ROSS Pneumatrol In The News

Brother Japan visits ROSS Pneumatrol

It has been a busy start to the year for everyone at ROSS Pneumatrol. Our Operations Manager, Tommy Cooney and his team have been ensuring their new Brother F600 with Cubebox automation was setup and running. As this is a first for this combination of machines to be setup for Stainless Steel applications in the United Kingdom. Our supplier White House Machine Tools, a dealer for Brother had assisted us during this project for a successful installation. We were happy to host the Brother global team who wanted to see how their technology was helping us produce high quality solenoid valves and the overall benefit of their machinary to us as a business.

Cleaner and Greener packaging...

As part of our continuous improvement steps, we looked at how to improve our carbon footprint. One step identified was replacing all plastic packaging with recyclable materials. Partnering with a supplier that would help us introduce this successfully was important. We were happy with the service received from www.belmontpackaging.co.uk. We are happy to say we will no longer be using plastic in our packaging but instead use packaging made from an FSC-certified board which is made from a minimum of 70% recycled paper from sustainable forests and obviously they are all 100% recyclable. Further to the above we have also ensured the tape we use is a paper-based product that is biodegradable. We hope all our partners see the value in making all the changes possible to ensure a greener and cleaner future for generations to come.

Supporting our local community

At ROSS Pneumatrol Ltd we understand the importance of supporting our local community. This year our team agreed that we wanted to do something different than just our usual financial donation. Therefore we are proud to announce that we organised a Volunteer Day and we sent three of our Senior Leadership team to spend the day helping and supporting the team at The Blackburn Foodbank. Supported by the Trussel Trust and local donations from Schools, Businesses, Supermarkets and the General Public, the team at The Blackburn Foodbank provides a welcoming & fantastic service to local people and families. We sent Jamie, Tommy and Zoe to get ‘hands-on’ and help prepare food parcels ready for collection. During their time at The Blackburn Foodbank, our team learned how valuable contributions are, these contributions are reaching directly to local people in need. Following our team's experience at The Blackburn Foodbank our Senior Management team has agreed that we will repeat our Volunteer days in 2024 and open up the opportunity for some of our employees to go down and get involved. As our team has returned with valuable ideas then next we will start to organise our in-house collection led by ROSS Pneumatrol Employees. The contributions collected will then be topped up by a financial contribution from ROSS Pneumatol which we look forward to passing on to the team at The Blackburn Foodbank. If any other local people or businesses would like to drop off a food-based donation then please pop into our Main Reception & we will be more than happy to deliver it to the team at The Blackburn Foodbank for you. We look forward to keeping everyone updated with our next steps …

Latest Process Solenoid Valve Solutions at DIAM & DDM Germany

ROSS Europa & ROSS Pneumatrol Ltd will showcase their latest solenoid valve solutions in Germany during the DIAM & DDM trade fair. The show occurs at Globana Trade Center on the 14th and 15th of June 2023. The show offers expertise in industrial fittings, drive technology, automation technology, sealing technology, plant technology, Service and maintenance, and accessories. Our expert team will be there ready to help you with solenoid valve solutions and machine safety products on stand FF46. For further information on pneumatic safety products speak to our team about the best solutions for your applications. Ask about our certified hazardous area solenoids, for EXD Flameproof and EXIA intrinsically safe solutions.

Clear Sights on the UK Pneumatic Wiper Market

During the month of May, our team went to our French Partner BROT Technologies who have been in partnership with ROSS Pneumatrol Ltd for over 20 years. ROSS Pneumatrol Ltd has been selling and supporting BROT pneumatic wiper systems for the rail sector in the United Kingdom and Ireland. This meeting highlighted the latest trends in the market. BROT Technologies’ advancements in its product offerings clearly exceed all relevant standards and market requirements. For further information on this contact ROSS Pneumatrol Ltd. BROT Technologies have been selling and supporting the ROSS Pneumatrol Rail Brush, the Rail Brush is used for track cleaning/conditioning and is capable of being fitted to trams, metro, tube and mainline trains for both running rails and third/fourth rail applications.

Rail Sector Brochure

We are pleased to announce we have a new rail sector brochure, which covers all the products we sell into the rail sector. Please contact us for further details.

UKCA

We are pleased to announce as of the 1st November all our products will be UKCA marked. For more information please contact us at techsales@rosspneumatrol.com

We are Pleased to Announce the Appointment of Two UK Authorised Stockists to Help Strengthen our UK Market

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Valve & Process Solutions and Powerite (division of Kinetrol) as the UK authorised stockists for the Ross Pneumatrol range of solenoid valves. Both companies will be holding extensive stock to support our UK installed product base and will be able to offer quick turnaround and technical advice on the product range.

