Friction welder notches up £5 million in orders
Friction welding technology specialist Thompson, Halesowen, has secured £5 million worth of new business recently.
The figure relates to seven new friction welding machines from many of the top international makers of construction machine components, including Caterpillar.
The machines, made at Thompson’s manufacturing facilities in Hereward Rise and Chancel Way, are specially designed to friction weld a variety of hydraulic cylinder piston rods in a wide range of diameters from 20-130 mm.
Four of the machines have been supplied to customers in Europe, the United States and the Far East including two Caterpillar plants. The remainder will shortly be delivered to manufacturers based in South America and Asia.
Established since the early 1960s, Thompson employs 100 staff at its two sites in Halesowen and has an annual turnover of around £20 million. It produces a range of friction welding machines for component manufacturers in the aerospace, automotive and oil exploration industries.
