Plant pot project

Calvin Cheung
(Ying Yeung Cheung)
Plant pot
Project
Year 13 Product Design

Content
Research Content P2
Introduction P3
Target Market P4 – P5
Initial Specification P6
Mood Board P7
Brain P8
Research Plan P9
Product Analysis (Above & Below) P10 – P13
Identifying Problems P14
Visit – Garden Centre @ Brislington &
Vertical Gardening
P15
Watering System - Pump &
Dripping (Gravity)
P16
Watering System - Capillary Action &
Activating Watering System + Energy – Weather
P17
Activating/Deactivating System - Moisture Sensor,
Thermistor, Timer & Ballcock
P18
Dam + Water Storage – Hydroponic &
Filter – Agriculture
P19
Materials Research P20
Ideal Plants &
Hydroponic 1/2
P21
Hydroponic 2/2 &
Hydroponic accessories
P22
Location: Window Sill &
Understanding: Root And Moisture Sensor
P23
Testing P24
Improved Specification (After Research) P25
Design And Development P26
Generating Ideas: SCAMPER Diagram P27
Generating Ideas: Zwicky Box P28 – P31
Design Ideas P32 – P33
Design Development P34 – P35
3 Developments: Hydroponic Blocks P36 – P37
3 Developments: Wall Torch P38 – P39
3 Developments: Window Pocket P40 – P41
Final Design And Making Stage P42
Final Specification P43
Final Design: Hydroponic Blocks P44
Engineering Drawings Of Hydroponic Block And Water Tank
(Manufacturing Design)
P45
Manufacturing (Costs) P46
(Prototype Design)
P47
Components (Assembling) P48 - P49
Pre-manufacturing – Moulding P50
Components (Testing) P51 – P53
Cutting Lists P54
Cutting Plan P55
Flow Chart P56
Risk Assessment & Time Estimate P57
Making Diary P58 – P59
Gantt Chart P60
Problems And Solutions P61 – P63
Evaluation P64
Evaluation P65 – P67

Organising the efficient use of space is a central feature of many household products. Identify a scenario that requires
efficient organisation and design and make a product or system, which would enable the efficient use of an identified
indoor or outdoor ‘space’.
Introduction
Many people enjoy indoor gardening. However for keen gardeners there is often a problem with lack
of space because of the number and size of plants. Household plants also come in many varieties and
so need a suitable location for their type. This means that plants do not always get enough light,
can be messy and difficult to water. Unless a lot of space is used and carefully organised
Design Brief
Organising the efficient use of space is a central feature of many household products.
To design a container(s) which is able to sustain many plants but uses less space – the goal is to
have as many plants as possible. In addition, to install a water delivery system to water the
plants in order to keep the plants growing healthily.
Who is my target user
The target audience would be aged between 30 – 50+, likely to be female, interested in indoor
gardening, own lots of plants (maybe: frequently away from home). - Gardening requires a lot of
effort and time which may not interest younger people. Studies show that it is mostly women who do
indoor gardening.
Where will my product be used
The product will be used indoors, on the window sill which is a display area behind the window
(about 20cm of depth) in a living room or kitchen in a flat
Analysis of plants
There are many types of indoor plants, for example Peace Lily (flower), Devils Ivy (foliage) and
Sago Palm (palm), these plants can be planted indoor but requires different amount of sunlight and
water. Household plants can be use for both decoration and air purifier which removes toxins such
as benzene, formaldehyde and trichloroethylene. Indoor gardening can be a messy job due to falling
leafs, soil, water leakage, insects or even disasters caused by pets
Introduction

Target Market Number of
questions Questions Answers
Number of people
chosen
Percentage of
people chosen
Q1 Which gender are you? Male 10 67%
Female 5 33%
Q2
Do you have asthma, hay
fever or any related allergies
(e.g. allergic to pollen)?
No 9 60%
Yes 2 13%
Asthma 3 20%
allergic to pollen 1 20%
Q3
Do you do any gardening at
home?
Yes 6 40%
No 9 60%
Q4
Is it indoor or outdoor
gardening?
Indoor 1 7%
Outdoor 3 20%
Both 3 20%
(no answer)- 8 53%
Q5
Where do you place your
plant(s)? (multiple choice)
Flowerbed 1 7%
Pots 1 7%
Steps 1 7%
Garden 6 40%
Desk 1 7%
Bathroom 2 13%
(no answer)- 7 47%
Q6
How many plant(s) do you
have?
0-10 8 53%
11-320 4 27%
21-30 0 0%
31+ 1 7%
(no answer)- 2 13%
Q7
How often do you water
plant(s) per week?
0-5 14 93%
6-10 0 0%
11+ 0 0%
(no answer)- 1 7%
Q8
What type of plant(s) do you
have? (multiple choice)
Cactus 5 33%
Flowers 8 53%
Herbs 5 33%
Shrubs and bushes 5 33%
Trees 7 47%
Vegetables 3 20%
(no answer)- 4 27%
Q9
Is (are) your plant(s)
Agriculture/aquaculture/hyd
roponic? (multiple choice)
Agriculture 8 53%
Hydroponic 7 46%
(no answer)- 5 33%
Q10
Does anyone take care of
the plant(s) when you’re
away on holiday?
Yes 3 20%
No 9 60%
(no answer)- 3 20%
Q11
Do you consider your
plant(s) part of the décor?
Yes 7 47%
No 5 33%
(no answer)- 3 20%
Q12
Do you have accessories for
your plant(s)?
decorated pot 1 7%
No 12 80%
(no answer)- 2 13%
Q13
What colour is (are) your
plant(s)? (multiple choice)
Pink 4 27%
White 2 13%
Green 8 53%
Red 3 20%
Blue 1 7%
Yellow 4 27%
Multi 1 7%
(no answer)- 4 27%
Q14
What material is (are) the
plant pot(s) made out of?
Plastic 4 27%
terracotta/clay 10 67%
Glass 1 7%
Wood 1 7%
(no answer)- 3 20%
Q15
What type of colour of
plant/flower pot do you
have?
Orange 1 7%
Blue 3 20%
red/brown (ceramic/soil) 5 33%
multi-colour 1 7%
Wood 2 13%
White 1 7%
Clear 1 7%
(no answer)- 4 27%
Conclusion: according to the data, it is more likely for males to do outdoor
gardening and females to do indoor gardening. Some people who suffer from asthma or
are allergic to pollen may be restricted in the type of plant they choose to grow.
Typically households own between 0-10 plants which includes cactus, flowers, herbs,
shrubs & bushes, trees, vegetables. These plants are likely to be planted with
agriculture (with soil). They water the plants between 0-5 times per week and no one
will take care of the plants when they're away e.g. on holiday. This may lead to
dehydration of plants when there's no rain
They consider the plants as part of the decoration of the house to enhance their
living space. These plants are mainly green, which provide a natural theme and
setting for the indoor environment.
For some plants that are planted in a plant pot, they are likely to use terracotta
pots which has the colour of soil and is hardwearing and long lasting.
acorn 'types' acorn 'groups'
D - settling
9.26 mature established home owning areas
9.27 rural areas, mixed occupations
9.28 established home owning areas
9.29 home owning areas, council tenants, retired couples
10.30 established home owning areas, skilled workers
10.31 home owners on older properties, younger workers
10.32 home owning areas with skilled workers
9 - comfortable middle
agers, mature home
owning areas
10 - skilled workers,
home owning areas
E - aspiring
11.33 council areas, some new home owners
11.34 mature home owning areas, skilled workers
11.35 low rise estates, older workers, new home owners
12.36 home owning multi-ethnic areas, young families
12.37 multi-occupied town centres, mixed occupations
12.38 multi-ethnic areas, while collar workers
11 - new home owners,
mature communities
12 - while collar
workers, better-off
multi-ethnic areas
F - striving
13.39 home owners, small council flats, single pensioners
13.40 council areas, older people, health problems
14.41 better-off council areas, new home owners
14.42 council areas, young families, some new home owners
14.43 council areas, young families, many lone parents
14.44 multi-occupied terraces, multi-ethnic areas
14.45 low rise council housing, less well-off families
14.46 council areas, residents with health problems
15.47 estates with high unemployment
15.48 council flats, elderly people, health problems
15.49 council flats, very high unemployment, singles
16.50 council areas, high unemployment, lone parents
16.51 council flats, greatest hardship, many lone parents
17.52 multi-ethnic areas, large families, overcrowding
17.53 multi-ethnic estates, severe unemployment, lone parents
17.54 multi-ethnic areas, high unemployment, overcrowding
13 - older people, less
prosperous areas
14 - council estate
residents, better-off
homes
15 - council estate
residents, high
unemployment
16 - council estate
residents, greatest
hardship
17 - people in multi-
ethnic low income areas
• The data collect from the questionnaire can help to identify
the needs of indoor gardening such as how often people water
plants and how many plants they have to understand the
problem when doing indoor gardening
The table on the left is a
acorn chart which list out
the population into
different groups by their
wealth.
Acorn types D-settling, E-
aspiring and F-striving are
focused onto because they
are less wealthy due to low
income and very limited
space at home e.g. lives in
a flat.
• To identify the target
acorn group and verify
their income and out come
to design a product that
is functional and
affordable

