MSA Engineering Systems Limited are proud to announce that we are winners of our second Queen’s Award for Enterprise: Innovation 2017. The award was announced on 21 April 2017, on the birthday of Her Majesty The Queen. Two company representatives will attend a Winners Reception held by Her Majesty The Queen at Buckingham Palace in July 2017.
MSA won it’s first Queens Award for Innovation in 2006, and has continued to develop it’s product range since, pioneering wire laying methods for the production of electrofusion fittings. Over the years MSA has gained a worldwide reputation for superior quality and highly flexible wire laying systems for the production of electrofusion fittings, which are protected by International Patents.
Background:
When water and gas pipes require joining (to other pipes and to other accessories) a technique called electrofusion is used. An Electrofusion Fitting has an embedded heating coil (of wire) which is placed over two thermoplastic pipes (as a sleeve) and is energised to melt the plastic of the pipes and corresponding fitting, fusing them together.
Wire Laying:
The traditional electrofusion fitting manufacturing process is overly complex and can have quality issues. MSA Engineering Systems has created an innovative wire laying system for installing heating wires into curved surfaces for the production of electrofusion saddle fittings, overcoming the limitations of traditional manufacturing methods. The same electrofusion wire laying principle can be applied in cylindrical parts to manufacture electrofusion fittings for large diameter pipelines, or specialist smaller electrofusion fittings. For fitting producers this has resulted in a higher quality product, lower manufacturing costs and the ability to make special parts that previously were not possible. Downstream pipeline installers can benefit from reduced installation time leading to improved continuity of gas and water supply for end users. For the company itself, turnover has increased by 92% over the past two years, an increase that is almost entirely attributable to sales of the innovation.