Sheffield-based rail maintenance equipment specialist, Mechan, has installed the largest single system of lifting jacks in the UK at the Alstom Transport Traincare Centre in Longsight near Manchester.

The 44-jack system, which is the biggest ever produced by Mechan, will be used to service the new 11 car Alstom-built Pendolino trains being introduced on the West Coast Mainline.

Mechan saw off competition from Europe and China to secure the contract, which involved designing a completely new version of its Microlink jack control system, to accommodate such a large number of jacks. The firm also had to manufacture a taller version of its standard jack to enable the system to operate within the practical constraints of the depot. [More]

Rail depot equipment specialist, Mechan, is on target to double its export turnover this year

In the last month alone, the Sheffield-based manufacturer has taken orders from as far afield as France, Taiwan and New Zealand, worth in excess of £600,000



Mechan’s order from Bombardier in France is its first installation in the country. The firm is producing a bogie transfer system that will be installed in three stages. The initial phase is currently taking place while the plant is shut down for the summer holidays and Mechan expects to complete the project during the Christmas break, when operations are again suspended. [More]

An international delegation has swapped the sand dunes of Egypt for the seven hills of Sheffield to visit local heavy lifting manufacturer, Mechan. [More]