category
% of
UK
pop
group
% of
UK
pop
type name
% of
UK
pop
Average
income
urban
prosperity
10.7 D
prosperous
professionals
2.2 £42,778
2 D 13
well-off older professionals, larger
houses and converted flats
0.9
2 D 14
older professionals in suburban
houses and apartments
1.4
2 E
educated
urbanites
4.6 £34,728
2 E 15 affluent urban professionals, flats 1.1
2 E 16
prosperous young professionals,
flats
0.9
2 E 17 young educated workers, flats 0.6
2 E 18
multi-ethnic young, converted
flats
1.1
2 E 19
suburban privately renting
professionals
0.9
2 F
aspiring
singles
3.9 £27,321
2 F 20
student flats and cosmopolitan
sharers
0.6
2 F 21
singles and sharers, multi-ethnic
areas
1.6
2 F 22 low income singles 1.2
2 F 23 student terraces 0.4
The table on the right is the range of
groups that will be focused onto in the
project.
Category: urban prosperity - 2
Group: D – F
Population %: 10.7
Type: 13 - 23
Urban prosperity is an acorn category which contains group D -
prosperous professionals, E – educated urbanites and F
aspiring singles. These people in the groups are often living
in flats; the common problem of living in flats is the lack of
space. For people who are interested in gardening it will be a
problem for them to place plants in their home.
D – Prosperous Professionals is a group classifying well-off
older age professionals. They are well paid because of their
expertise, knowledge and experience due to their age. This
explains why their average income (£42,778) is the highest
out of all three groups.
E – Educated Urbanites is similar to group “D” but it has the
younger age professionals. They are paid less than the
“Prosperous Professionals“ because they have less experience.
Their average income (£34,728) is in the middle of all three
groups but they have the potential to earn more money in
future
F – Aspiring Singles is based on low income (£27,321) due to
no experience or lack of education. These are single/students
who live in (or share) a flat.
D E
F
D/E
E/FD/F
D/E/
F
People in different acorn groups are likely to visit different stores
due to their income and the price of products. Sometimes 2 or more
groups may merge together, which means people of different groups
visit the same stores because they can afford the products.
D: Flower shops – products are often expensive because
they often sell temporary, expensive plants (Orchid, rose) and
accessories (vase, bouquet wrapping paper and baskets). The flowers
and accessories are likely to be used as decorations or life events
such as hospital visits, marriage proposals, funerals and birthdays.
However the flower shop do not sell gardening tools
E: ASDA/Tesco – many different types and ranges of
product are at a reasonable price, but they only sell simple
gardening tools (gloves, shovel, plant pots) and related products.
Seasonal seeds can be purchased and planted in plant pots or garden
with instructions.
F: Pound shop/flower market – cheap and innovative
gardening products can be found and these are often very useful when
gardening but the quality of products is low due to low manufacturing
and material costs
D/E: B&Q – wide range of gardening items
can be found, different size plant pots (e.g. large
terracotta pots) and fertilised soil. It is very
similar to a garden centre but not as specific or
focused on gardening products
E/F: Wilkinson – wide range of seeds
with different height, colour and other
specifications can be found. Also some outdoor
gardening items such as shovel, plant supporting net
and watering nozzle.
D/F: -(it is unlikely that any stores
would only have D and F customers without E)
D/E/F: Garden centre/IKEA – almost any
items required for gardening can be found; different
brands and various prices are available for
customers to chose from. These are affordable for
people in different groups.

Must
• Water tight – no leaking
• Able to separate plant and soil from water – to keep the soil in certain
area, so the soil will not disrupt the water delivering system
• No sharp edges – reduce chance of getting injured
• Durable
• Water storage – store leftover water for long term use
• Able to support the weight of water/soil and plant
Should
• Support Indoor gardening
• Support both agriculture and hydroponic
• Efficient watering system – only required to pour water into certain
area to water all the plants
• Support small plants – plants only grow up to 10cm in height
• Low cost – no more than £20
• Vertical gardening – reduce use of space
• Able to stay on an average window sill
Could
• Socket as power supply
• Sleek/natural theme
Initial Specification

Brain Storming - Spider Diagram
Plants and
efficient use
of space
Near
windows
Agriculture
Indoor
gardening
Outdoor
gardening
Plant pot
vase
Hydroponic
what
where
kitchen
Living
room
How
(watering)
dripping
Capillary
action
pump
Energy
source
gravity electricity
kinetic Water
tension
solar
main
wind
material
plastic
wood
ceramic
metal
pond
basket
Form
round -
cylinder
cubic
triangular
wave
Hard wood
soft wood
theme
pattern
colour
natural
modern
Eye
catching
plant
water
soil
leaf
root
whirlpool
sand
rock
wave
red
yellow
orange
black
white
purple
pink
brown
green
blue
• The spider diagram links the location (where), material
(what), watering system (how), designing ideas about
plant pots and related subjects. This shows a wide range
of options in each category and

Research Plan
research evaluation source Dead line complete in time
Target market
Found out about how many plants in do people
own and how often the water the plants questionnaire 24/9/12 yes
existing products
Found out ideas about watering systems, location
of the plant pot and material can be use for
filtering Shops/internet 24/9/12 Yes
problems about indoor
gardening
Found out different problems about indoor
gardening, e.g. falling leafs, not enough space Gardener 24/9/12 Yes
visiting
Understand why most of the plant pots are
rounded, and the functions of them Garden centre 24/9/12 Yes
watering systems
Found out different types of watering systems
such as dripping, water pump, capillary action Internet/physics 1/10/12 Yes
filter systems
Found out how to separate soil from water for
agriculture and maintain water level for
hydroponic Internet/physics 1/10/12 Yes
activate/deactivate systems
Found out different electronic devices and
mechanism that can activate by sensors Internet/physics 1/10/12 Yes
plant types
Found the ideal plant type and plant size for the
product Shops/Internet 1/10/12 Yes
Materials
Understand what material can be use for
manufacture plant pots Shops/Internet 1/10/12 Yes
• Plan to research about gardening (plant types for
indoor gardening), planting pots (materials, shape)
and information about other related subjects
(watering system, activate/deactivate systems)
which could be used in the final design, result
from research and sources of information.

Product Analysis (Above & Below)
Aesthetics: This product was glass blown so it has a sleek and smooth
self finish due to the material’s properties. The flask was fired with
coloured glazing to create a hydration theme but may not fit with other
décor in the house.
Cost: Glass is an expensive material, especially when it was made by
blowing glass because of the wages of the skilled workers. The price for
a pair of aqua globe cost around £5
Size: Aqua Globes (water tank) has the size slightly larger than a
tennis ball which contain enough water for up to 2-14 days depending on
the plant size, plant type, photosynthesis rate and weather condition.
It has a tube about as long as a unused pencil which is long enough to
enter the soil to water the root.
Safety: The Aqua Globes are made of glass which can be shattered into
many sharp pieces when fallen onto the ground and cause harm such as
cuts
Function: Aqua Globes has a bulb like water tank to contain water and
release small amounts of water over time through the tube. Refill time
varies depending on different factors. When refilling, the Aqua Globe
has to be taken out and water has to be poured into the tube where the
water will be released. The glass has a high transparency so water level
can be observed to know when to refill
Material: The only material used for manufacturing this product was
glass, it is hard wearing, water proof and long lasting (except in
environments with highly varied temperatures)
Customer: The target customer is people who are interested in indoor
gardening because Aqua Globes are more like a decoration and not as
useful outdoors because they only contain a small amount of water. Also
for people who are less likely to water plants because of work or other
reasons
Ergonomics: There are not many human factors for Aqua Globes because
this is for watering plants only and only held when refilling. The tube
can be used as a handle but it is quite thin and narrow to hold
User interface: The product is simple to use but to set it up requires
extra equipment such as a pencil to poke through the soil to ensure the
Aqua Globe does not clog up with earth. Most of the instructions were
shown on the packaging but http://www.ehow.com/how_4502669_use-aqua-
globes.html this website tells users how to use it
Performance: Soil can be jammed in the tube when placing into the
soil and because of the colour and texture of the bulb, the Aqua
Globe does not always blend in or match with the flower pot
Technology: The Aqua Globes use gravity with capillary action to drip
water constantly in small amounts so there is no need for any other
energy sources or devices.
Manufacturing process: The manufacturing process would be glass
blowing where molten glass is wrapped around the blowing tube to form
the tube of the Aqua Globe. The tip of the molten glass is then
placed into a mould and then blown to form the bulb shape
Assembly: No assembly is required except for the packaging which
requires bubble wrap or foam.
Recycling: Glass is a material that can be recycled and only needs to
be melted and remoulded, but when melting a lot of energy is required
which produces a lot of CO2.
Conclusion: The Aqua Globe is a long lasting product and it can water
indoor plants by releasing small amounts of water for over time. However
this is short term, and varied between 2-14 days depending on different
conditions. It is useful for people who are unlikely to water plants
everyday. It has a sleek design but may not blend in with the furniture or
the room. The idea of this watering system can be incorporated into designs
to water plants for longer periods. Also the aqua theme can be retained
when designing a theme for plant pots.
• Analysing products related to gardening which may
help to design and develop ideas, the
advantages/disadvantages at different circumstances
that can refer back to when designing products.

Aesthetics: This product was injection moulded and the smooth surface of
the mould was transferred onto the surface of the product to form a
sleek like design. The bung has a tube connecting to the dripper. They
are made of black plastic and match with the colour of the soil. However
the bottle used as the water tank may not blend in with the plant and
may look like litter
Cost: The IRISO Drip Feeder is made of plastic by injection moulding and
the pricing found on the internet is £4.99 which is similar to the Aqua
Globes. However the Drip Feeder is not as decorative compared to the
Aqua Globes
Size: The nozzle is about 20mm in diameter which is suitable for average
fizzy drink bottles. The main peg is about 150mm long and provides
enough strength to hold the fully filled 2L bottle. The nozzle and the
dripper were designed to be placed under the branches because the bottle
can be too large to fit
Safety: The nozzle can be disassembled and it contains small parts which
can be swallowed by small children
Function: This product is designed to release small amounts of water
over a long period of time. The size of the water tank is dependent on
the size of the water bottle and it can last up to 30 days. The water
level is shown so the user knows when to refill it. The nozzle contains
a resister which controls the amount of water released so the same
amount of water will constantly be released and not be affected by any
external factors
Material: The material used to make this product is plastic which is
suitable for both outdoor and indoor environments. It is corrosion
resistant against substances such as acid rain.
Customer: The target customer is people who are interested in indoor or
outdoor gardening and unlikely to stay home all the time e.g. away on
holiday.
Ergonomics: The radius of the bung was based on the design of water
bottles which related to the human mouth, so the bung can seal the end
of the bottle and stop the water from leaking
User interface: The instructions are printed out on the label that is
attached to the product to tell the user how to set it up which is very
simple but for some users who don’t use water bottles this may cause a
problem because this product requires a water bottle to operate properly
Performance: This product is very useful when going on holiday because it
can keep watering the plant up to 30 days. This is very reliable and keeps
the plant alive. Also the size of the bottle being used is an option for the
user. Fertiliser can be added to the water to fertilise the plant as the
water drips.
Technology: The drip feeder uses gravity to pull water from the water tank
(bottle) toward the dripper which doesn’t need any extra energy to operate.
The resister in the dripper contains a component like a filter which slows
down the running water to keep the water dripping constantly and reliably.
Manufacturing process: The process to make the components is injection
moulding plastic, which is a high speed process, easily mass produced and
ensures the quality of the plastic: The plastic beads are poured into the
injection moulding machine; the machine heats up and melts the plastic
beads; then the molten plastic is injected into the mould; the components
will be dropped out and then assembled. The rubber tube could be a brought
component which comes on a roll and is cut into the required length
Assembly: There are about 6 pieces of components to assemble. The plastic
components are mainly clipped together which can be done by both machine and
hands, and the rubber tube is pushed into both dripper and bung.
Recycling: The type of plastic was unknown but if it is thermoplastic, it
can be melted and remoulded into different products. If it is thermoset
plastic it cannot be recycled.
Conclusion: This product is very useful for watering both indoor and outdoor
plants over long periods, up to 30 days. When the user is away because it can
contain a large amount of water. However it is not a good decoration –
function over form. It is environmentally friendly if it is made out of
material that can be recycled. It can also be made out of recycled material.
The variable water tank can be used to help store larger amounts of water.
This idea is very useful when designing a storage area for water.

