An Eventful Story: How the Luggage Carrier got Rolling
It All Started With a Kite
Karl is a passionate kiter so as soon as there is wind and sunshine at the same time, he is already on his way to the sea. But a kite like this needs to be transported first. This is where the idea of developing an expandable luggage carrier came from. The name "Tragfläche®" also comes from this. It makes things lighter and lifts them into the air.
The Idea
From the Idea to the First Draft
“Don't waste any time!” Karl likes to say and gets started. An engineer who, thanks to his many years of experience, is involved in a wide range of projects and has built up a network of universities and colleges in Berlin and Brandenburg. Every development goes through a series of tests and studies as part of student research. From the very beginning, the results achieve a high level of maturity and meet industrial standards. The final design of the Tragfläche® was created through several revisions of prototypes.
Research and Development
“Nothing is too Difficult for the Engineer
After extensive descriptions of the requirements for the luggage rack, the students worked hard and, under Karl's guidance and that of Prof. Dr.-Ing. Martin Kraska from the Brandenburg University of Technology, developed various concepts that were to be tested in practice. Requirements for precision, durability and torsional rigidity, as well as cost optimization in production, made this product development a complex challenge.
No Luggage Carrier has ever Fallen from the Sky, not even a Tragfläche®
The concept phase is complete. Now it's time to get to the welding machine. But one thing at a time: First, a so-called welding jig was developed. This holds each stainless steel pipe in its intended position and promotes torsion-free welding. Part of this apparatus can be seen in the picture on the left, together with Karl cutting a pipe to length. Thanks to the support of Erkul and Aleksandr, 10 prototypes were created. We would like to thank them for their active support and commitment.
Varient Creation
Revision 1, 2, or 3?
Describing the many intermediate steps leading to the final product would fill volumes. We'll skip that for now... What happens when the wheel's center of gravity moves behind the rear axle, and how far can this be pushed? Where are the pockets optimally positioned? They say 'trying is better than studying'. These and other questions led us to pursue various approaches in developing the Kronfeld Tragfläche®. In the end, you have to try out what works best and what proves to be suitable for practical use.
Founding
Founded for Good Reason
There aren't many talented people when it comes to organization. Thanks to Pauline, our COO (left in the picture), and Sandra (middle in the picture), the young team at Kronfeld Tragfläche was able to lay the foundation for their company by winning the Berlin-Brandenburg (BPW) business plan competition. Pauline's expertise from previous start-ups gave the start-up process more structure and focus. This is how the idea of applying for the "Science & Startups" startup incubator program came about. The Tragfläche team had an impressive pitch and was thus given the opportunity to take part in a scholarship that supports startups with up to four scholarship holders per company. The team brought Albrecht (right in the picture) on board, or rather on the luggage carrier, who has since been jointly responsible for product design and marketing.