Case study 07 of 07 · Smart home

Smart heating control valve.

A compact, connected valve for home heating. A signature red-ring knob, remote control over the internet, and a 90-degree body that fits where bulky valves cannot.

Industry
Smart home
Client
Smart home brand
Scope
Design to production
Smart heating control valve
90°Valve body to pipe fitting, for tight spaces
IoTRemote, precise temperature control
4Development stages, design to assembly
The brief

What the client needed.

Traditional heating control valves have unclear markings, cannot be controlled remotely, and their bulky bodies are often limited by the space available for installation.

Products in the category are very similar, which keeps prices low. A smart home client needed a clearly different product to break out, and turned to a one-stop development partner to deliver it efficiently.

The approach

How we answered it.

The team rethought the valve on three fronts at once: how it looks, how it is controlled and how it fits.

The result is a small, smart actuator with a bold, recognisable knob, an internet connection for app control, and a 90-degree layout that adapts to many installation situations.

Design details

What makes it work.

Red-ring knob

A silk-screened red ring on the knob makes the product highly recognisable and easy to read at a glance.

Internet of Things module

A built-in IoT module enables remote and precise temperature control from a phone or smart home system.

90-degree layout

The valve body and pipe fitting meet at 90 degrees, so installation is not restricted by tight spaces.

Fits many projects

The compact body suits per-home underfloor heating, radiator heating in fitted-out homes and centralised heating in larger developments.

Gallery

A closer look.

The control head and the silk-screened red-ring knob.
The control head and the silk-screened red-ring knob.
Side view: the 90-degree valve body and brass pipe fitting.
Side view: the 90-degree valve body and brass pipe fitting.
Concept: the valve as part of a connected home heating system.
Concept: the valve as part of a connected home heating system.

Development

From idea to product.

Each stage was reviewed before the next began. Services: appearance design, structural design, printing, injection moulding and assembly.

  1. 01

    Appearance design

    A compact, modern form with a signature knob to stand out from look-alike valves.

  2. 02

    Structural design

    The 90-degree body, actuator and brass fitting engineered for reliable sealing and easy installation.

  3. 03

    Printing

    Silk-screen printing of the red ring and markings.

  4. 04

    Injection moulding and assembly

    Moulded housings and assembly with the electronics and brass valve.

The result

By upgrading both function and structure, the valve gives the client a differentiated product with room for a better price, and helps it win share in the growing smart heating market.

Developed with our design and manufacturing partner, AYWU (艾屋科技). Client names are kept confidential.

See all selected work

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