Friction welder scoops Queen's Award for Enterprise

The accolade caps a record-breaking year for global sales of its friction welding machines. The Halesowen-based manufacturer has increased overseas business by 163% in the last three years, equivalent to more than £6.5 million of exports. In the last 12 months, Thompson generated its best-ever order income, and sales enquiries to date are already up 200% on 2008. "Our people are the most important part of our business. The professionalism, dedication and pride shown by our team have made the company what it is today. We continue to flourish because we listen to our customers and then produce innovative solutions based on their requirements," said Alan Shilton, Thompson's managing director. The company claims its 'Buy British' philosophy is also an important factor in its success - 90% of goods and services being purchased in the UK, with two-thirds of the total placed with suppliers in the West Midlands. "From the company's inception, we realised that to be successful, our supplier base needed to thrive too. Our vision is that of nurturing a group of businesses close to where we are based," added Mr Shilton. The prestigious award coincides with the launch of a new generation of Thompson machines, which are set to transform the manufacture of a wide range of components and involves a welding operation that has only previously been used by a handful of jet engine makers. Thompson claims its new E100 machine (pictured) has already set a new record for the largest-ever weld by rapidly joining a 10,000 sq mm titanium component using the linear friction welding process, surpassing the previous milestone believed to be around 5,500 sq mm. According to Thompson, the E100 offers a wide range of substantial benefits for component makers. For instance, in the aerospace sector, parts are traditionally machined down from solid billets whereas the linear process can be used to 'build up' components, producing savings in machining times and material costs. Previously, friction welding could only be used on joints that had at least one round part, but now Thompson says the method can be used on almost any shape. The advantages of this solid-state process also mean that similar and dissimilar materials such as aluminium and copper can be completely joined.