MERU is a unique organization, producing a range of disability equipment solutions to meet individual needs. There are many innovative “off the shelf” items in the catalogue, but MERU specialise in the design and build of bespoke equipment for children. Whilst upgrading their production facility, they required an improved compressed air set-up which led them to the MARK Full Feature MSM unit.
SPECIFIC COMPRESSED AIR NEEDS
The installation of a new CNC machine at their Epsom design offices and workshops, for the milling of metal parts, meant that the quality of air supplied by the old, struggling, piston compressor was just not good enough for the new demands. “The CNC machine needs pure, dry air to operate it,” says Gary Scarlett, Chief Design Engineer and Facilities Manager. “Therefore, we looked for a compressor and dryer combination which could provide that need.”
At the same time it was decided to completely re-spec the compressor to fulfil a number of new requirements. The air-output capacity needed to be increased because there would now be occasions when the CNC machine would be running at the same time as a sandblaster and other air tools. Certain plastic-moulded parts require that there is no moisture contamination and so, once again, the need for dry air was paramount. While 7-8 bar is the constant pressure needed, it was decided to go for a machine with a capacity of 10 bar to cover any contingency situations.
The arrival of the CNC machine meant a need for continuous air supply, so reliability became a key issue, since any interruption to the air supply would mean a complete re-set of the task programmed into the CNC. All these points were coupled with a need for a quieter machine, while still retaining a small footprint to suit the area where it was to be located.
After looking into a number of options, Scarlett and his team opted for a Mark MSM 4kW DX compressor, including a dryer, integrated as a receiver-mounted combination. This fulfilled all the requirements, giving 100% dry air and a noise level as low as 62 dB(A). As one member of the team remarked, “Compared to the old banging piston machine, we hardly know the Mark compressor is running. It’s a real joy not to have that thumping sound in the corner of our otherwise quiet workshops.”
In addition to the specialist design engineering team, the workforce at Epsom is supplemented by both engineering students on work-experience placements and a number of volunteers.
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
MERU was founded as a charity by a senior lecturer in design engineering, William Bond, and consultant orthopaedic surgeon Trefor Llewelyn- Bowen, who were both concerned at the lack of clinical facilities that could provide equipment for disabled children. They saw that some children have disabilities so complex that no available “off-the-shelf” equipment met their needs. Working towards providing answers to these problems is still the driving vision at MERU and the organisation works closely in consultation with medical teams, considering individual cases and providing products to meet each specific brief.
The result has seen some extremely innovative solutions, among them a powered indoor chair called The Bugzi. This allows severely disabled children to move themselves around at an early age, substituting the “crawling” or “early walking” stages in a child’s development. Other important items include travel seats for use on aircraft, arm guards, grab bars and flexible gadget stands which allow perfect positioning of devices such as phones or tablets.
Because of the diverse number of custom-made solutions, it is impossible to detail everyone, but whenever such a bespoke item is seen to be adaptable to benefit other children, the design can be replicated and added to a “Ready-made” Catalogue. It is from the rental or sale of such Ready-made items that much needed additions to funds are generated, leading to the requirement to increase production and improve the line facilities as mentioned.
A CHARITABLE CAUSE
Although MERU generates revenue through the rental or sale of its items, the major part of its £600,000-plus running costs is met through charitable donations and fund-raising, whilst the workforce is supplemented by volunteers. They benefit from being a part of the Queen Elizabeth Foundation for disabled people, which helps people gain new skills and increased independence. Patrons of MERU include TV personality, Lawerence Llewelwyn-Bowen, so of one of the founders, and songwriter, Sir Richard Stilgoe. When MERU & QEF contacted MARK compressors, the team decided to donate the MSM DX unit and Air Line Systems of Orpington, Kent, a local MARK distributor, also helped with the installation of the unit free of charge. A very nice initiative that has MARK compressed air contributing to a remarkable cause.
