June 2021

HYDRAULICS 24 HYDRAULICS & PNEUMATICS June 2021 www.hpmag.co.uk A specialist Ilkeston company has come through the COVID-19 pandemic in a healthy state, taking increased orders which has meant moving to larger premises and hiring extra staff. AB Components is a wholesale distributor of quality filters and filtration accessories – from small half inch square items for garden machinery to 7 ft-high units to deal with dust in food preparation. The company sells air purifiers for anything from small rooms to whole buildings – some business premises don’t have windows that people can open for fresh air – and filters for motorbikes, cars, trucks, tractors, diggers, fridges and even hot tubs. All have the same purpose – either to stop harmful particles getting into the environment or causing damage to complicated and expensive machinery. AB Components claims the air purifiers eliminate at least 99.99% of airborne pollutants (including viruses, bacteria pollen and dust) from the air, which is particularly important for people with allergies and breathing problems. They can be used in offices, schools, medical and veterinary practices, restaurants, pubs, and bars as well as homes. Long pedigree Company director James Edgar has been in the industry 30 years. He worked in the technical department of a filtration manufacturer in Nottingham before founding AB Components in 2006. He worked from home in Ilkeston while stock was held and despatched from a warehouse in Norwich. In 2008 the company relocated its warehousing, sales and accounts to the Manners Industrial Estate, moving round the corner into larger premises in 2014. Earlier this Spring it moved again to a larger unit on the estate at Mercian Park, doubling unit space from 6000 sq ft to more than 12,000 sq ft with purpose-built offices and conference facilities plus storage at a cost of £150,000. The company had a turnover in the last financial year of £2.5 million. It supplies filters and access from 150 suppliers around the world and is the sole UK distributor for some brands. At any one time there are 9000 different filters in stock which can be delivered nationwide. High demand “While other companies were shutting or furlough staff because of the COVID-19 restrictions we carried on with full working and actually grew,” says Edgar. “This is because additional companies needed more filters for their businesses and ordered more supplies. We hope that the health problems caused by viruses will encourage more people – both businesses and individuals – to buy our products for their premises and homes.” It is a family business with two brothers- in-law among the 20 employees. “We have plans for three more staff in the next quarter and as the business grows expect to take on more,” adds Edgar, who is a hands- on boss taking on sales and marketing as well as attending business shows. www.abcomponents.org Increased sales of filters during pandemic helps AB Components accelerate growth AB Components director, James Edgar in the warehouse with a selection of filters and outside the premises holding a giant filter from a wind turbine. Hydroscand is launching specially designed service plugs in carefully selected materials, that enable both re- use and recycling. Service plugs are important tools for minimising the risk of environmentally harmful leakage. For example, during oil changes, service, assembly and hose changes. Leakage can also lead to high remediation costs. To help customers reduce the environmental impact, the service plugs are made of oil-resistant TPV, a thermoplastic elastomer. Unlike plugs that are made of rubber, Hydroscand’s plugs can be recycled instead of burned. The material also has properties that allow the plug to sit firmly in place and can be reused for a longer period of time. The plug can withstand a temperature range of -40 deg C to +130 deg C. Hydroscand's new plug is available in many different sizes and can be used for a variety of jobs: wherever you need to temporarily plug something that is not pressurised. They work excellently in, for example, hose breakage, where you want to protect the environment, but also need to ensure that as little as possible is lost from the system. They also work to plug a drain to avoid unpleasant odours. The new service plugs are therefore suitable for those who working in areas such as hydraulics, plumbing, workshop service, shipping and more. www.hydroscand.co.uk New smart service plugs from Hydroscand