We were joined by Dave Tudor of Production Engineering Solutions magazine to share the history of MecWash, the origins of the business and our long-term approach to working with manufacturers.
Dave wrote: To manufacturing companies working in industries that demand it, efficient component cleaning is every bit as important as nailing tight tolerances or keeping cycle times to a minimum. When Dave Tudor visited Tewkesbury-based MecWash, a company specialising in high performance aqueous cleaning equipment and technology, he discovered a world that’s as much about chemistry as it is washing machines.
MecWash is not just a provider of top quality component washing systems, it’s also an OEM – or to use terminology I prefer, a Great British manufacturing company. It designs, manufactures, and supports products from its facility in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire and offers cleaning systems to suit just about any application. MecWash also operates its own laboratory onsite and develops its own detergents and chemical formulations, courtesy of in-house chemist, Dave ‘Doc’ Pawson.
Indeed, many of its customers, which by the way include household names such as Rolls-Royce, Pratt & Whitney, JCB, Jaguar Land Rover, Renishaw, and Triumph Motorcycles, rely on MecWash to provide bespoke component cleaning processes and systems.
Dave Tudor and John Pattison discussing the history of MecWash.
Clearly this is a company that works very closely with its customers. Whether it’s comparatively ‘simple’ inter-stage washing and drying machines (Solo), general purpose washing, rinsing and drying systems (Duo), high quality precision cleaning systems incorporating elements like ultrasonics, dedicated jetting, and vacuum drying (MWX), or customised, application-centric bespoke builds, MecWash has you covered. It builds machines and relationships that last. In addition to its own manufactured products, the company recently announced that it has become the exclusive UK agent for Sugino high pressure deburring washers. More about that later.
John Pattison is MecWash’s managing director. He bought the company in 2008 but its roots extend back to 1993 when it formed as a spinoff from an impregnation business specialising in making sealants and equipment.
“Before I bought the business, I naturally did my due diligence and spoke to many customers,” he recalls. “The one thing that stood out was that they were very happy not only with our products and systems but also our service and support levels.
“We operate in a quite a small niche; of course there are other companies selling component washing systems in the UK, but virtually none manufacture their own products. Our speciality is offering complete solutions to our customers’ cleaning challenges and these are often bespoke. We find ourselves competing with German companies more than UK businesses so we are pretty unique in that regard. Clients really appreciate the local support we can provide.”
MecWash occupies two units in Tewkesbury: the first is a manufacturing site where machines are built (mechanically and electrically), programmed, commissioned and tested; the second focuses on R&D and the development of the chemical formulations that are so integrally vital to the overall process. Customer projects, particularly complex applications, usually begin in the lab where different chemical formulations are developed, fully trialled, evaluated and proven on a micro scale before scaling up to work as part of a system in a full manufacturing environment. This is Dave Pawson’s domain.
John Pattison is MecWash’s managing director. He bought the company in 2008 but its roots extend back to 1993 when it formed as a spinoff from an impregnation business specialising in making sealants and equipment.
“Before I bought the business, I naturally did my due diligence and spoke to many customers,” he recalls. “The one thing that stood out was that they were very happy not only with our products and systems but also our service and support levels.
“We operate in a quite a small niche; of course there are other companies selling component washing systems in the UK, but virtually none manufacture their own products. Our speciality is offering complete solutions to our customers’ cleaning challenges and these are often bespoke. We find ourselves competing with German companies more than UK businesses so we are pretty unique in that regard. Clients really appreciate the local support we can provide.”
MecWash occupies two units in Tewkesbury: the first is a manufacturing site where machines are built (mechanically and electrically), programmed, commissioned and tested; the second focuses on R&D and the development of the chemical formulations that are so integrally vital to the overall process. Customer projects, particularly complex applications, usually begin in the lab where different chemical formulations are developed, fully trialled, evaluated and proven on a micro scale before scaling up to work as part of a system in a full manufacturing environment. This is Dave Pawson’s domain.Da
To manufacturing companies working in industries that demand it, efficient component cleaning is every bit as important as nailing tight tolerances or keeping cycle times to a minimum. When Dave Tudor visited Tewkesbury-based MecWash, a company specialising in high performance aqueous cleaning equipment and technology, he discovered a world that’s as much about chemistry as it is washing machines.
