Success is no flash in the pan
Clos-o-Mat toilets are aimed at improving the quality of life for less able people and their carers
BPD Manufacturing is undertaking key elements in the production of Clos-o-Mat ‘wash and dry’ toilets, producing both the steel framework and prefabricated plinths for the unit.
Manufacturer of the Clos-o-Mat, Total Hygiene, has sold over 40,000 of the toilets which are aimed at improving the quality of life for less able people and their carers.
Says technical director Brian Hoare, “To our clients, their Clos-o-Mat is a vital tool, which helps restore their independence, dignity and privacy in a matter of basic personal hygiene, as it washes and dries them without them requiring assistance after toileting. This is so important to them, they will even plan trips out and holidays around venues which have Clos-o-Mats installed!
“It is therefore vital to us that our suppliers produce quality components that will perform day in, day out, particularly with core parts such as the main base and structure- to put that in context, on average we ‘go to the loo’ eight times a day, and we have Clos-o-Mats in regular, daily use 50 years on from their original installation.”
BPD Manufacturing produces the ‘backbone’ to the Clos-o-Mat, which is laser cut, welded and powder-coated to provide the structural integrity for all the components onto which to mount the Clos-o-Mat.
For the plastic plinth, used to raise the Clos-o-Mat to a height to facilitate transfer from a wheelchair to the toilet, BPD Manufacturing worked closely with Total Hygiene to develop a process that produced the part cost-effectively, but that still complimented the aesthetics of the central ceramic pan. The resulting plinth is vacuum-formed from acrylic capped ABS then additional wooden structural support integrated to ensure it maintains its form and rigidity when in situ, even accommodating someone weighing up to 30stone (315kg).
Adds Brian Hoare, “BPD Manufacturing is rare in being able to produce more than one key element for us, and ensures every component is consistent within its quality directives, delivered on time, and in budget, helping us support British manufacturing.”
BPD Manufacturing, based in Pinxton, Nottinghamshire, offers a comprehensive range of services, including surface finishing, coating, vacuum forming and light engineering, on runs from ‘one-offs’, to thousands, enhanced by an in-house design, tool production, testing and post-production services and assembly, delivering a finished component for the customer. Its customer base includes Honda, Lloyds Pharmacy, Synseal, Network Rail and Lear Corporation.
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