MANUFACTURING DEAL SET TO HELP FISH VACCINATION SPECIALIST SCALE-UP

Manufacturing deal set to help fish vaccination specialist scale-up. A leading aquaculture specialist – that is changing the way fish are vaccinated safely – has signed a major manufacturing deal.

Sgorran, which was founded by industry experts Kristian Clezy and Gordon Jeffrey, is looking to scale-up production of its ground-breaking Inoca machines by tapping into the outsourcing capabilities of PP Control & Automation.

The deal will see the full build carried out at PP C&A’s world class facility in the West Midlands, giving the Stirling-based firm the capacity to increase sales and spend more time on R&D for future models.

Harnessing the power of innovation, the machines can safely vaccinate 2500 fish per channel, with the modularity of the design allowing up to eight channels at its peak.

Driven by automation, the technology delivers up to three intraperitoneal (IP) vaccines and a single intramuscular (IM) vaccine commonly required by fish farms around the world.

“Interest in Inoca is coming from all over the globe and we quickly realised that we could not keep up with demand if we tried to do it ourselves,” explained Kristian, who has many years’ experience in the sector.

“Our strengths rest in the design and innovation of the aquaculture technology, and this is what we want to focus on. We started to look for an outsourcing partner and was blown away by the capabilities of PP Control & Automation when we visited its site and spoke to its new product introduction and engineering teams.”

Sgorran and PP C&A has worked together to create a dedicated NPI cell, which will soon progress into a full build line, including mechanical, pneumatic and electrical control assemblies.

Supply chain management will be overseen by the English outsourcing specialist, helping to cut lead times by four weeks and providing increased purchasing power.

Design for manufacture specialists will also look to create new process blueprints to follow, establishing the production capacity to build up to 12 Inoca machines every year.

“The first two models are destined for UK and Europe, with the latter up to eight channels wide,” added Kristian.

“That’s where the modular build is so important. You can have as little as one, right up to eight, giving the client the capacity to vaccinate up to 100,000 fish every day.”

He added:

“Although we have lots of experience in the team, we are a relatively new business and that can sometimes cause issues when pitching for future orders. Partnering with PP C&A has changed those perceptions and we’re now seeing customers starting to place orders, as they now know we can meet lead times and volumes. You can’t put a value on that.”

PP Control & Automation operates from a 5,500m² facility in the heart of the West Midlands.

From here, it builds models for over 20 of the world’s largest machinery manufacturers, including technology that protects mobile phones from water damage, makes F1 cars faster, automates the milking of cows and unlocks new energy storage and generation solutions.

PP C&A’s deal with Sgorran brings aquaculture into its diverse sector mix and will see it build up to four machines over the next twelve months – with that number expecting to treble by 2027.

Mark Johnson, Engineering Manager at PP Control & Automation, added his support:

“We have significant experience in helping technology disruptors take new machines to market quickly and cost-effectively.

“This is what we will be doing for Sgorran as the company looks to make inroads into the fish vaccination market. Our engineers have started the first build, with the brief to identify production improvements and potential supply chain rationalisation, as we work through the first iterations.”

Gary Haynes, Chief Sales Officer at PP C&A, concluded:

“Importantly, we have given Kristian and his team the confidence to talk to new customers knowing that there is repeatable build quality and a guaranteed 12-week lead time in place.”

Image: Sgorran (L): (l-r) L-R: Steve Hawkes (Engineer at PP C&A), Kristian Clezy (Founder at Sgorran), and Mark Johnson (Engineering Manager at PP C&A)