Month: May 2023

Categories
News

ECP becomes Erodex (UK) ltd.

Strengthening Commitment to Customer Excellence

Introduction:

Exciting news is on the horizon for our valued customers and partners. We are thrilled to announce that our ECP (Engineering Carbon Products) division has officially rebranded to Erodex (UK) Ltd., marking an important milestone in our journey. This strategic decision reflects our dedication to providing you with an even better experience, combining our expertise and resources under a unified brand.

Our Electrical Carbon Products division (formally ECP), has been supplying high quality carbon brushes to OEMs and the motor rewind community for over 50 years…..and with 95% of our orders dispatched same day we have built our reputation on reducing customer downtimes.

Unifying Strengths for Enhanced Service:

At Erodex (UK) Ltd., we have always prioritised delivering exceptional products, outstanding customer service, and unbeatable value. By integrating the ECP division officially into our brand, we aim to streamline our operations and create a more cohesive approach to meet your needs. This transition ensures that you will continue to receive the same high-quality products and services you have come to rely on, all conveniently provided under the trusted Erodex (UK) Ltd. name.

Streamlined Operations for Unparalleled Convenience:

Our decision to unite under the Erodex (UK) Ltd. banner allows us to consolidate our expertise and resources, resulting in a more efficient and focused approach. By centralising our operations. We can further optimise our processes to provide you with a seamless and hassle-free experience. This streamlined structure empowers us to continue delivering excellence while enhancing our service delivery and responsiveness.

Unwavering Commitment to Customer Satisfaction:

As we move forward as Erodex (UK) Ltd., our commitment to your satisfaction remains unwavering. Our dedicated team is here to support you every step of the way, just as we always have. Whether you have questions, need assistance. Or require personalised guidance. We are here to provide the outstanding customer service you have come to expect.

Looking Ahead:

This exciting transition marks a new chapter in our journey, and we are confident that it will allow us to serve you even better. As Erodex (UK) Ltd., we will continue to innovate, adapt, and expand our offerings to meet your evolving needs. We are committed to remaining at the forefront of our industry, maintaining. ‘The Leading Edge’ and delivering remarkable value to support your success.

Thank you for your ongoing loyalty and support. We are genuinely excited about this change and the opportunities it brings. Rest assured that you will continue to receive. The highest level of service and quality as part of the Erodex (UK) Ltd. family.

For any inquiries or further information. Please do not hesitate to reach out to our team. We are here to provide the outstanding support you deserve.

Categories
News

Erodex celebrate 50th anniversary with £400k automation investment

Erodex Group, UK leaders in the design and manufacture of graphite electrodes, tooling and fixtures are celebrating 50 years in business by investing £400,000 in automation at their state-of-the-art graphite machining facility in the West Midlands.

Celebrating 50 years

2023 marks 50 years in business for the family-owned firm, who are looking to the future with the purchase of an automated pallet loading system to work in coordination with existing high speed machining centres.

As a result of the investment, the company expects to maximise efficiencies and output within a high-volume area of the business; creating capacity without the need to layer in additional shift patterns.

In addition, the alignment of existing machining capacity with automation provides Erodex with a portfolio that it has previously been unable to offer customers, therefore creating new business opportunities.

Erodex state of the art machine machining facility in Darleston.
Investment into the machine shop will keep Erodex at the forefront for Graphite machining.

The company’s state of the art machining facility in Wednesbury has been established for over 35 years, enabling Erodex to machine its wide variety of graphite grades into highly complex components for a range of industries. It has also been a key driver in the significant growth that the Erodex Group has experienced in recent years, following a £1.75million investment in new machinery in 2021.

Steve Rolinson, Director at Erodex Group, comments:

“We are very proud to celebrate 50 years in business, which is a significant milestone for the Erodex Group.

“The fact that we continue to go from strength to strength as a business is testament to the fantastic, loyal workforce that we have here, many of whom have been with us for a significant amount of time.

“Further investment in our machining facility represents the next stage of evolution for the business. Since the mid-1980s the Erodex Group has enabled our customers to benefit from the capabilities of our ISO 9001 accredited graphite machining facility, which is widely regarded as the best graphite machining facility in Europe.

