special thanks goes to Dom from Mobile Menswear for hooking us up with spangly waistcoats and perfect bow ties.
Congratulations to our fellow winners:
December at last and it’s starting to look a lot like Christmas. We’re closing a few projects, preparing for brand new work in the New Year and getting in the spirit with mince pies and DIY fairy lights.
But there is also some other excitement in the air.
The force is awakening
Christmas may bring the inevitable rewards of sherry, merriment, and a well-earned holiday, but what could be more exciting to a proud band of sci-fi geeks, engineers, and developers than the gift of a new Star Wars film. True joy and peace on earth!
Since it’s release was announced, discussions have been gaining momentum and it’s been a long year of waiting. As engineers we haven’t simply debated the looming Mark Hamill secret or tried to tie up the inexplicable plotlines – we’ve been asking the real questions. The engineering questions.
And we’ve noticed a few things.
The Empire is a sad example of a huge enterprise which has completely failed to understand the importance of an all-encompassing quality management system and a good design process. Without supporting the endeavours of a fictional tyrannical and oppressive organisation, we believe that if a few simple development rules were applied the Death Star explosion was easily avoidable.
Protect your IP, to the death
If you’re developing the jewel in your crown – in this case, a gargantuan spherical space station, planned to be over 100km in diameter - perhaps don’t leave your schematics lying around. File them in a manilla folder or take it to the cloud. Or go even further. Get a patent or sign an NDA. If Lord Vader was using a robust document management system, maybe this instrumental error could have been avoided.
We go to great lengths to ensure our customers are safe in the knowledge their most treasured ideas are protected. On first contact, we issue mutual NDA’s, our team are bound by staff NDAs and for military grade projects we have senior, security cleared engineers. When your prototype is ready for our potential investors to see, we can advise you on patenting and further IP protection.
Specification creep is a minefield
Super laser capable of obliterating an entire planet in a single shot, powered by around 10,000 turbo laser batteries, 2,600 ion cannons and roughly 768 tractor beam projectors – CHECK.
Hangars for assault shuttles, support ships and 10,000 TIE fighters - CHECK.
Recreational areas for 300,000 Stormtroopers and pilots - because let’s face it, morale must be rock bottom – CHECK.
Tough defence system? – Erm, goodbye prototype Deathstar.
In the real world the key functionalities and features must be always on your radar and not compromised as development begins. As part of our five-phase process, we pin down the specification in the first instance, ensuring all parties are completely satisfied with the plan moving forwards. In the event the objectives go off course, time is taken to ensure innovation is controlled and correctly implemented.
Reviewing is essential
The Empire proved so pertinent in their colossal failings that a good design review might have just been just the ticket. The endless mill of Deathstar scrap and rework, the subplot lifeblood of the original trilogy could have been dodged if the development wasn’t handled so carelessly. We can only imagine the sign-off process, but we guess it wasn’t lined with red tape. The result is a product marketed as impenetrable but seemingly penetrable by one man in an X-wing the following day in a real-life test environment.
Design reviews are essential to our workflow and our ISO:9001 quality system. Review everything; review it until the whole team is confident in all aspects of the design, no footprints left unchecked, no cathodes left undesignated.
Despite the idiocy of the Empire and their refusal to foster an environment where quality and review is paramount, their Deathstar story does teach us one thing. If you’ve got an idea you want to develop, a prototype is a good place to start spinning out your innovation.
With a few cycles of the iteration wheel, your product could be bigger and better than your first imagining. Controlling this development with a good process is the answer.
You may want rapid results, but unless the situation sees you fighting an out-of-hand, Jedi powered, rebellion force, embarking on the road to product development is not a journey to be taken lightly or hastily.
If you’d like to chat to Cubik about an idea or concept and want to find out more about our bespoke inventor’s development programme, get in touch to set up a consultation. We do draw the line with any space-based, ‘take over the world’, type agencies.
Happy Star Wars viewing to all and have a Merry Christmas – we’re off to the cinema!
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