British manufacturer SG Transmission is celebrating its 45th anniversary, a milestone that shows its commitment to innovation in an ever changing motion control industry.
Established in 1972, SG Transmission has developed a strong global client base due to its focus on research and development and its ability to design and manufacture its products under one roof.
While the company has a standard portfolio of electromagnetic brakes and clutches, SG Transmission provides original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), distributors and end users all over the world with a customised design service.
In 2015, the company’s engineers created a clutch with an electromagnetic toothed lock in response to an enquiry from a brand leader in the medical devices market who was experiencing problems. SG Transmission produced a hybrid product combining the unique characteristics of three products, a solenoid, a toothed brake and a torque overload friction coupling.
SG Transmission launched its ultra-slim, permanent magnet brake in 2016, designed initially for a robotics manufacturer to save on space and weight. The fail-safe brake has a small outside diameter and a brake field of less than 13mm, with a comparatively large bore through the centre for the application’s drive shaft.
Unlike other clutch and brake manufacturers, SG Transmission prides itself on its six week lead time for prototype designs. Andy Collinson, CEO, said: “The motion control industry is changing and we have become more flexible in our processes to cater for this. Along with the six week prototype lead time, we can offer a four week production lead time due to all of our manufacturing capabilities being under one roof within our factory in the North East of England.
“The products are designed and manufactured by the same project teams who see things from inception to completion, which means all of our engineers have an understanding of the customer’s requirements.”
SG Transmission is part of the British Engines Group, comprising of seven engineering businesses operating across the world. Formed in 1922, the British Engines Group which reported a turnover of £154.4m in 2017, gives its businesses the stability and ongoing support to compete with global competitors.
Keith Thompson, Production Scheduler at SG Transmission has been working for the company since 1983: “The business has changed massively since I started 34 years ago, we were originally a team of 10 with only two central lathes and one CNC lathe!
“We are receiving new enquiries from global equipment manufacturers every day and my job has never been more exciting. The order quantities may have increased, but we have still managed to retain the capacity to service the niche, smaller quantity, bespoke market.”
SG Transmission designs and manufactures its products from its purpose built factory in County Durham. Although the business has benefitted from a considerable amount of growth over the past five years, it still stands by its successful small company ethos.