Performance: the pot has both form and function. It has a decoration
on the rail handle which creates a mini garden on a terrace of a
house and collects and stores rain water to keep the plant alive.
Technology: the pot was designed to have long legs (lowers the centre
of mass) so it can balance on the rail handle when it stores enough
water, because the centre of mass is directly below the hanging point
so it will not fall off the rail.
Manufacturing process: the manufacturing process of the pot would be
injection moulding polypropylene, with no finishing required because
the smooth surface was transferred from the mould which is a self
finish
Assembly: there is no assembly required because it was moulded in one
piece, except for the assembling of the packaging.
Recycling: the material used was polypropylene which is a recyclable
material by melting and remoulding into the same product or different
products
Aesthetics: this plant pot (GreenBo Planter) has a smooth plastic
surface which was transferred from the mould when injection moulding. A
bright colour was used so this product can be used on handrails in many
houses and apartments.
Cost: this product cost about £24 from the internet. The mould used for
injection moulding was very accurate and fine, also expensive. As a
result the joint lines are unlikely to show. To recoup the costs of
design and manufacture, the cost of product is reasonable.
Size: Height: 30 cm, Diameter: 29 cm. it fits all railing shapes and
sizes up to 10 cm wide. The pot is divided into two sections so it can
be used as two pots which can contain two different types of plants.
Safety: this product is designed to be placed on the rail handles. It
may look unsafe because it is hanging on the edge, but the water is
stored at the bottom of the pot with a clip lock. This can maintain the
pot on the rail even when blown by wind.
Function: it is designed to sustain plants in outdoor gardening, on the
rail handle to reduce space. It can collect and store rain water for
long term use. It has two sections and is able to contain two different
types of plants in the same plant pot
Material: polypropylene is a chemical resistant polymer, hard wearing.
However the polymer will become unstable after exposure to heat and UV
radiation which causes the polymer to degrade.
Customer: age 20-30 owning or renting a flat, often at work and doesn’t
have much time for looking after the plants.
Ergonomics: the pot clamps onto the rail handle to reduce the use of
space, it was designed to have the hand span of an average adult so it
can grab onto the rail
User interface: the instructions for the setting up of the pot are
simple, noted on the packaging- transfer the plant with soil into the
pot, then place the pot onto the rail handle.
Conclusion: this product saves the use of space of gardening by
planting plants on the rail handle. this also decorates the terrace of
a modern flat. The pot was designed to be placed outdoors so it can
collect rain water and store it for dry days. It is safe to be placed
on the rail handle because it was designed with physics calculation so
it will not fall off the rail. This product can be made out of recycled
material and it can also be recycled after damage. The idea of this
plant pot is to do gardening on rail handles and it is very innovative
and inspiring because it is designing plant pots for gardening in areas
where people least expect it.

Aesthetics: this is a planting basket that made out of steel with black
paint coating, metallic chain and fibre liners are used to create a
country side theme, it was designed to hang outside the house as a
decoration.
Cost: the basket costs about £2 each because the material used was steel
rods, metal chains and fibre liners. These materials can be order in
large scale with a cheap price
Size: this basket has dimensions of 16 cm in diameter and 9 cm of depth.
Safety: the wall bracket the use to hold the basket has to be screwed in
properly with suitable length screws to hold it into the wall so it will
not fall off and cause head injury. The water can drain very easily and
cause a wet and slippery floor which may cause injuries to people who
walk pass
Function: the basket is able to act as a plant pot which is containing
the plants on a bracket that attached on a wall. With this design, it
can reduce the space of planting by transferring it the “pot” into mid-
air. the basket is able to catch rain water to water the plant and soak
the soil but the fibre will drain the water that’s leftover, which leads
to watering need to be done manually in weather with no rain
Material: material used was steel with black paint coating, metallic
chain and fibre liners, the steel is not stainless so it will become
rusty over time, after the paint fall off and chemical attack (e.g. acid
rain). The fibre is a strong material and well at draining water but
over time, the fibre will become moist with the growth of the plants,
the fibre will start tearing and break
Customer: the customers would be old age people who retired, often stay
at home and do gardening, so they have time to water the plants in the
basket.
User interface: the set up of the basket is commonly known but it is
difficult for the consumer who do not have the tools such as drill and
level metre, the user have to mark and drill holes on the wall for the
bracket to hold on to, place the fibre into the basket and then transfer
the plants with soil into the basket, and finally hang the basket onto
the bracket
Performance: the basket is very decorative to the house but it need
to be water often when sunny, because the design is to drain water
which have no extra water remaining. So the user have to often take
care of the plants. The steel rods are not stainless, so as the paint
broke off, the steel will become rusty soon due to chemical attack
and oxidisation
Manufacturing process: the manufacturing process of making the
product would be bending and welding steel rods into the shape of a
basket, paint the steel basket to keep the steel away from chemicals
and water so it don’t rust. Attach the chain onto the basket and
place the fibre lining into the basket
Assembly: the metallic chains are connected to the basket by welding,
and the fibre liner is placed into the basket. The wall bracket need
to be screwed into the wall and the basket will be hung onto the hook
at the end of the bracket.
Recycling: the fibre liner is a natural material which is
biodegradable and able to recycle into paper, the steel basket and
the metallic chain are metal so they can also be recycled into
different products after damaged
Conclusion: the basket has a traditional country side theme deign, it
is designed to be hang outside the house as a decoration. It has a
bracket to be drilled onto a wall and the basket would be hanging onto
the basket, it can catch rain water to moisturise the plants and soil
contain inside the basket and drain the water leftover. The material
used for making the basket was steel which was not stainless so it will
become rusty after the paint falls off, also the fibre liner will
slowly tear and break due to growth of plants and moist, so the basket
will not look as good as it age. The materials used are cheap but it is
very effective at draining water and also drain water, the material
choices can help when choosing material for making prototype

People who interested in indoor gardening may own lots of plants
and fill up most of the space in the room. Having a large amount
of plants can result a problem or very difficult to water, also
the soil and muddy water can cause a mess when gardening indoor.
Dry season such as autumn will cause plants to stop
photosynthesis and prepare for winter, so the leaves will turn
brown and falls off, the fallen can also cause a mess indoor.
Identifying Problems
There are many types of indoor plants with different sizes and
require different amount of water per day
Small plants like Crocus are easy to deal with, require a small
amount of water per day, also it can be placed anywhere with
sunlight E.g. and doesn’t block the view. But the problem with
small plants is over watering which can lead to root rot.
Medium and large plants like palm requires a large plant pot filled
with soil and large amount of water per day due to growth rate and
photosynthesis, the plant will need to be placed near window to get
sunlight but also block the view. the large amount of soil can
result a wet and muddy floor, also may attract insects into the
house.
It is almost carefree when gardening with hydroponic because
the hydroponic plants only require water and some minerals,
the water level can be easily spotted so the user can refill
the container with water to avoid dehydration. But the algae
which is a fungus that can grow and build up in the container.
If having a vertical watering system for hydroponic gardening,
the algae can build up in the drain which can result a
blockage of water and overflow
• Identifying the problems of indoor gardening
can help to develop a products that may be able
to solve or minimise the problem caused by
indoor gardening. The problems may include into
the final specification.
Indoor plants can get frost
damage when contact to the
single glazed household
windows in winter, this can
result death of plants.
Single glazed windows are not
efficient and easy to lose
heat therefore when plants
contact to the glass the heat
will be draw from the plant
can causes the water inside
the plant to freeze and cause
damage.

Visit – Garden Centre @ Brislington &
Vertical Gardening
Colour is a very important element when
decorating the house, different colours
represent different moods which can be
relaxing. Coloured plant pots can be used to
match the wall paper, rug or even the window
frame to create a theme for a room.
Some plant pots has low relief, crafted or
coloured glaze patterns which can fit with
different theme of the room, for example
antique, sleek or wooden. And able to be used
as decoration display e.g. vase displays
The shape of the plant pots are mainly
rounded because traditionally the pots were
made by hand on the potter’s wheel.
Some plant pots has glazing and some don’t.
Glazing is a finishing that can be applied to
ceramic products to form a smooth, shiny and
colourful surface, the colours don’t just
depends on the chemical used, it also depends
on the temperature when firing. For the plant
pots which don’t have glazing applied to them
will remain brown/pale brown, colour of
terracotta.
Plant pots always contain one or more
holes at the bottom, the function of
the holes is to drain the water that
leftover after watering, this prevent
reduction of oxygen due to over
watering
Vertical gardening also known as
Green Wall, it is a type of gardening
that based on free standing or part
of a building e.g. wall. Vertical
gardening is planting plants
vertically, one on top of the other,
to build a wall/tower like garden and
efficiently using the space
available. One of the advantages of
vertical gardening is the vertical
watering system, water only need to
be pour from the top and water will
run through and moisturise the plants
below like a waterfall.
There are products nowadays which can
help to reduce the lack of space used
for indoor gardening such as vertical
gardening. The idea was planting on a
wall or one above the other to reduce
space used, also it can be very easy
to water, water run down hill due to
gravity, so the user only need to
pour water down into the top pot and
the water left over can drain into
the plant below.
• Primary research (visiting) gives an initial idea of products
related to gardening which could help to design and select
materials for final products. Secondary research can help to
generate different mechanisms to solve to problems identified.

