News

Meet Darren Martin – HMD Kontro Global Product Line Manager

Darren has recently taken on the new role of Global Product Line Manager for our  sealless pumps, where he is putting his proactive skills to good effect and developing sound product marketing plans and strategies.

Working closely with Sundyne’s global sales team, Darren’s responsibilities include the identification of new market and product opportunities, based on feedback from territory customers and channels. He is then involved in the development of new and upgraded products right through to their release and launch, taking full ownership of the product in terms of its range, pricing and market requirements plus promotion.

Key to his role is building relationships, as interaction is necessary with all facets including the Sundyne Chemical & Industrial and Oil & Gas business teams as well as with the HMD plant at Eastbourne, where Darren is based, New Product Development, Marketing (with Calibre), Finance, the Supply Chain and the Senior Leadership Teams.

Darren has worked with the company in various business development roles.   In his spare time, Darren likes to play golf and he also enjoys watching sports, particularly football.

To contact Darren please call on + 44 (0) 7432 723984 or email darren.martin@sundyne.com

50 & 30 Year Very Long Service Awards at HMD Kontro

We are extremely proud of our team and we are always keen to recognise and congratulate any of our staff who reach long service milestones. This month Richard Baxter and Mick McVay received their very impressive Long Service Recognition certificates for having worked 50 and 30 years respectively at HMD Kontro.

Richard joined us 50 years ago on 20th March 1970 as a Trainee Apprentice and, at the time earned the princely sum of 3 shillings and 10 pennies (19 pence) per hour and 15 days annual holiday. The UK was very different back then with minimal technology, children playing in the streets and the fashion was flared trousers and platform shoes.

At the age of 17, Richard was keen to go to college part time and there he completed his C&G in Mechanical Engineering. Richard still enjoys his job at HMD Kontro, but has reduced to 4 days per week, so that he can spend more time with his wife, Lynne.

Mick joined on 26th March 1990 as a Centre Lathe Turner with a starting salary of £9,500 and has steadily progressed his career with HMD Kontro. Born a US citizen, Mick came to the UK in 1968 in his teenage years and attended school in Wiltshire. Mick lives in Eastbourne and is married to Jane and has 2 daughters. He passed the stringent, “Life in the UK” test and became a Brit in 2017 with HMD honoured to support him.

Both Richard and Mick received their Long Service Recognition certificates as well as bubbly, cake and a beautiful bouquet for their wives.  We thank them for their dedicated service to HMD Kontro.

Sundyne LMV 801 Pump Upgrade

Sealed 2 Sealless to Meet Emissions Regulations

With ever more stringent emissions regulations, including those from such bodies as the EPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency) a simple way to meet these increasingly difficult requirements, while also improving worker and site safety, is to replace existing mechanically sealed pumps and systems with leak-free- sealless magnetic drive pumps.  For vertical pump applications, including those to API 685, the LMV 801S provides an excellent alternative, which can often easily be installed into existing pipework.

Sealless pumps completely contain the liquid with no opportunity for leaks or emissions.  Maintenance is minimised and uptime is maximised plus there are no seals to replace and/or seal systems to replenish.  For particularly hazardous liquids, such as HF alkalis, secondary control and containment options can be incorporated and alternative materials used in the pump’s construction.

Convert Existing LMV 801 Pumps to Sealless Alternative

The LMV801S is dimensionally interchangeable with the Sundyne LMV 801 mechanical sealed pumps (which cannot be upgraded due to space constraints that prevent the use of an alternative cartridge seal).  It can be easily connected to existing pipework and foundations making an upgrade possible without the need for modification.  The LMV801S can also be used to upgrade from VIP 801 canned motor pumps.

A plug-in version of the pump is also available enabling the existing LMV 801 casing and diffuser to be left in the pipeline whilst replacing the mechanical seal drive with a sealless drive end.  The LMV 801S is also a popular choice to replace other existing vertical sealed pumps and canned motor pumps.

Click here to see the LMV801S Data Sheet

For more information about the LMV 801 and to find out about upgrading your existing pump, please contact us on +44 (0) 1323 452000 or email info@hmdkontro.com

The Sealless API Pump Solution

The HMD Kontro GSP heavy-duty API magnetic drive, end suction centrifugal pumps comply with specifications required by the oil, gas, petroleum and heavy chemical industries. Typically, the GSP range is used in toxic, aggressive, hot, crystallising and high value processes.

