Case Studies - Torres Engineering and Pumps Ltd
Company Profile
Torres Engineering and Pumps Ltd was established in Sheffield in March 1981, manufacturing specialised industrial pumps. These pumps are designed and produced in Sheffield, and are approved by the "Made in Sheffield" brand for quality goods.
Background
The newly introduced government ATEX Directive (94/9/EC) applies to equipment which is used in potentially explosive atmospheres.
There are thousands of Torres manufactured pumps in use, in situations where ATEX would apply.
Torres had to prove compliance on design and performance of their pumps to be awarded ATEX certification and to safeguard their future as a pump manufacturer.
As pump engineers, Torres Pumps knew their products were technically compliant and that they could provide the relevant information. The complications arose in obtaining official certification, which is where MAS were approached to assist.
The cost of obtaining certification was kept to a minimum by doing much of the work in-house - the only costs involved were the consultation fees.
These initial costs have already started to be recovered through the additional business generated since Torres became “ATEX Approved”.
Key Achievements
As a result of the 10 day process and performance management project, the company have achieved the following improvements:
• Value added per person has increased by £2,200
• New orders have been received from the Oil and Chemical Industries
• A high national and international company profile has been achieved through exhibiting in Belgium for the first time with ATEX approval
• Overall sales have increased by £60,000
• Reinforced confidence in their products has improved staff morale and determination
Making it Happen
Objective:- To produce technical documentation in compliance with the ATEX Directive 94/9/EC (equipment for use in potentially explosive atmospheres).
The pump model chosen for the project was the Phantom 60, a popular mid range pump suited to a variety of uses.
Design drawings outlining the pump manufacture were produced along with figures, production documents and health and safety requirements to form the basis of a technical dossier.
An Ignition Hazard assessment (identifying potential fire sources) was carried out. Installation, operating and maintenance instructions were generated to ensure safe operation of the product by the end user.
A typical ‘Phantom 60’ pump was then manufactured in house, and operating temperatures under both normal and extreme conditions were measured.
These figures were added to the technical dossier and following considered by ATEX, certification was awarded to the Phantom 60’ pump.
"We wanted to meet the new legislation demands on industry and felt the need to satisfy our customers in a developing marketplace. In addition, we saw it as being of great benefit to our company"
Dawn Torres, Sales Manager
