‘S’up’ with your spoon?

An award-winning spoon designed for people with cerebral palsy has been brought into production with the support of Proto Lab’s rapid injection moulding services.

Finding it almost impossible to eat with normal cutlery due to having cerebral palsy, Grant Douglas worked with industrial designer Mark Penver, from the Glasgow-based agency 4C Design, to create a spoon with a deep capacity for people with shaky hands. 

With the financial backing secured through a Kickstarter campaign the group contacted Proto Labs, which sent out a free material sample kit, so that it could start to select suitable materials and finishes.  

It was determined that polypropylene, or ABS with a beaded finish, provided the best surface finish as it allowed the food to freely slip out of the spoon head.

Penver said: “The advice offered by Proto Labs proved to be very helpful and they were patient during the quoting process – even though we went through 20 or more iterations as the design evolved.”  

Mark went on to explain that selecting a UK manufacturer was important to his team and that when in Birmingham for the NAIDEX exhibition, he was able to visit Proto Lab’s Telford manufacturing base for a tour of the facilities.

Penver said: “It was mind blowing that parts could be produced in just one day and their approach has saved us a considerable amount of money.

“Using Proto Labs we’ve been able to get the S’up Spoon out into the market much faster and not just improve the lives of people with cerebral palsy but those with similar symptoms such as essential tremors and Parkinson’s disease.”

The success of the S’up Spoon has led to 4C Design forming a company with Grant Douglas called S’up Products.