Process Sector Brochure

We are pleased to launch our new 2022 catalogue for the process sector. Safety and reliability are at the core of every Pneumatrol product, being certified to all of the most stringent industry standards. At the same time, being part of the ROSS Controls group has enabled Pneumatrol to draw on ROSS expertise to rapidly bring new products to the market. This brochure covers a range of our products suitable for the process industry: Namur Mount Valves, Remote Mount Valves, Helis High Flow Valves, Modular Redundancy Control Systems, Banjo Mount, Manifold Solutions, Linear Valve Actuator, and Safety Valves.

Pneumatrol Celebrates Apprentice Award

Tom Stokes in his first year of training at Training 2000 has won the award for the Most Improved Apprentice 2017. We are very pleased Tom has won this award, as the effort and enthusiasm he puts in both at college and at work deserves to be recognised. He regularly achieves merits and distinctions at college and performs to a very high level here at Pneumatrol. Comments from Training 2000: “A great credit to himself and Pneumatrol. A worthy winner” “Tom has produced some excellent work this term and deserves his well-earned distinction”. “Tom has shown a desire to achieve and works hard”. David Bond, Operations Manager of Pneumatrol commented, “Well done Tom and deserved recognition for your efforts. Keep up the good work.”.

The Pneumatrol Rail Brush Won the “Innovation Award”

The Pneumatrol Rail Brush won the ‘Innovation Award’ in the infrastructure category at the Railtech exhibition held in Utrecht, The Netherlands, March 2017. The Pneumatrol Rail Brush – working in partnership with AFT Pneumotion The Rail Brush is a rail head conditioning system to clean rail lines. It comprises a 63 mm bore air operated single acting spring return cylinder with a brush head consisting of spring steel tines attached to the piston rod. It is bogie mounted with height adjustment to accommodate wear of the brush lines. In response to a signal from the drivers cab, compressed air enters the cylinder extending the Rail Brush vertically downwards onto the rail. The force and scraping action of the tines cleans the rail. When the signal from the drivers cab is removed it allows the Rail Brush to fully spring retract clear of the rail. The Rail Brush clears the rail of compressed leaves, ice, sleet, snow, sand, grease, oil, diesel, rust, water and other debris. It improves adhesion of wheel to rail, braking efficiency and helps to avoid wheel-slide, and acceleration efficiency and helps to avoid wheel-spin. The Rail Brush helps to prevent increased stopping distances and delays, enables track circuits to work more effectively, and helps to prevent signals passed at danger (SPADS) and station overruns.

Pneumatrol Appoints AFT Pneumotion as Dutch Distributor

As a key part of its business development strategy, Pneumatrol Limited, the Lancashire-based specialist manufacturer of pneumatic control products for use within both hazardous and safe area environments, has recently finalised an agreement with AFT Pneumotion to bring its products to the Dutch market. For over 50 years Pneumatrol has developed the technical and manufacturing expertise together with the market knowledge to meet the demands of the Process, Rail and Industrial market sectors. The core product range of solenoid valves is standard specification within many world class companies. Pneumatrol also designs and manufactures piston linear actuators and control systems for most of the major process valve manufacturers and distributors. AFT Pneumotion designs and delivers effective and reliable solutions for industrial automation, in the fields of pneumatics, vacuum and hydraulics. The company is dedicated to providing first class products and solutions to its customers. The Pneumatrol range will enhance the product offering for their customer base especially in the Petro Chemical, Chemical and Oil and Gas markets. Richard Over, Business Development Manager of Pneumatrol comments, “Our strategy is to develop new business on a global basis within the Process Automation Sector. The Dutch market is a very important market for us and we are very pleased to have appointed AFT Pneumotion as our Dutch distributor to develop our export sales.” John de Kom, Director of AFT Pneumotion adds, “Pneumatrol has a great reputation for its product quality. We are delighted that Pneumatrol has chosen AFT Pneumotion as its strategic partner for the Dutch market and we look forward to a very successful ongoing business relationship.”

