News: AESSEAL on track to break sales record

Award-winning Rotherham engineering firm, AESSEAL are on course to break their sales record for this year, proving that manufacturing in South Yorkshire and the UK is far from dead.

With their global headquarters at Templeborough, AESSEAL specialise in the design and manufacture of mechanical seals, bearing protectors and environmental control systems.

Applications range from simple, mass-produced seals of the kind that keep washing machines from leaking, all the way through to customised high-end, gas tight seals which play crucial roles in industrial refineries, preventing explosions and other serious hazards.

In 2008, the group posted a turnover of £78.4m and profits of £6m. This year, their Component Seals division alone (a small portion of group sales) is on track to break £6m continuing an eight-year compound sales growth of 17%.

With subsidiaries in 32 countries, AESSEAL's focus is on precise engineering, service, and expertise, leaving the mass-produced, imprecise products to the developing nations. Their success is a direct result of the company's focus on customer service and research and development.

The company has recently invested in two machines worth over £700,000 each, and continues a very active research and development programme, reinvesting literally millions per year in further improving the designs. The company has 54 patents granted, with a further 46 pending, and operates 158 trademarks.

AESSEAL also understands that information is key to success in the component seals market. Sam Smith, Marketing Coordinator at AESSEAL said: "We spend a lot on IT, we have custom software to help us match the exact right seal to the environment.

"Important factors in selecting a seal include the speed of the pump (shaft RPM), typical operating temperature, the pressure of both the material being sealed and the barrier fluid outside, the fluid... its all very technical, and has to be just right."

But most of all, the company says: "You need to be a world class expert on your product. It is where expertise meets manufacture that the UK can succeed."

AESSEAL website

Images: componentseals.com