How could Iralco compete with a dominant windscreen wiper supplier like Bosch? With breakthrough inventions.
Making metal windscreen wipers requires multiple metal formed components and assembly. The mechanism wears causing sub-standard performance from the road grit and grime that the components are exposed to.
Could a single plastic molding combine all 13 individual metal components? If so, this would result in a windscreen wiper that would be cheaper and last longer. It would also take care of the metal component wear. This idea resulted in the windscreen wiper functioning more consistently over its entire lifecycle. All I needed now was an idea that worked.
Developing the Concept
During the concept phase a lot of ideas were sketched up. A windscreen wiper is mechanically challenging. We had to build proof of concept models and test them out on a rig that we had built in the studio with a windscreen and wiper motor assembly. Many ideas failed as plastic tends to bend over time. The initial ideas that looked great on paper gradually fell away as my understanding of the problem grew. Finally we arrived at the design that would overcome the initial limitations of converting from metal to plastic.
I also observed that the windscreen wiper was the only external mechanical looking component left on a modern vehicle. With the single piece wiper concept, that problem was solved through the much lower profile of the new plastic idea. The result was a much more elegant wiper than the traditional metal designs could achieve.
Seeking Approval
With the new windscreen wiper design, Iralco had a patented, unique value proposition. One that could be made for a lot less than existing windscreen wipers. All that was needed now was to fit the testing and approval program of Volvo. Oh, and also at the time Volvo was in the process of shifting component suppliers to become systems suppliers. But that is another story!