So here’s an early warning; this blog is about engineering standards. When Keith and Mark suggested the topic a sharp inhalation of breath took place and followed up by a suggestion to speak to the two design managers to get some info. Steve ‘B’ and Steve ‘C’ are the Design Engineering Managers here at Marches, so I organised a team’s discussion and almost immediately afterwards received a document outlining some of the key factors used when designing installations for clients.

As not someone who usually works in this area of the business, I thought it might be like getting blood from a stone, but how wrong was I! What came forth was a list of the types of standards that Marches always work to within projects, a mixture of both legal requirements, such as all electrical work is carried out to IEE Regulations but also non legal such as for example having ‘no’ moving equipment inside the sealed process tanks, in particular the mixing of tanks by gas injection, liquid recirculation with external centrifugal chopper pump or a combination of both depending on tank size and feedstock type.

Steve C has an architectural background and develops the initial plant concept design alongside the process engineers and can be found onsite from the outset of any project.  Steve B is a technical mechanical design engineer and over the years has evolved the design of the Marches gas mixing system to what it is today.  Together they produce a package of 3D drawings for plant construction and are involved throughout the duration of projects, from initial concept to the issue of final build drawings.  Issues will always arise during any plant build and they use their know-how to design the best possible solution which also takes into consideration the practical maintenance of equipment when selecting and designing any new system.

It is clear that both designers are immensely proud of the standards they adhere to. It is also evident that they really know what they talk about – both having worked for Marches and in the industry before that for longer than most of us can remember.

It’s this attention to standards that mean everyone can sleep safely, everybody knows that when the work is completed and Marches have left site that we know firstly it will work year in year out, but perhaps even more importantly it will be safe to operate for the long term. It’s also why our plants are still operational, some many years from when they were constructed.