Watson-Brown HSM gears up for 'green' revolution

By David Shaw, ERJ staff

Ipswich, UK -- Watson Brown HSM, the de-vulcanising specialist, is under new management. Former ICI executive Ken Dowling is now the chief executive and he has brought in a new team to expand the business and take it to a new level.

The company has a proprietary system for de-vulcanising rubber by mechanical processing. It has installed a de-vulcanisation system in Germany, near the new Berlin airport and is in the process of installing a similar unit in Canada.

Under joint founders Chris Brown and David Brown, the company developed a de-vulcanising process and machine. The company sought to buy post-cure process scrap in high-value rubber compounds; reprocess it and sell it back to the rubber companies for use in fresh compound. While this approach had some limited success, Dowling told ERJ that in most such applications, safety, security and reliability is a higher priority than saving a few euro per component.

Instead, the company is aiming to use the same technology to sell re-processed rubber to big-name international consumer-oriented companies who are seeking to save some money on raw materials but, more critically, need to establish a reputation for efficient use of global resources.

Dowling said Watson-Brown is in the final stages of negotiations with one such company and expects to make an announcement in this area in the near future. He added that all intellectual proporty in the equipment and process is owned by Watson-Brown; not by the Brown brothers.

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Website of Watson Brown HSM