MecWash is not just a provider of top quality component washing systems, it’s also an OEM – or to use terminology I prefer, a Great British manufacturing company. It designs, manufactures, and supports products from its facility in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire and offers cleaning systems to suit just about any application. MecWash also operates its own laboratory onsite and develops its own detergents and chemical formulations, courtesy of in-house chemist, Dave ‘Doc’ Pawson.
Indeed, many of its customers, which by the way include household names such as Rolls-Royce, Pratt & Whitney, JCB, Jaguar Land Rover, Renishaw, and Triumph Motorcycles, rely on MecWash to provide bespoke component cleaning processes and systems.
Clearly this is a company that works very closely with its customers. Whether it’s comparatively ‘simple’ inter-stage washing and drying machines (Solo), general purpose washing, rinsing and drying systems (Duo), high quality precision cleaning systems incorporating elements like ultrasonics, dedicated jetting, and vacuum drying (MWX), or customised, application-centric bespoke builds, MecWash has you covered. It builds machines and relationships that last. In addition to its own manufactured products, the company recently announced that it has become the exclusive UK agent for Sugino high pressure deburring washers. More about that later.
John Pattison is MecWash’s managing director. He bought the company in 2008 but its roots extend back to 1993 when it formed as a spinoff from an impregnation business specialising in making sealants and equipment.
“Before I bought the business, I naturally did my due diligence and spoke to many customers,” he recalls. “The one thing that stood out was that they were very happy not only with our products and systems but also our service and support levels.
“We operate in a quite a small niche; of course there are other companies selling component washing systems in the UK, but virtually none manufacture their own products. Our speciality is offering complete solutions to our customers’ cleaning challenges and these are often bespoke. We find ourselves competing with German companies more than UK businesses so we are pretty unique in that regard. Clients really appreciate the local support we can provide.”
MecWash occupies two units in Tewkesbury: the first is a manufacturing site where machines are built (mechanically and electrically), programmed, commissioned and tested; the second focuses on R&D and the development of the chemical formulations that are so integrally vital to the overall process. Customer projects, particularly complex applications, usually begin in the lab where different chemical formulations are developed, fully trialled, evaluated and proven on a micro scale before scaling up to work as part of a system in a full manufacturing environment. This is Dave Pawson’s domain.
When failure isn’t an option
“Developing a holistic washing and cleaning solution for a specific application is where we really excel,” Mr Pattison explains. “Often, on challenging parts, a straightforward flood wash, spray wash, rinse, and dry sequence simply won’t cut the mustard. Sometimes you may have a delicate process where either you can’t damage a substrate for example, or where contamination has to be removed layer by layer rather than in one hit. Or you may have a component made from a material that absorbs whatever chemical compositions are being used in the process which could result in unacceptable staining. Or you may have a component that requires multiple drying processes.
“Basically, we specialise in developing solutions for complex cleaning applications,” he adds. “It’s probably true that for relatively simplistic cleaning operations, customers could find cheaper alternatives, but if you’ve got components that are mission critical, manufactured to extremely tight tolerances, that have to be meticulously clean and contamination free otherwise they could catastrophically fail in service, then that’s where our holistic approach really pays dividends. Examples include hydraulics, high pressure turbine blades, and medical components where failure simply isn’t an option.
“Our approach on how to clean things, and the fact we have all the resources and expertise in house to understand how chemical compositions interact with different types of materials and contamination, means we have the luxury of almost looking at each customer problem with a blank sheet of paper. And, importantly, we can prove that an entire system will work before it even leaves the building so the customer can hit the ground running. We’ll support the machine for its entire lifetime and we make them easy to configure and maintain. We also supply fully refurbished machines.”
Not surprisingly, MecWash’s customers operate across a range of demanding industries such as aerospace, automotive, fluid power, hydraulics, defence and medical. Cleaning additively manufactured parts is an emerging area where MecWash is successfully making a significant impact in the marketplace. It’s all well and good being able to make hugely complex components full of intricate profiles, blind holes, channels, and pockets, but how do you clean them?
