CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online Archive
8 October 2008
Implementation Investments
Magnet Leveraged Invention Machine’s Innovation Software to Design First Anti-Leak Toilet Flapper for American Innovative Products
Invention Machine announced that its customer Magnet, used Invention Machine Goldfire® Innovator to design the first anti-leak Siphon Flush toilet-flapper for American Innovative Products. Siphon Flush’s design eliminates water leakage in toilets, is impervious to harsh chemicals found in most water and cleaning solutions, and has a lifespan 20 times that of existing flappers. Goldfire Innovator empowered Magnet engineers to generate and validate product design concepts and eliminate design risks upfront which enabled them to bring the valve to market quickly. Siphon Flush is being unveiled this week at the WaterSmart Innovations Conference in Las Vegas.
Research indicates that more than 85 percent of water leakage in residential plumbing systems is found in the toilet and a majority of toilet leaks are caused by faulty or worn flappers. A silent leak in a toilet can waste 500 gallons of water a day, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that there are more than 222 million residential toilets, which means the United States is losing more than 11 million gallons of water a day due to faulty flappers. This is in addition to the 2.1 trillion gallons of water consumed each year due to toilet usage in these homes as well as toilets in hotels, condominiums, etc. Siphon Flush’s revolutionary design not only eliminates water-leakage but obsoletes the standard flush mechanism technology which was originally developed in 1955 and only lasts up to three years.
“I was simply looking for a way to stop my toilet from leaking,” said Wally Berry, CEO, American Innovative Products. “Magnet and Invention Machine turned my idea into a revolutionary new product and delivered more than 56 percent savings on my anticipated cost.”
To develop the Siphon Flush, Magnet product designers used Invention Machine’s innovation software to identify the root cause of water leakage, analyze technology trends and materials, play out the consequences of design features to ensure the validity of the concept and anticipate future failure points. Goldfire Innovator also recommended concepts outside the engineers’ sphere of expertise and offered viable solutions that expedited the idea-to-product process.
“We could not have designed and manufactured Siphon Flush as quickly or efficiently without Invention Machine,” said Dave Pierson, senior design engineer, Magnet. “Goldfire was key in helping us converge unique ideas from various fields, including the life-sciences technology which we adopted into the design.”
“In today’s competitive and cash-strapped business environment, it is imperative for companies to innovate rapidly and cost-effectively,” said Mark Atkins, CEO and chairman, Invention Machine. “Siphon Flush is a perfect example of how even small businesses can leverage our innovation software and build the right product the first time, quickly and profitably.”
Siphon Flush is the second product Magnet has created using Goldfire Innovator. Magnet and Invention Machine helped design the Accessmount, a tool used to install ceiling light fixtures, eliminating injuries associated with people falling off ladders.
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