New Appointment For Pneumatrol

Pneumatrol Limited, the Lancashire-based specialist manufacturer of pneumatic control products for use within both hazardous and safe area environments, is very pleased to announce the appointment of Richard Over as Business Development Manager. Richard has more than 25 years of global knowledge and experience within a variety of industry sectors including the Process Automation and Energy markets, for the promotion and sales of solenoid valves, pneumatic control equipment and instrumentation products. He previously worked for IMI Precision Engineering (Norgren Limited) in a similar role. “This is a very important sales role for Pneumatrol, Richard has historically achieved great success in developing significant new business on a global basis within the Process Automation and Energy market sectors, he will focus on gaining new business through predominantly new export customers. Richard’s appointment demonstrates our commitment to invest in the business in order to achieve our strategic objective of international sales growth,” comments Andy Nash, Sales & Marketing Director for Pneumatrol.

Pneumatrol Stands Out at Valve World Expo Asia

Lancashire-based specialist manufacturer Pneumatrol Limited has recently showcased its products at Valve World Expo Asia 2015, which was held on September 23 and 24 in the Suzhou International Expo CWith a great success developed over the years, the biannual Valve World Expo has become an event with significant importance for valve professionals from all over the world to update their knowledge of valve applications in a variety of industries such as chemical, petrochemical, power generation, oil & gas and process industries. Located on stand 528, Pneumatrol has presented its core product range of solenoid valves for use within hazardous and safe area environments, alongside linear valve actuators complete with integrated control package. Andy Nash, Sales & Marketing Director of Pneumatrol, comments, “The Chinese market has significant potential for our products especially within the Process sector. During the last 18 months, we have worked closely with our business partner in China – Shenzhen Auto-Valve to develop our market presence. We are very pleased that we have achieved a great attendance record and received tremendous interest over the two-day period at this event. I have great confidence in our business growth in China, which forms a very important part of our business strategy.”enter in Suzhou, China.

Video Report of Pneumatrol’s Partnership with WNT

James Brankin, Process & Improvement Engineer, was interviewed by MTD to report on the recent improvements Pneumatrol has achieved via partnership with WNT.

Cutting Tool Training Pays Dividends at Pneumatrol

Established over 50 years ago Lancashire-based Pneumatrol has become a leading manufacturer and solution provider of pneumatic and electro-magnetic valves, with customers across the globe using its products across the Process, Rail, Energy and Industrial market sectors. Like many companies with such a history Pneumatrol employs a mix of skilled people, ranging from highly experienced setters, through adult NVQ trainees, to young apprentices. Each of these groups has a different approach to the application of cutting tools, so the decision was taken to bring them all together for an intense training session provided by WNT (UK). To ensure that it meets the demands of its global customer base Pneumatrol has a policy of ongoing training as an integral part of its business model. During a review of its machining processes it came to light that much of the application knowledge of the older skilled setters needed updating, and concerns were raised that the younger apprentices were not being taught the best way to utilise modern cutting tools. The solution was to work with WNT (UK) to provide up to date knowledge of cutting data for all staff responsible for programming and setting the various turning and machining centres. “Bringing all of our people together at the same time enabled WNT to present the training in a structured way, which made perfect sense to us. The result is that we are already seeing the benefits,” says Paul Brammer, Pneumatrol’s Machine Shop Manager. The initial training, with further sessions planned for the future, consisted of a full day session splitting into two groups at Pneumatrol’s factory. As a starting point the groups worked through the WNT catalogue, gaining an insight into the vast amount of cutting data that is available there. This was followed by more detailed specific examples, using Pneumatrol’s own products to see how the cutting data could be improved. “This type of training is typical of what we can provide to customers,” says Adrian Fitts, WNT’s Business Development Manager. “What we often find is that customers fall into a routine of using cutting data that they are familiar with, they therefore miss out on the productivity gains that can be achieved through correct application of these modern tools. However, by working with them on specific training initiatives, like at Pneumatrol, or on case-by-case applications, we often find that they can make significant productivity gains. These gains have a positive effect on their tooling budgets and can free up valuable machine time, reduce overtime costs and, of course improve profitability for our customers.” Since the training day Pneumatrol has started working through its portfolio of pneumatic valves and reviewing all of the cutting data, the results so far have generated significant savings in both consumable tooling costs and more specifically cycle times. “Our first task was to look at specific long-running jobs and without changing any of the tools that we use, simply looking at the cutting data on these first 12 components we have reduced the average cycle time per component by around 84 seconds. Given the volumes involved that equates to almost 1800 hours/year saving, simply by applying the optimum cutting speeds and feeds,” says Paul Brammer. The task now is to work through the rest of Pneumatrol’s catalogue of parts and replicate these savings where possible. The reduction in cycle time is only one part of the benefits gained from the WNT training. Applying the correct cutting data has also seen improved surface finishes, with Paul Brammer explaining that on one part a burnishing operation used to be undertaken, now the finish is to the correct standard after boring. The machine tools are also faring better as they are not working as hard and tool life and swarf control has also improved, reducing consumable costs and also having an impact on the lights out weekend running that Pneumatrol operates. “Our consumable tooling bill has fallen by around 38 per cent since the training thanks to the improved performance of the existing tools. In anyone’s book that has to be deemed a massive success. With the improvements in productivity we are moving closer to our target of becoming World Class in terms of our Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) which is a key performance indicator for Pneumatrol.. While we are using fewer of the existing tools, the success of the training has led us to further review our cutting tool supply and WNT will benefit from increased business as we switch more tools over to WNT. We already purchase a high percentage of our cutting tools from WNT and utilise their tool vending system to maximise availability and cash flow, this will only increase thanks to the gains we are making,” says Paul Brammer.