Watering System - Pump &
Dripping (Gravity)
Pump is a device that force liquid of gas to be pulled
into “input” and pushed out the “output” with
pressure. There are many types of pump with different
technique of pumping.
screw pump is a electric powered pump
and as it turns, the water will be
pushed along with the thread of the
screw. When the water pumped to a
certain height the water will be
forced to retreat due to gravity
pull, which become inefficient.
This type of pump can be operate manually
by lifting the lever to pump water and it
is very efficient because it hardly leak,
but when it become rusty or old, more
energy will be needed to lift/push the
handles
As the lever pushed down, the sucker rod
will be pulled up, and water will enter
into the first section of the pump.
And when the lever lifted up, the water the
first section will create a flow and close
the lid to stop the water flow back down
into the source, the water pressure will
increase and forced to flow into the second
section above.
When the lever pushed down again, the
second section will increase the water
pressure and pump the water out of the tap.
Oil pump has a similar mechanism but
instead of pumping manually, the pump will
be operate by a machine.
Water pump nowadays are
designed to be use under
water so it has a sucker
to stick onto glass (inside
fish tank) or any smooth
and flat surface
Drip feeder is a device that contain water
with a small hole to let water run through
slowly due to gravity and water tension.
Drip feeder with only one hole for
both input and output, run slower
than drip feeder with tow holes.
Because the pressure inside of water
container has to remain constant, so
air has to get through to substitute
with water, the air bubbles and water
will get in each others way, as a
result, it will slow down
Drip feeder with two holes or a
deformable container can let water
run faster because the pressure
inside can easily remain constant,
with one output for water and one
input for air
• This page shows the watering systems which
may be used in the design ideas – self
watering systems, and how the watering
systems function.

Watering system - Capillary Action &
Activating Watering system + Energy – Weather
Solar power is a renewable energy, solar panels are required to be installed
to use the energy. This energy source only available when the weather is
sunny, but not when its cloudy or at night time. Solar panels are only 15%-20%
efficient which only convert 15%-20% of the sunlight energy into electricity.
This can be used both outdoor and indoor, for indoor it have to be placed near
windows so it pick up sunlight because sunlight can penetrate through glasses
Wind power is a renewable energy, wind turbines are required to be
installed to use the energy. This energy source only available when the
weather is windy which could be anytime in the day. Wind turbines are
50% efficient which convert 50% of the wind energy into electricity.
This can only be used outdoor because it is unlikely to have wind indoor
unless the windows are open all the time, also the wind turbines will
not always generate electricity because wind is not a stable energy
resource which means there wont be windy all the time.
Capillary action happens when water
meets a small gap, or materials with
fibre because between fibres there
are gaps. When water make contact
with those gaps, the water tension
will pull the water up, this
technique was used in candles to
soak the cotton thread with molten
wax and carry the fuel up to the tip
of the thread. But this technique
can only carry water up a certain
height.
For cotton string, the length of
soaked cotton only went up to almost
2 cm
For tissue paper, the length of
soaked tissue went up to 8 cm
• This page shows a watering system –
capillary action and how it function, and
sustainable energy (electrical) resources
which may include into the final design–
solar and wind

Activating/Deactivating System - Moisture Sensor,
Thermistor, Timer & Ballcock
Moisture sensor is a electronic device that
can set to be connect or disconnect a circuit
of a electronic system
Moisture can simply be made, because all it need is some
conducting rods that acts as cathodes and anode, as the
conducting rods make contact with water, it will activate
the system because the ions in water (hard water) will
carry the charge.
The timer can be both mechanic or digital, the mechanic can only
be set the time of watering but the digital can be set both the
time of water and when to water. The time of watering and the
amount of water output are proportional, as time increase, the
amount of water also increase
The ballcock mechanism is commonly used in toilet water tanks.
This mechanism allow water to store water to a certain amount and
restore the water after flush. The float ball will remain on the
surface of the water, and water level decrease the stick attach to
the ball will also lower down and pushes down the knob of the tap
to release water, when the water level gets to a certain height,
the knob will be released to stop water from pumping out.
Thermistor is a device that can vary the resistance due
to temperature, there is a critical temperature that if
rise above it the resistance will drop and activate the
circuit. This sensor can be installed into a electrical
watering system, and activate the system when heat up to
the critical temperature in hot weather.
• This page shows different ways of activating/deactivating
the watering system – electronically and mechanically

Dam + Water Storage – Hydroponic &
Filter – Agriculture
As water runs through soil, the water will carry soil along which
results loss of soil. There are filters available which uses
adsorption technique, it uses material with small micro holes
which allows water to get through but not the soil crumbs and
traps the soil in a certain section.
When water carry soil along when running, it is hard to separate
them apart, for sinks there are sink traps available to trap both
water and heavy solid that carry with it. Both water and solid
will remain in the “U” shape, the solid will be settle at the
bottom but the slow running water will exit into the next section.
The solid will remain in the bottom of the “U” shape tube, unless
the water is running fast which gives enough force to move the
solid
A dam is a barrier to keep water from flooding
land lower down, and sometimes release water to
lower the pressure or generate electricity. But
on the other hand it can also continuously keep
the water level at a certain height, and release
water when overflowing. This was also used on
sink designs, the overflowing hole is there to
prevent water from overflowing.
Water tank is water storing container for future
use, the larger amount of water stored the longer
it last so it is important to store enough water
in summer. The form of the water tank can be
fitted into a plant pot, in between layers which
can keep the aesthetic look of the plant pot.
• This page shows reason of water storage.
Water dam can maintain the water level and
soil filter can reduce soil loss.

Materials Research
o Pottery: pottery can be divide into three major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain.
Pottery can be made by forming clay body into shapes and heat with high temperature in the kiln. The
heat in the kiln can remove the moisture and harden the clay, the clay can be glazed with colour so
patterns can be made, the glaze will set on the surface of the clay after fired and form a smooth
finishing on the surfacing. Hand made pottery are often made on potter’s wheel which forms a rounded
shape due to the circular motion.
• Kaolin
• Ball clay
• Fire clay
• Terracotta
o Cast cement: plaster is a example of cement, it is a substance that settle when mixed with water and
crystallise/solidified due to hydration, this reaction is a exothermic reaction which gives off heat
also release CO2. Casting cement can be expensive but depends on the material used. Cement is a very
strong and hard material but also very brittle, it can be used at both indoor and out door.
• Plaster
o Metal: there are many types of metal available in stock. Some metals are mixtures of different
metals, for example Steel is an alloy, it is a iron based metal with carbon atoms which disrupt the
atomic structure of iron to create a stronger and harder metal, some steel may include other elements
such as nickel and chromium, which has different strength, brittleness .
• Low carbon steel (alloy)
• Mid carbon steel (alloy)
• High carbon steel (alloy)
• Tool steel (alloy)
o Plastic: there are mainly two categories of plastics, thermoplastics and thermoset plastics.
Thermoplastics has the hydrocarbon chains held be van der Waal’s force which the plastic can be
remould when heated. Thermoset plastics has the hydrocarbon chains bonded together with the C-C
carbon bonds which are very strong but unable to remould. Plastics can also be engineered into
degradable/biodegradable, polyester is an example of degradable plastic which can be broken down into
smaller fragments.
• PET (PETE), polyethylene terephthalate (recyclable)
• HDPE, high-density polyethylene (recyclable)
• PVC, polyvinyl chloride (recyclable)
• LDPE, low-density polyethylene (recyclable)
• PP, polypropylene (recyclable)
o Fibre (press moulding): this material can be both natural occur and man made. This can be press
moulded with glue or water to bond the fibres together depends on the material used, as a plant pot,
some fibre can be used to drain water and keep hold of the soil to prevent root rot and soil loss,
because the crossing fibres are not held tight together so water can run through.
• Glass fibre (man made)
• Carbon fibre (man made)
• Stainless steel (alloy)
• Aluminium
• Aluminium alloy (alloy)
• copper
• PS, polystyrene (recyclable)
• Other types of plastics (non-recyclable)
• Acrylic
• Perspex
• Peat fibre (natural)
• Coco fibre (natural)
o Wood: wood is a natural fibrous material that grow inside trees, there are hardwoods and softwoods.
Hardwood trees grow very slowly which produce highly density and fine fibre, durable, strong, hard
but also expensive and heavy in weight. Softwood trees grow very fast which produce low density and
large fibre, environmental sustainable, light in weight, cheap but not as hard or strong as hardwood.
There are manufactured wood which uses glue, heat and pressure to laminate layers of wood fibre
together to form a high density wood which is very strong and hard but unable to last in outdoor
environments. Some woods naturally contain chemicals which prevent rotting, these woods are used in
boat building industries.
• Teak (wet rot resistance)
• Totara (wet rot resistance)
• Cedars (wet rot resistance, softwood)
• Pine (softwood)
• Redwood (softwood)
• Stoneware clay
• Red clay & shale clay
• Bentonite
• Ash (hardwood)
• Limba (hardwood)
• maple (hardwood)
• Oak (hardwood)
• Teak (hardwood)
“Materials can be use for
manufacturing plant pots due to
their properties and
characteristics are in green”
• This page shows the properties
and characteristics of different
materials that can be used for
manufacturing plant pots

