Preserving Darwin Centre specimens

Historic specimens at a leading museum will be preserved for future generations, thanks to the innovation of a North-East engineering firm. TAS Engineering Consultants, based in Stockton, has designed a system that will automatically ‘top up’ the formalin and industrial methylated spirit preserving 22 million specimens at the Natural History Museum. They include specimens collected by Charles Darwin and Middlesbrough-born explorer Captain James Cook. The specimens, which are held in the museum’s Darwin Centre, were previously topped up manually from large containers of fluid that had to be carried through the museum.

John Maplesden, deputy chairman of TAS Engineering Consultants, said: “This has been a fantastic project, which will enable the Natural History Museum to continue its mission to preserve its collection of more than 70 million specimens for future generations. It has demonstrated our expertise in identifying and managing risk in potentially dangerous atmospheres. We have completed similar contracts for all manner of companies, ranging from a breakfast cereal manufacturer to a fuel-storage facility, but to help secure the future of one of the world’s largest natural-history collections is very special indeed.”

The automated fluid storage and distribution system created by TAS has a touch-screen interface and Web-access facility to allow staff to view its status from any location in the museum. It also has automated monitoring systems to ensure that staff are alerted to any leaks.

TAS specialises in electrical, instrumentation, automation and control engineering for — among others — the pharmaceutical, oil and gas, health-care, defence, mineral and food sectors. The company, initially called Teesside Automation Services, was established in 1973, and it was bought in April this year by US firm GSE Systems, which is expected to double the 30-strong workforce.