Fuse Fund Sparks a Bright Future for Engineering Business

Pneumatrol is a specialist manufacturer providing engineered pneumatic solutions for use within hazardous and non-hazardous environments. Pneumatrol is a specialist manufacturer providing engineered pneumatic solutions for use within hazardous and non-hazardous environments. Pneumatrol was founded in April 2013 after purchasing the assets and intellectual property rights of RGS Davis. The management team remains unchanged and Pneumatrol continues to manufacture and supply the complete RGS Davis product range from the existing Oswaldtwistle facility. Having heard about Fuse Fund through Lancashire Business View and Regenerate Pennine Lancashire, they applied for a grant of £45,000. “Using the grant, we have invested in two brand new Haas CNC lathes, and both are installed and operating,” says managing director Jamie Dummer. “We’re investing in enhancing our in-house machining capability, such as increasing the maximum diameter of pneumatic actuators that we are able to manufacture in-house as well as allowing us to complete more of our components in a single operation. “We regard our ability to offer short lead time to our customers as a competitive advantage. And these machines allow us to offer this competitive lead time across a wider range of our products. “We grew our business by 15 per cent last year and we see this rate of growth continuing into the future. This investment both secures existing jobs and will create additional jobs as we grow. “Specifically, we have historically taken on one Apprentice each year. We will be increasing the size of our Apprenticeship Programme by taking on two apprentices per year from this year onwards. “We are proud of the continuous improvements we have achieved, from significant work place improvements in many areas of the factory, through extensive training and investment in our staff, to improved operation processes for planning and controlling our work. “Continuing this process of challenging ourselves to improve relentlessly is core to our future strategy.”

Introducing Our 316 Stainless Steel Solenoid Valves

Pneumatrol manufactures a comprehensive range of solenoid valves in 316 stainless steel*: Namur & Remote mounted: 3/2, 5/2 & 5/3; Port sizes available: 1/8”, ¼”, ½”, and 1”; Extensive range of safe area & hazardous area solenoids: Exia, Exd, Exm, Exme, ExNA. *316 stainless steel refers to valve body material. To find out more, call us today on +44 (0)1254 872277

Pneumatrol Announces 3 Week Lead Time on Namur and Remote Mounted Valves

We are pleased to announce that the most popular variants of our Namur mounted and Remote mounted solenoid valves are now available on a 3 week lead time, which include C15, Reflex, E2318, and E2518. Coil options available include: Safe Area, Exd and Exia. It is our intention to continue to expand the product ranges available on improved lead times in the coming months so please contact our sales office on 01254 872277 to discuss your specific requirements.

Pneumatrol Received Excellence Award from Manufacturers Alliance

Pneumatrol Limited, the Lancashire-based specialist manufacturer of pneumatic control products for use within both hazardous and safe area environments, was awarded Member of the Year 2014 by the Manufacturers Alliance in North West. Manufacturers Alliance is a network of leaders and managers in the manufacturing industry sharing their knowledge and experience on how to grow and sustain a high performing business. Pneumatrol was recognised for achieving the most significant progress towards Operational Excellence during 2014. While presenting Jamie Dummer with the certificate of Excellence Award (in picture), Gary Sheader, Group Chairman of Manufacturers Alliance commented, “Pneumatrol has achieved enormous improvements over the year of 2014 – from significant work place improvements in many areas of the factory, through improved operation processes for planning and controlling their work, to presenting themselves to customers in a much more professional way”. Jamie Dummer, Managing Director of Pneumatrol added, “We are proud of ourselves for what we have achieved in 2014. However we won’t be complacent and in 2015 we will continue the process of undertaking the next changes and improvements to take the business forward.”

