Members of the Pyroban team and the Institution of Mechanical Engineers gathered at the entrance of 'Unit 23' with Mark Hunt, president of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and John Balkema, general manager of the Pyroban Group.

Explosion-proof specialist Pyroban has opened a new factory in West Sussex in the UK to boost capacity and to exploit expanding sales opportunities.

The new factory in Shoreham-by-Sea, named Unit 23, is a modern fabrication, machining and painting centre, located in a 1,680 sqm (18,083 sqft.) facility. This represents the largest single manufacturing investment in the company's 40-year history, and is an addition to its existing plant on Dolphin Road in Shoreham.

Most of the parts used in Pyroban's engine explosion protection kits that are used in oil installations will be manufactured in the new site. Many of Pyroban's UK-made products are exported to oil fields around the world.

Pyroban says it has outgrown its previous facility and that the new premises are more spacious, enabling it to increase manufacturing uptime and meet constantly rising sales targets. Besides reduced congestion, the company says there are "even better safety procedures" in place at the new facility.

Unit 23 has also improved product quality through lean working methodologies by implementing the Caterpillar Production System. In 2011, Pyroban became a wholly owned division of Caterpillar.

"Pyroban has invested significant capital in new machines and tooling for Unit 23, allowing the company to increase uptime and produce even higher quality products," says global operations manager Neil McGregor. "This is already having a direct impact on our customers and the market as a whole."

Unit 23 was officially opened by the president of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Mark Hunt, who visited the factory as part of a tour of engineering facilities.

Pyroban is a member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, a leading UK authority on engineering, and looks to the institution for guidance on a range of topics such as research, training and environmental issues.

While Pyroban's headquarters are based in Shoreham-by-Sea in the UK, the company also has facilities in Europe, the Asia Pacific and China.