Fabrication specialist is offering its expertise to even more industries

ECS Engineering Services is increasingly being recognised for its multi-faceted fabrication capabilities, broad ranging expertise, capacity and commitment to quality.

The entire design process of each gate was carried out in-house by ECS, with all designs adhering to BS EN 1090-2 certification.

Already well known in the water control industry, ECS is also building a reputation in industries as diverse as rail, nuclear, renewables, electrical, processing and manufacturing, and materials handling; its work in structural systems and skid mounted projects is recognised for its excellence. With its well-equipped fabrication facility and highly skilled engineers, ECS can complete bespoke fabrication work to the highest standard.

The company’s Kevin Agutter, says: “As an expert steel fabrication supplier, ECS has experience in producing a wide range of bespoke fabrications, large and small, on time, to budget and often meeting demanding or unusual briefs. For the process industries and power sector, for instance, we have worked on specialised pipework projects. Offsite fabrication of skid mounted equipment has also become a forte.”

One of ECS’s areas of expertise is in large fabrication contracts. Its state of the art 50,000 sq ft fabrication works is equipped with laser cutting, plasma cutting, CNC cutting, milling, drilling and welding facilities, as well as heavy duty cranes and other ancillary equipment. Its highly trained, flexible workforce is able to work 24 hour schedules to complete large fabrication contracts, such as roof beams for rail tunnels, structural steelwork for the stunning new Paris Philharmonic building and large sluice gates for water control installations.

Typically, at the start of a project ECS ensures clear information is available to all concerned. For instance it can pass the initial drawings through its highly experienced design office, converting them into CAD files and double-checking all the dimensions and details. This enables the end customer to confirm shapes and tolerances before fabrication and other physical work begins, thus providing an additional layer of reassurance for the client and all other partners in the project.

In order to complete such work on time, to budget and meeting all the detailed requirements of the project, ECS has considerable planning and management expertise and looks after every detail. It provides full traceability of all the steel and every component used in its fabrications. It tracks and traces them from initial sourcing from trusted suppliers, all the way through the various stages of production to the finished fabrication and final delivery to site.

Since 2014 all fabricated structural steelwork has had to meet the harmonised European Standard BS EN 1090 and carry the CE mark. For ECS, this is not simply a fixed requirement; it maintains its investment in both personnel and quality control systems to ensure that it always re-achieves certification, which is determined by an independent annual assessment.

Part of the Standard, BS EN 1090-2 requires that for any project, the quality of fabrication or Execution Class must be specified, according to the type of fabrication, height, area and purpose. There are four Execution Classes: EXC1 for farm buildings, EXC2 for other general buildings, EXC3 for bridges, stadia etc, and EXC4 for special structures.

ECS has been accredited to EXC3, meeting this arduous approvals standard allows it to fabricate the vast majority of steel structures.

Further, the Construction Products Regulations, introduced in 2013, make CE marking mandatory and require fabricators to demonstrate that their internal training, qualifications and quality control procedures meet the necessary standards.

As members of the British Constructional Steel Association (BCSA), clients and insurers can be assured that ECS’s CE Marking compliance and adherence to Standards and legislation is guaranteed. ECS further underlines its professional and dedicated approach to fabrication by being approved to or otherwise meeting many other recognised standards, such as BS EN14001 for Environmental Management, BS OHSAS 18001 for Health and Safety Management, and multiple Gold Awards from RoSPA.

Adding value

ECS is always looking for ways to add extra value to the fabrication services it supplies. A simple way it can do this is by operating a delivery and collection service between the client, ECS and other organisations involved in a project. The expertise here is in maximising the efficiency of moving the materials, equipment and personnel involved, which can be a significant contributor to keeping costs under control, meeting scheduling requirements and ensuring right-first-time quality.

A more sophisticated way ECS adds value is by making use of its highly developed prefabrication skills. For the processing and manufacturing sector for instance, ECS can incorporate pipework into structural steel fabrication, thus reducing the amount of on-site installation work required.

For the building and construction sector, ECS has the ability to fabricate structural modules, pre-fitted with building services equipment. These are delivered to site, craned into position and, by making a few plumbing and wiring connections, create a service core or tower for the building under construction. This service is becoming increasingly popular as the building and construction industry moves to using BIM (building information management) techniques based on 3D modeling for project management, which – in contrast to traditional management techniques – makes almost comprehensive technical information available from the outset of the project.

Kevin Agutter sums up: “ECS offers a full range of services from simple fabrications, to multi-faceted project management in which we deploy many skills and techniques to support the main production work and ensure smooth progress and the best final outcome.”

About the author

Alan Hatch