As with all HMD Kontro sealless pumps, the GSP range eliminate leaks for enhanced safety and environmental protection plus reduces servicing, maintenance and spare parts inventory to maximise process uptime, with no seals or seal support systems resulting in substantial cost savings over sealed alternatives.

The core GSP pump line consists of sealless horizontally mounted pumps covering a comprehensive hydraulic range split across four frame sizes with a number of synchronous magnet drives rated to match prime mover performance.  A corresponding range of torque ring drives is available for high temperature operation and recent developments include:

 

  • High Pressure – HPGSPCapable of easily handling system pressures up to 185 bar and higher dependent upon temperature extremes.

 

  • Vertical – GSPV:  Vertically mounted pumps providing all the benefits of a sealless pump in a compact package, requiring minimal floor space.

 

  •  Low Flow – GSPLF:  A low flow sealless pump with a relatively high head capability, combining Sundyne Barske Wheel hydraulics with the HMD Kontro magnetic drive.

 

  • Multi-Stage – GSPXAvailable in two or three stages with two diffuser based hydraulic options, to produce higher differential pressures.

 

  • Vertical Low Flow – LMV 801S:  A vertical variation of the GSPLF, the LMV 801S is conveniently dimensionally interchangeable with the Sundyne LMV 801 mechanical seal pump.

 

If you are searching for an API pump with total product containment, please contact us on +44 (0) 1323 452000 or email info@hmdkontro.com

Continuing Operations & Support

While Staying Safe & Secure

Our team continues to offer full support to our customers to reduce the impact of COVID-19 on their businesses.  We are pleased to confirm that we have signed the UK ​Government’s Secure Workplace Pledge which confirms that HMD Kontro ​has:

  • Undertaken a COVID-19 risk assessment and shared the results with the team.
  • Introduced procedures for cleaning, hand washing and hygiene in line with guidance.
  • Taken all reasonable steps to maintain a two metre distance in the workplace
  • Where people cannot be two metres apart, we have introduced practical steps to manage and reduce the risk of transmission.
  • Taken all reasonable steps to help people work from home.

By taking these measures, we are very much open for business.  Using digital technology our team will quickly respond to enquiries, orders and administration.

We thank you for your continued support in these challenging times and look forward to working with you and providing all your sealless pump requirements.

Please call +44 (0)1323 452000 or email:

Customer Support: customersupport@sundyne.com

Pump Enquires: HMDPumps@sundyne.com

Part Sales: HMDParts@sundyne.com

Emergency Hotline Telephone No +44 (0) 7789 171645

Take a Test Drive of our GT

Available for Immediate Trial or Supply

Thanks to a change in circumstances, we have an extensive stock of component parts from which we can build up to forty of our popular, small in size – big on performance General Transfer pump.

As with a GT car, you can take a test drive!  Our stock means that we will be happy to build up a pump to your application and supply on a trial basis to your plant.  Alternatively, if you have an immediate requirement, and speed is of the essence, these pumps can be quickly supplied to you on a short lead time.

If you would like to see how sealless pumps perform, then this is your perfect opportunity.  You can experience the benefits of putting a GT on your fleet and seeing the many advantages of a magnetic drive pump.

The GT has been specifically designed as a compact, cost-effective and minimum maintenance pump. Sized below ASME / ISO dimensions, the GT has a number of features, which make it one of the most highly competitive pumps in its class, thanks to its simplicity of maintenance, space-saving design and interchangeability.

There is maximum interchangeability between spare parts throughout the range and with cartridge assemblies available, the rotating elements can be replaced quickly and economically. GT pumps are designed to operate in temperatures ranging from –40°C to +260°C / -40°F to +500°F.

Please contact your local HMD Kontro Channel Partner or call +44 (0)1323 452000 / email info@hmdkontro.com to book a test drive or order.

CS Magnetic Torque Ring Upgrade

 

The upgrade of the outer magnet ring on the CS pump range offers significant advances in magnetic coupling robustness leading to increased MTBF (mean time between failure), reduced downtime / increased uptime and increased operational efficiency.

