All tied up Bridon International

ALL TIED UP

World leading specialist wire and rope maker Bridon International Ltd has recently invested in the largest rope making machine in the world. Emma-Jane Batey spoke to CEO Jonathan Templeman to learn how this will further boost the company’s offer.

UK-based specialist wire and rope maker Bridon International Ltd has built up a solid reputation as the world’s leading manufacturer of wire and rope solutions for the most demanding applications. Its most recent investment highlights its desire to maintain the top spot, delivering ever-more complex ropes to its customers worldwide.

CEO Jonathan Templeman told Industry Europe how the investment has been spent. He said, “We are very close to commissioning a major piece of machinery that is sure to further cement our position as the world’s leading wire and rope maker. We have invested considerable sums in the Closer – the largest rope-making machine in the world. It is a welcome addition to our technologically-advanced equipment portfolio as it can be used to form dozens of strands of wire into a single finished rope. The Closer is capable of manufacturing ropes with package weights of up to an incredible 650 tonnes, which is by far the largest and most complex ever made. We know that the addition of the Closer will bring benefits to our customers as we can offer a broader range of package weights for the most demanding applications.”

Preparing for installation

As part of the installation of the machine into the Bridon Neptune Quay, the company’s new facility on Tyneside which is set to be officially launched in November, the Closer’s eight bobbin section and capstan are already in place, a task which involved the successful completion of the heaviest and highest risk crane lift of the whole Bridon Neptune Quay project - the move of the capstans into the pit. Off the back of this successful operation, the team is now setting out the 16 bobbin section ready for installation, and preparing to load material onto the machine in early October.

In addition to the Closer, Bridon is also firing up the facility’s Strander for the first time. Both the Strander and the Closer have been manufactured by German engineering company SKET, and will be capable of winding dozens of wires together into individual strands to then be spun together into a final rope. This machine has now been fully installed, marking another major milestone on the road to project completion.

Mr Templeman continued, “It has been a demanding project that has called into play our most advanced capabilities in terms of project management and installation, but we have yet again proved ourselves as more than capable of on time, on budget projects that will give us additional skills and services to offer our customers. The Bridon Neptune Quay is a formidable location, and one which we know will more than deliver on quality and efficiency.”

Ready to utilise a ‘fantastic facility’

The installation and development of the Bridon Neptune Quay has been an on-going project for the last 18 months, with the company keen to ensure that the potential of this ‘fantastic facility’ is reached on time and on budget. The large pits, steel and cladding were all completed in early 2012, along with the civil work inside the building, which allowed for electro-mechanical installations to begin. SKET shipped the first components of the

strander as the installation crew were on site to begin construction work, with the Closer on track for pre-shipment inspection in stages by mid-June. A construction safety service was also engaged to conduct a full safety report on the facility at various stages of the project to maintain the smooth running of the project. Testing of the new range of multi-strand ropes has already taken place, with the results proving that the equipment is ready to see active production service.

This latest investment programme from Bridon illustrates the company’s on-going development and its commitment to staying at the top of its game well into the future. Originally formed in 1924 from an amalgamation of wire rope producers, the earliest of which date back to the late 18th Century, Bridon is now a major supplier to key industries throughout the world with numerous strategically positioned global operations. The company has nine manufacturing units worldwide, market-focused technology and sales offices in all key territories and a global network of agents and distributors.

Bridon was acquired by Melrose PLC, a specialist manufacturing investor listed on the London Stock Exchange, in 2008.

With the Bridon Neptune Quay close to completion, the company is positive about its continuing strong position as the world’s leading rope and wire maker. It regularly attends international trade exhibitions, with its most recent the MINExpo in Las Vegas in September, and is set to bring its promise of ‘Delivering reassurance through unrivalled expertise’ to an ever-growing international range of customers for many years to come. n