PRESS RELEASE
Advanced manufacturer wins £million plus Heathrow contract after showing the door to its competitors.
A South West based manufacturer of specialist ground support equipment has won a £million contract to supply cutting edge equipment to London Heathrow airport.
Powervamp, which has two main offices, Weston-super-Mare and Luton, will supply a large undisclosed quantity of its ‘Sidewinder’ special power delivery systems to London Heathrow over the next 18 months, in what represents another UK manufacturing first for the firm.
The Powervamp ‘Sidewinder’ is a retractable series of arms housing the high frequency cables that provides power to all aircraft while at the terminal. The system has been designed to give airports a simple and reliable power transfer system and is an essential piece of equipment without which the airport cannot function.
“This really is a major project win because it’s almost impossible to get a new product into Heathrow.”
Sidewinder in action at LHR
The deal represents a major coup for Powervamp, who won the contract ahead of some of the world’s biggest engineering firms. They were also the only company that were able to manufacture a sample product from CAD drawings, to finished prototype, in such a short time as to astound key management at Heathrow at the speed of completion.
Before designing the ‘Sidewinder’, Powervamp engineers works alongside ground handlers at Heathrow, studying the technical difficulties they faced during rapid aircraft turn round times in all weathers. Initial installation of the first prototype for the Airbus A380 at Heathrow’s Terminal 5 took place during the night curfew between 10PM and 6am at which time the airport reopened for the first arrival of the day.
Designed, assembled and installed by Powervamp.
Richard Roller, company founder and Joint Managing Director, commented:
“Powervamp has shown that the flexibility of a good SME can outmanoeuvre the large corporates, respond faster and still deliver ahead of schedule. A number of influential people suggested it wouldn’t be possible to build the equipment that Heathrow required. However, we listened closely to what the customer wanted and we saw first hand what was needed. You don’t try and tell the engineering management at Heathrow – the world’s busiest airport – what they should have. With Heathrow operating daily at 100% capacity, the management know better than anyone exactly what is required, and quality and reliability are top of the list”
Sidewinder video available to watch on YouTube.
“This really is a major project win because it’s almost impossible to get a new product into Heathrow. With the airport operating at 100 per cent capacity it is completely understandable that they dare not risk disruption and delays through unproven equipment. There simply is no room for failure”.
The ‘Sidewinder’ will be used at terminal 2 and terminal 3 and Powervamp has given London Heathrow a five year warranty on the product, demonstrating the company’s confidence in its quality.
Powervamp employs fifty people and is a world-leading designer and manufacturer of specialised equipment for powering all types of aircraft and vehicles.
Powervamp already supply its products to more than 60 countries and with new products being continuously developed and launched, see a growing world market for its products and services.
