16.12.2011

Largest wire rope factory in the world?

Wire rope manufacturer Bridon International is investing £30 million in a new plant in Tyneside, UK.

The new facility - which should be fully operational by the end of 2012 - will produce multi-strand ropes in gross package weights of up to 650 tonnes which Bridon claims makes it the largest and most complex in the world.

Key to the site’s capacity is its unique closer machine which is used to draw together thousands of wire strands into a single rope. Bridon’s closer is the first of its kind capable of making a 600 tonne rope in a single pass, enabling the production of longer and higher capacity ropes in a single piece and avoiding the need for multiple passes.

Bridon Neptune Quay’s closer also boasts 24 bobbins (15 and 38 tonne capacity), giving it the ability to make far more complex ropes than ever before. Up until now, closers capable of producing very large ropes have typically had no more than eight bobbins.

The facility’s deep-water portside location will also allow Bridon to reduce delivery timescales and order lead times for customers.
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Jon Templeman, chief executive of the Bridon Group

“The ropes produced at this state of the art facility will expand the boundaries of the possible for customers across the sector,” said Jon Templeman, chief executive of the Bridon Group. “Bridon Neptune Quay has been built to help us solve our customers’ most significant technological challenges - whether it is reaching new depths off the coast of Brazil, or operating in some of the most challenging environmental conditions on earth.”

“This factory, which is the most advanced of its kind ever built, is a crucial part of Bridon’s work to become the global technology leader in wire and rope solutions for crane applications.”

The development has been awarded a grant from the UK government's Regional Growth Fund.

Deputy prime minister Nick Clegg added: “Bridon is a global technology leader in the manufacturing of steel and wire rope and this state-of-the-art facility can be a valuable asset in strengthening the local and regional economy. We’ll be proud to see the facility furthering the region’s reputation as a global manufacturing base.”