South Wales: Siltbuster
Mixing concrete requires a lot of water and a by-product of the process is alkaline waste wash water. It has a pH level of between 11 and 13 – similar to oven cleaner – and, if left untreated, can cause damage to the local ecosystem and environment.
Monmouth-based Siltbuster has developed a process that uses carbon dioxide to neutralise the waste wash water from construction sites.
The company won the Manufacturing Innovation Award at 2019’s Made in Wales Awards, held in October. It was also nominated in the Digital Engineering and Technology category.
Merseyside: Accu-right
The Mersey maritime sector has been on an upward trajectory in the past few years. A £400m deep-water container terminal, operated by Peel Ports, opened in 2016. And, according to reports, the region could play a key role in exports post-Brexit.
One of the region’s maritime engineering success stories is Accu-Right. Established in 2014, it specialises in the repair and replacement of rotating equipment, which includes pumps, fans and motor gearboxes.
In 2018, Accu-Right was named Business of the Year and Engineering Company of the Year at the Mersey Maritime Industry Awards.
North West: Westlakes Engineering
It’s estimated that more than a quarter of a billion people visit amusement parks around the world each year. Safety is paramount if thrill seekers are to enjoy themselves.
Westlakes Engineering, which has offices in Manchester, Preston and Whitehaven, has a team, including structural and mechanical engineers, that is dedicated to carrying out inspections on rides across the UK and abroad.
At the start of 2018, Westlakes achieved a world first: it became the first company to achieve accreditation for amusement-park inspection. It’s now officially recognised as an inspection body.
Northern Ireland: Donite Plastics
With the UK’s weather becoming increasingly unpredictable year by year, farmers have to ensure that their machinery can withstand even the toughest of conditions.
It’s partly for this reason that Donite Plastics, based in Saintfield, is working to replace metal and glass-reinforced plastics in agricultural machinery with a lighter alternative produced from a thermoforming process. The resulting plastic is more durable and robust and is ideal for cab interior panels, exterior body panels and mudguards.
Donite expects that its thermoforming services will also benefit the aerospace and food and drink industries in years to come. The company has doubled its turnover in recent times and has grown its workforce from 10 employees to 30.
Yorkshire: Sewtec
With global demand for products increasing, manufacturers continue to look for ways to make their production lines faster and more efficient.
At the start of 2019, robotics specialist Sewtec, based in Dewsbury, announced that it had completed work on a new fully automated packaging machine for Tata Global Beverages. It’s being used by Tetley to help bring a new line of fruit tea products to market – the system can load 120 cartons with tea bags every minute.
Other big-name customers of Sewtec include Nestlé, Procter & Gamble and Hershey. Exports account for 85% of the company’s sales.
North East: Tharsus
Any major warehouse or distribution centre needs to run like clockwork, and operate seamlessly 24/7, if it’s to hit targets and guarantee that there are no delays to deliveries.
When Ocado was looking to gain a competitive advantage, it turned to Tharsus. The Blyth-based electro-mechanical specialist manufactured a robotic system for the online retailer. The system in question features a swarm of mini robots that retrieve crates of groceries from beneath a grid-like structure.
Tharsus started out in the 1960s as Tharsis Welding & Sheet Metal Company. Today its sister company, Universal Wolf, is a world leader in metal fabrication.
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Content published by Professional Engineering does not necessarily represent the views of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.