Product Design with Ferplast
In the Deep Blue Sea
To diving fans it is as familiar as a mobile phone or an MP3 player: the inflator, or rather the inflator mechanism, is the device which inflates and
deflates the variable buoyancy jacket when diving and resurfacing, by means of compressed air or oral inflation.
The Functional Part of the Diving Jacket
“We have been designing and manufacturing components for the diving industry for more
than ten years now (business first began back in 1990)”, explained Michele Di Terlizzi, Technical
Office Manager at Ferplast . “Our specialised production of buoyancy-compensator accessories
is divided up into about a dozen different product ranges: namely five types of inflator (V01 Base,
V01 Shark, X01 Pro, X01 Tech,V02), three different overpressure valve models, and a number of
other components (backpacks, buckles, flanges, hoses, connectors). We also make intake and
relief valves for dry suits. All products, in particular the Inflators, can be personalised in line with
customer-requirements”.
“The aesthetic and ergonomic aspects are extremely important: nevertheless, as you can imagine,
they are second place to reliability and resistance, two indispensable factors when it comes to
diving equipment. The marine environment is certainly one of the most aggressive and diving
is a sport where safety is also linked to the reliability and performance of the diving equipment.
The environmental conditions that diving equipment can be used in are, at times, extreme: low
temperatures linked to diving in lakes or seas that have frozen surfaces, high temperatures due
to sun exposure in hot climates, cave diving, etc. Last but not least, wear and tear and saline
deposits that build up on mechanical components also have to be taken into consideration. All
this implies the use of materials that are extremely high-performance; the critical state of the
operational conditions (unexpected events underwater can have serious consequences and time
is precious) means that a functional design and intuitive use are needed. Dimensional stability is
just as important: the inflator and the dry suit valves are made up of around 20 parts, all of which
have to be accurately connected to each other and remain airtight even after prolonged use,
without any risk of them deforming”.
Air in Equilibrium
V02 Inflator
PowerSHAPE rendering
“When it comes to inflator mechanisms, a lot of attention is paid to the ergonomics of the
handgrip – in both the shape and the non-slip surfaces which are usually embossed, with
ribbing or an elastomer coating – and the air intake and relief buttons, which are designed
to ensure accessibility even for divers who are wearing extremely thick gloves. The former is
positioned on the side and is immediately recognisable by being different in both shape
and colour from the manual deflator button fitted on the bottom. A mouthpiece allows for
oral inflation, emergency breathing, and the emergency air can be released using the quick
air-dump valve placed at shoulder level and activated by pulling the inflator mechanism.
As they are technical components, the techno-polymers that are used are part of the
family of polyamide and acetyl resins are compounded in different ways in accordance
with the performance levels of each individual component that the inflator requires.
PowerSHAPE detail of metal valve screwed
onto a plastic shell
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e ma il: ma r k e t i n g @ de l c am. com
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