10/08/2004
Ian Young emerging from a box body
It's been a case of Turkish delight on the export front for the MKW Group. The company has just completed a £300,000-plus contract for the supply of 19 “box bodies” for a client in Turkey.
The box bodies enable portable satellite communications systems to be mounted on LandRover-type military vehicles.
The box body is a bespoke product that has been designed and built to the most stringent specifications by MKW Engineering.
It must be watertight, sealed against electro-magnetic charges and partially soundproofed, in line with ground army norms, explained Managing Director Ian Young.
It must be capable of withstanding winds of 15 metres per second while the roof-mounted satellite antenna is erected.
The box body is fitted internally with racking for electrical kit and software and is air conditioned for crew comfort. While not intended for battlefield use, it must nonetheless be capable of withstanding weather extremes, including ice, salt water and sand storms. It must be able to operate in temperatures from a chilly –30°C, to +55°C, and able to withstand temperatures right down to –70°-71°C.
Major aluminium components of the antenna are also manufactured by MKW, under contract to UK defence supplier EADS Astrium. The MKW Group also supplies other major UK and European defence companies.
Other recent MKW exports have included a sophisticated paint-mixing machine for delivery to China. The contract is part of a programme to update facilities at the Chinese plant of Akzo Nobel, which also has a plant at Felling, Gateshead. The shipment follows the supply of two similar machines to the same Chinese client in 2002.
“At MKW we specialise in realising challenging projects to meet client requirements and we're delighted to have been able to make such a significant impact in the Turkish market,” said Mr Young.
The MKW Group's exports for 2003 represented 10.2 per cent of the turnover of £3.4 million. This was equivalent to a fivefold increase in exports year on year, compared with 2002, when such sales totalled £80,000.