Top engineering firm Hanbury-Autogil has joined forces with
packaging giants PFF to create protective equipment on a mammoth scale.
With huge production targets to meet PFF turned to the
Devon-based engineers and designers in an effort to increase their output of
protective aprons.
PFF was using imported industry-standard machines but needed
to step up their game to meeting huge production demands.
Hanbury-Autogil was commissioned to design and build two
bespoke converting machines.
The Hanbury-Autogil team applied their extensive experience
in material handling and design to create a machine that is on target to be one
of the world’s fastest.
The ground-breaking, roll to roll Apron converting line,
which can produce millions of aprons a week, is now being installed at PFF’s
factory in Washington, Tyne and Wear.
This has created 250 jobs for the duration of the contract
that has ramped up to 24-hour production.
Robert Hanbury, Managing Director of UK machine builder
Hanbury-Autogil is proud to be part of this project. He said “PFF approached Hanbury-Autogil with
a challenge. We established that the business was seeking apron manufacturing
machines that had a faster output than the industry standard versions that they
were using.
“The team at Hanbury-Autogil showed an incredible work ethic
that led to design a machine that is clearly the fastest PPE apron machine in
the world. “We look forward to collaborating with PFF on future projects.”
The government has expanded its UK PPE supply to more than
58,000 different settings across the country.
The Department of Health and Social Care has distributed more than 3.5
billion PPE items for use by health and social care services in England.
Kenton Robbins, group managing director of PFF Group said: “We worked closely with the Department of Health and Social Care on due diligence ahead of our appointment as part of the government’s ‘UK-Make’ initiative to source PPE from Britain. “Demand for PPE has soared globally, with more than 210 million plastic aprons needed weekly by the NHS.
“In just six months, amidst a pandemic and while continuing
to support the UK’s food retail sector through the production and supply of
food packaging, we worked in collaboration with the Hanbury-Autogil experts to
set up a new capability and capacity to manufacture disposable aprons.
“We have been able to design and build, two innovative,
all-British machines that are the fastest and most reliable in the world,
enabling us to significantly increase production.”
The PFF Group has invested more than £2m in custom-built machines to manufacture PPE for frontline NHS staff and social care workers, the first project was to create the world’s fastest apron machine.
PFF is now launching a health arm of its business and is
working with Hanbury-Autogil on a face mask production machine project.
Robert Hanbury said: “Often one of the first sectors to suffer during any economic crisis is engineering. But what has happened here is a great example of not only how dynamic and robust Hanbury-Autogil but also how British engineering, and British companies collaborating can join forces to deliver such an amazing machine.”
Rob Hanbury is the Managing Director of Hanbury-Autogil Ltd a
rapidly growing UK based precision engineering company. The business
specialises in the design & manufacture of converting machines, spanning a
wide cross-section of industries from medical dressings and PPE to the EV
battery market.
Although the business is located in the South-West of
Britain, its reach is international and global. Customers from around the world
purchase repeat machines from the company due to their expertise and knowledge to
think creatively at the point of proposal and ensure innovative solutions to
meet customer’s needs, as well as excellent technical support once machines are
installed.
Empowered by innovation and given his flair for design, day
to day Rob leads the design teams whilst also guiding the business through the
challenges of expansion and project fulfilment. He is supported by a committed
and loyal team of over 40 highly skilled engineers which is set to increase further
with the added anticipation of a brand new purpose built factory to move to
within the next year.
His reputation within the converting industry has been built
over the last 22 years whereby Rob has become increasingly well-known and comes
highly recommended. Gathering a significant number of key accounts providing
the company with numerous and varied projects, there is little the company
hasn’t tackled. A key part of Rob’s role involves being the main point of
contact for the more significant and technically challenging projects. His
passion to find cost effective solutions to a customer’s automation
requirements is a key part of why the company is so successful.
Rob’s view is that there is and always will be a requirement
for automation to drive costs down and ensure efficiency; even in the current
economic climate. When there is demand for a product, this is still a reigning
factor. It has been realised that localised manufacture has got to be sought
giving control over supply chains and with this, the precision engineering
sector is only set to develop. An exciting time to be heading up such a diverse
and multifaceted business.
Editor's Notes
The custom-designed machine is unlike anything else
available with its rewind, roll ejection and convey system which reduces manual
handling and can produce millions of PPE aprons every week.
Located in Devon, Hanbury-Autogil has a highly experienced
team of designers and engineers with expertise across multiple industries. The
team can solve complex manufacturing requirements either through the supply of
British made precision components or the design and manufacture of converting
and cutting machines.
Further information from www.hanbury-autogil.co.uk/.
Established in 1993, PFF Group is one of the UK’s largest
independent food packaging manufacturers providing innovative solutions to
supermarkets, multi-national food manufacturers, food service and fresh produce
companies across the UK. Further information from https://pff.uk.com/
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