It has been several weeks since the Government imposed a “lockdown” on the UK population, something that affected business and personal lives in equal measure. At Elmac Technologies, we have adjusted our business practices with some staff working from home and those on-site practising social distancing and enhanced cleaning and hygiene measures as per the government guidelines. Expected announcements on easing off some of the measures are coming soon and Elmac Technologies has never been busier.
Dr Andrew McGlynn, Head of Operations, gives us an overview on what life has been like in the manufacturing sector under COVID19.
“We haven’t stopped production here at Elmac since the beginning of the pandemic; our operations are deemed essential to the government’s strategy for combating COVID19 as we supply critical industry sectors such as Fuel Distribution, Utilities, Pharmaceuticals and Distilleries. We have even seen some distilleries switching production from spirits like whisky and gin to hand sanitiser, where explosion protection and site safety remain paramount.
The largest pandemic of our generation and global slowdown has resulted in oil prices dropping rapidly which puts pressure in the Oil & Gas sector, particularly offshore operations. Customers are prioritising storage rather than oil production resulting in a higher demand for tanks and tank equipment. Evidence of oil tankers and other vessels used for oil storage as an interim solution is not uncommon.
We adapted quickly and brought forward the launch of our flagship product for this year, the Flame Arrester Breather Valve (or FAB ValveTM as it is better known). This patented pressure/vacuum relief valve and flame arrester combination is ideal for storage tank protection thanks to its lightweight construction and exceptional flow capacity. We have been inundated with enquiries from all over the world as soon as we launched the product, so clearly the demand for such an innovative solution is there.
Other products are also currently performing strongly as different countries are coming out of their respective lockdowns. One particular high point being our range of Unstable Detonation Flame Arresters where Elmac has a strong competitive advantage with market leading flow vs pressure drop performance. Finally, the innovative Pressure/Vacuum Relief Valves and Emergency Relief Vents range is popular especially in the Middle East and America where the Oil & Gas Bulk Storage sector is gearing up for the months ahead in terms of increased capacity.
We have been resilient in these troubled times and we acknowledge that market uncertainty is a major factor for our sector. We expect to see some market consolidation, but we are confident that we will come out of this in a strong position with our latest product innovation, in-house team expertise and ever-expanding worldwide network of agents and service partners.”