Meisterform is not your average wheel manufacturing firm. As the first company in Singapore to design, produce and retail extreme performance automotive forged wheels, it broke away from the manufacturing-to-scale traditions of the industry to deliver quick turnarounds and accelerated response times.
It is this commitment to efficiency that allowed Meisterform to embark on a trial project with SembWaste, a public waste collector appointed by the National Environment Agency (NEA). The collaboration between Meisterform and SembWaste was established from an open grant call that was launched by NEA and Enterprise Singapore and supported by IPI in early 2018.
The existing waste collection process requires two crew members to manoeuvre heavy bins weighing up to 300 kilograms up and down uneven surfaces, slopes, kerbs and drains. Upon reviewing SembWaste’s challenge statement, Meisterform’s Founder and Managing Director Bryan Wong realised that their portable, easy-to-use yet safe-to-operate solution could be the answer to a smoother and more efficient collection process.
Wong roped in the automotive expertise of its sister company Autokinetics as well as the engineering and design capabilities of Partico Design. Combining the skills and experiences of the two firms with Meisterform’s fast prototyping facilities, Wong and his team worked closely with Partico’s Co-founder and Director Ng Ka Wai, to propose a motorised bin mover device that was considered by SembWaste for trial review. However, midway through their development, COVID-19 struck. “We experienced massive delays,” Wong explains.
Despite the circumstances, the team rallied together to achieve their targets. In October 2020, the prototype unit was tested on site. It made moving bulky bins from point to point significantly easier, thus reducing worker fatigue and improving ergonomics. SembWaste also provided feedback to enhance the design in the next trial phase.
With diverse organisations on board, the project highlighted the importance of clear communication. “Each party has different requirements and perspectives, hence communication is key to ensuring the project runs smoothly,” says Wong.
As for Meisterform’s future, the push to challenge and improve the status quo will always be at its core – embracing new rules and innovations in an effort to always stay one step ahead.
