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ELE Advanced Technologies Making Things Possible

he story of Colne-based ELE Advanced Technologies Ltd goes back six decades.Today, TELE manufactures critical components for Industrial Gas Turbines for electrical power generation, and jet engines for aerospace.

The idea to set up a machining company, then called Earby Light Engineers, was conceived by Ken Robinson, then employed by Rolls Royce as a skilled miller. Ken put his ideas to local accountant Dennis Robinson (no relation). Together they approached a local coal merchant with money to invest, Arthur Turner. In 1955, a limited company, Earby Light Engineers, was Rolls Royce was busy and placed orders with Earby; British formed, each man owning one third. Aerospace needed more machining.

Adisused slaughterhouse in Earby, the ‘Northside Works’, Soon the company was employing 100 people and in 1964 set was rented up a second site at Dotcliff Mill in the village of Kelbrook. The latest machinery was acquired, and by 1968 employees Lathes and milling machines were bought; two numbered over 200. people were hired. It was Ken Robinson's job to run the company, with the other two During this time, Clifford Tattersall, who directors assisting with financial and owned a small engineering shop in business advice. Nelson, was bought out by ELE. Clifford was made a director and continued to run Progress was slow, Ken worked seven days a the Nelson business. week, and every penny had to be watched. The work obtained was generally tooling The company was subsequently sold to assistance, with a few machining jobs. Turner Manufacturing Co of Wolverhampton.

Around 1960, approvals were obtained from the Ministry of In 1973 a factory, located on Skipton Road, Colne, was bought Defence and Rolls Royce to allow Earby to take on aircraft and the Nelson factory closed. Ken Robinson retired as component work. Managing Director in 1976.

The Dana Corporation of Toledo bought out Turner Manufacturing in 1978, and with it acquired Earby, now employing 400 staff. Clifford Tattersall became Managing Director.

The bottom fell out of the aircraft industry in 1982. Earby had to reduce staff by 60%.

Top left: Founder, Ken Robinson. Left: Ageneral view of the turning section in the early years. Top right: At work on one of the company’s former CNC Turning machines, a Monarch TCI. Centre: Example of high pressure turbine blades produced by Earby Light Engineers.

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In 1990 Earby was bought by its management team: Clifford Tattersall (Managing Director), George Metcalfe (General Manager), Brian Fielding (Accountant), Peter Banks )Quality Manager) and John Thompson (Factory Manager). Venture capital was provided from the bank.

Two years later, however, Earby was sold to Transtec Plc, a company owned by MP Geoffrey Robinson.

Under Transtec the company invested in new and niche technologies, which are still in use today. Examples include Shaped Tube Electrolytic Machining (STEM), Capillary Drilling and Laser Drilling. Shaped Tube Electrolytic Machining (STEM), is a form of electrochemical drilling. ELE is one of only a very few Managing Director Manesh Pandya and his team identified providers worldwide of STEM. The process inserts deep, small- specific niche technologies to exploit. Investments in advanced diameter cooling holes into turbine blades at very close processes, such as STEM and capillary drilling, along with creep tolerances. The holes produced by STEM drilling are essential feed grinding and Viper grinding, allowed the company to offer in maintaining a gas turbine’s efficiency and preventing a unique product to the Gas Turbine market. degradation of the blades. The business has continued to invest heavily in advanced STEM machine tools and control systems. In 2004 the manufacturing facilities in Colne and Kelbrook were The company’s investment and experience has provided a consolidated into a purpose-built facility on an eight acre site on competitive advantage for ELE. Cotton Tree Lane, Colne.

That facility is now the company’s base.

The 33,500 sq. ft. manufacturing workshop embraces lean manufacturing concepts in machining Industrial Gas Turbine and Aerospace components. There are also 17,000 sq. ft. of offices.

Today, ELE’s customers include Rolls-Royce, Siemens, Alstom, Honeywell and BorgWarner.

ELE also diversified into machining automotive turbocharger components. Transtec invested in the high speed milling and Above left: Employee Jeff Kenyon at work. This attention to turning centres that enabled ELE to provide a cost effective detail maintained by all ELE’s staff results in high quality solution to this market sector. consistent products for their customers. Top right: ELE’s Viper Grinding machine, currently the largest in the market. Above: Difficulties at Transtec’s automotive casting division caused the Manesh Pandya, Managing Director. Below: ELE Advanced entire group, including ELE, to go into receivership in 2000. The Technologies’ Cotton Tree Lane, Colne, premises. receivers sold ELE to the incumbent management team, which now renamed the company ELE Advanced Technologies Limited.

Sales to Rolls-Royce now represented over 80% of turnover. ELE’s management now took measures to move into other related markets in which the company could exploit the niche technologies it had developed in non-conventional machining.

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