 

The retro-fittable outer magnet ring (OMR) provides shielded magnets that retain the same level of performance and eliminate any potential for damage.  The new OMR has improved cyclic thermal duty whilst the identical coupling power produced means that the upgrade maintains similar performance to maintain reliability.

 

The encapsulated magnets on the OMR are made of samarium cobalt and have increased resistance in corrosive applications.  They also provide higher efficiency by reducing slip and improved reliability because no tie bolts are used in the retention of the magnets.

 

This upgrade is straightforward as no specialist tools are required and is recommended as the current magnets used in the CS pump are becoming obsolete and so no longer available as spare parts.

 

With increased safety due to there no longer being a remote possibility for the magnets to come into contact with the containment shell, this upgrade is recommended for all current CS pumps.

 

Download the Torque Ring Upgrade Leaflet for further information or contact our team to discuss how you can upgrade.

Pump Pioneers

Did You Know? HMD Kontro Are The Pioneers Of The Sealless Pump

In 1946, Geoffrey and Charles Howard founded the company, Hydraulic & Mechanical Developments Ltd. and a year later the first sealless magnetic drive pump was pioneered in Eastbourne, East Sussex.

The first electromagnetical sealless pumps were then manufactured for ICI to handle Dowtherm at 300°C. This sealless magnetic drive pump broke new ground in fluid handling technology and today HMD Kontro is globally recognised as the pioneer of sealless pump design, engineering and manufacturing.

Sealless magnetic drive pumps are the first choice for a wide range of applications and particularly for industries involving toxic substances as well as fine, corrosive and aggressive liquids. We hope you like the picture of one of the very first pumps we produced, which is on display in our lobby area at our premises in Eastbourne.

For more information about HMD Kontro and our sealless magnetic drive pumps, please call us on +44 (0)1323 452000 or email us

Summer Holiday Fun Supported by the HMD Kontro Employee Benefits Package

At HMD Kontro, we know that the success of our company is down to the efforts of the whole team. We are therefore delighted that our employees can benefit from discounted Merlin passes, which can be purchased through the Simply Health membership scheme, a staff benefit provided by HMD Kontro.

Amy Stimpson, who works in the finance team at HMD took advantage of this during the long school holidays and she and her family enjoyed a fun packed summer using the discounted passes. Amy, her partner and two young children went on trips to The London Eye, The Shrek Adventure, The London Aquarium, Chessington World of Adventures, Thorpe Park, Alton Towers and Warwick Castle – all of this was for the price of one entry pass per person of £97 instead of the normal £139! Wow!

Amy said that her children enjoyed every second of their visits and were looking forward to more adventures in 2020. Amy is now back at work at HMD Kontro, totally refreshed, following a great time with the family! If you are looking for a career with a great company, check out our Job Vacancies – there might just be something for you. Alternatively, please call +44 (0)1323 452154.

HMD History – Eastbourne & Bred

From Hydraulic & Mechanical Developments to HMD Kontro

With over 70 years of history, it is not surprising that we have an array of achievements behind us and of course many more to come. This week we look at how the name of the company has evolved over the years.  We’ve posted a local picture of Beachy Head and the iconic lighthouse, which we hope you enjoy.

    • 1946 – Geoffrey and Charles Howard found Hydraulic & Mechanical Developments Ltd.
    • 1954 – The Kontro Co. Inc. is (separately) founded in Athol, Massachusetts, USA
    • 1970 – HMD Pumps are first introduced into the US market with Kontro Inc.
    • 1982 – The company is renamed HMD Seal/less Pumps Ltd.
    • 1990 – HMD Kontro is recognised worldwide as the home of the sealless pump
    • 1994 – HMD and Kontro are both acquired by the Sundyne Corporation
    • 2017 – HMD Kontro celebrates 70 years of innovation and success

For more information please see the About section of our website or the timeline.

 

Children In Need Fundraising

The team at HMD Kontro have been busy fundraising for the BBC’s charity, Children In Need, which raises millions of pounds every year to help change the lives of disadvantaged children and young people throughout the UK. To date this amazing charity has raised over £1 billion!

