A designer and manufacturer of precision performance propellers, stern gear and propulsion products, Teignbridge Propellers offers optimised solutions for motor yachts, fast patrol boats, super yachts and tankers. Managing Director Mark Phare discussed expansion and specialised technology, in conversation with Antonia Cole.
Teignbridge Propellers utilises advanced industry technologies to provide the most effective solutions to clients, Managing Director Mark Phare said: “We use CFD, simulation software and finite element analysis in our projects to guarantee superior performance.
“Our investment into a new five-axis CNC Mazak milling machine has revolutionised the standard and quality of our propeller manufacturing capability. We are dedicated to innovation and using the best technology to secure the highest quality results.”
Established in 1974, Teignbridge has recently celebrated 50 years in business. Offering premium bronze propellers and
stern gear, the company’s wealth of knowledge and experience enables a detailed and attentive customer service.
Over four sites, Teignbridge employs over 150 people. The company is headquartered in Newton Abbott, UK, and has facilities in India, UAE and Indonesia, totalling over 65,000ft2 of floor space.
As the largest propeller and stern gear producer of its kind in Europe, Teignbridge’s turnover has grown steadily by 10% every year.
“With the foundry and factory in India, plus the new facility in Batam, Indonesia, our capacity is increasing in line with our planned growth,” added Mr Phare.
BIRD STAINLESS
We at Bird Stainless are proud to be a family-owned company based in the heart of the steel city of Sheffield.
Founded in 1987, we are a stainless-steel stockholder and precision grinders, specialising in centreless ground shafts. Situated on 2.6 acres, we have a large stockholding facility carrying over 2,500 tonnes.
Our in-house processing facilities consist of fourteen saws, five centreless grinding machines and two straightening presses.
“We have also started building a new factory at our Newton Abbot site. This 2,000m 2 factory unit will facilitate the provision of robotics for the foundry, a new fabrication shop, plus a number of CNC lathes and mills.”
Expansion into Asia
The foundry and factory in Gujarat, India, has been in operation for six years, making a significant impact on the success of the company. With a melting capacity of 3,000kg, the modern foundry is approved by IRS, LRS, BV, ABS DNV-GL, KR and more. This technologically advanced machinery enables Teignbridge to offer a high-quality service to customers.
“Our site in India has been very successful in achieving the strategic goals of the company,” explained Mr Phare. “We wanted to capture a significant portion
of the Indian domestic market and support the Made in India initiative, supplying to Indian Government projects. Then, we also wanted a competitive manufacturing plant in the Asia region. All these goals have been achieved, but there is still much more potential within this market to explore.”
The new factory in Batam also aligns with Teinbridge’s strategy to increase operations within Asia. Housing a modern machine shop, capable of manufacturing shafts up to 400mm diameter, stern tubes, couplings, brackets and rudders, the facility is equipped to satisfy demanding requirements. As well as propeller repair equipment, the site also has technical, sales and administration offices.
“Having a local facility supports domestic Indonesian Government projects and provides valuable support to
our many customers in this region,” continued Mr Phare. “The importance of Singapore is clear to Teignbridge and our facility is a short ferry journey away. This reinforces our growing activity there.”
In pattern making processes, the company uses the latest 3D printers and CNC machines to ensure the rapid and accurate replication of designed components. Modern moulding techniques are used to produce high-precision castings and a large range of CNC lathes and milling machines enable the versatility to meet individual customer specifications.
With several MRI Scanning Computerised Pitchometers, Teignbridge guarantees repeatable and high-quality manufacturing standards. Also, a fully integrated Enterprise Resource Planning software system facilitates effective operations.
Advanced machinery
Teignbridge has invested in a new fiveaxis CNC Mazak milling machine, with the capability to fully CNC machine all propeller surfaces to the thickness of a human hair. This results in an exact replication of the original design, better than ISO S Class tolerances.
“The CNC Mazak machine has revolutionised the standard and quality of our propeller manufacturing capability,” commented Mr Phare. “The finished product offers enhanced performance, no vibration and complete repeatability should a spare be required.
“As the machine is fully programmable and has a two-pallet system, it could be loaded with two propeller castings on a Friday afternoon, to then produce two fully machined propellers by Monday
morning. With a capacity of up to 2.2m diameter, it is an integral part of our growth investment strategy.”
Additionally, the company utilises StarCCM+ CDF software to design shaft brackets and rudders, ensuring maximum performance. Vessel rudders are subjected to propeller induced velocities, where the flow angle varies along the rudder span and chord, plus reduced velocity magnitude on the top of the rudder due to the hull boundary layer.
Teignbridge undertakes transient CFD simulations to assess the conditions surrounding the rudder. Monitoring the water flow along the leading edge, the company adjusts the blade section twist to align with mean inflow conditions. This reduces drag and enhances the vessels performance, typically by between 1kn and 2kn.
“We have a number of technologically advanced projects underway relating to electrically driven boats” added Mr Phare. “This includes work on The Mayflower 400 autonomous vessel, the world's
first full-sized, autonomous unmanned ship to cross the Atlantic Ocean.
“We are also undertaking research to develop extremely quiet propellers, suitable for military applications. Our R&D department has a number of grantfunded projects investigating new types of propulsion to support our global customer base.”
Overcoming challenges
The resilience of Teignbridge derives from its global reach, industry relationships and presence within a variety of marine sectors, including superyachts, military, leisure and commercial. Through strategically located facilities, the company i s close to most major markets and can offer local support.
“We have a small number of suppliers that have supported us for many years,” said Mr Phare. “As a large portion of our projects are custom-designed unique propulsion systems, we have very particular requirements. Therefore, we work very closely with our suppliers and
have established some very strong relationships over the years. We value their continued support.”
Teignbridge is currently completing its largest ever order of 17 Robert Allendesigned tugs, which are being built in Asia. The company’s UK facility is manufacturing all the stern gear, except the Kort Nozzles that are from a European partner.
Despite the challenge of producing 34 propellers and shaft lines in a short period of time, without impacting existing customers, Teignbridge has been successful and the last boat sets shipped by the end of August 2024.
“We can be proud of the Teignbridge team who rose to the challenge on this project,” continued Mr Phare. “The dedication of our staff has allowed us to complete various projects like this. We invest into our people and processes, having plans for expansion in the UK and overseas, as well as new R&D and machinery.
“I am very proud of our 50-year history of innovation, quality, growth and expertise. The Company is well positioned to continue on the same trajectory for the next 50 years. We are embracing the diverse propulsion systems being developed and expect to remain a global leader far into the future.” n
