West Bromwich-based Bromford Iron & Steel a leading producer of hot-rolled flats, sections and custom profiles — has announced a second wave of investment in its factory to improve product quality, enhance customer service and boost productivity (www.bisteel.co.uk) .

The company has replaced old shadowgraph technology with a new machine that can take 99 measurements in less than 3sec. It has also installed in a new condition-monitoring system in its cogging mill and deployed 10 accelerometer-based sensors to measure vibration.

This system has already contributed to increased up-time, and Bromford is set to deploy more sensors throughout the production process.

Bromford Iron & Steel has undergone substantial development since its acquisition by the OSSL Group in 2014. Despite the challenging conditions in the UK steel industry, the company has secured increased export contracts (it currently exports about 65% of its output) and has begun to see renewed growth.

It is this growth, plus a finance deal with Close Brothers Group, that has funded the latest investments.