The BBC programme was on television screens on Friday 15th November, the day that the HMD Kontro team had their fundraising day. There was a lot going on including a raffle with fabulous prizes donated by the staff and the company, and a cake sale with several members of the team bringing in freshly baked cakes in return for donations.

Graham King won the annual ‘Duck Race’ sweepstake. You can see his picture below in front of Pudsey – we won’t mention the photographer! There are also some pictures of the amazing cakes, with Teresa Costa proudly displaying them. The staff also enjoyed a tasty curry lunch, and so you could say, “a pretty good day was had by all”. And the best part, £400.00 was raised for the children.

If you are interested in being part of the HMD Kontro dynamic team, please see the Careers section here or get in touch with the HR department.

Craig Crosses the Sahara To Raise Funds For St Michael’s Hospice

We are delighted to congratulate Craig Halbard Jones, one of our Quality Engineers, based in Eastbourne, on his amazing feat of completing the Sahara Trek in aid of St Michael’s Hospice.

A small group of 28 intrepid adventurers were successful in crossing the desert in support of this amazing charity. They left the UK on 7th November, bound for Marrakesh in Morocco with the trek starting the next day. Over the four days, the group covered 52km in temperatures ranging from -2°C to 42°C.  To get to the trek start point, the group journeyed for 11 hours through the Atlas Mountains, reaching an altitude of 2,260 meters above sea level.

St Michael’s Hospice provides much needed high quality, responsive palliative care and bereavement support across Hastings and Rother. The Fundraisers work tirelessly to organise events and challenges to raise the £12,000 per day that is required to continue the services. The total Craig has raised to date is a mind blowing £1,720. Craig is already planning another challenge for 2021, which could be either Machu Picchu in Peru, The Great Wall of China or the Rockies in Canada.

Fine Art Supported by HMD Kontro

HMD Kontro is delighted to be sponsoring Olga Caitar’s work at the Fine Art Exhibition Gertruda.  Olga works as a Production Planner at HMD Kontro and in her spare time, she loves to paint.

Olga says that her paintings create stories through colour and passion, and she uses different mediums to produce dissociated shapes and realistic images, which invite the viewer to discover, to ask, to find out and to enjoy.

If you would like to discover the stories behind Olga’s paintings expressing her different ideas according to her mood, her paintings will be on show from 22nd February at The Welcome Stranger Restaurant/Bar in Hastings.

HMD Kontro is proud to be active and involved in the local community around our headquarters in Eastbourne, East Sussex. For more information about our innovative and progressive company, please see the dedicated section of our website here or contact our HR department.

Women in Engineering at HMD Kontro

HMD Kontro is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and to this end is a keen advocate of encouraging women to take on engineering roles within the company. Recently HMD Kontro joined The Women in Engineering Society, which is a charity and a professional network of women engineers, scientists and technologists offering inspiration, support and professional development.

In this article we look at three women from very diverse backgrounds that are pursuing their careers in different engineering roles within HMD Kontro. They all believe HMD is a great company to work for, with career progression actively encouraged within a company that produces high quality products and is a globally recognised brand.

Opportunities to develop a career

Hannah is our Value Stream and Aftermarket Manager, having studied engineering at Cardiff University before joining HMD Kontro. In her present capacity she is quick to praise the team that she inherited which is well-balanced and focused on delivering the goals of increased sales and bookings for servicing and parts, improved lead times and delivering a world class service to the customer.

She finds it exciting to see new technology being created and of course there are so many opportunities for meeting new people and travel as well as developing a career. Within her department at HMD Kontro she is working on building and enhancing systems and procedures, and intent on moving away from reactive methods to a more proactive and systemised approach. Of customer service

 

Creating a balance for work and home life

Jo is a Technical Support Engineer, a position she took after having a career break to start a family, and she freely admits that she just loves her job. She doesn’t originally come from an engineering background having been in the vehicle mechanics industry, specifically in technology sales.

She was keen to obtain a stable but flexible position that paid well but would enable her to have a well-balanced work and home life. In the future, once her children have grown up, she sees herself in a position of field servicing, which will once again give her the opportunity to travel.

 

 

Vehicle mechanics to pump builder

Clare is one of the newest recruits at HMD Kontro having started around a year ago as an outside contractor, then taking up a permanent position as a Pump Builder/Fitter. Her brothers were in the vehicle mechanics industry, so Clare decided to join them where she was trained in many different areas.

