THE skills that an East Clare contract manufacturing company have to offer will be showcased on a new programme entitled Dragons Den on Tour.
The programme, which airs on Sunday night on RTÉ Two at 9.30pm, will feature a product known as the water guardian, which is being manufactured in Tuamgraney by AJ Precision Components Ltd.
The product is designed by Mayo father and son team, Kevin and Tony Rickard. The two featured on series two of Dragons Den last year but were unsuccessful in their bid to secure a €90,000 investment for a 10% stake in their company.
Kevin explained that on investigating the amount of water needed to water hanging baskets by Sligo County Council, he discovered that 12,000 litres of water were needed to water 70 hanging baskets and this required 40 man hours. However, with the use of the water guardian, which supplies a regulated amount of water, namely one drip every nine seconds, there is a vast reduction in the amount of the water required. According to Kevin, it means the water needed is reduced to 400 litres, requiring just four man hours a week.
The two brought their product to AJ Precision Components, which is a plastics manufacturing company based in Tuamgraney Industrial Estate, and together they have been working to bring the water guardian to life.
Eugene Higgins of AJ Precision Components said, “I would say hopefully this product will create a bit of employment for us into the future. The process involved is a process of injection moulding, where the main body and rear cover is moulded separately in two machines. We project manage the mould builds. Once the whole process is completed, we package the parts and they assemble them. There are three moulds in total.”
Kevin’s son Tony, who lives in Ennis, helped to design the shape of the water guardian as it is today.
“One of the biggest problems facing gardeners is the issue of correct watering: too much water kills and so does too little. Too much water and the fibre roots are unable to access oxygen; too little and plants lose their ability to access nutrients. A typical hosepipe uses 20 litres of water per minute and the run-off is as much as 19 litres per minute. This method of watering is time-consuming, expensive and messy,” Kevin explained.
AJ Precision Components specialise in trying to help new companies and new projects and Eugene explained they will help people take an idea from concept and into production and give advice on the best route to market.