“Continued planned investment as part of our continuous improvement programme – including that in automation – means that we are well placed to capitalise on market opportunities moving forward and further reinforces our position as UK leaders in the design and manufacture of graphite electrodes, tooling and fixtures for the aerospace and IGT sectors”.

Directors of Erodex Group Ian (facing) and Steve Rolinson
Erodex investing in their employee’s, with up-skilling and further training set to future proof the workforce.

Alongside the automation investment, Erodex continue to invest in the upskilling of its’ employees; placing 2 Operators on additional CAD training and will continue this investment in people through the short and medium term. The company is also set to relaunch its’ apprenticeship scheme this coming summer, developing the next generation of engineers and further future proofing the workforce.

Founded in 1973, the Erodex group employs 90 people across two sites in the West Midlands with headquarters in Halesowen alongside the Wednesbury based machining facility.

Categories
News

Erodex inspire the next generation with innovative VR experience

Erodex UK, specialists in graphite and graphite machining for the aerospace industry, have launched an innovative virtual reality experience to inform and inspire Engineering students at a local college towards a career in their industry.

Over a period of two days, team members from Wednesbury based Erodex ran four sessions for over sixty full time engineering students at City of Wolverhampton College.

The sessions were the first to include a new virtual reality experience, which enabled students to get a first-hand 3D insight into Erodex’s state of the art graphite machining facility, hear from a range of team members and more broadly, gain an understanding of the variety of roles available at a company like Erodex.

The virtual reality experience was complimented by ‘meet the employee’ Q&A discussions including former apprentice and current Production Manager Ellie Emery, Engineer and Apprentice Mentor John Webb and James Kirk, Operations Director.

During the sessions, students were also set a task to complete in small groups with the aim of enhancing their learning experience and providing more depth to their level of insight into real world engineering. This required them to inspect several graphite machined electrodes using digital micrometers, comparing each to the kind of exacting quality standards that apply across all components produced for the aerospace industry.

Students were then informed of the apprenticeship roles available this summer at Erodex, with those interested in learning more being invited to apply for work experience placements with the company.

James Kirk, Operations Director at Erodex comments: “Like so many engineering firms Erodex are looking to the next generation to future proof our workforce. 2023 sees the relaunch of our apprenticeship scheme, something which we are committed to making sure is best in class.

“We want the best young engineering talent to aspire to work for us and we understand that for that to happen we need comprehensive local outreach to raise our brand awareness as a good employer and a top choice for engineering apprenticeships.

“The time commitment to deliver these sessions is considerable, so we wanted to ensure that we created a memorable and informative experience for the students – many of whom are now fully aware of what we do, who we do it for and how they could be the engineers of the future with us”.

Daniel Degg, Head of Employer Engagement & Business Development at City of Wolverhampton College adds: “We are delighted to have hosted Erodex for these educational sessions and for our students to be able to access them. The virtual reality experience is very innovative, and we are pleased to be able to utilise this technology to engage and inspire students.

“As a college, it is important that we give our students an insight into what working within engineering is like and the range of opportunities available to them. This was not only a fantastic way of achieving that but the variety of activities within the sessions ensured that the students we always engaged and had multiple opportunities to learn.

“It is also important for members of our teaching staff to gain a better understanding of local companies like Erodex and the industries in which they work, as we are now more able to advise students moving forward”.

This summer Erodex will be taking on two Apprentice Engineering Technicians within its’ graphite machining facility in Wednesbury, West Midlands.

The company expects their Apprenticeship scheme to expand significantly within the coming years covering a range of roles across both the machining facility and the company’s HQ in Halesowen.

James Kirk concludes: “Overall we were delighted with how well the VR sessions were received. We acknowledge that for SME’s like us to compete for young engineering talent we need to differentiate and innovate, as evidenced by this project. We expect to expand on this activity moving forward, potentially opening the opportunities up to deliver sessions in local high schools as well as colleges.

“To achieve this, we are fortunate to have the ongoing support of two specialised organisations, Digital Gap – who created the VR experience and Next Gen Makers, whose Engineering Apprenticeships: Best Practice Programme we are following to benchmark our approach and ensure our apprenticeship scheme is best in class as it scales”.