Ideal Plants &
Hydroponic 1/2
Plant type Max height (cm) Watering
Coral Bead 8 Evenly moist
Sundew 8 Medium evenly moist
crocus 10 Evenly moist
Cactus 10 Regularly
Echeveria 10 Lightly moist
Living Stones 5 Barely moist
Specification
Should: Support small plants – plants only grow up
to 10cm in height
Coral Bead
Sundew
crocus
Cactus
Echeveria
Living Stones
6 plants are found that has maximum height of 10cm or under, plants with
this size can be grown in large scale.
This project is to design a plant container that can support vertical
gardening and place the plant container(s) with plants onto the window
sill, because the window sill have limited space so large/tall plants
cannot be place on top otherwise the plants will not balance, falls off and
may even cause injuries. So it is ideal to plant plants below 10cm so
vertically on the window sill.
Most plants can be grown hydroponically but some plant types are better to
be grow in the garden due to space factor such as bamboo and tree because
of their plant size and rapid growth rate.
There are many types of hydroponic gardening techniques, but all the
techniques are based on non-soil planting. When gardening
hydroponically, minerals and nutrients are required to be dissolved into
the water in order to keep the plants healthily, the nutrients can be
obtain from soil or artificially added into the water.
Many plants can be grown hydroponically but with different requirements
such as amount of nutrients, pH (acidic) and even temperature. it is
also important to give enough space for plants to grow, because the
plants are planted in excess water so the plants will have a high rate
of photosynthesis which leads to high rate of growth.
WL
The water level
should be
maintain near the
line “WL”, if
higher could
result the plant
drowning, and if
lower may
consider
refilling the
container to
avoid
dehydration.
This hydroponic system is called
“the wick system” which is one
of the many hydroponic systems.
This system contain nylon rope
(red lines) which uses capillary
action to pull water from the
water storage to water the roots.
This system is very difficult to
control the amount of watering.
This is a “nutrient film
technique” and it has tray
where plants are planted and
water continuously flowing
through, the tray is set at an
angle with tilt the water in to
the water storage below, with a
pump the water can be pumped to
the top of the tray and keep the
water cycle running. Also the
amount of watering can be
controlled by the pump.
Aeroponic is a hydroponic method
which grow plants without media,
the plants are planted into a
pot with roots hanging down. The
pump will pump water from water
tank up to the spray and spray
the roots, this way of
moisturising the roots requires
long length roots hanging down
the container, so the plants has
to be grown up to certain first
to under go this method
• This page shows the ideal plant types that are
suitable for indoor gardening due to size –
suitable size for design dimensions. Different
hydroponic systems that are available

Hydroponic 2/2 &
Hydroponic Accessories
Growstone is a material made from
recycled glass which can be used as a
media for soilless gardening such as
hydroponic gardening. It contain many
micro air pockets which can contain
air (CO2) inside for the root to
absorb for photosynthesis.
Hydroponic is a soilless gardening technique but the
plants are require a media for the roots to grab on,
media can be designed to supply air (CO2)or nutrient
Crystal soil is a product that
designed for hydroponic gardening, it
is made out of Sodium Polyacrylate
which is a “water lock” substance that
absorb up to 300 times of its mass in
water. Compare to other hydroponic
systems this product will slowly
release water to feel the plants and
reduce the risk of water overflowing.
In additional the crystal contain
colour dye which can be use as display
decoration
Clay balls are designed to release
minerals during hydroponic gardening.
The material used to make this product
is clay which based on metal oxides
and organic matter which can provide
oxygen and metallic elements when
breaking down.
Clay balls is a soil like hydroponic
media because it provide minerals and
create a platform for the root to grab
onto
Marble is a spherical glass toy and it
can be used as a media in hydroponic
gardening. It can be use as both
hydroponic media and decoration which
has a similar looking as crystal soil,
when marbles are stack in a pile, it
will form a lattice structure and
allow water to run through the gaps in
between marbles
Deep water culture is a
hydroponic system with plants
planted in the containers
which sits into about 2
inches of water with
nutrient, to avoid the roots
from drowning the air pump is
installed to let the plants
“breath”
The flood and drain method is a
method that have plants separated
from water at most time, from time
to time the watering system will be
triggered and release a large
amount of water and flood the
container, this will moisturise the
plants very quickly without
overwatering the plants by draining
the water. But this system may
cause a dehydration of the plants
between watering.
The drip system is a system that
also have the plants separate from
water at most time, but the
watering system is work by the
pump which pump water to the
dripper and constantly watering
the plants, the water that left
over will be drain back into the
water tank.
• This page shows different types of
hydroponic systems available and
accessories available to improve the
performance of hydroponic gardening

House hold Window sill have
width between 2-8 inches
(5.08 cm – 20.32 cm)
2 – 8 inches
Area near window is a ideal location for
plants because it is the area with the most
sunlight inside a house. Therefore the plant
can carry out photosynthesis.
Window sill is the closest
location to the window so it
can obtain maximum amount of
sunlight, but the space on the
window sill is limited and
therefore only small plants
types can be placed on top
Vertical gardening is the most efficient method to
achieve the maximum number of plants in the house with
minimum space used. But this method is very likely to
block the view outside the window.
The roots of plants normally grow downward and as they
grow, it spreads out. The function of root is to absorb
water, collect nutrients and to keep the plant in the
ground when wind is blowing.
http://www.livescience.com/2331-roots-
grow.html
According to scientific research and
observation, the root of plant can avoid
obstacles with a biological mechanism. In
simple terms the roots will carry on
growing at the direction and when the
root hit an obstacle no calcium will be
taken up, the root will then continue to
grow at another direction where it can
find calcium.
Water can be carried from the root to
the top of the plant by “diffusion”,
it is a type of transport phenomena
that allow water to spread all around
the plant into every cell to reach
equilibrium which means the amount of
water contain within different areas
are same.
Location: Window Sill &
Understanding: Root And Moisture Sensor
Information:
http://www.sjrwmd.com/floridawaterstar/pdfs/SMS_field_guide.pdf
• Ideal:
• In the root zone
• In a relatively sunny area
• In the driest representative area possible
• In the centre of the irrigation zone
• Avoid:
• high moisture areas
• areas with higher amounts of inflowing water relative to the rest of
the landscape
The moisture sensor should be place near the root, because the root
take up water from soil which will become dry out first, therefore the
moisture sensor can sense that weather there is enough water for the
plant or not. Placing the moisture in other area like at the bottom or
top of the soil which is no where near the root, the moisture will not
be able to tell is there enough water for the plant.
• Identify the ideal location for the product to be preformed at
and the area available in the location which will be used to
adjust the dimensions of the design ideas. Understanding the
growth of root and the ideal location of placing the moisture
sensor with reasons

Testing
Tests ✓/ X Cleanness Speed Conclusion
filtering water sink trap (mechanism) ✓ Blur Fast
The sink trap mechanism can filter the water but small components will are carried by
the water. The rate of soil is higher compare to other filtering materials.
fibre liner ✓ Clear Fast The fibre liner can drain water very quickly and make it very clean
Cotton (high density) ✓ Clear Slow Able to make the water clean but slow
Cotton (low density) ✓ Clear Fast Able to make water clean and quick
Hydroponic Hydro gel ✓
Seeds cannot be planted directly into the hydrogel, plants need to be grown on other media before transfer onto hydro
gel. Hydrogel can slowly release water for the plant and support plant growth
Activating
system Moisture sensor ✓
The LED lit up as the moisture sensor made contact with the water, but the circuit need to be made reversely in order
to activate the circuit when dry
Sink trap
Fibre liner
Cotton
(high density)
Cotton
(low density)
About 5
mm in 3
days
Hydrogel
Moisture sensor
• The testing shows the performance of the materials/mechanism
under their tasks and the results will be considered when
designing final design

Must
• Water tight – no leaking
• Able to separate plant and hydro gel from excessed water
• No sharp edges – reduce chance of getting injured
• Durable
• Self watering system
• Water storage – store leftover water for long term use
• Able to support the weight of water and plant
• Minimise the use of material if possible – reduce the
cost of material
• No taller than 30cm (each unit)
Should
• Support Indoor gardening
• Support hydroponic
• Efficient self watering system – only required to pour
water into certain area to water all the plants
• Support small plants – plants only grow up to 10cm in
height
• Low costing – no more than £20 for each unit
• Vertical gardening – reduce use of space
• Able to stay on a average window sill
• Use clear acrylic as the main material
• Extra units can be added onto or removed
Could
• battery as power supply
• Sleek/natural theme
Improved Specification (After Research)

Generating Ideas: SCAMPER Diagram
A planting area which is designed to be attached to the
chimney on the roof, the gas release from burning wood on the
fireplace such as carbon dioxide can be taken to photosynthesis
which is a process to produce glucose and stores energy by
plants. At the roof top, plants can take in rain water and
maximum sunlight, these is like a self caring unit.
But most house nowadays have radiators installed instead of
fireplace, also the chimney only likely to release carbon
dioxide in cold days – winter. The planting unit is on the
chimney therefore when plants are dead due to dryness, chemical
attack (acid rain) or other conditions, it would be difficult
to replace new plants
Combine
A container designed to contain water instead of plants. The
container can store up rain water and release the water into
soil when dry, this design is for large area planting such
as farming field.
This product would be useless in seasons with little rain
therefore rainwater can hardly be stored.
Reverse
Roof top garden can be used as a cooling system in hot days –
summer because plants absorb sunlight to undergo photosynthesis
and this is a endothermic reaction (temperature drop as the
reaction take place).
For roof top garden, a layer of insulate is required to prevent
any damage cause by the roots to the building structure.
Maximise
• Generating design ideas based on plant pots from SCAMPER –
Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Maximise/Minimise, Put to another
use, Eliminate, Reverse

Generating Ideas: Zwicky Box
Form Material Watering system Theme Colour Finish
Power supply
(electricity) Culture
cubic (3D) Plaster Pump Sleek Transparent Non Non Hydroponic
cylinder (3D) Metal capillary action Natural Wood Sanded Socket Agriculture
cuboid (3D) Plastic drip (gravity) Modern Metallic Polished solar panel
sphere (3D) Fibre Flood Antique White Stained Battery
pyramid (3D) Pottery hydro gel Painted Green
triangle (2D) Wood Manual Doodle Blue
square (2D) Aqua
circle (2D)
rectangle (2D)
Z.1 & Z.2
Z.3 & Z.4
Z.5
Z.6
Z.7
Z
Z
Z
Z
Z
• Generating design ideas based on plant pots from
Zwicky box with different combination of elements
to generate innovative designs. The designs
generated on the following pages will be compared
with specification

