– The Först XR8 Traxion has been specially designed for use on uneven terrain and excels in both performance and aesthetics
Product design company 3fD (3form Design) are pleased to release details of their latest product: XR8 Traxion, a high performance woodchipper for Först that’s been specially designed to navigate sloped, rugged surfaces where other heavy machinery struggles. The 3fD team integrated hydraulic legs into the design to allow it to operate in challenging terrain, such as man-made railway embankments, and carefully designed it to deliver remarkable quality, strength and reliability without compromising on aesthetics or brand.
Först operate in a market that’s generally lacking in brand awareness and saw this as an opportunity to help them grow their brand recognition. 3fD’s design for the XR8 Traxion mirrors its unique hydraulic capabilities and the brand values of ‘performance, dependability, understanding and integrity’, making the woodchipper stand apart from competitors.
Ally Le Sueur, operations manager at 3form Design commented, “Any product, it doesn’t matter what it is, has a buyer and so the aesthetics you are applying to the product, even in this niche arena, are critical. Such chipping machines get absolutely hammered in use – but even when the machine gets beaten up and well-used it still has to look good and reflect the brand. It was a great challenge for us to create a product that not only functions extremely well, but also has a strong visual identity.”
The XR8 Traxion also demonstrates 3fD’s highly sought-after approach in combining leading product design, engineering and manufacturing expertise all in-house, as Ally Le Sueur explains, “As with all our work, when designing the XR8 Traxion we kept production and manufacturing in mind right from the beginning of the process. In order to deliver the very best results that excel both in terms of functionality and aesthetics, and achieve these as quickly and efficiently as possible, the design process was purely digital. From first concepts to final artwork we design in CAD and with computer simulation so we develop concepts that we know can be manufactured and will work.”