Clare is currently the only female working in this department, a situation that some might find daunting, but Clare says that ‘HMD are fantastic at ensuring equal and fair opportunities are available, irrespective of gender and in the workshop, I’m just treated like all the others’.

 

 

A variety of people brings a diversity of skills, approaches and opinions

The view that engineering is a male dominated industry is slowly changing for the better with more and more women choosing it as their career path.  One gender is not better than the other in engineering roles; a wide variety of people bring a diversity of skills, approaches and opinions.

As an engineer at HMD Kontro, you are in a world-changing industry at the cutting edge of technology. It’s a great career choice as things change so fast and there is always something new to develop.  All agree that HMD Kontro is a great employer and it’s a company where you can build a fulfilling career. You are encouraged every step of the way, as well as being inspired and helped to learn new skills.

If you are interested in working for a dynamic and progressive company, please see our current vacancies or get in touch with our HR department on + 44 (0) 323 452148.

Engineering Career Advice For The ‘Your Town’ Project

The launch event of the Your Town Creative Café was held in Hastings and HMD Kontro’s Jo Whitling, Technical Support Engineer, was delighted to attend. It was a half-day career event where young people meet industry employers and professionals in an informal and yet structured café environment to find out more about the different areas of their work. The project is aimed at getting more young people to think about engineering as a career and to increase diversity.

What Is ‘Your Town’ By Culture Shift & Creative Cafés?

Your Town is ‘Transformations by Young People and Engineers’ and is an exciting project for young people delivered by Culture Shift and funded by the Royal Academy of Engineering Ingenious fund. Culture Shift puts creativity to work to facilitate positive change. It aims at generating dynamic partnerships where the creative and cultural sector work with community, business and education partners to produce bespoke, action-based solutions.

The website describes Creative Cafés as, high-energy, dynamic networking events where young people can meet and be inspired by employers and industry professionals across all sectors. Naturally engineering as a career is part of this and they are very keen for women engineers to take part.

The cafés are set up to have one professional for every 7-9 students, which makes for easy conversation with the events being structured around a menu of activities. The event that Jo attended explored ideas about engineering with Jo captivating her audience with her knowledge and skills.

The feedback that Jo received was really positive with the organiser complimenting her on the way she kept the students engaged bringing the mechanics of HMD Kontro’s pumps to life with pictures, diagrams and a small-scale demonstration kit.

 

HMD Kontro Helping the Next Generation of Engineers

 HMD Kontro is always keen to support the local community by sharing skills and experience to the next generation to enhance the professional development of the engineers of the future. Events like this enable students to test products and service ideas in a supported environment. If you are looking for a career in engineering, please contact our HR department for current vacancies and opportunities.

HMD Kontro Engineers Help to Plan GSCE Science Curriculum

Andrew Mann and Colin Poole recently attended an Engineering Science workshop, hosted by IMechE on 24th July where the purpose was to help to bring engineering to life in the secondary school curriculum. The experienced engineers from HMD Kontro working alongside the Mastery Science Team (the facilitators) aimed to create new and innovative resources for school children taking GCSE science, whereby materials would be provided that were suitable for years 7 and 8 in the main subjects of Physics, Biology and Chemistry.

Theoretical And Practical Sessions

 Theoretical science was on the morning agenda followed by more practical laboratory / classroom exercises in the afternoon. Each topic had two set scenarios with the teams assigned to explore and propose possible solutions to each, which would be voted on at the end of the session so that this could be developed further by the Mastery Science Team for inclusion into the future GCSE syllabus.

 

Playground Equipment For Exploring

The HMD Kontro engineers used playground equipment to work on a unit exploring forces, which was widely accepted as a strong contender for future development. Andrew and Colin are very much hoping that their work and ideas will progress to the next stage.

If you are interested in working for a dynamic and progressive company, please see our current vacancies or get in touch with our HR department on + 44 (0) 323 452148.

HMD Kontro Joins The Women in Engineering Society (WES) As It Celebrates 100 Years

 

HMD Kontro is proud to have recently joined the Women in Engineering Society (WES). This is a charity and a professional network of women engineers, scientists and technologists, which offers inspiration, support and professional development. Initially 15 of our female employees have been given individual WES membership for a year. 