Z.1 & Z.2 Z.3 Z.4
Must •Water tight – no leaking X X -
•Able to separate plant (and hydro gel) from excessed water ✓ - -
•No sharp edges – reduce chance of getting injured ✓ ✓ ✓
•Durable ✓ ✓ ✓
•Self watering system ✓ ✓ X
•Water storage – store leftover water for long term use ✓ X ✓
•Able to support the weight of water and plant - ✓ ✓
•Minimise the use of material if possible – reduce the cost of material ✓ ✓ ✓
•No taller than 30cm (each unit) ✓ ✓ ✓
Should •Support Indoor gardening ✓ ✓ ✓
•Support hydroponic ✓ X X
•Efficient self watering system – only required to pour water into certain area to water all the
plants ✓ ✓ ✓
•Support small plants – plants only grow up to 10cm in height ✓ ✓ ✓
•Low costing – no more than £20 for each unit ✓ ✓ ✓
•Vertical gardening – reduce use of space ✓ X X
•Able to stay on a average window sill ✓ ✓ ✓
•Use clear acrylic as the main material ✓ X X
•Extra units can be added onto or removed ✓ X X
could •battery as power supply X X X
•Sleek/natural theme X ✓ ✓
A cubic plant pot designed for hydroponic. “Z.2” a
simple mechanism to contain water and drain excessed
water to the units below. “Z.1” has a similar
design to “Z.2” but instead of draining the water,
the water will be stored up and pump (socket power
supply) to the top to keep the water cycle
continuously running. This designs can carry out
vertical gardening but no windows available for
plants to grow outward therefore the plants will
interrupt inside of the plant pot when over grow.
The manufacturing process would be moulding clear
acrylic because “Z.2” can be mould in one piece with
minimum amount of waste, but “Z.1” require an
assembly to install the pump and the planting
section which will cost more for material and
labouring
Z
“Z.3” Cylinder design with a “Japanese water feature” style watering system to
water the plant. Water will slowly drip into and fill up the tube, once the
water reach a certain level, the equilibrium (original position) will fall and
tip over the tube to water the plant.
“Z.4” is very similar to a average rounded plant pot, but it has a water
storage in the wall captivity to store water, the water gate will open and
water the plant by flooding.
To manufacture “Z.3” is fairly simple because it is only in two parts which
can be craft out from wood, but to manufacture “Z.4” is more complex due to
the components. The wood use for manufacturing these designs should be wet rot
resistance (e.g. teak). These designs are not suitable for vertical gardening
because sun light cannot penetrate wood therefore the plant will not be able
to grown healthily.
Z
Z.
2
Z.
1
Water
storage
tank
Water
pump
Planting
section
Water dam
Z.3
Z.4
Water
storage
tank
Water
gate
Planting
section
Watering
tube

Z.5 Z.6
Must •Water tight – no leaking X X
•Able to separate plant (and hydro gel) from excessed water ✓ ✓
•No sharp edges – reduce chance of getting injured ✓ ✓
•Durable ✓ ✓
•Self watering system - -
•Water storage – store leftover water for long term use ✓ X
•Able to support the weight of water and plant ✓ ✓
•Minimise the use of material if possible – reduce the cost of material ✓ ✓
•No taller than 30cm (each unit) ✓ ✓
Should •Support Indoor gardening ✓ ✓
•Support hydroponic ✓ X
plants ✓ X
•Support small plants – plants only grow up to 10cm in height ✓ ✓
•Low costing – no more than £20 for each unit X ✓
•Vertical gardening – reduce use of space ✓ ✓
•Able to stay on a average window sill X ✓
•Use clear acrylic as the main material X X
•Extra units can be added onto or removed ✓ ✓
could •battery as power supply X X
•Sleek/natural theme X X
Z.5
Planting pot designed with almost the same
functions as hanging baskets but placing on the
ground instead, this design has a drain to remove
excess water and window for plants to grow outward,
this design can perform vertical gardening by
stacking pots on top of each other. However because
of the rounded body , a holder is required to keep
it stable, especially when performing vertical
gardening.
The material used for manufacturing this product is
white terracotta, which allows the consumer to
decorate the plant pot. Terracotta can be moulded
in a pottery industry. Using terracotta can be
expensive but it depends on the wall thickness.
Z
Z.6
Planting units in the shape of equilateral triangle (3 equal sides), plants
can be planted inside. This design can provide vertical gardening in a
pyramid form but the height of the pyramid is proportional to the length
available on the window sill. Three cotton threads are placed through each
corner and connected at the centre where they can soak up water by capillary
action. However according to the testing, cotton threads don’t soak up much
water. The units may not perform well as sunlight cannot penetrate through
metal unless the “windows” are facing outwards toward the household window.
There are therefore a number of problems.
The material used for manufacturing this product is aluminium which is a
cheap, light and recyclable material. The units can be manufactured by laser
cutting to cut out the components on a aluminium sheet and assemble together
by welding.
Z
Planting
section
window
window

Z.7
Must •Water tight – no leaking ✓
•Able to separate plant (and hydro gel) from excessed water X
•No sharp edges – reduce chance of getting injured ✓
•Durable ✓
•Self watering system ✓
•Water storage – store leftover water for long term use ✓
•Able to support the weight of water and plant ✓
•Minimise the use of material if possible – reduce the cost of material ✓
•No taller than 30cm (each unit) ✓
Should •Support Indoor gardening ✓
•Support hydroponic X
•Efficient self watering system – only required to pour water into certain area to water all the plants X
•Support small plants – plants only grow up to 10cm in height ✓
•Low costing – no more than £20 for each unit ✓
•Vertical gardening – reduce use of space X
•Able to stay on a average window sill ✓
•Use clear acrylic as the main material X
•Extra units can be added onto or removed X
could •battery as power supply ✓
•Sleek/natural theme ✓
Z.7
This design was inspired from the Chinese symbol
“ying yang”, it has a shape like a water drop. The
tail side (thin and pointy end) is used as a
container for the plant and the head side (large
and rounded end) is used as a water storage to
contain water with a water gate in between the two
sides. The water gate will open and water the plant
by flooding. The watering system is not as
effective because the watering system is only
flooding the soil at the very bottom. This design
cannot perform well due to the rounded body and the
fact that the water storage is set on one side,
therefore the product will lean back and forth
before and after watering.
Blue acrylic is used to manufacture this design.
The curves will make manufacture complicated to
assemble because acrylic will stretch when heat
bended.
Z
Planting
section
Water
gate
Water
storage
tank

Design Ideas
A simple design based on square
terracotta pot, a self watering
system (agriculture) with a water
pump to pump water from the water
storage to the top to water
plant. The sink lock mechanism is
used to filter the water.
Injection moulding clear acrylic
would be ideal for large scale
manufacturing (laser cut with
cone joint join together and fish
tank sealant for prototype). But
for small parts such as the “sink
lock mechanism” may be difficult
to manufacture and install
1a
A “wave” theme plant pot with 3 units, agriculture section, hydroponic section and
water storage section. After water moisturised and drained from the “agriculture
section”, water will carry the nutrients and enter the sink lock mechanism. Water
will then fall into the “hydroponic section” and refresh the water with nutrient
water. As water over flows the water will fall off the “water dam” and run into the
“water storage tank”, the pump in the water tank will pump the water back to the
top which is the “agriculture section”, the water cycle will continue.
This design would be difficult to manufacture (injecting moulding) and making
prototype (laser cutting and press moulding) due to the mechanism inside. When
making the prototype, the joint between the curves and sides would be difficult
because the acrylic will stretch during heat-press moulding
2
1b 2
Must •Water tight – no leaking ✓ ✓
•Able to separate plant (and hydro gel) from excessed water ✓ ✓
•Durable ✓ ✓
•Self watering system ✓ ✓
•Water storage – store leftover water for long term use ✓ ✓
•No taller than 30cm (each unit) ✓ X
•Support hydroponic X ✓
•Efficient self watering system – only required to pour water into certain area to water all the plants X X
•Low costing – no more than £20 for each unit ✓ -
•Vertical gardening – reduce use of space X X
•Able to stay on a average window sill ✓ X
•Use clear acrylic as the main material ✓ ✓
•Extra units can be added onto or removed X X
Could •battery as power supply ✓ ✓
•Sleek/natural theme ✓ ✓
Water
storage
tank
Planting
section
Water
pump
Sink lock
mechanism
Water
storage
tank
Planting
section
Water pump
Sink lock
mechanism
Planting
section
Water dam
• The design ideas shown in the following
pages are compared to specifications.
Most of the designs are based on
transparent acrylic to allow sunlight
entre and shine onto the plants, curves
to present the aqua theme (waves) and
vertical gardening

This idea is referred to design “2” but have a water droplet shape
instead, it has a agriculture section above the hydroponic section, the
hydroponic section is merged with the water storage therefore the water
level of hydroponic is proportional to water storage. As the water run
through the agriculture section, the water will carry nutrients to the
water storage below and feed the plants.
This design is made of transparent acrylic but because of the mechanism
inside, this cannot be manufacture in one piece (injection moulding)
which will increase the cost of manufacturing.
3a
This design was inspired
from a household aquarium
tower combined with a wave
structure.
The tower has 4 sections of
hydroponics. Each section
contain a certain amount of
water and when over flow,
water will flow down to the
section bellow. This is
likely to flood the bottom
section when over water,
therefore the bottom section
needs to be larger than the
sections above in order to
contain the water and to
physically balance. The
design is in one piece
therefore extra units cannot
be added onto or removed.
Structure may collapse
because the joints between
sections may not be strong
enough to hold the sections
with water above.
Marbles are placed into each
unit, the marbles act as a
platform for the plant to
grab onto.
To manufacture this product
will cost a large amount of
money because it is very
complicated to mould due to
the shape and form and large
volume of material will be
used.
4a
3a 4a
•Able to separate plant (and hydro gel) from excessed water ✓ -
•Durable ✓ ✓
•Self watering system X X
•Support hydroponic ✓ ✓
plants ✓ ✓
•Low costing – no more than £20 for each unit ✓ X
•Able to stay on a average window sill ✓ ✓
•Extra units can be added onto or removed X X
Could •battery as power supply X X
Water
storage
tank
Sink lock
mechanism
Planting
section
separator
Water
storage
tank
Planting
section
marbles
Planting
section
Planting
section
Planting
section

Design Development
Hydroponi
c block
Water
storage
tank
Structural developed from “1a”, Hydroponic plant blocks can be
stack on top one over the other (like Lego blocks) which can
perform a vertical gardening. Tubes inside the blocks are set to a
certain height therefore a constant amount of water will remain
inside the pot, and the leftover water will flow downward to the
block(s) below. The water can be store in the large water tank at
the bottom.
These hydroponic blocks can be moulded in one piece with clear
plastic, this process can reduce waste and time as a result cost of
manufacturing will reduce.
1b
Planting
section
Draining
tube
1b 4b
•Able to separate plant (and hydro gel) from excessed water - -
•Durable ✓ ✓
•Self watering system X X
•Support hydroponic ✓ ✓
plants ✓ ✓
•Low costing – no more than £20 for each unit ✓ x
•Able to stay on a average window sill ✓ ✓
•Extra units can be added onto or removed ✓ X
Could •battery as power supply X X
Structural improved
from “4a”, “4b” now
has more strength to
sustain the structure,
the system remains the
same which with 4
vertical hydroponic
sections in a wave
form. Marbles contain
inside are platforms
for plants (roots) to
grab onto, each
sections can drain
excessed water down to
the section below to
avoid overflow.
After the improvement,
the manufacturing
difficulties remains
due to the structure
4b
Water
storage
tank
Planting
section
Planting
section
Planting
section
Planting
section
marbles
• The design shown in the following pages are
developed from previous designs which are
improved to meet the specifications.

