Eleiko Prestera Cover Plate: från behov till prototyp : Produktutveckling i samarbete med Eleiko Group AB

This bachelor´s thesis was carried out in collaboration with Eleiko Group AB, a company specializing in precision-manufactured strength equipment with focus on quality, sustainability and design. The aim of the project was to develop a new cover plate – referred to as a Cover Plate – that simplifies the installation of rig systems in gym environments. The goal was to create a user-friendly, safe and aesthetically appealing new Cover Plate that can be easily integrated into existing gym settings. The work followed a product development process focusing on a defined set of requirements, idea generation, concepts evaluation and prototype development. Analyses were conducted throughout the process, which together with the requirement specification formed the basis of the final concept. The chosen design resulted in a complete prototype made of TPU using CAD modeling and 3Dprinting. A material selection was carried out using the Ashby method and resulted in the choice of NBR – Nitrile Butadiene Rubber – as the optimal material. A material with excellent mechanical properties, lower cost and reduced carbon footprint during production. In addition, NBR offers good fatigue strength, high wear resistance and flexibility in line with the project´s requirement specification. The results show that the final design meets most of the defined criteria, especially regarding easy installation, a modular and flexible structure and a design that aligns with Eleiko´s brand identity. From a sustainability and societal perspective, the solution is considered positive, as it offers a long-term, safe and cost-efficient solution for gym environments. The bachelor thesis contributes knowledge in the areas of product development, material selection and how a company can improve and adapt existing products to meet evolving user needs and requirements. To facilitate the reading of this thesis, a definition of terms is provided in Appendix 1 including relevant concepts and associated figures.