Case Studies

Background

IWAKI’s LR series is a metering pump that delivers smooth, pulsation-free flow using a proprietary linear actuator. It is used in labs — for research and experiments, fine chemistry, and pharmaceutical development.

PEC joined once a highly complete prototype already existed. The original brief was simple: “the performance is there, so please tidy up the look.”

But watching it in real use, we felt that tidying the appearance alone would fall short. By going further — into how it is installed, how it is operated, how the tubing is routed — we could lift the usability itself and make it a higher-value product. So we built several prototypes and put them forward.

Approach

1. Widening the brief through observation of real use — Rather than stop at “tidy the look,” we observed actual setup and operation. For lab use, we saw that portability, flexible placement, and tube connectivity mattered — and proposed, across several options, a direction that raised usability too.
2. A vertical layout with the pump head and piping up top — Starting from tube connectivity and placement freedom, we proposed a vertical configuration with the pump head up top and the control panel gathered on the front. The result is easy to plumb and service, space-saving, and easy to carry. This vertical piping configuration has been patented by the manufacturer.
3. Designing the controls and display — We organized the front-mounted control panel and LED display for a natural line of sight and easy handling, easing the effort of checking and setting values mid-experiment.

Outcome

• More than a cosmetic refresh — usability improved as well
• A novel, distinctive vertical, top-piped configuration (patented by the manufacturer)
• Greater portability and placement freedom, making the pump easy to handle in the lab

Working Style

In our first mockup round, the large internal-layout change made the design demanding, and the choice leaned at first toward something close to the conventional type. Even so, the client championed the bold option — “if we’re going to do this, let’s take it on” — and rallied the engineering team, and the boldest proposal was the one ultimately adopted.

It was also the option PEC had been pushing for. A step that might never have been chosen by internal review alone, taken together with the client — that is what this project was. A relationship where we get to take on the challenge, and enjoy it, together.

Starting from “please tidy the look,” we rethink usability and distinctiveness too. Finding value again through observation — that is design at PEC.