A Hednesford manufacturing company has won a quarter of a million dollar contract to supply a Chinese company, because their technology was better that the Chinese companies they pitched against.
Fuel Conservation Services (FCS) has secured the contract to supply a high thermal efficiency roof for a rolling mill furnace to the Shanghai Jielum Industrial Furnace Company.
The roof, which is the size of a swimming pool, will be installed at the AKG Steel Company in Chittagong in Bangladesh.
FCS was chosen for the project when a consultant for AKG Steel recommended their roof system, which delivers a 25 per cent fuel saving compared to the model the Chinese company had planned on using.
FCS managing director Mike Myatt said the firm had managing to turn around the contract in just four and a half weeks, with staff working 12 hour shifts to get the job done.
"It's been an incredibly busy month for us, but it's great news for the company as just 12 months ago we were down to 12 staff working short weeks," he said.
"We've now increased the workforce and secured the jobs of all 28 staff and we've already had six enquiries from Bangladesh, China, India, Iran and a bit closer to home in Worcester."
The furnace roof, which has been made of UK sourced products, is made up of 34 steel swage beam sections (girders) each measuring 13 metres long, which will be shipped to Bangladesh on Monday.
FCS engineers will supervise the installation of the roof, which utilises aerodynamic flow of hot gases as well as insulating materials to deliver the energy savings.
"It's a system we have been using in the UK for the last 30 years, but it hasn't gone into use countries like China and India," said Mike.
"But AKG Steel Company worked with a UK consultant who had been a customer of ours since the company started and he was pleased to recommend us.
"The steel billet furnace will run at temperatures of 1350°C and the heating costs are immense, so delivering a saving of 25 per cent is not just an environmental saving, it's a substantial financial saving too."
Fuel Conservation Services Ltd designs, manufactures and installs high thermal efficiency structures and linings for furnaces, kilns and ovens used in the steel, brick and ceramics industry.
The company was acquired in February this year by its managing director, Mike Myatt, through a Management Buy Out and since then has expanded to increase its work force from 12 to 28 as well as setting up a new specialist team in Sheffield to service the specialist needs of the steel industry.