Power Controls Limited's M-PACT Air Circuit Breaker is a compact device that controls electrical distribution systems.

Good external design can dramatically help the customer's perception of such a product, in which most of the really innovative engineering is hidden from view. Along with styling and ergonomics, Goodwin Product Design also had to address safety issues and the question of how to control access to the breaker to prevent unauthorised use, thus protecting engineers working down stream of the Breaker.

While the company was developing the core of the breaker mechanism, we did the ergonomic and conceptual design study from which we built visual mockups and test rigs. By exchanging CAD information, both breaker and front panel were able to develop in tandem. Engineering, ergonomic and styling changes were easily incorporated as the design quickly evolved and the tooling and components were all manufactured in UK.

M-PACT has been a great success. The last word belongs to Phil Abbott, Power Controls' ACB team leader: "We have a world leading product which is innovative, compact and competitive - Goodwin helped us achieve all our goals."