The British company Zeal Lifestyle, based in Surrey, specializes in the development of stylish and functional mobility aids. Georgia Williams and Joshua King, both graduates of Industrial Design at Brunel University in London, were motivated by personal experiences to design aesthetically pleasing walking aids. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Williams searched in vain for an elegant rollator for her 86-year-old great-aunt, which ultimately led to the founding of Zeal Lifestyle.
During the four-year development phase of the Zeal rollator, the team relied on additive manufacturing technologies, particularly 3D printing, to efficiently and precisely create prototypes. They worked closely with the service provider 3D People, which employs Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) and MultiJet Fusion (MJF). These technologies allow for the production of complex geometries with high dimensional accuracy, which is crucial for iterative product development.
According to Josh: “Over the past year, we’ve ordered around 500 parts in SLS and MJF for various prototypes and design iterations. The MJF process is great for parts that need to be smooth and after post-processing, it’s hard to tell them apart from injection-moulded parts. SLS works better for visual parts since the off-white finish is more aesthetically pleasing than MJF’s dark grey. We switch between the two different processes depending on the stage of design. Costs are also important, of course, and these can also vary based on part size and process used, so that’s something we factor in too, but it’s an easy thing.”
The choice of the right 3D printing process depends on various factors, including the specific requirements of the component, the desired surface quality, and the cost.
Josh continued: “The quality of the parts from 3D People has been consistently excellent. Everything we’ve received has been accurate, and there’s been very little need for extra finishing before testing. Any issues we have had were sorted quickly by the team, which has made the whole process much easier.”
He said: “Vapour smoothing gives the parts a polished look and makes them feel nicer. It also saves us from having to do extra finishing work later, which has been a big time-saver. Vapour smoothing can also give a more waterproof finish which is easy to wipe clean which was really useful for us because unfinished parts get dirty really quickly and easily, which is not ideal when undertaking multiple user tests.”
Beyond flexibility in prototyping, additive manufacturing also supports Zeal Lifestyle’s sustainability goals. The Zeal rollator is designed for complete disassembly, allowing for environmentally friendly disposal and material recycling.
By leveraging 3D printing technologies, Zeal Lifestyle has developed a rollator that is both functional and aesthetically appealing, helping users overcome the stigma often associated with mobility aids. The official market launch is planned for summer 2025.
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