What Is WES?

It was founded on 23rd June 1919 and was there to support women engineers who though they had been welcomed during the war years found themselves under pressure to relinquish their jobs so that the men returning from the war could fill their positions. WES was formed to not only resist this pressure but to promote engineering as a rewarding job for women.

The number of women who are professional engineers in the UK is approximately 11%, which is thought to be one of the lowest in Europe and the number in technical level roles, where actually growth rate is at its greatest is even lower than that figure.

Benefits For Our Members Include: 

  • Representation from the WES at up to two of our company women’s events
  • Access to best practice and advice support for our diversity programmes
  • Two representative places at the Women’s Engineering Society annual conference
  • Quarterly communication updates from the Society
  • Opportunities for our staff to engage with the Society on their volunteer programme of activities
  • Bi-annual best practice knowledge sharing session with other Society partners

 

Membership of this prestigious society also has many benefits for HMD Kontro including being part of the largest network of women engineers in the UK and as such we are fully committed to supporting WES in its campaign for gender diversity in engineering. Communications from WES include a quarterly journal and monthly e-newsletter.

HMD Kontro is looking forward to a long and fruitful relationship with WES and of course to recruiting more women to our company including in the roles of apprentices and engineers.

For a current list of vacancies at HMD Kontro, please click here or get in touch with our HR department on + 44 (0) 323 452148.

HMD Be – The Health & Wellness Programme for HMD Kontro Staff

 

The health and wellbeing of our staff is a vital part of our business strategy, as our future success is reliant on the efforts of our talented team. We want them to be fit to carry out their work, healthy and most importantly happy.

Recently, we set up HMDBe, which is a comprehensive programme of support that is available to all of our staff. Fundamental to the programme is Be Healthy, which encourages our staff to maintain a good standard of health and wellbeing. It includes the support of Simply Health, a corporate health plan that takes a preventative approach to helping maintain both physical and mental wellbeing. A 24-hour helpline is available from Simply Health as well as access to face-to-face counselling.

Another element is the aptly named Be Well, which actively encourages participation in wellbeing activities including giving up smoking, avoiding colds and flu through vaccinations and support of National Awareness days related to health issues such as prostate and breast cancer.

If you are looking for a career with an innovative and progressive company, and one that actively supports the health & wellbeing of its workforce, please check out our current vacancies or contact our HR department.

Recycling at HMD Kontro

 

One of our initiatives is to ‘Be Sustainable’ and as conscientious manufacturers the vast majority of our waste is recycled. The following materials and equipment that come on to the site are 100% recycled:

  • Wood
  • Paper
  • Metal
  • Solvents
  • Paint waste
  • Batteries
  • Toner cartridges
  • Light bulbs
  • Computer equipment
  • Electrical equipment
  • Waste oil

Currently, we do not produce enough waste plastic onsite to arrange recycling and there is no commercial collection facility for food stuffs and so to help the cause, we ask the team to take home any plastic bottles and cartons and food waste, to recycle them there.

We really do encourage our team at HMD to recycle at our headquarters in Eastbourne, and if they have any ideas or initiatives that would help us to be even more sustainable and to further help our recycling efforts, to contact the HR Department.

Warburg Pincus Acquires Sundyne

 

We are pleased to hear that the acquisition of Sundyne, our parent company, by Warburg Pincus has been formally completed, marking an exciting new chapter in the company’s proud history as leaders in fluid handling technology.

Warburg Pincus is one of the top ten private equity firms in the world and manages a $62 billion portfolio of companies in more than 40 countries, specialising in businesses in the energy and industrial markets.

Warburg Pincus’ have a growth philosophy of serving as the financial partner to accelerate growth and enhance opportunities, which is exciting for HMD Kontro’s employees and partners

A number of ways in which Warburg Pincus can help Sundyne accelerate growth and enhance opportunities for customers, channel partners, employees and suppliers have already been jointly identified.

Sundyne and Warburg Pincus have also launched a 90-day transition period to formally identify areas of opportunity for developing and funding strategic initiatives that will broaden product offerings and enhance customer services globally.