SAES Getters’ Design House Wins IF Design Award for Innovative DRO!D Food Vacuum System

SAES Getters has been honored with the ‘IF Design Award’ for the design of DRO!D, the first high-performance food vacuum system that can be held with one hand. The product was created within Design House, the first SAES Design Lab established in 2021. While its design and patented structure are the vehicles of innovation, its roots are directly connected with SAES’s history of scientific innovation: from vacuum technology, to nitinol, and food packaging.

DRO!D is also the first product marketed under the B!POD brand, which combines science, sustainability, and performance to reinvent everyday products. DRO!D is a food vacuum device weighing only 500 grams but capable of matching the performance of powerful professional machines that are ten times larger and over twenty times its weight.  The design is inspired by the aerospace sector; the rocket shape is actually a ‘glove’ that wraps around the internal technology, and the whole system rests on a skeleton. Like a human body, DRO!D was designed from the inside out with attention to detail and the goal of eliminating empty spaces.

The entire structure is designed around a system of mechanical joints, as in Japanese architecture, which has made it possible to make the device extremely compact while simultaneously eliminating the use of screws and glues that often contaminate the recycling phase.

“With DRO!D, we wanted to create something unique and original. We talk about ‘skeleton-based performance’ because everything is designed from scratch, from a blank sheet, and everything is articulated around an internal skeleton that supports the components as if it were a creature. We have used materials science as the ground on which to build and design as a tool for innovation.” says Filippo Batavia, Head of Design House.

Consumers are becoming increasingly health-conscious and focused on fresh, minimally processed foods. Increased demand has led to a competitive market, with various brands offering a wide range of options at different price points, catering to various consumer needs. However, the competitors present on the consumer markets reach a level of vacuum of around 500mbar, meaning that they can usually subtract 40-50% of oxygen inside their containers. DRO!D, with a scaled-down vacuum pump, usually used for high end application, can indeed reach 950mbar, circa the 95% of oxygen removed, and thanks to the use of advanced materials developed by SAES, such as the Nitinol alloy, it consists of completely custom and miniaturized components.

DRO!D: A High-Potential Solution for Reducing Food Waste and Promoting Sustainability

DRO!D belongs to a category of simple but high potential products. Through a few simple actions, it promotes food preservation and reduces food waste, which currently amounts to over 931 million tons per year, of which 569 tons occur in households. Fresh food and zero waste means benefits for both people and the Planet. Few simple actions, if repeated consistently and adopted in everyday life, can Make a positive impact on the Planet. Moreover, materials are carefully selected for food safety and minimal environmental impact. To produce its containers, B!POD uses ocean-bound plastics recovered from rivers and oceans to contribute to the recovery of non-recyclable and polluting materials. The rigid containers save up to 5kg of non-recyclable plastic per person.

“With B!POD We have infused personality into a category of products that has great potential but generally lacks any form of allure. With the team, we haven’t just designed an iconic product but have fundamentally built a brand that has something significant to express and a community that shares its values and commitments.” says Ginevra della Porta, Chief Innovation Officer.