Fisher & Paykel: Izona Cook-top Aluminium Rings

Only the best will do for New Zealand’s Master Chefs, which is why the 2010 winner of NZ Masterchef won an Izona Cook-top as part of his prize package. The Izona cook-top blends the performance of gas with the style and easy care of a glass cook surface and is so innovative it has taken home an international GOOD design award and a Gold for best consumer product in addition to the Stringer Supreme award at the NZ Best Design Awards.

The sleek design of the cook-top is made exponentially cooler by the fact that the gas hub rises so smoothly at the touch of a button it appears to be magic. What is it that makes the movement seem so effortless? – An AXIAM made Camlifter hiding just below the surface.

Initially Fisher & Paykel approached AXIAM with the concept as a 3 part set, each part cast and machined separately, then assembled together. Upon studying the concept, AXIAM floated the idea of combining all 3 parts into one cast unit, which would then be machined and separated at the same time. This led to a substantial reduction in initial tooling costs and ensured that each part was a perfect match for the other two pieces of the set.

AXIAM was also able to offer a ‘one stop shop’ – Casting, CNC Machining (including separation) and then assembling the set into an operational lifter ready to assemble to the Cook-top. With the design of the cook-top requiring utmost quality and precision, tolerances and quality testing are equally stringent, meaning each cook-top operates as smoothly and seems as effortless as the next.

As this style of cook-top is a completely new innovation, there were no precedence to the manufacture of these parts. This was not a problem for the AXIAM design team who looked upon the project as an opportunity to create the best and be a part of an award winning product. Something which the judges of the world seem to have confirmed.

Customer: Fisher & Paykel Ltd

Product:
532541 & 532540 cam lifter 20 & 30 PU Assy, 20 mm and 30 mm camlifting ring set which controls the raising and lowering of the gas burners on the IZONA range of Cook-surfaces.

Market:
Local / Export (Mexico) – home appliance industry

Project Leaders:
Alan Quadling, Dean Kensington.

Product Statistics:
235mm diameter
Height 40mm lowered – 80 mm raised
2Kg
DA401 alloy
22 assembly components

Processes:
High pressure diecast
Trim overflow and remove runner
CNC machine on 3, then 5 axis machining center
Handwork to clear machining burrs
Assemble components together
Test, pack and dispatch as assembled unit

Project Overview:
Initial enquiry received
Designs and drawings were completed
Tooling commissioned
Tooling approved and tested
Process designed and documentation created
Product testing and sign off completed
Ongoing supply

Technical Challenges:
Tight CNC machining tolerance
Assembly components fit requirement (±0.03mm)
Governing functional tolerance torque (±0.5nm)
Requirement to have minimal porosity