Personal Attention From Start To Finish

How St Clare Engineering ensures high quality for every product We are proud that every piece of Grab-O-Matic drum handling equipment from St Clare Engineering is built and tested by a trained expert. From drum handling forklift truck attachments to pedestrian lifting equipment, special modifications to bespoke equipment, members of our team take responsibility for ensuring that every product is properly built and tested. In this blog we’ll take a look at how a drum handler is built at our manufacturing site in Hampshire, UK. Introducing Bailey Mead, Specialist Lifting Equipment Engineer Bailey is a key member of our team. He joined St Clare Engineering as an apprentice, and has worked his way through to gain the qualifications and experience needed to work in this family business, where our small team are hand-picked for their understanding, expertise and attention to detail. It’s a great place to work, says Bailey. I build any piece of drum handling equipment from scratch, taking it right through every step: from raw materials to testing, including packaging for delivery to our customers. That personal control over every aspect of fabrication gives our customers confidence that St Clare Engineering products are the best! Starting from raw materials Grab-O-Matic drum handling forklift truck attachments start out as mild or stainless steel, delivered in a range of shapes and sizes – Bailey is also responsible for stocktaking to ensure everything is to hand. The metal must first be cut down to size, then is drilled or ‘prepped’. At this stage edges may be rounded or sanded to remove sharp burrs, and cuts or holes made ready for fabrication. Fabrication of drum handling attachments Like a seamstress trying out the pattern for a dress, Bailey will then ‘tack’ the drum handling product together using small tack welds. At this stage the product can be checked to ensure that everything fits together and will work perfectly. Managing Director Andy Bow is always on hand to oversee the manufacture of his equipment and will often pop over to share tips and discuss processes with Bailey, especially if they are working on modifications or bespoke lifting equipment. Bailey then welds the product together to produce a high quality, strong piece of drum handling equipment that will last for many years. Post-fabrication Welding creates a ‘spatter’ on the surface of the product, as though hailstones have fallen. So, Bailey first cleans up the metal and then puts the equipment through testing. We always test products to ensure they meet (and usually exceed) specifications, says Bailey. For drum grabbing equipment we select the precise style, shape and weight of the customer’s drum and carry out rigorous testing. Tests for the gripping heads will involve a pull-test which confirms that they can grip and pull to an appropriate level of torque, achieving upwards of 1500kg. Customers may demand further tests, too. For example, where drum handling equipment is designated for use with nuclear waste, we outsource non-destructive iron filing and die-penetration tests to a specialist company. We do whatever is needed to ensure that our drum handling equipment will be fit for purpose, whatever the end use.