Eclipse Magnetics has been named the winner of the Excellence in Sustainable Innovation (UK & EMEA) category at the IPE Awards 2024, further solidifying its reputation as a leader in magnetic technology solutions and sustainability. The company’s commitment to environmental responsibility and cutting-edge innovation has earned it this prestigious accolade, which recognises businesses that are driving sustainable practices across industries.
The IPE Awards celebrate business excellence across various sectors, with a particular focus on sustainability, process improvement, and innovation. Eclipse Magnetics, which specialises in magnetic filtration, separation, and detection systems, stood out among competitors for its forward-thinking approach to sustainable solutions and its continuous efforts to minimise environmental impact.
Pioneering Sustainability Through Innovation
Eclipse Magnetics has implemented a range of sustainable practices, both within its operations and through the development of products that help its customers reduce energy consumption, improve efficiency, and cut down waste. The company’s magnetic separation solutions, for instance, have been recognised for their ability to enhance manufacturing efficiency while reducing reliance on disposable filters to reduce environmental waste.
Commenting on the award, Steve McAllorum, Group MD of Eclipse Magnetics, said: “We are incredibly honoured to receive this award. This is a testament to our team’s dedication to designing sustainable products which assist our customers in prioritising their own environmental goals whilst enhancing their process efficiency. Working towards Net Zero is a core goal for our organisation and we are proud to be recognised for our dedication to this.”
Leading by Example
The company has also been proactive in reducing its own carbon footprint, by implementing energy-efficient systems, reducing waste through recycling initiatives, and optimising logistics to minimise emissions. Through its Net Zero strategy, Eclipse Magnetics has aligned its corporate objectives with the growing demand for sustainability in the industrial sector.
This award serves as an endorsement of Eclipse Magnetics’ broader mission to lead by example, demonstrating how sustainability and innovation can go hand in hand to create value for both businesses and the environment.
Eclipse Magnetics exhibited for the first time at MACH since 2018 and were delighted by the response. The NEC-based event took place in April 2024 and is the UK’s premier manufacturing event.
The Eclipse Magnetics stand was extremely busy, receiving quality visits from a diverse range of companies from the machining, fabrication, and precision engineering sectors.
Participation in the exhibition was supported by a variety of Eclipse marketing initiatives, which gained record levels of social media engagements and responses.
The Eclipse Magnetics range of high-performance magnetic filtration systems was the star attraction. Visitors were particularly interested in the tangible environmental and cost-saving benefits it offers.
The stand featured working displays showing the Autofiltrex and Automag automated magnetic filters. Visitors got a close-up view of the fine particle collection capability in action.
Magnetic lifters also proved to be a big attraction. The new Ultralift E was featured at MACH, offering a cost-effective, safer alternative to traditional lifting methods.
Dave Smith, Sales and Marketing Director, commented, “We were overwhelmed by the response at MACH 2024. Important themes for visitors were products that offer cost-saving and environmentally friendly solutions. By applying magnetic technology to every-day challenges, our product range is ideal to offer clear gains in efficiency, safety, and waste reduction. Our complete marketing package around MACH significantly boosted awareness of the wider Magnetics range”.
The Eclipse team is eagerly awaiting the next MACH, which takes place April 20–24, 2026.
Eclipse Magnetics has received accreditation as a Real Living Wage employer by the Living Wage Foundation, reflecting the company’s commitment to providing fair pay and improving the lives of its employees.
The Real Living Wage is an independently-calculated hourly rate of pay based on the cost of living in the UK. The Living Wage Foundation recommends that employers pay this rate to all employees over 18 – regardless of whether they are part-time, casual or temporary workers.
Eclipse Magnetics is committed to providing a fair and living wage for all employees and believe that staff are the backbone of their business, and want to ensure they receive a salary that reflects the cost of living in the UK today.
Managing Director Steve McAllorum said: “We are delighted to have received accreditation as a Real Living Wage employer. Our people are what makes our business successful, and we want them to thrive. We are proud to be part of the growing movement of employers who have pledged their support for the Real Living Wage and hope that other employers will join us in supporting this important cause.”
Eclipse Magnetics is delighted to announce it has become an official member of the Made in Britain certified list of British manufacturers.
Made in Britain brings together the British manufacturing community, and it is widely regarded as a symbol of quality manufacture, service and reliability. The Made in Britain mark helps consumers, buyers and specifiers identify products that are made in Britain.
Steve McAllorum, Managing Director at Eclipse Magnetics said: “We are proud to be a UK-based manufacturer and to now use the Made in Britain mark as a worldwide symbol of quality. It’s an honour to have been certified by Made in Britain and shows our dedication to our investment in UK based technology, manufacturing facilities, skills and training. We have an extensive UK design, engineering and manufacturing site in the UK which uses magnetic technology to provide a competitive edge to a variety of industries, we’re delighted to fly the flag for Great Britain. We believe the “Made in Britain” mark will be a great positive for both our export and home markets.”