Pneumatrol Presents Latest Product Range at Valve World Expo

Pneumatrol will showcase its comprehensive product range to deliver engineered pneumatic solutions for the Process industry on stand B32 in Hall 4 at Valve World Expo 2014, Germany, from 2 -4 December. We will present our core product range of solenoid valves for use within hazardous and safe area environments, alongside linear valve actuators complete with integrated control package. The newly developed 3/2 direct acting valve will also debut at the show. This new valve features a compact size, high flow rate, low power consumption and a range of solenoid options. For more information, or to arrange a stand visit, please contact us by email – marketing@pneumatrol.com

Miconex 2014

We have successfully exhibited our core product ranges at Miconex 2014 in Beijing, China between 23rd to 26th September. China remains one of the strategic markets for us and we are pleased that this show has attracted significant interests in our products.

Pneumatrol Raised Funds in Support of Macmillan

Pneumatrol Limited, the Lancashire-based specialist manufacturer of pneumatic control products for use within both hazardous and safe area environments, has recently raised funds in support of Macmillan Cancer Support. There is a special reason for raising money for Macmillan. The money is raised in memory of Leo, son of our colleague Darren Burrows, who died at the age of five in 2013. Darren’s family received great support from Macmillan which was highly valued. Organised by Liz Smith, our Quality Manager, a successful coffee and cake morning was held for a very worthy cause. The donation of £445 came from employees and doubled by the company. Susan Johnson and Julia Speakman were invited to receive the donation on behalf of Macmillan. Susan commented, “We are pleased we have received numerous donations from East Lancashire community including local businesses. The funds are put back into local community in the form of supporting Macmillan nurses based in the local area.” Managing Director Jamie Dummer added, “As a responsible company, we highly value Macmillan which helps people during their hard time. I’m proud that our employees have the same ethos and support for this good cause.”

Improved Lead Time

We are pleased to announce that the most popular variants of our C15 and Reflex product ranges of Namur standard solenoid valves are now available on a 4 week lead time for small and medium quantities. C15 coil options (with standard voltage) available on this improved lead time include: Safe Area, Exd and Exia. It is our intention to continue to expand the product ranges available on improved lead times in the coming months so please contact our sales office on 01254 872277to discuss your specific requirements.

Pneumatrol Launches New Valve Catalog

Pneumatrol Limited, the Lancashire-based specialist manufacturer of pneumatic control products for use within both hazardous and safe area environments, has launched a new product catalogue that provides a comprehensive overview of the company and its valve and solenoid ranges. The catalogue offers extensive technical information on its products, such as valve port connection size, working pressure, Cv factor, etc. It also provides useful technical reference including hazardous area zone classifications and product marking explanation. To help users choose the desired product, this user-friendly catalogue features a colour coded part number section which is easy for users to follow. The 112-page publication highlights Pneumatrol’s capability to offer complete solution to its customers, including but not limited to product design, project consultation, technical support and distribution of products. You can download the electronic version at Pneumatrol website or request a hard copy by contacting the sales office at 01254 872277.

Pneumatrol to Showcase Core Solenoid Valve Range and Linear Valve Actuator at Miconex China

Pneumatrol Limited, a specialist manufacturer of pneumatic control products, will join forces with its China distribution agent – Shenzhen Auto-Valve Ltd to exhibit on stand B067 at the Miconex 2014 event. Miconex is a leading fair for measuring instruments and automation. The event brings in exhibitors from different parts of the world manufacturing products related to this industry. It will be held at China International Exhibition Centre in Beijing, China, from 23-26 September 2014. Pneumatrol will be showcasing its solenoid valves for use within hazardous and safe area environments as well as a linear valve actuator complete with integrated control package. For more information, or to arrange a stand visit, please contact us by email – marketing@pneumatrol.com

First E-Newsletter

As part of our communications strategy to our valued customers, we are pleased to launch ‘Pneumatrol Newsletter’ which will continue to be issued on a future regular basis. We hope you will find this newsletter informative and enjoyable to read. If you haven’t received the newsletter and wish to do so in the future, please send your request to marketing@pneumatrol.com

