From micro tubes to an Olympic icon: a truly specialist business #madeinsandwell

Our #madeinsandwell Monday star for this week is tube-forming specialist Techniswage of Smethwick. Established in 2000, Techniswage has grown from a small Midlands firm into an internationally recognised engineering company.

Built on the rich industrial and engineering heritage of the borough, Techniswage embraces the diversity and talent that Sandwell offers. Its team members have varying backgrounds in indOlympic cauldronustries including forging, casting, pressing and the automotive and aerospace sectors.

The company welcomes the great engineering talent coming through from Sandwell College and believes that its diverse skill sets have helped it become the major player in tube-forming technology that it is today.

Techniswage is extremely proud of its tube-forming expertise and over its 15-year history the company has achieved a wide range of accomplishments, including FHL, Airbus and Raytheon approval. As the aerospace division of the business continues to expand it is also proud to be a member of the Midlands Aerospace Alliance.

One of Techniswage’s proudest achievements to date was its involvement in the 2012 Olympic Games. The company was awarded the contract to manufacture the tapered tubes that formed the Olympic cauldron, the centrepiece of the London 2012 opening ceremony [pictured].

Techniswage’s services include tube tapering, tube end expansion, tube flaring and tooling production. In 2014 it created a small parts area within the business, enabling it to produce micro tubes: formed components of 2mm diameter and below.

It now forms micro tubes out of most metals, including copper, brass, stainless or mild steel, and can manipulate tubes as small as 1mm in diameter and reduce tubes to just 0.2mm in diameter using hydraulic and rotary methods. The introduction of this new process meant Techniswage could produce component parts to be used in a variety of products, including blood-testing needles, meat probes and even throttle linkage pins for jet engines.

Techniswage is now looking to the future. With its apprenticeship scheme well underway it is committed to investing in the next generation of engineers and is keen to nurture the talent that Sandwell produces, while servicing the needs of industries in both the UK and internationally. You can learn more about the company at its website: www.techniswage.co.uk.

#madeinsandwell Monday is a celebration of the talent and diversity of businesses in our borough. If you’re interested in being considered for a #madeinsandwell Monday profile, read this.