Green light for Pike Signals

Pike Signals has launched Radiomaster the UK's first radio-controlled portable temporary traffic light set.

Andrew Pike, MD, and Chris Pearson director of the design team headed up the project with the assistance of Brian Ollis of Birmingham Business Link. Pike said: "We knew where we wanted to be and we felt we'd gain a substantial business advantage if we could successfully develop the technology. If we could cut out the need for the traditional long cable stretches which are subject to wear and tear, accidental damage and often nowadays, vandalism we'd be offering our customers a pretty revolutionary product."

BBL's innovation counsellor Ollis said "The idea was new to the UK and it necessitated Pike introducing a new product and moving away from a [relatively] simple assembly operation into a high-tech area with a good deal of challenge. But the rewards could be substantial."

BBL helped Pike gain a regional innovation grant of £250,000 to assist with development budgets and Pearson's team set to work. He said: "Right from the start the Highways Agency set us some pretty tough objectives. We had to have powerful light heads which required heavy-duty batteries that could last a minimum of 16 hours use. Reaction times for failsafe operation had be within 250 milliseconds and we had to meet some stringent environmental tests before the HA would give us its approval."

Radiomaster took more than two years to come to fruition but has been well received in a UK marketplace dominated by hirers. Pike says: "We believe that this single new product will represent at least 25 per cent of our turnover within 12 months. In addition it's enabled us to create six new jobs which is an achievement in itself."

Reader enquiry no. 147