North Shields-based Elfab Ltd (www.elfab.com), a manufacturer of pressure relief systems, has won the SME Innovators category at the Manufacturing Champions Awards 2017.

Winners were revealed last month in Manchester to an audience of UK manufacturing organisations ranging from global corporations to small, bespoke operations, from all areas of industry.

Manufacturing Management, creators of the awards, said: “This year saw the highest quality entries we have ever seen and our judges were incredibly impressed with the standard of all the shortlisted companies, teams and individuals.”

The SME Innovators Award, celebrates the SME team that has shown size is no barrier to delivering innovation, value add and excellence within UK manufacturing.

As manufacturers of pressure relief systems for both end users and OEMs in a number of sectors ranging from oil and gas to pharmaceuticals, Elfab’s products, including bursting discs, can be found in over 70 countries across the globe — all achieved with a team of just 65 people.

In markets that see constantly changing customer and regulatory demands, innovation is at the heart of Elfab’s operations.

Elfab’s Thermal Explosion Vent, a recent product developed in response to a customer’s specific application contributed to Elfab’s success in the SME Innovators category.

It was developed to protect gas engines coupled to a large electricity generating plant where pressure relief technology is vital in the event of an explosion within the exhaust system.

A specific requirement from Elfab’s customer was to minimise thermal losses from the Explosion Vent to maintain energy efficiency and provide protection to workers in the vicinity of the panel.

After a period of research and development and continuous dialogue with the customer, Elfab created a bespoke product which incorporated aerospace-standard insulation integral to the design, ensuring the surface temperature of the exposed product is not hot to touch — eliminating danger to workers.

Anika Ephraim, Elfab managing director, said: “We are thrilled to be the inaugural winners of the SME Innovators Award, underlining the company's clear focus on innovation in our sector. This award demonstrates excellence in working as a cross-functional team to deliver a product to meet a specific challenge faced by a customer.”