|
What's New –
March 2011
Information on the new 700
Series training stations
SCI has
released a new generation of training stations to Child Passenger Safety
Education Instructors and Educators.
The 700 series Seat Belt Training Stations have incorporated the
needs and wishes of the Safety Educators in the field with a few major
improvements.
Improvements in our new 700
series Training Stations include a much lower weight and size.
While the seating portion of the training station still incorporates
a “full size” automotive seat, the design is more compact as it does not
have to meet the crash-worthiness requirements necessary of equipment built
for highway use. The mobile base
is constructed of aluminum tubing and aluminum sheet welded into a custom
size/design specific for this application.
We still incorporate 4 locking swiveling casters with non-skid and
low noise wheels. This new
design allows a size and weight that make it possible to be shipped by UPS
or Fed-X and can now be transported by a larger population of users.
Of course, the LATCH and Top Tether Anchors are still incorporated in
the new training stations. The
lumbar or seat-back portion of the seat is fully adjustable and can easily
tilt forward and back xx and xx degrees respectively with the side
adjustment lever.
See photos of the DB-700
transported in the VW Golf.
SCI’s
previous models, the 600 series training stations, were a solid favorite and
became an industry standard over the past 10 years.
These training stations were robust and very easy to use.
They found their way into many environments including Police and Fire
Departments, Health Clinics, Hospitals, Non-Profit Organizations, and
various specialty locations via Trade Fairs and Public Events.
Eventually, the need for the training stations in hospitals became very
obvious as that is where many adults first receive instruction for
transporting their new family member home.
Also, many neonatal wards are incorporating our training station for
their “Angle Tolerance Testing” analysis.
This pull into the medical community brought some new challenges.
Cleanliness and the prevention of the spread of viruses and germs
must be incorporated into any product that becomes a tool in hospitals and
health clinics. The new 700
series training stations utilize materials that are Medical Environment
Friendly. The vinyl covering of
the seat is the same medical grade material that is used in ambulances and
medical gurneys. The seat does
not have any exposed mechanicals.
The seatback is ABS plastic from the top to the bottom, preventing
any spilled materials or fluids from absorbing or staying in the structure.
The mobile base is constructed of powder coated aluminum, so the
whole structure can be washed or easily wiped down if desired.
The 700
series training stations include the DB-700 and the DB-705.
Just as with the previous generation, the 700 and 705 BOTH have a
Dual Mode or “Switchable” retractor built into the seatback in a 3-point
configuration. New for this 700
series is the addition of the locking latchplate to the 3-point restraint
system. This allows for the
demonstration of when a locking clip is necessary for the proper
installation of the child seat.
The DB-705 training station includes additional restraint systems not found
on the 700. The 705 sports a
retractor selection dial that houses additional restraint systems.
The systems that can be demonstrated on the DB-705 are:
1.
Emergency Locking Retractor
(ELR) with sewn-on tongue > 2-point configuration.
Retractor also has webbing sensitive locking capability that can be
demonstrated.
2.
Automatic Locking Retractor
(ALR) with sewn-on tongue > 2-point configuration.
3.
Manual Lap Belt with
Locking-Bar Latch plate > 2-point configuration.
4.
ELR with free sliding latch
plate > 3-point configuration (dual mode or switchable retractor).
5.
ALR with free sliding latch
plate > 3-point configuration (dual mode or switchable retractor).
6.
ELR with locking-bar tongue
> 3-point configuration.
The all
new mobile base included with the 700 series training station has 4
locking/swiveling wheels that allow for a great compromise between mobility
and stability. The wheels are
easily removed and re-installed for shipping if necessary.
Also, the wheels can be replaced with optional padded “feet” that are
easily height adjustable. This
feature is very helpful in tolerance testing or when the base of the seat
needs to be pitched up or down.
By adjusting the angle of the seat base and utilizing the standard
adjustment available in the seat-back, just about any seat configuration can
be imitated or duplicated.
What's New – September 2010
A bit of a delay has
been experienced in getting the new training station design ready for the technicians,
instructors and educators. Our next
generation training station is expected to be ready by the end of this year
(2010). We have redesigned the seat
to be as light as possible and still withstand the loads of adults (acting as
both demonstrators and occupants).
The material chosen for
the seat covering is a special substance used in the medical industry to
prevent absorption of bodily fluids and hold up to harsh cleaners and
anti-bacterial chemicals. This has
been requested by many in the hospital and health department environments
and will allow our product to meet the strict cleanliness standards found
in medical facilities.
We are also adding
other features that will facilitate the ability to demonstrate with the seat
in different positions/angles relative to the level floor. We are hoping this will meet the needs of
those who have been looking to add “angle tolerance testing” to their training
and newborn evaluation programs.
As always, we are
working closely with those in the field to provide the features and functions
that will make their programs more efficient and successful. Obviously, we can not provide for every
line item on the “wish list” as we have to keep size, weight, and cost to a
minimum, but if you have any thoughts on what you would like to see on your
ideal training station, please send us a note. Send your suggestions to
sales@sciproducts.com.
What's New – May 09
Wow, a lot has been
happening since the last update! SCI
has sold hundreds of the 600 series seats and the compliments keep flooding
in (along with return business).
Thank You!
Business
was so good that our inventories we thought would last for a few years,
were sold in a matter of months.
This caught us off-guard and challenged our business plan for the
near term.
What
happened?...
SCI, in
cooperation with a major supplier to the automotive industry, had a large
inventory of specially built automotive seats used as a major component in
our 600 series training stations. As
of July 2006, these seats were discontinued and no longer in production for
current vehicles. As of January 1,
2009, this inventory was depleted with no possibility of restocking.
The only options
available were to change the seat design, set a higher price for using new
seats found in supplier inventories, or start using a supply of seats
utilized in testing, validation, and end use. Our customers agreed that the cost
increases necessary to support new seats or a re-design was not even close
to being feasible. The only valid
solution was to use these “test” or “used” seats.
So, in the near term,
we are holding our prices fixed and the same as they have been for several
years, while providing the same product that is much higher in material and
production costs.
Our original plan was
to have a “redesigned” training station incorporating the portability of a
smaller “demonstration only” type training station with the full
functionality of a full-sized vehicle seat simulator. This new design was to be designed,
developed, tested, and marketed by the time we ran out of our seat
inventories. Due to the unanticipated
increase in sales as mentioned above, we are now behind in providing our
new training station. We do hope to
have this new training station making appearances at the safety conferences
in the spring of 2010. Prices and
detailed information will only be available at that time as it is too early
in the phase to publish any specs.
We will put photos and information of our progress here when it is
available.
Until our new training
station is ready for order, we will continue to provide the 600 series Automotive
Seat Simulators (DB-600 and DB-605).
Please be patient as the seat components are harder to acquire and
some delays are expected when filling orders. Thanks again for your interest and
continued support.
Older News (once
was the “New” info)
Our newest Seat Belt
Training Station has just completed the trial and field testing stages. We
are now taking orders for the new Heavy Duty Vehicle Seat Simulators DB-600
and DB-605.
Training personnel and instructors have been requesting a “heavy-duty” seat
that children and adults could actually sit in and receive instruction on
seat belt concepts. Several training classes are not mobile, and require a
full size vehicle seat for demonstration purposes where the use of an
actual automobile would not be practical.
Although not as nimble as the Dial-A-Belt Safety Training Station, the
Heavy Duty Seat Simulator can still be taken to off-site locations. The
Simulator can also be rolled (even used as a cart for other items) thanks
to its 4 inch "locking" swivel casters, and a stance (width) less
than 28 inches allows the training station to pass through almost any
doorway.
|
