EFP’s £1.5m Investment Paves the Way for Next-Generation Heat Pumps

Milestone of Mutual Growth: Celebrating 30 years with Mitsubishi Electric Air Conditioning Systems Europe Ltd (M-ACE)

This year marks a significant milestone for our manufacturing site based in Scotland, celebrating 50 successful years of EPS foam moulding. But our golden jubilee is not just about the half-century of our Livingston facility. It’s also an opportunity to celebrate a partnership that has stood the test of time. For 45 of those 50 years, we have worked closely with different divisions of Mitsubishi Electric, our longest continuous partner.

From first supplying TV and VCR packaging in the 1970s to supporting M-ACE growth since its inception 30 years ago, our partnership has remained resolute and is pivotal for EFP’s success. As we both celebrate major milestones this year our commitment to preserving this key partnership is as strong as ever, it’s further strengthened with EFP’s latest £1.5 million investment to support M-ACE’s Air to Water Heat Pump production.

Bridging the Future: EFP & M-ACE’s Joint EGen EPS Tank Cushion Project

Our investment has also allowed us to support M-ACE’s Air to Water (ATW) Heat Pump Systems NPI programmes, a key initiative showcasing our commitment to the M-ACE partnership in practice. The working relationship between the M-ACE and EFP teams, coupled with significant investment from both companies, has propelled the project forward.

This investment not only ensures EFP can manufacture all future Tank Cushion developments, but it also reinforces our dedication to improving efficiency and reducing carbon emissions. By situating our infrastructure closer (in this case literally a stone’s throw away) to M-ACE on the same industrial estate, we are streamlining operations, minimising transport emissions, and supporting M-ACE’s expansion and new product launches.

This strategic investment, which marks a milestone in our partnership history, includes the procurement of four state-of-the-art Erlenbach EPS Presses and additional warehouse space.

Two of these impressive presses have already been installed and commissioned in early 2023. A third press, bought in 2022 and with twice the moulding capacity, was transferred from Northampton to Livingston – see below – and was installed and operational by May well ahead of the production start in August. An identical press is on order and scheduled for delivery in early 2024.

Navigating the Challenges: The Relocation of the Erlenbach Press

Relocating the Erlenbach 1650/1380 Press from Northampton to Livingston wasn’t a task undertaken lightly. This is the largest press Livingston has had in its 50-year history. It required meticulous planning, custom assembly techniques, and innovative solutions to overcome several challenges, including working within a restricted height clearance. Yet, the successful move is testament to EFP’s tenacious, can do attitude and dedication to safety.

Securing the Legacy: EFP’s Strategic Long-Term Vision

From humble beginnings in the early 70s, we have transformed our Livingston facility into an efficient foam moulding powerhouse of both EPS shape mouldings and EPS block/sheet moulding. Our latest investment of £1.5m demonstrates our commitment to M-ACE and comes on top of other recent investments that have reinforced our leading position in sectors as diverse as HVAC and Construction. This strategic move helps us to strengthen our business, secure our longevity in the marketplace and most importantly continue our shared success story with M-ACE.

Tags: Continuous Improvement, Customer Focus, Engineering, Investments, Sustainability