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Falmouth-based Watson-Marlow Bredel, the market leader for peristaltic pump technology, has gained recognition for its efforts in research and development by winning two awards for Product Design and Development at the Best Factory Awards, 2005.

Watson-Marlow Bredel was delighted to walk away with two of the four product development accolades on offer. Richard Green, group product manager, Watson-Marlow, says: "We're absolutely thrilled to have won these awards; it is testimony to our design team's hard work in implementing both cultural and procedural changes to the design processes. This recognition for gains already made is a real boost to everyone involved from all parts of the business. But it is only a staging post on a continuing journey towards the goal of being the perfect pump company."

Dean Palmer, editor of Eureka and awards judge, commented: "Watson-Marlow Bredel has made great strides in reducing the time it takes to design and develop new products. Using Design for Six Sigma on the firm's new 620 drive, the team managed to reduce the design implementation time (from terms of reference to launch) from 18 months for the predecessor (520 drive), to nine months."

Scooping both the Product Design and Development Award and the Design Cycle Reduction Design Cycle Award, these achievements are the result of considerable effort and investment being placed on the design and development of the company's peristaltic pumps.

These awards have been run by Cranfield University and Eureka for 13 years, with the design aspect introduced for 2005.

"Design for Six Sigma requires us to work differently. It's a complete culture change," says chief engineer Andrew Green. "All design unknowns have been eliminated before implementation and you have to work more closely with partners and suppliers. It's about acting on facts rather than hunches, with actual data driving the decision-making process."

Watson-Marlow Bredel has also introduced Quality Function Deployment research to produce market requirement specifications for all new products, analysing customer perception at key project stages. Design for Six Sigma techniques drive all other aspects of the process, including design of experiments, design for manufacture and assembly as well as routine problem-solving and conflict resolution.

Watson-Marlow, Falmouth, produces peristaltic pumps used in pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries as well as the production of food and beverage, packaging and print and construction and industrial processes, as well as water and waste treatment. The plant employs over 160 people, 19 of whom are involved in R&D (Research and Development), with further offices and production sites around the world.

For more information contact Mike Sullivan or Heather Beale, Watson-Marlow Bredel Pumps on Tel: 01326 370370 or Fax: 01326 376009.