Safe Surfaces for a New Era

Our Solution

How we helped a start-up launch a counter top UV-C Oven for Home Use.

The Result

A careful blend of design and vendor management to cut down on timelines and cost to create counter top UV-C ovens

Services

Concept Development
Enclosure Design
Prototype Engineering
Materials Selection
Design for Manufacturing
Tolerance Analysis
Vendor Management
Prototype Liaison

The Story

A UV-C Oven Designed for the Times

Biofi is an Indian startup specializing in UV-based disinfection devices for hospitals, commercial spaces, and consumers. Their portfolio spans room disinfection systems, automotive solutions, and small household devices. By vertically integrating design, development, and manufacturing, they secured investment from leading Indian angel and venture capital firms.

As the pandemic grew, so did the risk of fomite transmission. A new category of home-use UV-C cabinets (or ovens) emerged—similar in footprint to countertop ovens but built to sterilise groceries, parcels, and household items. Biofi had already proven that their combination of UV-C tubes and power could disinfect surfaces in under one minute, far quicker than the 15–30 minutes common in salons and healthcare facilities.

They approached us to turn this working concept into a safe, reliable, appliance-grade product fit for home use.

THE CHALLENGE

Making a High-Performance Idea Home-Safe and Manufacturable

Turning the demo into a dependable consumer appliance came with several constraints:

The cabinet had to create a shadow-free zone for 360° sterilisation.
It needed to block all UV-C leakage.
Materials had to withstand ongoing high-intensity UV exposure.
All of this had to be achieved during a time when supply chains were severely disrupted.
Local sheet-metal vendors did not have the capability to produce shells with the precision of global oven manufacturers.

The product had to remain affordable and manufacturable despite these challenges.

THE PROCESS

Borrowing smart, building smarter

1. Learning from the Kitchen Appliance Playbook

Biofi came in with a demonstration prototype. We leaned on the OTG (Oven-Toaster-Grill) category for value-engineering inspiration and identified stock components such as hinge assemblies and springs that could be repurposed for scalable production.

2. Solving for Everyday Use

Human factors came first. To reduce friction during daily operation, we merged the handle and control panel into a single unit—making the appliance intuitive, minimal, and fitting for a performance-focused device.

3. Building, Testing, Iterating

We worked closely with Biofi’s engineering team to prototype the cabinet, map internal geometries, and stress-test safety features. This helped refine usability, stop light leakage, and eliminate shadow zones inside the chamber.

4. Identifying the Manufacturing Roadblock

Testing revealed a critical issue: the local sheet-metal ecosystem couldn’t produce shells at the scale, consistency, or quality required. Scaling production within India was no longer feasible, prompting the need for an alternative approach.

THE SOLUTION

A Hybrid Production Model Built Around Reliability and Control

To overcome local limitations, we identified Chinese vendors capable of customising appliance-grade shells to our specifications. This ensured consistent quality and volume readiness despite global disruptions.

Biofi maintained the integration of electronics in India, retaining control of their core system design while protecting their IP.

We also collaborated on material selection to ensure rubber and plastic components could withstand sustained UV-C exposure.

The internal layout was engineered to eliminate shadow zones and guarantee uniform sterilisation across the entire load area.

Every choice—materials, layout, shell sourcing—was anchored in safety and user trust.

THE RESULT

A Market-Ready UV-C Oven That Helped Biofi Scale

The project enabled Biofi to move from institutional disinfection systems into the consumer appliance category. The UV-C oven became a flagship offering during a period when reliability and speed truly mattered.

One of the largest jewellery retail chains in the world placed an order for 800+ units for use across their stores.

For Bang Design, the project highlighted our ability to adapt design and manufacturing strategies during fast-changing conditions—balancing usability, engineering rigour, and practical supply-chain decisions to help a startup stand shoulder-to-shoulder with global appliance makers.