Flo-Mech Company Profile - Brochure

Flo-Mech Ltd A Private British CompanyFrom humble beginnings back in 1974, Flo-Mech has earned itself an enviable reputation for excellence in all aspects of its business through a determination to be the best in the industry. Indeed, some of the best compliments we receive each year are the vast amounts of repeat business and recommendations. For this we must give special thanks to all of our regular customers (they know who they are) and look forward to continuing those relationships for many years to come.Flo-Mech is a privately owned Limited company, employing highly skilled personnel with a heavy emphasis on engineering. We design and manufacture specific pieces of machinery that cannot be procured from within our group. To achieve this, our designers create detailed manufacturing drawings, which are then passed on to a number of specialist sub-contract workshops. This equipment is manufactured under our total supervision before it is given the Flo-Mech name.Since those very early days, Flo-Mech has provided a complete range of products and services to a wide sector of the food processing industry, both in the UK, Republic of Ireland, and in other parts of the world. We are proud to have provided equipment and services as far a field as Asia, North and South America, South Africa, Eastern and Western Europe, and Australia. Our equipment portfolio covers all aspects of fruit and vegetable processing, from back-end preparation through processing, electronic inspection, packaging and end of line equipment. The canning industry is also a major market for us. We handle and fill products as diverse as pickles and baked beans, soups and pet foods.If there has to be one area of business however, in which Flo-Mech is more active, it is perhaps potato processing. The potato in one form or another has been at the centre of our activities right from the start. Crisps (chips), french fries, roast, mash (puree) and potato speciality products are regularly on the agenda. Also potato and corn based snack lines are a specialty, whether they are fried or dried expanded products, we provide complete solutions.What does Flo-Mech do?Equipment is manufactured under our total supervision before it is given the Flo-Mech name.Our equipment portfolio covers all aspects of fruit and vegetable processing2Bringing together the best knowledge and technology available to meet today’s most demanding requirements3Our Business is about People and PartnershipsIn all we have around twelve such strategic partnerships with manufacturing companies from around the world, enabling us to bring together some of the best knowledge and technology available to meet today’s most demanding requirements. A key point to all of our business partnerships is that we are not Agents. Flo-Mech is an engineering company in its own right, and as such enjoys “associate company” status. We offer a complete engineering and project management service from our base in Peterborough, England, and pool the resources of the whole group to ensure our customers achieve the best solutions. Confidentiality is of paramount importance in our business. We go to great lengths to ensure that information and process knowledge from our customers remains strictly within our own organisation.Flo-Mech’s ability to meet the demands of its customers and to deliver work of a consistently high standard is obviously dependent upon the 35+ dedicated employees. The company is headed up by the current Managing Director Stuart Elderkin and C.E.O. Alan Elderkin along with our Board of Directors including Andrew Elderkin (Sales Director), Colin Hill (Financial Director), Eifion Evans (Operations Director), Simon Dealtrey (Technical Director) and Robin Cattermole (Engineering Director).The majority of employees are engineers of one discipline or another, with sales being generated from most areas of the company. We operate very closely with the Dutch organisation, BMA Nederland, who through their manufacturing companies, produce many of the machines we supply. We are responsible for all of their activities in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, and in turn export our own products world-wide using our own resources and those of the BMA group.In addition, we also have a very long-standing partnership with Zanichelli Meccanica (Zacmi) of Italy. Whilst they also manufacture a range of fruit and vegetable processing equipment, the main area of activity for Flo-Mech is Zacmi’s range of can filling systems. We supply single filling machines for solids and/or liquids, as well as complete product handling and filling installations, often with sophisticated computer controlled management systems, if required. Flo-Mech have also been appointed as the exclusive UK and Ireland sales partner for Key Technology, specialising in optical inspection systems and vibratory conveying systems. Townsend Further Processing (formerly Stork) is represented by Flo-Mech for potato specialties and non-meat products within the UK and Ireland.Some of our PartnershipsFrom Strength to StrengthIn 1974 Flo-Mech was launched into the world of supplying equipment and services to the food processing industry, which at that time was very different to the industry we know today.No one could have envisaged the pace of change that has