New 720 S key to Centurion’s growth plans

The company, which designs and makes a wide range of safety helmets, cap protection, hearing and respiratory protection equipment, is responding to strong demand from the growing global construction industry with three new helmet designs, called the ARMIS range, with new styles and specifications. Expecting high production rates for these new helmets, or “shells”, Centurion invested in a new ALLROUNDER 720 S, with 3500kN clamping force , to ensure the machine would withstand their high demands for production: cycle times are just 40 secs per unit and the factory runs 16-hours a day, requiring a higher capacity machine with a larger working space for handling the product. The new investment also reflects the objectives of a senior leadership team of five new directors, who have joined the famous brand within the last two years, to use new technologies, find new markets, develop the best products and grow the business.

“The new helmet designs need a larger clamp tonnage to keep the mould locked and closed, so it avoids blowing open during moulding,” says operations director Mark Hosty. “Some of the machines that we were running before were a little too small for the shell’s design, and to achieve the weights that we now need, occasionally the tool was forced open during the injection stage.” The new helmet models also need a bigger working gap between the tie bars to handle them, allowing for improved venting, while sustaining the high piece rate that will be needed. Performance of the new machine, commissioned in December 2023, is very good. “The machine is doing exactly what we want now. We had a few commissioning issues, as we are working it hard and fast with a big mould, but we resolved these issues together with Arburg,” says Mark.

Stuart Spicer, ARBURG Area Sales Engineer, supported Centurion through the project, commenting, “Centurion needed our full support to justify the continued manufacturing expansion in the UK, one of the critical areas being the high energy requirements of their older machines. Energy studies supported the investment decision, as the new machine saves Centurion a staggering 75% of their existing energy costs.” This is in addition to the proven repeatability of ARBURG machines.

Centurion is seeking optimum output for its investment. “We will start benchmarking cycle times soon, and I believe we can hit 30 seconds,” Mark says. “This will show what we need to change at the end of the line to get the operating speed up, and cycle time down. Currently we are governed more by the speed of the post-moulding operations  not the speed of the machine, and we want both optimised, of course.”

Changing demands requires innovation in design. One of the new shells is compliant to ANSI 2 standard, a higher compulsory standard in the US market. It is a climbing-style helmet rather than traditional style, reflecting a wider trend for industrial shells. “We are launching this to capture more of the US market, where we are well established – so this is a good British manufacturing export story,” says product marketing manager Julie Hepton. “The two other new designs are to align the product range with changing demands in the European and global markets.” Centurion products are certified to the correct BSI standards in the UK, ANSI 1 and ANSI 2 in the US, as well as EN standards, AS/NZS and all the required standards for its international markets.

Since late 2023, Centurion have appointed five new directors as well as new managers, all experts with impressive backgrounds in demanding sectors including manufacturing, NPD, sales and marketing and PPE . CEO - Allan Lock, Finance Director - Jason Keogh, Operations Director - Mark Hosty, Global Sales Director - Scott Matthews, Technical Director - Nick Branston, and Product Marketing Manager - Julie Hepton have all joined within the last 20-months. The new ARBURG machine reflects a wider push to change, adopt and grow Centurion Safety.