Well here’s how. Take a look at this customer application story: https://www.pesmedia.com/mecwash-solves-cleaning-challenge-for-additive-manufacturer
And it’s not just UK customers that benefit from MecWash’s expertise. Impressively, the 25-employee company exports around a third of the systems it manufactures all around the world, mainly to the US and China.
Paul Jarratt and John Pattison with the MWX400
Go with the flow
Broadly, MecWash’s product groups span two main areas: the products it makes in house – Solo, Duo, MWX and bespoke systems – and the previously mentioned new agency with Japanese company Sugino which manufactures very high pressure (500 – 1,000 bar), high ticket integrated deburring and cleaning systems.
It’s early days for this particular venture with the agreement only being established at the beginning of the year. John Pattison isn’t expecting huge demand for these machines as they are so specialised, but if you need one, you need one, and if you do, you can get one from MecWash Systems. The agency was established initially because of customer demand, albeit limited. It fills a gap in the range.
Sugino’s high pressure washing is very specific and applications are relatively rare. Conversely, MecWash’s bread and butter product ranges (Solo, Duo, MWX) rely on high aqueous flow rates rather than high pressure as Mr Pattison explains.
“Our machines are typically more about flow rather than pressure,” he says. “If you take a machine like the MWX400, which is designed to process complex and intricately machined or pressed parts to very high standards of cleanliness, surface finish and dryness – this has a process chamber of around 400mm x 450mm x 600mm and we would have somewhere in the region of 600 litres of water passing through it per minute – over half a ton.
“We’re talking massive amounts of flow here; some of our larger machines are up around the one to two tons per minute mark. These are very powerful and perfect for cleaning complex geometries and giving the chemistry contact time. Typically, our machines operate at a pressure of one to ten bar. High pressure washes are particularly good for targeting small features of a component that are accessible, but difficult to clean. The brute force literally blasts the contamination away. It’s horses for courses. It depends entirely on the component and cleanliness standards you’re trying to achieve.”
Product portfolio
So, as previously mentioned, MecWash’s range steps up incrementally depending on capabilities. Solo machines (300, 400, 600) are for inter-stage parts washing, rinsing, and drying. Generally the process comprises a spray wash, mist rinse, and hot air drying. Not usually used as a final wash, Solo machines feature a rotational drum with parts rotating on a horizontal axis.
The next step up is the mid-range Duo (400, 600) which is for general purpose parts washing, rinsing and drying. Typically, this comprises flood and spray washing, spray rinse, and hot air dry. The immersion wash capability gives a much better result for more complex parts, or baskets full of small components. Generally used as an intermediate or final wash.
Last but my no means least is the MWX range (300,400, 600) which is aimed at mission critical precision parts washing, rinsing, and drying. This range is the most comprehensive – and somewhat surprising to me at least, MecWash’s bestselling – taking in a flood/spray wash, flood/spray rinse, ultrasonics, direct jetting (and associated fixturing), and hot air and vacuum dry if required. MWX machines are highly configurable and customisable; Solo and Duo machines, somewhat less so.
Waste not, want not
Wherever the processing of fluids is taking place, the subject of recycling inevitably comes up and with this in mind, MecWash has developed its range of Aqua-Save water recycling systems. Comprising Junior and Ultra models, the range is designed to recover and re-use industrial wastewater such as wash and rinse solutions, waste coolant, and dye penetrant.
“Essentially, our Aqua-Save systems distil the water and return a clean distillate,” John Pattison affirms. “The nice thing about the systems is that they’re completely self-contained. Depending on the size of the parent machine we can either design them into the machine or locate them by the side. Some of our customers use them for recycling cutting fluids and coolant.
“Aqua-Save systems plug into the wash tank (or whatever it is being recycled) and automatically draw the solution from the chamber. Then it’s boiled off and the vapour passes through a heat exchanging condenser. The clean distillate is collected and returned to the tank. Any contamination is removed as part of the process.”
The systems process wastewater by evaporation to produce clean water that typically represents 95% of the original volume with only 5% as concentrated waste for subsequent disposal. The result is less frequent solution changes saving downtime and less wasted water.