Black and Decker Superlok™ from concept to production in eight months

Not only was the development accomplished in double-quick time, but it also defied industry expectations that doubted such a robust and reliable mechanism could be designed within the cost restrictions of mass market consumer power tools.

TTP presented Black and Decker with a creative solution for a jigsaw with blades that could be swapped simply, without the need for additional tools.

Logistics and supply chain imperatives meant that their own range of blades could not be modified. And so the real challenge was to create and prove a new mechanism for the jigsaw that could be implemented quickly, without adding significant cost to the product or modifying the blades.

Within the space of a few months, we worked with Black and Decker’s engineering leadership to develop the solution, before testing and proving the safety and reliability of the mechanism.

Our innovation was to add a simple torsion spring lock. No new feature or indentation was needed in the blade, and through sourcing components from China, very little cost was added to the product. Black and Decker then created the feature-brand “Superlok™” to be prominently displayed on the product and packaging.