Brian Joss – Grip-Tech, well-known in motoring circles for its mechanical anti-theft devices such as spare wheel locks, has turned its design, engineering and manufacturing skills to making foot-operated hand sanitiser dispensers.
The main difference between the Grip-Tech product and others is the material used: the GT Sani-Stand is fabricated entirely from high-quality stainless steel; with benefits for hygiene, ease of maintenance, and durability. While a secondary consideration, the combination of stainless steel and the minimalistic design gives it an aesthetic appeal not normally associated with this sort of product.
Says Grip-Tech’s Manuel Reis, who conceived and designed the GT-SS:
“Necessity is the mother of invention and after experiencing first-hand various approaches to the hand sanitiser problem over the last few weeks, I decided to put my engineering background to the test and see if I could come up with a better solution.
“Our factory in Kyalami, where we make our popular truck wheel locks and other products, already had all the equipment and materials necessary for a product of this kind. As I would normally do, I started on my computer and used powerful draughting software to create an initial design. I knew it needed to be simple and reliable, easy to manufacturer and affordable to purchase and maintain. Using stainless steel does make it more expensive than some others but there are huge benefits: it speeds up the production process significantly as painting or powder-coating isn’t required and – importantly – it can be used both indoors and out. As anyone who lives near the coast will know, brushed stainless steel requires little maintenance.”
Reis adds that stainless steel is also the material of choice in most food packaging and medical processes thanks to it not requiring any “finishing”
process – paint and powder coatings can chip and peel, which allows dirt or rust to form on the mild steel base material. As well as targeting the food and medical segments, Grip-Tech will market to gyms, fast food outlets, health practitioners of all kinds, banks, schools, and retail outlets that envisage a hand sanitation station as a part of their furniture in the future.
“We’ve designed our dispenser with a view that hand cleanliness is not something we will stop practising when the current pandemic is over. It should be part of our daily routine, for a variety of reasons. Our GT-SS will look equally at home in an upmarket car dealership as it will in a private clinic.”
The GT-SS has just three moving parts and a result is virtually maintenance-free. It can be easily adjusted to accommodate popular 500, 750 and 1 000 ml plastic pump-action bottles. It weighs six kilograms and comes with a pre-drilled base for quick and easy installation on most solid surfaces.
Phone Manuel Reis on 083 303 3077 or info@grip-tech.com for more info.
CAPTION: Change of focus: the sanitiser dispenser designed by Grip-Tech. Picture: Motorpress
