Fast Engineering Ltd
Managing Director, Seamus Connolly MBE, Antrim

The Benefits:
Re-designed leg joint with improved strength at lower cost, and generated a Net Present Value* amounting to £183,000.

The Company:
Fast Engineering Ltd employs approximately ten people. It manufactures, amongst other products, a range of patented liquid storage systems under the trademark “FASTANK.” The product, manufactured with aluminium legs and a PVC body, is strong, lightweight and compact. It is easily transported to an emergency location at low cost.

The Project:
An MTP Field Officer made contact with Seamus Connolly and the services of the partners and details of the Invest NI ‘Innovation Credit’ were presented. The meeting focused on how MTP and the partners could provide the expertise to reduce the manufacturing cost of the product whilst maintaining or improving the quality. Specifically this was achieved by redesigning a welded leg joint. Interestingly, Fast Engineering Ltd had previously used the technology services of Queen’s University Belfast and was pleased to employ their services again.

Making it Happen:

  • MTP
  • Invest NI - Innovation Credit
  • Invest NI - KTP Programme
  • Queen's University, Belfast

Queen’s University examined the feasibility of redesigning the welded leg joint to reduce the manufacturing costs and at the same time improve the appearance and increase the joint strength. Through the Knowledge Transfer Programme, Fast Engineering were able to carry out Finite Element Analysis to progress the design further. The work at Queen’s University initially involved the re-design of the joint for manufacture from a high strength plastic. As the work progressed it expanded to include the use of finite element analysis and the production of prototypes using the stereolithography process. An Invest NI ‘Innovation Credit’ was used to support the work undertaken at Queen’s.


The Result...
The benefits to the company are very significant as the Net Present Value of the manufacturing change is in the order of £183,000.

Seamus Connelly:
“We were not new to the services offered by the Universities. However the MTP seminar started a thought process which resulted in very significant use of the technology services at Queen’s University Belfast. The result of this exercise has been a better product at lower manufacturing cost.”