2 February 2021
The low-tech Flexipump is easy and intuitive to operate.
Using Solid Edge software, the designer was able to refine the design and optimise it for injection moulding.
The Flexipump line assembly. The final product weighs 2.5 kg compared to an original weight of 4.5 kg.
With an initial design which resembled an oversized bicycle pump with a piston and two valves, David Hutton created the
Flexipump
, a highly productive irrigation pump for farmers in the developing world. Specialised software later helped him refine and optimise his design.
David Hutton is now managing director of Hutton Technologies, a social enterprise committed to providing innovative, low-cost, low-maintenance solutions for people in the developing world. His Flexipump design came from an idea he had when he was just 13. It was a simple water pump that would make irrigation easier for farmers in the developing world, and this became the topic of his final year project