Andel Limited offers specialist environmental protection, including flood and leak detection.
The business was founded in 1992 in Huddersfield, and relocated to Barnsley, South Yorkshire in 2021.
Andel has steadily grown to become one of the global market leaders in the design, development and application of specialist leak detection, flood defence and environmental protection systems.
The business has gained an enviable reputation in its field for innovation and cutting-edge research and development.
By listening to customers and understanding their challenges and with many years of practical, hands-on experience; the Andel team has developed unrivalled commercial knowledge and a common sense, cost-effective approach.
Andel have sought to increase levels of automation and digitisation across the business over the course of the last 3 years.
Andel have a good appreciation of the opportunities that increased digitisation and automation can offer them as a business; both in terms of their manufacturing operations and also flowing through the day- to-day administrative activities, which ensure they deliver high levels of customer satisfaction.
Andel have made substantial investment in new product development, embedding digital technology in the products to use Sensing, in house developed apps, and IOT to provide customers with appropriate information on detection of leaks in their systems.
3D printing is in use to develop prototype components, and Sensors are used extensively in the products.
Connectivity of devices is in place, and Andel have been keen to investigate the potential around data analytics & prediction, with a viewpoint that prevention is better than cure.
Andel have innovative plans to utilise robotic devices to inspect down drains remotely inspecting for leaks. Andel want to look at Big data and how it can be used in order to develop their products & services further.
At the heart of their current challenge was limitations in the internal knowledge as to how best to capitalise on digitisation, how to prioritise where to implement and ultimately clarity on the returns on investment that can be attained. In addition the company had identified that their reliance on manually cutting wire for their devices was causing substantial restrictions on productivity.
Following the completion of a Made Smarter Edge Digital Diagnostic and a Made Smarter digital roadmapping; Andel were supported through the grant application process to allow them to utilise the services of Brook Consulting.
Brook Consulting helped Andel with the development and implementation of a digital strategy incorporating Industry4.0 technologies to support the business with their digital & automation ambitions.
In addition to this support, Andel secured a Made Smarter capital grant to part-fund the purchase of an automatic Cut and Strip machine from UK manufacturer Series 4 Ltd.
This machinery has the capacity to be programmed with up to 99 different cutting measurements, is programmed via a built in menu driven software system and can perform up to 8000 operations an hour – far in excess of the output capacity from the current manual process applied in the company.
The strategy has enabled Andel to identify the appropriate technology and achieve their strategic objectives focussing on the development, adoption, adaptation and integration of technological and process improvements to grow the business.
Andel has benefitted from improved efficiency through using the outputs to guide continuous improvement and transformation initiatives.
Along with increased ability to successfully innovate and broaden their awareness of operational constraints and their causes. The consultancy support also helped Andel to improve their planning and project management skills.
The key driver for digital adoption is seen as increased business growth. The company have a growth strategy based around further automation of the assembly process, the business will achieve improved productivity, and leverage the skilled labour effort in the business to increase output and turnover.
It is anticipated that Andel’s turnover will reach £7.5M this year, and Andel have set themselves a target of £20M to reach in the next 5 years.