With an unrivalled magnetic products portfolio and wealth of expertise, Eclipse Magnetics has been at the forefront of magnetic technology for over 100 years. Its Sheffield based manufacturing centre produces high-performance magnetic filtration systems, fine particle magnetic separators and safety-critical handling systems.
Magnets and magnetics continue to be key components used in most industrial and commercial and even consumer arenas; Eclipse magnetics is fully committed to investing in the UK to serve these markets.
A major European material producer and distributor based in Rugby, UK, has enjoyed impressive results from its Eclipse Magnetics MicroMag supplied by Q8 Oils.
A bright/cold finished bar producer, specialising in the manufacture of high-quality engineering steels, including Rounds, Hexagons, Squares and Flats, the company installed an Eclipse Micromag MM10 from coolant pump to flood delivery.
The patented, compact Micromag magnetic filter allows contaminated fluid to enter the inlet port where it is dispersed by the unique tapered radial flow channels. Fluid passes down the outside of the centrally mounted rare earth magnetic core which captures contamination particles along its length, resulting in excellent filtration efficiency.
The geometry of the magnetic flux circuit means that contamination builds up in a controlled way, ensuring that the filter can never block, irrespective of how much contamination is held. Channels remain open allowing fluid to continue to flow freely.
The filtered fluid flows through the return slots located in the upper section of the magnetic core, down through the centre and exits through the outlet port.
Chris Pybus of the company’s Maintenance Department said: “On commissioning of the grinding machine, the coolant system features a settling tank only, allowing fine metallic debris to be suspended in the metalworking fluid. Our Q8 Certas service technician introduced the concept of magnetic filtration to increase the efficiency of the process. Installation was extremely easy by a straightforward tee into the line between the coolant pump and delivery nozzles.”
Results from the installation certainly didn’t disappoint, with surface finish improvement from 32 micro inch to 26-28 micro inch and its wheel dress frequency reduced by 20%.
Expected to be the world’s third-largest automotive market in terms of volume by 2026, India’s automotive industry currently manufactures around 26 million motor vehicles per year, with around 4.7 million of which are exported around the globe.
As the industry continues to grow, manufacturers are now pro-actively searching for innovative ways to improve the quality and efficiency of parts and end products.
Kleenoil Filtration India Pvt Ltd., a leading supplier of industrial oil and coolant filters in the Indian Sub-Continent, supply Eclipse Magnetics’ Micromag filters to many of India’s biggest manufacturers, including Sansera Engineering Ltd. and Hero Motocorp.
Kleenoil installed an Eclipse Magnetics’ Micromag high-performance filtration system inline before the machine’s pump to minimise the number of ferrous particles contacting the grinding wheel. Containing a high-intensity magnetic circuit, the Micromag filter removes a high-proportion of ferrous contamination, including the finest of particles, without the need to regularly replace consumable media filters, or having adverse effects on fluid properties.
Following the installation, Sansera was able to maintain its production volume whilst also seeing a significant extension in the overall life of grinding wheels, boosting the tool life efficiency by 250%. The Micromag also vastly improved reject rates. The cleaner fluids enabled better contact between the grinding wheel and the part, which enhanced the surface finish consistency with improved Ra values. The number of parts failing quality inspection fell by 90%, resulting in significant monthly savings in scrappage or rework.
The combined benefits of longer grinding wheel life and fewer rejects enabled Sansera to recover its investment costs in just 7 months of the Micromag Installation.
Behind the success of every company is a dedicated and committed workforce, and Eclipse Magnets have recently celebrated one of their longest-serving employees, Dave Meakin, as he reaches an impressive milestone of 50 years of service within the Spear & Jackson Group.
Dave, an Assembly Technician for Eclipse Magnetics, has enjoyed an exciting career since joining Moore & Wright in 1971 and has grown with the group as it evolved over the last half a decade, seeing many changes and continued growth throughout his tenure.
Having left school at 15, Dave’s journey, began following a recommendation from a family friend. Looking for employment, he hand-delivered a letter to the gatehouse at its Moore & Wright site in Handsworth, Sheffield. Following an interview, he was offered the job of Trainee Machine Setter, thread grinding Micrometers, with a starting wage of just £3.75 a week.
Dave began his career with Moore & Wright on 13th April 1971. Interestingly, on that day, Edward Heath was Prime Minister and Hot Love by T-Rex was number one in the UK charts. Over the years, he gained a wealth of knowledge and experience in thread grinding, cylindrical, centreless and surface grinding that, in 1988, saw him promoted to Chargehand of the Moore & Wright hand tools production area.
As the group evolved, Micrometer production moved to the Bowers Group site in West Yorkshire. Enabling a successful transition, Dave spent some of his time at its Bradford site, teaching the production team to grind Micrometer parts.