This design has a similar inter-mechanism of “3a”
but the hydroponic section and water storage are
separated, a pump was included therefore water can
be pump back to the top. Water will moisturise the
agriculture section and excessed water will be drain
into the hydroponic section, the excessed water will
overflow and fall into the water storage below.
The design has the shape of a bowl – fish bowl. This
design may cost a lot of money to manufacture due to
the mechanism inside therefore it cannot be
manufacture in one piece and result more costs on
assembly in the manufacturing.
3b
3b
•Able to separate plant (and hydro gel) from excessed water -
•Durable ✓
•Support hydroponic ✓
plants ✓
•Low costing – no more than £20 for each unit -
•Vertical gardening – reduce use of space ✓
•Use clear acrylic as the main material ✓
•Extra units can be added onto or removed X
Could •battery as power supply -
•Sleek/natural theme X
Water
storage
tank
Sink lock
mechanism
Planting
section
dam
Water
pump

3 Developments: Hydroponic Blocks
This idea is a combination of 3 different
ideas – “1” + “2” + “4”
It will be injection moulded clear
acrylic, pump and electronic components
will be assemble and install separately
with fish tank sealant to seal between
the electronics and acrylic (prototype:
laser cut acrylic, heat stamp mould
acrylic, assemble with acrylic glue and
seal with fish tank sealant, install the
electronics)
“1”: planting units that can be remove or
added onto when needed, which can form a
vertical gardening
“4”: the inter mechanism can water the
plants efficiently and able to support
hydroponic with hydrogel
“2” (water storage): a large volume
container with a large surface area on
the base to stabilise the vertical
structure
Planting units: The wave like
structure provide 2 open
sides for the plants grow
toward to.
The mechanism allows water to
run in zigzag path to
moisturise the hydrogel.
There is a filter in the
drain within each unit which
is a plastic film with holes
(< 3mm diameter), allow
excessed water to drain but
keep the hydrogel behind.
The hole at the top is for
lining up the unit above, a
piece of connector at the
bottom of the unit above will
slot into the hole and help
to line the drain together.
Each units will contain a
moisture sensor which connect
to the planting units above,
below and the “Watering
circuit” by banana plugs in a
series and activate the pump
when any of the moistures
detect no water.
Hydroponic Block
•Able to separate plant (and hydro gel) from excessed water ✓
•Durable ✓
plants ✓
•Extra units can be added onto or removed ✓
Could •battery as power supply ✓
830mm
Water storage: the unit can be divide into 2 parts, water storage and electronic
storage. The water storage area will contain a pump and 2 moistures, the pump
will activate when the moisture sensor in the planting units sense no water
(watering unit), the storage can contain maximum of 3.9L of water. In the
electronic storage area contain the batteries, resistors and other components,
it contain 2 circuits such as the “watering circuit” and the “warning circuit”.
The “warning circuit” activate when the water level passed over the moisture
sensor (M2) or passed below the moisture senor (M1)
• The 3 design ideas shown in the following pages are chosen
designs combined and further developed with
descriptions/mechanisms, the design will be compared with
specification

“Pump”
“Moisture sensor”
(M2)
(M1)
The circuit has a
busser with
activate both when
water level rise
above “M2” or drop
below “M1”. This is
to give a warning
to the user that
there is too
much/not enough
water in the water
storage
The circuit has a
water pump which can
be activate both
automatically
(moisture sensor) or
manually (switch),
the moisture sensors
is in a series
circuit therefore
when any of the
units dries out the
pump with activate
The watering system is
pumping water straight
to the top of the
vertical unit and water
will run through all
units. When watering,
the water will be stored
in the hydrogel, as the
hydrogel is fully
moisturised the excessed
water will be drained to
the unit below and
moisture the hydrogel
Water
Moisturising: input >
output
Fully moisturised: input
> output
Each unit have half a
wave length (λ/2)
therefore the units
can form a wave like
structure when one
stack onto the other.
When stacking they
have to face opposite
direction therefore
the same design can
be use over and over
again and reduce the
manufacturing costs
because it is cheaper
to manufacture a
single design.
λ
λ
-
2
The drain design is the idea of
connecting household drain pipe
together, the water can only
flow toward one direction because
there are no other junction
available.
“Moisture
sensor”
(M1)
“Buzzer
”
“Battery”“Nand Gate”“Resistor”
Warning Circuit
“Moisture
sensor”
(M2)
“Pump”
“Batter
y”
“Nand Gate”“Resistor”
Planting unit
Planting unitPlanting unit
Watering Circuit
“Switch”

3 Developments: Wall Torch
This idea is a combination of 3 different ideas
– “7” + “Z” + “Z”
It will be blow moulding white polypropylene
and the bracket will be die cut and stamped
stainless steel, electronic components will be
assemble and install separately with fish tank
sealant to seal between the electronics and the
polypropylene (prototype: vacuum forming
polypropylene, assemble the electronics and
install into the water tank with sealant, the
bracket can be brought from store)
“7”: the wall pocket feature that allow consumer
to have plants growing on a wall vertically
“Z”: the shape of part of a “Ying Yang” has a
large rounded head (planting section) and a thin
tail (drain)
“Z”: the bowl form combine with the “Z” design
gives a sleek design and a effective drain that
filter excessed water from hydrogel
The planting unit has the form of a
funnel which can concentrate the
water flow and able to drain the
water to the unit below, but the
drain is ate the side instead of the
centre of the unit.
The planting unit uses hydrogel
which can store water for plant and
reduce the number of watering.
At the back of the planting unit,
there is a hook like section which
can be use to connect the planting
unit to the bracket on the wall.
The bracket has 6 holes, 3 on each
side of the slots, screws can be
use to attach to the wall and keep
it stable, the bracket is 50 cm
tall and able to hold 3 planting
units by slinging the hook of the
planting unit into the slot.
Wall Torch
•Able to separate plant (and hydro gel) from excessed water ✓
•Durable ✓
•Able to support the weight of water and plant -
plants ✓
•Able to stay on a average window sill -
•Use clear acrylic as the main material X
Could •battery as power supply ✓

Watering Circuit
“Pump”
“Batter
y”
“Nand
Gate”“Resisto
r”
“Timer”
“Switch”
500mm
The watering system
used is the same as
the “Hydroponic
Block” which can
moisturise all the
hydrogel in the
vertical garden by
running water
through the units
in a zigzag path
The circuit has a
water pump which can
be activate both
automatically
(timer) or manually
(switch), the timer
can be set up to
activate the circuit
(e.g. once a week)
and water the plants
Part of the
drain was
removed
therefore
leakage can be
prevented
The water tank has 2
hooks at the back which
is safe to be hang onto
the bracket, the water
tank is divided into 2
sections which are water
storage and electronic
storage
Water storage
Electronic
storage
The areas in
yellow are
places where
the product
can be
installed

3 Developments: Window Pocket
This idea is a combination of 2 different ideas
– “7” + “6”
This design will be injection moulding clear
acrylic and suction pads will be glued onto the
back of the planting unit, and the water
storage is a plastic bag attach with tubes
(prototype: glue laser cut acrylic components
and suction pads together, with fish tank
sealant)
“7”: the wall pocket feature that allow
consumer to have plants growing on a wall
vertically
“6”: the cylinder form act like a pocket which
can contain the plant and a tube is used to
drain excessed water.
The planting unit is held onto the
window-glass surface by 4 suction
pads, the planting unit has a
draining tube which drain the
excessed water from the capacitor
into the unit below.
The unit contain a hydroponic media
which floats, as the water level
drops the plant also drops which
gives a warning sign to the user to
refill the capacitor.
Water storage is a plastic bag with 2
deliver tubes, the tubes have a
mechanism which only allow water to
flow at one direction. User need to
push onto the bag to pump water to the
top in order to water the vertical
garden. Tube (–) is an input and there
to deliver excessed water into the
storage bag and prevent water from
flowing out, the tube (+) is an output
and deliver tube that deliver water to
the top of the vertical garden and
prevent water flow back down into the
bag due to gravity.
– +
Window Pocket
•Able to separate plant (and hydro gel) from excessed water -
•Durable ✓
•Self watering system X
•Able to support the weight of water and plant -
plants ✓
•Able to stay on a average window sill -
Could •battery as power supply X
The design can form a vertical or diagonal structure as
long as the draining tube is in the unit below.

