Industrial electronics
IoT
Full-cycle product design
Electrical development
Mechanical design
Firmware development
EVT, DVT, PVT
2018 - 2021
Noise pollution has always been a cause of concern for industries that involve machinery, drilling, and heavy industrial equipment. Health experts agree that long-term exposure to high-level noises might lead to productivity loss, negative behavioral changes, and serious health effects, including hearing loss.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has mandated noise protection equipment in workplaces where the average noise is above 90 dB. However, industrial earplugs are not ideal in many industries where workers need require ongoing communication and situational awareness.
AJProTech collaborated with Guardio Safety, a leading Swedish industrial safety product supplier, to develop an Industrial Protection Headphones with noise cancellation, exceptional Bluetooth audio, and intercom radio for real-time communication.
AJProTech brought expertise in Bluetooth consumer products combined with robust industrial electronics knowledge. Guardio Safety selected us for a long-standing reputation as a product development company with a knack for balancing quality, manufacturability, and cost. And so, our team was entrusted to design and deliver modern, safety-driven wireless industrial headphones.
We designed the most feature-rich industrial headphones that combine hearing protection with high-quality audio, Bluetooth, and Intercom radio communication that includes safety, communication, and connectivity that significantly suppress workplace noises. Our design offers utmost noise protection to industrial workers for robust use without compromising comfort. The inclusion of an ultra-long lifetime battery ensures no disruption to on-site workflow.
Our work started with a Feasibility Study to set key requirements.
Industrial Design focused on usability in demanding industrial setting. Design allowed easy mounting on headband and helmets.
Product Development followed EVT / DVT / PVT workflow. Through several iterations of engineering and prototyping, we achieved production-ready design featuring rich functionality:
We know that users are accustomed to the comfort of consumer headphones, and we needed to provide the same privilege with the industrial headphones. At the same time, we ensured the headphones are robust and suitable for industrial applications.
Besides the ergonomic appeal, our product design team brought together the form and function of a user-centric headphone in the best ways possible. We let our innovative streak shine with a design that highlights brand appeal and solves the users’ problems in practical ways.
Our product designers work tirelessly to ensure that the headphone functions reliably even in the harshest environment. This means perfecting features like waterproof, noise suppression, and shock resistance through multiple iterations.
Amidst the excitement of building a revolutionary product, we never took our sight off the importance of manufacturability. Our team works closely with manufacturing partners to ensure the design can be produced with cost, quality, and efficiency in mind.
An excellent structural design can drastically reduce environmental noise per industrial guidelines. Our mechanical design engineers use acoustically isolated chambers and composite enclosure material to suppress noise passively. This allows users to enjoy a quieter ambiance simply by putting headphones on.
Waterproof membranes, sealing, and micrpophones ensured headphones can be used even in rainy conditions.
Headphones are designed to be mounted either on the headband or standard construction helmets.
The industrial headphone boasts more features than any existing product of the same category. Our hardware team works toward a product featuring Active Noise Cancellation, Bluetooth Audio, Intercom Radio and FM radio. We use the Qualcomm Bluetooth Module to provide high-quality music playback. A high-capacity battery is needed to ensure continuous usage in industrial workplaces.
We put our wealth of experience into good use when building the electronics circuits that power the headphone.
Our electronics engineers ensured that electronics components are appropriately placed on several compact PCBs. They work closely with the mechanical team to integrate the PCB with the enclosure for a space-saving design.
We ensure that the circuitry does not suffer from electrical noise issues that degrade audio quality with effective electromagnetic interference (EMI) mitigation techniques.
We paid special attention to embedding active noise cancellation into the headphone. This involves detecting the ambient soundwave with a set of microphones and generating a mutually destructive waveform to the audio output.
Implementing active noise cancellation requires adept electronics design techniques in maximizing noise attenuation while minimizing power consumption. We use a high-speed audio processor with enhanced algorithms to provide real-time acoustic noise control.
Our industrial headphone replaces conventional walkie-radio that might be cumbersome to industrial workers. Instead of holding the communication device, we embed an intercom radio function into the headphone. This allows workers to communicate with ease over long distances in their respective positions.
Intercom radio uses RF waves that allow communication signals to traverse obstacles in factories and industrial plants. Our engineers ensure excellent end-to-end audio quality with precise modulation and demodulation circuits.
We make configuring and listening to music with the headphones hassle-free by connecting to a mobile app that works on iOS and Android. Instead of fiddling with push buttons, users can directly control the headphone’s settings from the app. The app is built with user experience in mind to make configuration as simple as possible. We also include advanced features like sound equalizer, FM radio control and ANC control in the app.
We use rapid prototyping methods, 3D printing, CNC machining and Silicon molding to manufacture the PCB and mechanical components in small quantities. Then, we assemble the modules and evaluate the acoustic performance, long-distance communication, Bluetooth connectivity, mechanical robustness, and overall integration.
Our team noted vital areas that require improvisation through multiple sessions of in-house testing. We sought our client's participation and feedback in testing the headphones. We went through 4 iterations of design and prototyping to achieve production-ready phase. By implementing the entire process in a single team, we managed to progress rapidly and achieve optimal integration.
AJProTech delivered a production-ready design for Industrial Bluetooth Headphone that meets product requirements. It works as a hearing protection and doubles up as a two-way communication radio with Bluetooth connectivity. The headphone boasts active and passive noise-canceling technologies that provide the much-needed quietude in noisy construction workplaces.
Experience the power of wireless technology
Both active and passive noise reduction
aptX support to reproduces a wireless of the highest quality
CVC 6.0 microphone’s echo and noise reduction
Bluetooth version: Bluetooth 5.0
Buttery charging time: Up to 2.5 hours
Quick charge time: 15 min for 3.5 hours
Battery life: Up to 20 hours
AJProTech led engineering and prototyping throughout EVT (Engineering Validation), DVT (Design Validation), and PVT (Production Validation) stages.
Contract Manufacturer with vast experience in Consumer Headphones was selected at DVT stage. AJProTech team worked closely with factory engineers to prepare production drawing and optimize supply chain.
Contract Manufacturer produced a series of samples for internal validation, beta testing, and Compliance Testing. Guardio Safety used pilot units to gauge the market response and receive positive feedback from target audience of industrial and construction workers.
Guardio Safety selected Contract Manufacturer and started low-volume production. Pilot batch was produced successfully, and device certification is in progress.
Guardio Safety has started taking orders for headphones, and a good number of construction companies have registered their interest.
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