A Hamilton-designed product for drenching sheep is making waves internationally, with a place in the finals of the 2010 Australian International Design Awards.

And that’s just the latest in a string of accolades.

Design manufacturing company Simcro developed the OptilineTM drencher for a new sheep drench and revolutionised the 30-year- old design, minimising stress for operator and animal, and lowering the risk of injury from prolonged use.

One of 10 finalists in the Medical and Scientific category, Simcro are up for an Australian International Design Mark for good design, or an Australian International Design Award for design excellence. The finalists were handpicked by the judges from more than 200 products, and cover a range of uses, from medical to sporting goods.

Simcro Managing Director Will Rouse says that making it into the finals is an honour for the company, which specialises in developing animal health delivery solutions for the pharmaceutical industry.

“It is further evidence that we are at the cutting edge of innovative design and supports our continued faith in [research and development] investment.”

Optiline has already caught the attention of judges, earning Simcro a bronze award in the 2009 NZ BEST design awards and an International Forum 2010 product design award from Germany, as well as places in the finals at prestigious events such as the New Zealand Agritec Innovation Awards.

The winners will be announced at a gala ceremony in Sydney.

–Lucy Smith