Why is a GRAYL filter better?
Hand-pump purifiers are slow, ache-inducing products that take around a couple of minutes to produce 2L of potable water. They often fail to remove many waterborne viruses, bacteria and protozoa. Turning people to use single use plastic bottles when out travelling or on adventures.
No other purifier rivals the speed, simplicity and effectiveness of GRAYL filters. In eight seconds, it makes 700ml of clean drinking water, allowing users to tap into the world’s water sources and safely drink from sketchy spigots, hotel sinks, murky rivers, wells or lakes.
Brief
More capacity, the GRAYL Ultralight® was released in 2015 at 16oz. We’re aiming for 24oz
Improved functionality, the filter was difficult to remove, it took a lot of force to filter water and the bottle had the potential to break when dropped from 10ft.
Remove Human Error: Design a lid with a drinking surface that removes the chance for contamination by human error.
Method
I started by testing the product for myself, identifying pain points during the process of filtering and evaluating the durability of the product. I benchmarked all of the existing claims to understand the scope for improvement.
I developed an equation that optimizes filtration media for any sized bottle. I created a variety of proportional models to evaluate ergonomics and functionality trading off size with filtration speed. This, combined with Solidworks equation driven modeling identified geometric changes that made significant performance improvements.
Development
Functional SLS 3D prints allowed me to confirm calculations and evaluate new paths for attaching the filter. Durability testing and filtration quality assurance were done in early-stage development to ensure things like pleat optimization didn't cause the filter to fail. Critical-to-quality o-ring seals were tested to failure and optimized before tooling was made to save time and money as early in the process as possible.
Solution
1.5x Capacity
2x filtration life
3x faster filtration
Simplified filter swap experience
Marketing content created by Grayl team
“The GeoPress Purifier is the pinnacle achievement in our global mission to provide safe drinking water and surpass the limitations of filters and UV solutions, offering a true alternative to purchasing single-use plastic water bottles, which ultimately end up in landfills or polluting our oceans."
- President Andrew Weber -
★★★★★
What critics say
Popular Science Best Recreation Innovations 2019
What customers say
This filter removes every threat out there! Just fill with water from anywhere and in 20 seconds you have a bottle full of clean, taste and odor free water. Now I don't have to carry a dozen bottles of water on my kayak. You can even fill someone else's water bottle. The filters are relatively inexpensive and readily available. This is the best system on the market. You can even take this to areas that have known water problems and once through the filter and it's safe to drink.
User research • Ergonomics • Industrial Design • Mechanical Design • Manufacturing Validation • Volume Production