The Technology Development Institute at the Kansas State University Carl R. Ice College of Engineering has provided a Salina entrepreneur and inventor with the development assistance needed to get his newest product ready for interested manufacturers.

The institute, known as TDI, provided development assistance to Barry Reinert and his new product to assistance ranchers with hydraulic bale beds. The Bac-Pac can be used with a hydraulic bale bed to transport livestock, equipment, seed and feed or any other cargo that needs to be lifted from the ground onto a truck bed for transport.

Reinert had been working closely with the Salina Community Economic Development Organization to move the concept for his product forward. They determined a product redesign was needed for its manufacturability as well as the creation of a drawing package for the manufacturer to be able to fabricate larger volumes of units. Reinert reached out to the TDI, whose staff of experienced engineering and business professionals provide assistance with the design, prototyping, testing and launching of new products and technologies to a wide range of companies and individuals.

Reinert sought TDI’s help with combining the different functions of his two product prototypes into a single unit, reducing its weight and creating a set of drawings detailing the parts and assembly process. TDI’s efforts met with success.

TDI worked closely with the Salina Community Economic Development team and reached out to several agencies to provide assistance with the project, including the Northwest Kansas Economic Innovation Center, or NWKEICI, a private foundation that serves 26 counties in northwest Kansas; the Kansas Department of Commerce; and the Economic Development Administration.

“The NWKEICI felt this was an innovative product that could make everyday functions in the agriculture industry more effective, so we were happy to assist with funding of the new prototype development,” said Scott Sproul, president and CEO of the organization.

“This has been a great partnership from many different economic development groups across the state to help bring Barry’s vision to a commercially ready product,” said Bret Lanz, commercialization director for TDI. “Our next step is to locate a manufacturer seeking to add a new product to their line of agricultural products — hopefully here in the state of Kansas.”

The Technology Development Institute, a U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration University Center, provides a broad range of engineering and business development services to both private industry and university researchers to advance the commercial readiness of new products or technologies. Additional information is available at k-state.edu/tdi.