Encouraging its engineers to attain Chartered Engineer status through the IMechE is playing an important role in SC Group’s successful diversification strategy into new sectors was the message to the President of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), Prof Richard Folkson, in a visit to the Devon based design and engineering firm yesterday.   Today nearly half the Group’s UK based 30 strong engineering team have Chartered status or are undergoing sponsored registration with the IMechE.  Five years ago there were two.

“Being registered as a Chartered Engineer with the IMechE is an internationally recognised accreditation which is respected across multiple industry sectors.  It provides our new and existing customers with assurance of our high level of professional competency and compliance”, said Steve Austen, FIMechEng, Engineering Director of SC Group and the IMechE Wessex region’s `Engineer of the Year`.

Prof Richard Folkson, President of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, said:

“I am delighted to have the opportunity to meet with the hugely talented engineers at SC Group and to witness some of the cutting-edge innovations the company is developing.

SC Group is a UK manufacturing success story. The equipment and vehicles they are developing are integral to the work of the army, as well as lifeboat rescue teams, and show just how important it is for the UK to have a vibrant and skilled engineering workforce”.

Last year the company rebranded under a new SC Group identity comprising four distinct businesses: Supacat continues as the brand for its core military vehicle business; SC Innovation offers engineering equipment design for diversified sectors such as marine, oil & gas, nuclear and renewables; Proteum for the marine products and services; and Blackhill Engineering brings large fabrication and associated machining.

The President visited the Design Office to meet with the engineering team and then toured the workshops where he inspected Supacat’s new Lightweight Reconnaissance Vehicle (LRV400) and SC Innovation’s Lifeboat Launch & Recovery System developed with the RNLI.   The visit concluded at the Test Track where Richard Folkson, a former Chief Engineer for Ford UK, and the IMechE delegation got the chance to test drive the acclaimed `Jackal` and other high mobility vehicles, for which the company is renowned.

Richard Folkson was accompanied on the visit by Ian Parsons, IMechE Western Region Chairman; John Earp, IMechE Devon & Somerset Area Chairman Alan King, IMechE Business Development Manager and Jill Dwyer, IMechE Business Development Executive.

Click here to visit the IMechE website:

https://www.imeche.org/news/news-article/chartered-engineer-registrations-supports-sc-group-expansion-into-new-markets-hears-imeche-president-in-visit-to-devon-engineering-group

 

Ellen Rodger has joined SC Innovation to lead business development and strategic growth in the Energy sector for the Devon based Design and Engineering firm. Her role is to build strong relationships with new and existing customers for the company’s innovative engineering and design solutions for the renewables, nuclear and oil & gas sectors.

Ellen joins from Exeter based renewable energy company, Sungift Solar, where she spent eight years as a Senior Manager and Director. During this time she oversaw the growth of the company to a £10million+ turnover business. In 2013 she won the South West IOD Young Director of the Year award and in 2015 the South West Inspirational Woman of the Year Venus award.  In her spare time she is a volunteer Watch Leader for the Tall Ships Youth Trust.

“We are delighted to welcome someone of Ellen’s calibre to SC Innovation where her Energy sector experience and impressive track record in growing new business will be invaluable in driving forward our expansion into new markets”, said Joe Wilcox, Head of SC Innovation.

Over the last decade the company has become a world leader in developing bespoke handling and support equipment to operate in harsh environments and has recently been granted Fit for Nuclear status by the NAMRC. Projects include developing the Shannon Class Lifeboat Launch System with the RNLI, the SMV24 Multi-purpose vessel, a vehicle for protecting crew operating in hazardous Oil & Gas fields and building the BOLT 2 Wave Energy Converter for Fred Olsen.

OXE Diesel, the world’s first commercially available high power diesel outboard engine, has recently entered service with launch customer Marine Harvest Scotland. The world’s largest Atlantic Salmon producer accepted their first OXE Diesel unit from Proteum, the UK & Ireland distributor for OXE Diesel, for service at a salmon farm in the Hebrides.

The 200HP OXE Diesel has the highest power density of any marine diesel and offers the range and performance to operate in the extreme environments required by commercial operators.

“OXE is proving itself in our trials and has performed well. We operate in remote locations where petrol is expensive so there are significant logistical and cost advantages for us to have the option to operate diesel engines” said Colin Whitehead, Engineering Manager (South), Marine Harvest, which operates some 55 farms in Scotland.”

In addition to coastal fishing, aquaculture and ferry operations, other potential applications for OXE include survey work, emergency services, EEZ protection and other security related operations. As well as offering lower maintenance, longer service life and lower fuel consumption diesel can be safely stored on site and above ground for easy access. Petrol engines are also becoming prohibited on safety grounds in some areas, such as naval applications, where NATO’s single fuel policy to improve safety and interoperability is driving the transition to diesel.

OXE Diesel incorporates a unique self-contained belt propulsor unit (S-BPU) that eliminates the traditional high maintenance bevel gears and transfer shafts by utilising the latest belt drive technology.  It uses a conventional automotive engine block adapted for marine use.  Unlike most outboards OXE is mounted horizontally, which improves reliability and reduces maintenance.

About Proteum

Proteum is part of SC Group’s growing marine business and provides a one-stop-shop in the 200-500hp inboard and outboard propulsion market for commercial, leisure and military users.   It is the UK distributor for MarineDiesel Sweden’s VGT engines and for drive manufacturers, such as Konrad and MSA.   SC Group also owns Poole based BUKH Diesel UK Ltd and distributes BUKH A/S’ SOLAS approved engines and other products in the commercial, leisure and safety boat market.

Blackhill Engineering have an exciting and informative new brochure.

To view the brochure, please follow this link:

https://blackhillengineering.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2015/09/2016-Blackhill-Brochure.pdf

Please click the link below to read an interesting article on planned diversification within SC Group, published today in Insider Media.

https://www.insidermedia.com/insider/southwest/sc-group-targeting-diversification?utm_source=southwest_newsletter&utm_campaign=southwest_news_tracker&utm_medium=top_story_article