Our Factory

Rotor shafts are created from the bare tube to the finished article. Before any tube is machined, it is rolled on knife edges and checked with a DTI to ensure the run out is no more than 0.75mm at the centre. Every rotor must pass a balance test, which is run at up to 2,500rpm with two probes at either end measuring and recording vibration. Weights are welded to either side of the rotor to ensure critical balance has been met.

Main frames, tanks, arms, rotors and flailheads are jigged and then welded ready for shot-blasting and finishing. Shot-blasting is conducted by propelling abrasive materials at high speed through a jet nozzle using pressurised air onto the service of the component. This leaves a clean and dry profile ready for painting.

Components undergo a three-phase paint process. A base primer coat is sprayed on first, followed by a finishing coat. The paint is then oven-baked for curing.

McConnel manufactures all of its own hydraulic assemblies and control blocks. Up to 90 blocks coated with a micron finish can be created per week.

McConnel builds its machines to the British benchmark of quality management - the ISO9001 standard. McConnel's quality team check hundreds of components every day to ensure consistent high standards.

The final stage of the build is in the assembly section where the components are put together and turned into fully functional Power Arms.

Before being sent out to customers, each machine is put through an exhaustive test to ensure its performance matches the build specification. Any faults can be identified here and resolved before the machine is released.