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Hearth Products Smart Fire Pit Device
With the help of: Ohio Manufacturing Extension Partnership (Ohio MEP)
About
Hearth Products Controls Company (HPC), located in Miamisburg, Ohio was built on providing components for the hearth industry. HPC then diversified outdoor fire products in 2003, adding the manufacturing of fire rings to their portfolio. Today this segment of the business has grown to include high-end electronic ignition fire pits, push-button ignition fire pits, TK Torches, portable fire pits, copper water bowls, outdoor fireplace accessories, fire and water features, and a selection of stainless steel components second to none.
HPC Fire Inspired™ also designs custom fire features and their control systems of any shape or size for residential or commercial applications. These range from 2 feet to 30 feet wide, from 50 thousand to 3 million Btu fire features found at large venues throughout the country including casinos, resorts, and restaurants.
HPC Fire Inspired™ also designs custom fire features and their control systems of any shape or size for residential or commercial applications. These range from 2 feet to 30 feet wide, from 50 thousand to 3 million Btu fire features found at large venues throughout the country including casinos, resorts, and restaurants.
The Challenge
In order to stay ahead of the competition, Hearth Products wanted to upgrade their products to leverage smart phone controls technology.
Hearth Products wanted help developing a smart phone application that would have the ability to communicate with a gas fire pit. They would need the app to work with Amazon, Google and Apple smart devices. This would allow, "Alexa, turn on the fire pit," to light the fire pit remotely.
Development of the discovery interfaces would be required for each type of smart device to be able to see the fire pit and connect with it; ultimately, adding fire pits to the growing list of items that are connected to our homes as smart devices.
Hearth Products wanted help developing a smart phone application that would have the ability to communicate with a gas fire pit. They would need the app to work with Amazon, Google and Apple smart devices. This would allow, "Alexa, turn on the fire pit," to light the fire pit remotely.
Development of the discovery interfaces would be required for each type of smart device to be able to see the fire pit and connect with it; ultimately, adding fire pits to the growing list of items that are connected to our homes as smart devices.
Fastlane provided HPC the ability to design and develop electronic modules with an app that are the brains for an electronic ignition outdoor gas fire pit. This also allowed HPC to maintain control of the design instead of relying on outside vendors for the design, this gives HPC a competitive advantage.
MEP's Role
FastLane, part of the Ohio MEP and the MEP National Network™, was able to bring the expertise needed together including software and electrical engineering experts from the University of Dayton Research Institute to develop the smart phone application and electronics for the fire pit to communicate with, which allowed for the gas fire pit to be connected to the desired smart devices so that the smart pit could be turned on remotely. The project ultimately allowed Hearth Product to get to market quicker and stay ahead of the competition.
Created August 4, 2022