This mechanism allows water to flow
to one direction but not the other
which can prevent water from flowing
through the undesired tube when user
is pumping water
The water storage is a plastic
bag and the bag have 2 tubes
which is an input and an output
and the water can only flow
through one direction in the
water cycle, the bag also act as
a pump as the user press onto
the bag and water will be pumped
to the top of the vertical
garden,
To refill the water in the water
cycle water can be pour into any
unit but caution need to be
taken and not to over fill the
water
The plant is grown on a piece of floating media
and as time passes the water in the capacity will
drop and the height of the plant will also drop
which give a signal to the user to refill the
capacitor.
When refilling the water poured from the top will
first fill up the capacitor which raise the water
level (the water level depends on the height of
the drain) and the excessed water will flow toward
the unit below
This type of window is not
suitable for the “Window
Pocket” because when the window
tilt, the plants may fell off
the planting unit
This type of window is suitable
because it cannot be opened
therefore the risk of the
product or plant falling off is
minimised
for the “Window Pocket” because it
open side ways therefore the risk
of falling is very low but the
product may caught by the handle
and causes safety hazard
for the “Window Pocket” because
it slide side ways which is at
a very low risk

Final Specification
1.0 Performance:
Must- (qualitative)
1.1 Able to perform vertical gardening
1.2 Support indoor gardening
1.3 Support hydroponic
1.4 Able to water the plants automatically
1.5 Able to store water for watering system
1.6 Water tight – no leaking
1.7 stay on an average window sill without collapse
1.8 Use clear material as the main material therefore plants can absorb maximum sunlight
1.9 Durable
1.10 Able to separate excessed water from fully moisturised hydrogel
1.11 Water proof electronics – prevent short circuit, circuit failure and electric shock
Should-
1.12 Store at least 1L of water (qualitative)
1.13Efficient watering system (quantitative)
1.14 Support small plants (>10cm) (qualitative)
Could- (qualitative)
1.15 Have moisture sensor or timer to activate the watering system
1.16 Battery powered
1.17 Natural theme
2.0 Size: (quantitative)
2.1 15cm (+/- 5cm) depth – therefore the plant pots can stay on an average window sill
2.2 No taller than 20cm (per unit) saves space and reduce the risk of collapsing
3.0 Target cost & manufacturing cost:
Must-
3.1 Selling price < £20 (quantitative)
3.2 Reduce use of material – reduce material cost (qualitative)
3.3 Minimise waste of material – reduce manufacturing cost (qualitative)
Should- (qualitative)
3.4 Use recycled (recyclable) material (e.g. PVC, HDPE) – reduce material cost and environmental damage
3.5 Low costing materials for packaging
4.0 packaging:
Must- (qualitative)
4.1 Protect the product from stress tests
4.2 Prevent the product from falling apart
4.3 Simply manufacturing technique
Should- (qualitative)
4.4 Include foam or bubble wrap to protect the product
4.5 The product will not be able to shake around in the packaging
4.6 Include instructions of using the product
4.7 Include most of the accessories required in order to allow the product to work
4.8 Use recyclable materials

Final Design: Hydroponic Blocks
I have decided to make the “Hydroponic Block” as my product for
this project.
“Hydroponic Block” have a tower like structure which require a
stable, flat and large surface area to preform well and safe, the
only limitations are the household window sill depth and the
balancing. The problems for producing the prototype (joining the
bent acrylic and the flat acrylic together) are solved which
required accuracy and very challenging. But this design can achieve
all the specifications.
The “Wall torch” required the bracket to be installed into the wall
and some household may not have the equipment to do so (old age
people may not be able to install the bracket therefore the product
become useless)
The “Window Pocket” hold onto the glass by suction pads which may
not be safe and may damage the window hinge when a large scale are
used. Also plants may die due to frost damage by contacting with
the window in cold weather.
AB
C
E
D
• Further information and component details of the
final design will be included and explain their
purposes with images/mechanisms
F
A plastic tube contain 2 banana plugs (female and
male) which can be connect to the units above and
below, the tube isolate the wires from the water with
sealant to prevent circuit malfunctioning due to
water.
A
The hole on the top of the planting unit is for
slotting and lining up the unit aboveB
Holes at the side of the planting unit is for
connection to the suction pad which will be attach to
the window glass to prevent the vertical garden from
falling off the window sill
C
Moisture sensor will be attach to the wire inside the
tube to sense the level of moisture of the hydrogel,
the gap in between the wires and the tube will be
sealed with sealant
D
A piece of plastic film with 2mm holes in polka
pattern act as a filter to filter the excessed waterE
The “U” shape is for the watering tube to enter
through in order to reach the top of the vertical
garden
F

(Manufacturing Design)
Planting unit
Water tank
• The dimensions of the manufacture design of the
Hydroponic Block and Water Tank is shown on this
page

The manufacturing process of
this product can be
injection moulding because
most of the parts can be
mould in one piece therefore
the costs are reduced, the
use of material is more
efficient. This process can
work rapidly and it has a
high rate of production.
Manufacturing (Costs)
http://www.protomold.co.uk/
“Injection Mould Prices Start at £995.
Best for 10–10,000+ pieces.
Choose from hundreds of engineering-grade resins: ABS,
Polycarbonate, Nylon, Acetal, Polypropylene, Acrylic,
PBT, HDPE, LDPE, TPE, TPU, and LCP including glass or
fibre filled grades.
damage.”
Costs start from £995 which include the wages of worker
and hidden costs such as electricity and petrol
The manufacture design has volume of 0.000400
m³ of material result weight of 0.38 kg
(HDPE).
The cost of HDPE per kg is £3 therefore the
cost of material per planting unit is £1.14
4 connectors (£0.968), 32cm of wire (£0.032),
1 suction pad (£0.333) and a moisture sensor
(£0.20) is required for each planting unit
The starting price of injection moulding price
is £995, if a patch of 10,000 is produced the
price of each planting unit cost £0.10
(material cost not included)
The total cost of producing a planting unit is
£2.77
Connector for electronics
Price: £0.242 per unit (when ordering
2500)
Each planting unit require 4 connectors
= £0.968
http://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/harsh-
environment-
wire/1839225/?origin=PSF_412652|fp&cm_sp=featur
eproducts-_-FeaturedProductsContent-_-1839225
Wire
Price: £9.99 per 100m (when
ordering 25)
Each planting unit require 32cm =
£0.032
Moisture sensor
Price: estimate £0.20
Each planting unit
require 1
http://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/circular-connector-
contacts/0468557/?origin=PSF_435583|fp&cm_sp=feature
products-_-FeaturedProductsContent-_-0468557
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1kg-HDPE-Plastic-
Pellets-Granules-Suitable-for-stuffing-
weighting-decoration-
/181066775013?pt=UK_Dolls_Bears_RL&hash=item
2a286bb9e5
HDPE
Properties: Hard, stiff, able to
be sterilised
Price: £3 per kg
Density: 0.95 *10³, kg/m³
It is a thermoplastic which can be
used for injection moulding and
remould, therefore it can be
recycled. Using recycled plastic
may cost more due to separating
the undesired attachments (paper,
metal) and energy input to heat
and remould the plastic, but by
using recycled plastic can save
resources and reduce environmental
damage.
http://www.tesco.com/direct/suction-cups-
45mm-pack-of-3/534-
6206.prd?recommendationId=dafa26d8-cf96-
4d42-bcae-621194fbc5e9.0&skuId=534-6206
Suction pads
Price: £1.00 per pack (3 per pack)
Each planting unit require 1
connectors = £0.333
• The estimate costs of manufacturing a
Hydroponic block which include the material,
labour wage and components costs

The engineering
drawings shows
the dimensions
(in millimetre,
mm) of the
designs from
side different
views
Planting unit
Water tank
• The dimensions of the prototype design of the
Hydroponic Block and Water Tank is shown on this
page
(Prototype Design)

Components (Assembling)
Pre-manufacturing
5. “Back” – A flat sheet of
acrylic will be heat press
into an uniform circular
arc
6. “Front” – A flat sheet of
acrylic will be heat press
into an uniform circular
arc (partly) and set
angles
7. “Base” – A flat sheet of
acrylic will be heat bend
into a set angle
The heat press moulds will be
present on the next page
Pre-assembly
1. Polythene tubing with both male and
female banana plugs installed, a
moisture will also be installed at
about 30mm up from the bottom of the
tube, the gaps will be sealed with
water proof sealant
2. This main component is very similar
to “1” but with out the moisture
sensor.
3. “Wall” – A flat sheet of acrylic
that will have “Rails” and “Drain
side” installed with Tensol glue,
engraved lines will be shown on the
surface for lining up the components
when gluing
4. This main component is identical to
“3” but in mirror image
7. “Base” – a “Slot +” component will
be installed at the bottom with
Tensol, engrave line will be shown
to help lining up
• The main components are shown on this page and
steps of assembling explained by arrows. The
pre-manufacturing and pre-assembly of each main
components are described and explained.
1 2
3
4
5
6
7
8
1
1
2
2
34
4
Assembly
1. Line up the two “Walls” onto
the “Front” component
2. Put on the “Top” and “Base”
component – insert into cone
joint
3. Slide the “Back” component into
the “Rails”
4. Slide the tubes through both
“Top” and “Base”
A testing of
the “Rails” –
example of
pre-assembly

1
2
10
5
9
36
4 7
8
2
2
1
3
3
4
5
6
Pre-manufacturing
8. “Back” - A flat sheet of acrylic will
be heat press into an uniform
circular arc
10.“Front” – this component share the
same arc with the “back” and same
heat stamp mould will be used
Pre-assembly
2. “captive wall” – a flat sheet of acrylic with moisture
sensors installed and wires passing through.
3. “tank wall” - A flat sheet of acrylic that will have
“Rails” (for “back”) installed with Tensol glue,
engraved lines will be shown on the surface for lining
up the components when gluing
4. Identical mirror image of “3”
5. “Storage wall” – a flat sheet of acrylic that will have
“Rails” (for “Front”) installed with Tensol glue,
engraved lines will be shown on the surface for lining
up the components when gluing
6. Identical mirror image of “5”
10.“Front” – the “handle” and “lock” will be installed
with Tensol glue
Assembly
1. Insert the “captive wall” into the “base component”
2. Line up the cone joints of the “captive wall”, “base” and
the two “Tank wall” components. Line up the “Back” along
with the “rails”
3. Insert the two “storage wall” by connecting the cone joints
4. “fill drain” will be entered through the two “storage wall”
5. Put the “lid” onto the top with the cone joint
6. Insert the “front” component with the “Lock” lined up with
the “base”

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