INDUSTRY NEWS
Surface Technology plates second cycle of Brompton bikes
F
ollowing an instant sell-out of its special Nickel Edition bike last year, Brompton Bicycle has again
partnered with specialist coatings supplier Surface Technology, part of Norman Hay plc, to produce a further 1,300 bikes for 2017. The Nickel Edition, the most
advanced finish used by Brompton to date, is electroless nickel plated by Surface Technology at its Leeds facility. This year, the two companies
have worked together to increase efficiencies in the manufacturing process meaning the iconic British manufacturer has been able to extend the range, offering varying heights of handle bars for different riding styles. To improve manufacturing efficiency, the technical teams at Surface Technology and Brompton worked collaboratively to identify ways to reduce the amount of masking time required, while ensuring the tolerances of the various component mounting points within the frame were maintained. As a result of this
understanding of industrial coatings and their ability to research and test a unique solution for our product. “This year we have been able
process analysis, Brompton ensured mounting point holes were machined larger in the fabrication process to allow correct assembly from the plated parts.
Also, to further enhance the quality of output the Brompton bikes were salt spray tested. The frames were placed in a secure chamber and sprayed in a climatic environment for more than 200 hours to accelerate the corrosion process. They were checked and photographed every day and at
the end of the testing the frames were easily cleaned back to the original nickel coating with no sign of corrosion damage. Mo Rahnama, design operations
manager at Brompton, said: “Brompton had talked for some years about creating a specialist nickel version but came up against a number of technical challenges postponing the development. Surface Technology was the obvious partner for the project due to their extensive knowledge and
to enhance what we did last year, which has resulted in us growing our product portfolio. The technical team at Surface Technology has been excellent at working with us to constantly improve our process and output and we look forward to working together again in future.” Andrew Courtney, group operations director at Surface Technology, added: “Once again we are proud to align the Surface Technology name with this fantastic global brand which represents quality British manufacturing. The bikes are superb - it’s no wonder that some customers hang them as pieces of art on their walls.” For more information on the Brompton Nickel Edition, visit: www.
brompton.com/The-Bike/Special- Editions/Nickel-Edition For more information on Surface Technology’s electroless nickel plating solution, visit: www.
surfacetechnology.co.uk/plating/ electroless-nickel-plating/
SSC celebrates highest monthly sales to date
One of the UK’s leading laser cutting providers has celebrated its highest monthly sales to date, breaking the £1.3 million mark for the first time last month. Beating its previous sales record of just over £1m, SSC Laser Cutting attributes the success to a combination of client wins and investment in new technology. Andy Hume, group sales
manager at SSC, said: “Earlier this year, we invested in a new fibre laser which cuts parts at a much quicker rate. This has allowed us to be far more efficient and offer a more competitive rate for high-volume work, which in turn has brought in some fantastic new client wins.
2 IMT June 2017
“We also received high levels of repeat business last month as many of our customers are reaping the benefits of the weaker pound which has seen them win larger contracts for export, leading to an increased need for
laser cutting.” Since formation in 2000, SSC
Laser has grown substantially and now has bases in the West Midlands, East Midlands, South East, South West, South Central and Scotland.
www.internationalmetaltube.com
Andy continued: “Over the past 17 years we really have gone from strength to strength. In 2007 there was only one division, and now we have six sites and 85 employees. “We hope to further expand our provision in the near future and are already in the process of recruiting additional sales representatives to improve our coverage for customers in the North East and North West.” A specialist in rapid deliveries of precision laser-engineered flat and tubed components, SSC works with customers from a wide variety of sectors across the UK. For more information about SSC Laser Cutting please call 01889 270 241, or visit
www.ssclaser.co.uk.
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