Enclosures

Spelsberg aids efficiency in offsite heat exchange builds

6th November 2017
Anna Flockett
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Ormandy Group, a large UK offsite manufacturer in heat exchange solutions relies on the customisable Spelsberg TK enclosure for many of its electrical installation needs, as the company is founded on innovation, it has to have the sort of dependable flexibility that the TK series can provide. Many companies claim to innovate, but far fewer can honestly say its entire existence is founded on innovation. 

When Paul Cooper and David Dutch, realised they had a shared vision of how their industry could be changed for the better, they took the bold decision to re-mortgage their homes and start their own business; and the Ormandy Group was born.

At that time, the type of heat exchangers used in buildings’ air conditioning systems were built on site, pretty much as part of the overall construction project. This nearly always led to issues with scheduling, the availability of labour and materials, weather delays and a host of quality issues.

Paul and David thought that offsite construction would solve all of these problems in one go. Manufacturing and assembly would take place in a controlled environment, the designers would be on hand, materials flow and scheduling could be managed so that overall time to completion could be halved and - perhaps most importantly – the quality of the workmanship could be guaranteed.

Ormandy’s Ray Bennett recalled: “In the early days there was resistance to the concept, but we knew we had to challenge the industry norms and show what could be achieved through offsite construction. In fact, after each job was completed we found we had a few more converts to our cause who became as committed to the idea as we were.”

While Ormandy has deliberately developed a broad customer base across many industries and regions, it has developed a high level of recognition in the construction of apartment blocks; particularly in prestigious developments such as the Shard and Devonshire Square in central London. Other high profiles projects in London include One Tower Bridge, Victoria Circle and Academy Central, all major new residential buildings, and it goes without saying that efficiency, reliability and quality are absolutely essential for such projects.

Ormandy’s success is based on the efficiency it can achieve at its production facilities at Bradford and Halifax, West Yorkshire, compared to working on-site, part of which involves strong component supply partners, such as Spelsberg.

Spelsberg is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of electrical equipment enclosures and distribution boards and, like Ormandy, has a long tradition of technical innovation and customer support. From its UK base in Telford, Shropshire it can supply both standard products and customised and bespoke designed units almost instantly.

Ormandy makes particular use of the Spelsberg TK range of enclosures on its modular heat exchange plants, both the traditional plastic ones and the new aluminium alternatives.

Spelsberg TK enclosures are true all-rounders, designed to be adaptable to many different requirements. They are complimented by a wide range of accessories, from assembly plates to a choice of cable insertions, hinge types and lid options. Spelsberg is also able to quickly make custom adaptations, so that the TK series can be tailored for an exact fit.

They are available in sizes from 50x52mm to 360x254mm and with three cover heights in glass-fibre reinforced polycarbonate and polystyrene and aluminium. They easily cope with tough installation environments, are weatherproof, resistant to most acids and alkalis, impact-resistant (to IK07 standard), with IP 66 ingress protection are well suited for use externally, and can include shielding for electromagnetic interference protection.

Spelsberg TK enclosures are stocked in a number of standard formats, but using in-house CNC facilities can be customised with special knock-outs – a service usually offered overnight.

Ray Bennett said: “Practically speaking, we like to standardise on the TK enclosures from Spelsberg, as it keeps our ordering processes simple and therefore efficient. However, if we have a special requirement we can rely on a Spelsberg specialist to recommend one of their other products or to help us with designing a bespoke unit. Significantly for us Spelsberg also has many international standards and certifications in place, so we can use their enclosures with confidence on our overseas projects.

“With Ormandy’s 20th birthday on the horizon, offsite manufacturing has now become a well-accepted technique – thanks in part to partners like Spelsberg.”

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