FAUN Trackway won a prestigious national manufacturing award last night for its latest innovation, the Helipad Multi-Role Packaging Solution.
We scooped the Best New Product category at the Made in Wales Award ceremony, held at Cardiff City Hall.
Fitted with power, lighting and air-conditioning, as well as having room for sleeping spaces, storage and furniture, the solution is suitable for a variety of environments and situations.
The container is fully customisable so that it can be adapted in numerous ways such as to include air-conditioning or heating, a petrol or diesel generator, solar panels, or plumbing for showers and toilets.
We developed it in consultation with the UK Royal Engineers and the United Nations, Design work began in March 2015, and the prototype build started in April and was completed in July 2015.
This concept has been created because the UN specifically wanted a landing mat that could be packed into an ISO container for ease of transportation and storage. Rather than simply creating a standard box, we developed an innovative, multipurpose space.
Aerospace Wales assisted us in field trials of the product. They enabled us to install the helipad and container at the Royal International Air Tattoo in Fairford, Gloucestershire, where the kit was used to enable the show’s helicopters to land and the container as an operations centre for airfield crew.
Our CEO, Chris Kendall, said: "After coming so close in last year’s awards, we are absolutely thrilled to have claimed top prize this time around.
"This is a truly innovative solution, a world first and it’s designed and made by our teams in Llangefni, which makes this particular prize a fitting tribute. I’m hugely proud of everyone in our business who can each take credit for this prize."
For more information, please contact FAUN Trackway.