Factory investment provides platform for growth

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Nov 10, 2005

Halcyon Drives has recently invested over GBP1 million in a purpose-built factory and offices at Stanningley, near Leeds, West Yorkshire, to support growth in both established and new sectors.

Expert in automation integration technology, Halcyon Drives, has recently invested over GBP1 million in a purpose-built factory and offices at Stanningley, near Leeds, West Yorkshire, to support growth not only in the company's established fields of expertise but in new, complementary sectors of automation, particularly robotics.

Halcyon Drives was formed in 1991 and has earned a reputation for providing high quality and competitively priced solutions, the company being one of the leading AC Drives Technological Centres in the UK.

Having outgrown its original premises, Halcyon moved into its new facilities earlier this year, the Stanningley site providing an all-round improved working environment.

Commensurate with the increased workshop efficiency, better ergonomics, and a larger spares storage capacity, the company has increased its staffing level to 35, with three or four further positions soon to be filled.

Managing Director, Paul Gaines, commented: "The old premises restricted our growth somewhat and the move has been reflected in improved turnover and a bigger, more efficient operation all-round".

"The knock-on effect has been the requirement to recruit even more dynamic, skilled people".

Complementing its state-of-the-art factory and office development, Halcyon has invested over £100,000 in new manufacturing and development equipment, and stocked its warehouse with over £800,000 worth of product.

On top of the obvious improvements for the drives and motors and controls businesses and the level of service afforded to customers, the new building incorporates space for the building and testing of robot manufacturing cells.

The robot build and test area is central to Halcyon's thrust into the robot-based automation sector, the initiative complementing its drives and motors, panel building, and bespoke controls expertise, to establish a capability for fulfilling complete turnkey projects within the automation sector.

Project Director, Chris Wainman, added: "Building on our unparalleled reputation within the drives and controls sector and our excellent partnering relation with ABB, we intend to centre our own robot integration skills around the platform of the brand-leading ABB family of six-axis robots".

"I am certain this combination will make considerable in-roads into the robot-based integration sector".

Technical Director, Gary Thorpe, summed up: "The investment in our new facilties has improved both the efficiency of our business and helped us provide new levels of service to our customers".

"Notwithstanding this, we now have the space to pre-build and test robot manufacturing cells, an essential foundation for developing our robotics business".

"Already ABB's leading Drives Alliance and Motor Service Partner, we are now in an ideal position to become their leading UK channel partner in robotics as well".