Pneumatrol Gains Nepsi Approval

Adding to its already extensive range of approvals, Pneumatrol has recently gained NEPSI approvals for its hazardous area solenoids – Intrinsically Safe (Exia) and Flameproof (Exd). NEPSI is short for National Supervision and Inspection Centre for Explosion Protection and Safety of Instrumentation in China. It performs explosion protection certification in accordance with corresponding standards and issues Explosion Protection Certificate of Conformity on government’s authorisation. NEPSI approval is widely accepted and an increasing number of companies are now adopting a policy of using NEPSI approved products in China. With the addition of these approvals, Pneumatrol is now in a very good position for trading in China and other areas of Asia where NEPSI is recognised and required. Over the years, Pneumatrol has developed its core product range of hazardous area solenoids (ExnA, Exm, Exme, Exd and Exia) which are available with various international approvals – ATEX, FM, CSA, UL and GOST-R. Intrinsically safe (Exia) solenoids are available in different construction variants – terminal box, in-line connector, flying lead, plug and socket, or stainless steel terminal box. Flameproof and encapsulated (Exd) solenoids come with stainless steel terminal box construction. Liz Smith, Quality Manager of Pneumatrol and a qualified Six Sigma Black Belt, commented, “Pneumatrol always puts quality first. The management team strongly believe that the ethos of “no-compromise-on-quality” will lead the company to new heights. We work to ensure that our products are compliant with the latest international approvals, which forms an important part of our business strategy to significantly grow export markets.”

Local MP Impressed with Lancashire Based Pneumatic Controls Engineering Company

Graham Jones MP has taken the opportunity to visit Pneumatrol Limited, the Lancashire-based specialist manufacturer of pneumatic control products for use within both hazardous and safe area environments. He was “very impressed” with its business strategy for growth and its investment in apprentices. For over 50 years Pneumatrol has developed the technical and manufacturing expertise together with the market knowledge necessary to meet the demands of the Process, Rail, Energy and Industrial market sectors. Shenzhen Auto-Valve Controls Company Ltd. was founded in 2005, with strong expertise within the automatic valve control industry. The company is dedicated to providing first class products and solutions to its customers. A flexible approach and superb customer service are the key elements of its corporate strategy. Auto-Valve has gained a great reputation by successfully serving the Natural Gas, Power and Petrochemical sectors in China. At a time of contraction for many businesses, Pneumatrol has decided to take on new challenges by growing into further international markets. Andy Nash, Sales Director of Pneumatrol, commented: “Following a strategic review of the business in 2013, we have elected to develop our business further into the Chinese market which has significant potential for our products especially within the Process and Energy sectors. We design and manufacture a wide range of pneumatic and electro-pneumatic products – standard and bespoke – to meet our customers’ requirements. Growing export sales into China, is a very important part of our business strategy and I have great confidence in this new joint venture.” Ryan Wang, Managing Director of Auto-Valve Controls Co Ltd. also added: “British products have a great reputation in China, not only because of its solid build quality, but also the advanced industry standards. We are delighted that Pneumatrol has chosen Auto-Valve Controls as its strategic partner for the Chinese market and we look forward to a very successful ongoing business relationship.”

Pneumatrol Determined to Grow Internationally

As a key part of its business development strategy, Pneumatrol Limited, a North West based specialist manufacturer of pneumatic control products for use within both hazardous and safe area environments, has recently finalised an agreement with Shenzhen Auto-Valve Controls Company Ltd. to bring its products to the Chinese market. For over 50 years Pneumatrol has developed the technical and manufacturing expertise together with the market knowledge necessary to meet the demands of the Process, Rail, Energy and Industrial market sectors. Shenzhen Auto-Valve Controls Company Ltd. was founded in 2005, with strong expertise within the automatic valve control industry. The company is dedicated to providing first class products and solutions to its customers. A flexible approach and superb customer service are the key elements of its corporate strategy. Auto-Valve has gained a great reputation by successfully serving the Natural Gas, Power and Petrochemical sectors in China. At a time of contraction for many businesses, Pneumatrol has decided to take on new challenges by growing into further international markets. Andy Nash, Sales Director of Pneumatrol, commented: “Following a strategic review of the business in 2013, we have elected to develop our business further into the Chinese market which has significant potential for our products especially within the Process and Energy sectors. We design and manufacture a wide range of pneumatic and electro-pneumatic products – standard and bespoke – to meet our customers’ requirements. Growing export sales into China, is a very important part of our business strategy and I have great confidence in this new joint venture.” Ryan Wang, Managing Director of Auto-Valve Controls Co Ltd. also added: “British products have a great reputation in China, not only because of its solid build quality, but also the advanced industry standards. We are delighted that Pneumatrol has chosen Auto-Valve Controls as its strategic partner for the Chinese market and we look forward to a very successful ongoing business relationship.”