SolidWorks Success at DesignWorks BBC TV’s The Apprentice – You’re Hired!

The final stage of BBC TV’s “The Apprentice” was watched by over 17 million viewers, who would have seen Peter Rickett, Co-Founder and Director of Designworks, helping Sir Alan Sugar’s candidates design and produce a prototype aftershave bottle in their final bids to win the Apprenticeship.

Now, it’s not by accident that Designworks were selected by the BBC and passed Sir Alan Sugar’s scrutiny before being associated with the programme. Designworks are experts in the field of toy and FMG (fast moving consumer goods) design. They offer a unique service and, yes, they are good at their job!

Designworks’ services offer every step of product development from design to prototype to sculpture and manufacture, taking the client with them from the start of a design right through to its being ready for sale.

Designworks is in fact the UK’s leading sculpturing facility specialising in toy mannequins of film celebrities and cartoon characters. Intriguingly, specialist 3D software Free Form creates a feel-sensitive environment for the operator: you can literally push, pull, and manipulate the clay to form muscle, fat and flesh over the toys’ mechanical skeletons.

The engineering mechanics of the toy, including its electronic functions are designed in SolidWorks, which is compatible with Free Form. The combination of these powerful design software tools enables Designworks to make merchandise available on time for the launch dates of films like Harry Potter, for a market worth millions through the potential sales of toy characters.

Peter says, “Our design team will work in any CAD format specified by the client. However, their preferred and default choice is always SolidWorks, supplied and supported by NT CADCAM Ltd, for sculpturing and FMG goods.”

Designworks boasts design and engineering teams that are time-served and come from a diverse range of industries. Peter believes, “My design team’s preference for SolidWorks is a tried and tested recommendation, as strong as it can get.”

Peter adds, “Whilst we have in-house experience that covers the depth and breadth of SolidWorks, we still find great value in exchanging ideas and tweaking the software, when required, from the capable support team at NT CADCAM Ltd.”

Designworks owes its solid reputation to the knowledge and skill of its specialist teams whose utilisation of 3D design and engineering software has got them noticed. In-fact, Peter says he is now recognised in the street, such is the price of success!

Peter Rickett,
Co-founder and Director of Designworks Windsor Ltd