D. A. Christie (just down the road) are a maker of equipment for public spaces like parks and camping grounds. Their flagship product is a barbecue that is made available by local governments for free public use in parks. Its main features are safety, reliability and durability.
When D.A. Christie started developing a new barbecue, they searched the world
for a control system partner, and found SPLat (just up the road). They started
out buying some standard product and doing their own programming, all part of
the early research and evaluation phase. We freely provided whatever support
they needed at that stage, quickly becoming the principal programmers. An
agreement was signed in April 2010 for custom prototypes, and the first boards
were delivered about 9 weeks later.
The new barbecue has been named "CCQ" as a successor to "BBQ". It is available in gas or electric versions, with an option to use solar power for the gas version (making it ideal for remote locations like national parks). The same custom controller serves for all model variants, and offers an optional vandal proof LCD interface for up-market versions. The controller provides thermocouple temperature control, timing and safety functions, as well as battery charging and management for the solar option.
D.A Christie barbecues are found throughout Australia and New Zealand, as well as in export markets further afield such as Singapore, Switzerland, France, Germany, Holland, Sweden, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi.
"When we started down the path to develop our new appliance, we knew we wanted the power and flexibility that a programmable controller would give us. After evaluating several options, we chose a custom SPLat controller. From day one, SPLat Controls established an excellent understanding of our needs and delivered an outstanding product perfectly suited to the specific requirements of our appliance. We consider SPLat Controls to be a partner rather than a supplier. " Paul T. Nelson, Technical Product Manager, D. A. Christie
Timeline
- Initial off the shelf SPLat purchased July 2009
- Prototype proposal April 2010, signed same day
- Prototypes delivered June 2010
STOP PRESS
"I am proud to announce that Christie Parksafe has not only won a Good Design award for the CCQ BBQ, but was additionally awarded a Gold International Design Award at the annual presentation in Sydney last Thursday night (May 30, 2013). This win is a testament to the advanced design of our product and puts us in very lofty company with the other international finalists.I take this opportunity to thank you for the support shown to Christie Parksafe on this project: It is not possible to develop a market-leading product without dedicated suppliers going above and beyond." Paul T. Nelson, Technical Product Manager, D. A. Christie