In 2006, Neill Tools moved to the current Atlas Way site and were joined by Eclipse Magnetics. In 2009, a vacancy became available for a skilled grinder and Eclipse Magnetics welcomed Dave to the team, where he remains an invaluable member.
Speaking of his outstanding service, Dave said: “I’ve seen quite a few changes in ownership, locations and products over the years, but on the whole, I’ve enjoyed working for the Spear & Jackson Group, and former ownerships , I’ve been delighted to work with some excellent people”.
Operations Manager, Andy Reeve, commented: “On behalf of everyone at Eclipse Magnetics and the Spear and Jackson Group, we wish to congratulate Dave on this momentous achievement and thank him for his fantastic service over the years. 50 years is a truly remarkable achievement “.
Eclipse Magnetics has launched its brand-new website, featuring a user-friendly design and a host of exciting new features.
The new-look site has been designed to offer an improved user experience, with its cleaner design and simplified site structure providing an attractive and easy-to-use platform.
With its wealth of product-specific landing pages, along with the new product filters, useful case studies, and a showcase of the company’s industry experience, the aim of the redesign was to modernise and improve the customer journey through its digital channels.
Introducing a new live chat function, a handy resource guide and its very own video channel, Eclipse TV, the site offers an informative and educational base for businesses looking to excel by investing in magnetic technology.
Digital Marketing Strategist, Anna Nguyen, said: “It’s an exciting time for Eclipse to launch its new website, it was a great challenge to do justice to all the various market sectors and product divisions in a visually appealing and user-friendly manner. It’s early days but the signs are very encouraging with both traffic numbers and web enquires increasing compared to the old site, we look forward to rolling out the next phases in the development.”
Eclipse Magnetic’s sister company, Eclipse Tools North America have now joined Eclipse Magnetics on the same platform, creating consistency across the brands, with plans to roll out its customer Extranet and Chinese, French and German versions of the website already underway.
Whilst it’s been a challenging year for almost every business, Eclipse Magnetics has taken positive steps to drive the business forward throughout the coming year, remaining fully committed to supporting their customers and developing new business opportunities in key markets. As a result, the company is pleased to announce that three new highly experienced members have joined the sales team, based at its Atlas site in Sheffield.
Between the three new starters, Eclipse Magnetics gains over 60 years of Technical Sales and Account Management experience through various industrial sectors, which will be invaluable as the team focuses on driving the business forward throughout the remainder of 2021 and beyond.
Paul Kitchen (centre) – Technical Sales Engineer – FBR
Paul Kitchen has joined the Eclipse team as a Technical Sales Engineer in the Foreign Body Removal area. With over 25 years of powder processing experience , Paul will significantly strengthen both our customer, technical and application knowledge base.
Ian Prince (right) – Account Manager – MMA
Ian Prince has joined the Magnetic Materials and Assemblies team as Account Manager. Ian will be responsible for the sales growth of the magnets and magnetic tools product range primarily through export distribution channels but also having some UK related responsibilities. Ian has a wealth of experience working closely with both end-users and distribution partners globally.
Duncan Haley (left) – Sales Engineer – Filtrations
To complete the recruitment drive, Duncan Haley has joined the Filtration team as Sales Engineer. Duncan will be responsible for sales of magnetic filters in the UK, including the development of a distribution networks. Duncan will also provide for some export sales projects when required. Duncan has a wealth of experience in the precision machining sector.
Senior Sales Manager for Eclipse Magnetics, Dave Smith, said: “We are delighted to have Paul, Ian and Duncan commence employment with us and both myself and the team welcome them to Eclipse and wish them every success in their new roles. We are continuing to invest in our team to build a successful long term future for Eclipse Magnetics.”
Eclipse Magnetics is delighted to have achieved the Made in Sheffield accreditation for its high-quality magnetic products including industrial filtration systems, magnetic separators, and magnetic handling systems. Internationally recognised as a mark of origin and quality on Sheffield’s manufactured products, the Made in Sheffield accreditation is awarded only to local firms that can demonstrate a solid and ongoing commitment to quality and excellence.
Steve McAllorum, Deputy Managing Director at Eclipse Magnetics said: “We’re proud to be at the forefront of manufacturing innovation in Sheffield, and very pleased to have achieved the Made in Sheffield accreditation in recognition of that. It is, and always has been, our aim to consistently deliver the best quality products; the design and manufacture of our high-performance magnetic systems is carried out under an ISO 9001 quality management system, and we have over 100 years’ experience making magnetic systems.”
Made in Sheffield is recognised worldwide, made famous internationally as a mark of origin and quality for the City’s manufactured products. Sheffield is a successful 21st century City of Makers, boasting world-class companies in sectors as diverse as advanced manufacturing, materials technology, the creative and digital industries, food, biomedical / healthcare technology and the creative & digital industries.
