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COMPANY PUTS OIL RIGS ON CHAINS

A company based in Hattingen, Germany, delivers the components used to anchor Oil Rig platforms in the oceans. The family 'Feuerstein' runs this business, which is the only one of its kind in the world.

Recently, they have acquired the largest equipment testing machine in the whole of Europe from the Birmingham based company, AJT Equipment Ltd.

Oil rigs, the swimming giants in our oceans, are used worldwide to harvest the black gold, but not many of us think about what it takes to keep them in one place, while waves, sea storms and ripping currents are tearing away at them. High quality anchors from Hattingen are ensuring that these platforms are not becoming the playing balls of the sea. The Feuerstein PLC is manufacturing the components used for such anchors. The family-run business has been delivering anchors for more than 20 years to all regions in the world where oil is being harvested.

"We are the World market leaders in this very specialised trade" remarks the company owner Klaus Feuerstein. "Continuing improvements in quality, newly invented constructions and flexible delivery times made it possible for our company to stand head & shoulders above the rest in the International market" Such success in turn leads to secured jobs and makes it possible for small companies to expand. This is how the business was able to buy the neighbouring concrete factory in order to build upon the site creating space now desperately needed.

44 Employees manufacture heavy components measuring up to 4000 metres in length with which the giant Oil Rigs are chained to the sea floors. The parts made out of High tensile steel weigh up to 3500 Tonnes and have to withstand heavy pressures. Small hairline fractures would therefore be fatal and would have catastrophic consequences.

"Quality needs to be on top of our checking list at all stages" explains junior-owner Oliver Feuerstein. The 40 year old is travelling around the world to gather information about the deployment position in which the materials will be used, and to stay in contact with his clients. America, Brazil, Singapore, and the North Sea are highest on the list.

Hurricane 'Rita' & 'Katrina' hit the oil rigs hard in the Gulf of Mexico, yet their anchors 'made in Hattingen' withstood all storms.

"These kind of storms will separate good from bad work. There have never been any complaints about any parts of our anchors, anywhere" Feuerstein adds. All parts are being subjected to special endurance testing before they are delivered to the customers. Feuerstein invested millions in a high tech, modern testing machine. Previously, such endurance tests were completed in special factories in the Netherlands or Norway, but their test capability was not adequate enough to deal with such high demands. To prevent late deliveries and long waiting times, & to ensure very high quality, the decision was made in Hattingen to purchase their own Testing Machine.

14 Metres long and weighing 78 Tonnes, it took a special low loader to deliver the machine safely to the Factory.

"AJT Equipment Ltd from Birmingham in England, was the only company in the world who saw themselves capable of building such a Testing Machine for us" said Klaus Feuerstein. "A company which we relied upon to make us the successful business we are today, and, what can I say, they delivered!" A special thanks must go to them Feuerstein exclaimed.

A large crane was needed to lift the 'monster' machine in the halls of the German company. "The quality of this machine is extraordinary & AJT Equipment Ltd have made a great job" adds the junior boss Oliver Feuerstein.

To conduct an endurance test numerous anchor components are fixed in this Hydraulic Test Machine in order for enormous pressure of 2250 Tonnes to be applied to the parts. A camera and computers in the machine fully automatically supervise the testing process at every stage and ensure extremely high quality of the end result.

AJT's extensive range of Test Machinery has the scope to test samples as small as Single Strand Wire up to Marine Anchor Cable... click on the web link on the right, or e mail them to discuss your mechanical testing needs