AGD Background
Formed in 1992, the AGD Group is an independent UK company dedicated to the design and manufacture of traffic detection and associated products. The Group comprises of AGD Systems Ltd. (UK), AGD Systems SARL (France), AGD Systems Pty Ltd (Australia) and is also served by a number of distributors throughout Europe and other parts of the world.
Based near Cheltenham, AGD boasts an unrivalled depth of technical and application expertise in traffic detection and monitoring techniques. The company manufactures and supplies 150 product variants to over 130 customers worldwide – and as a result the AGD Group’s turnover was £7million in 2010-11. AGD supplies Local Authorities, System Integrators, Product Integrators, and Installation Companies; and has major contracts with Transport for London (TFL), Peek Traffic, Siemens and Redflex.
AGD and Fascia
Fascia Graphics® has supplied AGD with labels for seven years, but following a detailed market Request for Quotation (RFQ) in 2010, Fascia was selected to provide the new screens for the AGD94x series of combined puffin and toucan nearside pedestrian signal.
The signal, which is widely installed in city and local authorities throughout the UK, won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise: Innovation 2011 for its innovative styling and features.
Dafydd Hughes, Supply Assurance Manager, AGD Systems Limited, comments:
“In an increasingly competitive environment, we recognised that we wanted to work with a screen supplier that was willing to continuously improve its products and not stand still. Fascia fitted this mould by constantly challenging itself to improve its quality, cost and delivery.”
“It is not often that a business wins two Queens Awards in the innovation category back to back. This has been possible due to the continued support of suppliers such as Fascia Graphics®.”
The Product
The AGD946 combined puffin nearside pedestrian signal and demand unit consists of a two legend signal (a red waiting man and a green walking man) and a Call Accepted Indicator with an illuminated push button to provide a ‘one part solution’ for Puffin installations. The signal also provides the option of factory fitted Narrow Field of View optics and illuminated vandal resist buttons. Also incorporated are long life high intensity LED’s which allows for high signal uniformity and high phantom performance. The Puffin crossing strategy provides safer and more efficient crossings for both pedestrians and other road users.
In order to meet the product requirements Fascia took the following approach:
- The materials used for the front panel and the gasket assemblies were reviewed. As a result, the production samples utilised more cost effective raw materials.
- Solutions were also found to minimise the number of prints required and reduce the assembly time of the rear gaskets. The product improvements allowed Fascia Graphics® to continue producing product of the highest quality in the most economical manner.
Dave Sambell, Purchasing Manager, AGD Systems Limited, concluded:
“AGD’s vision is to set the highest standards of partnership throughout the supply chain to create value and sustainable competitive advantage. This is achieved by developing a working relationship based on openness, honesty, integrity and trust, which we believe we have with Fascia.”
To download the work that Fascia Graphics®, the market leader for the production of membrane keypads and graphic overlays has undertaken for AGD, please click here.
