An industrial fan manufacturer has secured funding for patent protection of its latest invention.
Now Halifax Fan, based at Brighouse, is set to blow away the competition with its new product, which will brig benefits to several sectors, including the automotive, nuclear, food and beverage and pharmaceutical markets.
The company, which is celebrating 50 years in business, designs its own range of industrial fans to meet the needs of industries worldwide.
The forward-thinking firm, based at Brookfoot Business Park, developed its latest innovation and applied for a patent to safeguard the concept.
Chief engineer Barry Thomas and his team spotted a gap in the market in Autumn, 2014, and devised a way to simplify the maintenance of industrial centrifugal fan units.
The invention will ensure a safer and cleaner working environment for those taking care of the complex machinery, as well as overall speeding up maintenance cycles.
Halifax Fan was introduced to the Appleyard Lees Growth Fund which provides support for businesses with winning ideas and a proven track record of innovation.
Patent and trade mark attorneys Appleyard Lees, which has its head office in Halifax, helped the company with the detailed process of drafting and submitting a patent application for the product. The patent, currently pending, will allow the manufacturer to freely discuss its new product with customers.
Mr Thomas said: “The industries we cater for require the very best products and solutions. So, as a company, it is vital that we challenge ourselves to develop the latest technologically advanced units for our customers.
“Following rigorous research, we have created a product that will benefit many sectors such as automotive, nuclear, food and beverage and pharmaceutical markets, all on a global scale. We know our competitors don’t offer this newly-developed concept and so this will really set us apart.”
Said Mr Thomas: “Working with Appleyard Lees has helped us to consolidate our position in the market. The team are incredibly knowledgeable and are clearly engineers at heart..”
Launched in 2012, the annual fund of £50,000 has been established by the specialist IP firm, which has offices in Manchester, Leeds and Halifax.
Grants from the Appleyard Lees Growth Fund are awarded on a case by case basis to individuals or organisations with winning ideas, a track record for innovation and a sound strategic approach.
Adam Tindall, senior associate at Appleyard Lees, said: “We work with pioneering engineering firms with the objective of supporting their growth. This new invention provides such a huge advantage that it was clearly important to pursue protection.”