taken place over the last 10 years. Today, as we know, very few other industries in the world carry such high demands on its shoulders, and as such these demands echo all the way to its service providers. For example, the demand for health & safety at work is so dominant. Food hygiene is paramount, and consequently equipment design has taken on a whole new perspective. Indeed hygienic design is often the first challenge for Flo-Mech, both for the equipment sourced from our manufacturing partners and from our own range.As we continue into the 21st century, technology is advancing in leaps and bounds. At Flo-Mech we are very much aware that “staying in touch” is simply not good enough. We must be responsible for helping create tomorrow’s technology for our customers, with our customers. In doing so, we take a very pro-active approach towards developing partnerships with our customers.4Commitment to ServiceCommitment to our customers extends way beyond the sale. We understand that response times are critical in the food industry, and this is reinforced with our 24 hour a day, 7 day a week emergency service. We ensure that members of our service team become involved with each contract at a very early stage, ensuring continued quality support long after the installation crews have left site. Our fully qualified service engineers are Gas Safe Registered and A.C.S. approved. A comprehensive range of spare parts is held at Flo-Mech House, further enhancing the commitment to our customers.Flo-Mech is also a registered ‘Safe Contractor’Our commitment to customers extends way beyond the Sale. We offer a 24 hour a day, 7 day a week emergency service5Turnkey Solutions – Total Project ManagementAs part of an ongoing commitment to our customers, Flo-Mech has a comprehensive Health & Safety Policy. This ensures that each and every project will meet the ever-demanding needs to conform to all aspects of Health & Safety from the point of project concept and design, right through to installation and completion. Employees, suppliers and sub contractors alike undertake extensive Risk Assessment and Health & Safety training. Safety is “designed in” as early as the initial offer ensuring that Health & Safety is an integral part of our business. When projects require us to work under Construction, Design and Management (CDM) regulations, we are well equipped to provide all the necessary Health & Safety management to fulfil this role. This includes our own qualified full-time Health & Safety Officer who ensures projects are carefully managed according to the latest statutory requirements.The arrangements for Health & Safety management are subject to rigorous monitoring and audit by our Health & Safety Officer, in order to confirm compliance. It is also significant to note that this resource can be tapped into directly by our clients should they wish to avail themselves of our safety management services, including comprehensive safety planning.Health & Safety PolicyTotal Project Management… To Specification, on Time and within BudgetOne of Flo-Mechs’ strongest assets today is its ability to provide our customers with the most complete project management service. Many of our customers prefer only to deal with one supplier who can manage full “turnkey” projects. With many successful installations already completed, we have secured a number of long-term partnerships with major “blue chip” clients. From pre-engineering studies through to factory installations we can provide a “total management” solution. Our team of experienced Project Managers pride themselves on providing the very best service to meet our customers requirements.By using the latest computer technology including AutoCAD and solid works drawing facilities, projects are closely controlled to ensure key “milestones” are met. Each project is enhanced by the implementation of a modern Health & Safety Policy incorporating ongoing Risk Assessments and regular auditing. Production of P & ID and PFD drawings, detailed project schedules, operation and parts manuals and relevant C.E. documentation all contribute towards making each contract a complete success.6As all leading businesses have become ever more focussed on the impacts on costs and the environment due to the various processing demands of their products – so to has Flo-Mech. Our Energy & Sustainability Department has been leading the way in innovation and improving existing plant and equipment facilities throughout the world. The key initial primary focus has been on the large consumers of utilities and this has led to a roll out of many upgrades in particular to gas heat exchangers with, in some cases a 15% improvement in gas efficiencies (15% reduction in gas consumption).Since 2003, UK gas prices have increased significantly and the large gas users, particularly within the food industry have been greatly affected. As an example, over the last six years costs of running a very large potato crisps heater with pollution control have been more than doubled. In addition to this, we feel we provide a unique service in the industry in that we provide not just the capability to survey and generate the associated report, but also to suggest measurable improvement and more importantly we are able to implement the improvement. The Flo-Mech approach is different from the general energy consultants as not only do we carry out the energy audit, but we also implement the changes required and provide a complete backup service.Flo-Mech uses a well proven and structured approach to tackle energy and sustainability challenges:Define: An initial survey is required to define what the issue is. Depending on the available data from the site, this could either mean; i) defining the required instrumentation to measure essential data for the purpose of the efficiency calculation or ii) gathering available data and analysing it to discover what key process variables are affecting the efficiency.Control: Improvements are fine as long as they can be sustained. Sometimes it might be beneficial to put in place additional control loops to maintain the improved efficiency so that the efficiency does not drift.Measure: It is often the case that not enough instrumentation is available or more instrumentation is required for a specific need (e.g. gas meter, air flow meter). The measuring phase allows us to establish benchmark efficiency figures, which can be used as reference for later improvement.Analyse: An analysis phase is required which allows us to demonstrate potential benefits and establish an opportunity chart, which focuses on the cost of the proposed solutions, the efficiency improvement, the yearly savings and indeed the payback period. Flo-Mech utilises state of the art analysis tools which allows understanding interaction between process variables.Improve: Improvement can be as minimal as fitting some new instrumentation and control, or more intrusive with the replacement of a more efficient heat exchanger for instance. Flo-Mech will provide the complete turnkey solution from design, installation commissioning and complete project management. Once the improvement has been put in place, a number of analyses will be performed to measure and quantify the improvement.Maintain: Routine maintenance checks are essential to ensure that instrumentation and new solutions are sustained. Our Flo-Mech service team is highly skilled and have extensive process skills as well as a broad engineering knowledge across many food industries. Due to the high demand of sustainability initiative to reduce energy costs, this new department has been highly solicited and our Flo-Mech and Sustainability department is expanding rapidly.It’s a refreshing feeling that we have many of our “blue chip” customers who are, more and more, seeking to utilise the expertise that we have and reduce operating costs.Flo-Mech Energy & Sustainability Focus7Flo-Cool™ Oil Cooling SystemOil quality is an important operational and financial factor in modern frying processes. Flo-Cool™ is designed to rapidly reduce the frying oil temperature at the end of production or during a production break. Production shut down times are reduced and coupled with our Nitrogen blanket system, the oil can be returned for storage and protected in an inert gas environment under greater operational control.Flo-Mech ProductsFlo-Therm™ Frying Oil Heating Systems with Pollution ControlFlo-Therm™ has now been a part of our lives for the past 30+ years. A proven design for gently heating frying oil and at the same time offering total pollution control, ensuring that your frying emissions to atmosphere are “clean”. We are constantly reviewing our heater designs to ensure compliance with the very latest emission levels and efficiency requirements (C.C.L.). Flo-Therm™, caring for our environment.Flo-Cut™ Designed for the Potato IndustryThe Flo-Cut™ sizer halver was originally designed and built to size-grade and halve large potatoes in a crisp production facility. Today it reaches a wider audience as companies look to use its features combined with other technology to produce end products such as quarters for roast.Flo-Flavour™ Slurry Mixing and Application SystemsFlo-Flavour™ in recent times has expanded into two main areas. The systems are designed either to handle a pre-mixed slurry, keeping the components in suspension and delivering to the flavour drum, and in addition can be supplied with full mixing and holding/distribution tank facilities.Flo-Grade™ Designed for the Potato IndustryThe Flo-Grade™ has been developed to be installed with our Flo-Cut™ sizer halver unit or on its own as a standalone potato or tuber grader. It has a tapered screw design for gentle grading and transfer of potatoes.Flo-Starch™ Starch Recovery and Water Reclaim SystemThe Flo-Starch unit has been designed to recover starch from potato processing waste-water giving the benefit of reusing the cleaned water back in the process line and collecting the dry starch to be used in other processes. The Flo-Starch™ system is a self contained, skid mounted plug and play unit based on centrifuge technology with PLC control to ensure optimum performance.Flo-Filter™ Continuous Frying Oil FiltrationSuccessful continuous filtration of oil is a major benefit to any frying process. Flo-Filter is designed to suit particular applications, and usually combines with existing gross filtration to rid oil of the majority of process generated debris, thereby maintaining oil and product quality.Flo-Mech Limited Flo-Mech House I Paxton Road I Orton Goldhay I Peterborough PE2 5YA I EnglandTel +44 (0)1733 233166 Fax +44 (0)1733 235200 www.flo-mech.com email enquiries@flo-mech.com