Blakell Europlacer Group Background

Europlacer is the central element of the Blakell Europlacer Group, a UK company established over 40 years ago by the late Pat Kellard. After initial success as a general engineering company manufacturing all sorts of products from traffic lights to fork lifts and engine block transfer/washing lines the business entered the electronics market with the Blakell LS product range for light-guided semi-automatic Through-Hole assembly. After significant success in this market the Group entered the SMT market with the acquisition of Europlacer Industries SAS, a French company, in 1991. The Europlacer business now comprises companies in the UK, France, USA and China.

The Group also encompasses SMT screen printing machine manufacturer Speedprint and AGR Automation Ltd a supplier of bespoke automation systems primarily for the medical device and personal care industries. All of the Group’s businesses focus on developing innovative technology for automation solutions.

Speedprint (www.speedprint-tech.com) has a long history in SMT screen print manufacture with staff who have been involved in development of DEK and MPM. Speedprint offers a unique “look-down/look-down” approach to PCB stencil-board alignment which offers increased flexibility of operation. In addition the machine user interface is the most advanced in the market with exceptional ease of use and diagnostic support.

AGR Automation (www.agr-automation.com) provides world-class, high-speed feeding and assembly systems for client processes ranging from “widgets” for beer cans to baby feeding devices, disposable razors and safety needlesets. These systems can incorporate any process and have, for example, included processes as diverse as laser drilling, laser welding, glue curing and spring feeding/insertion. AGR has recently launched its highly innovative SmartPod platform and is now supplying both end users and established systems integrators.

The Blakell Europlacer Group employs approximately 150 people on six sites in England, Scotland, France, China, India and the USA. The Group’s corporate governance is based on personal Christian ethics and the business supports a Trust which provides a degree of support for Third World poverty relief and Christian mission. The moral ethic established is underpinned by a concentration in day-to-day activity on Innovation, Excellence and Integrity.

In the UK the Blakell Europlacer Ltd trading company is also the distributor for Evest Taiwanese pick&place machines, Saki Vision Inspection and hexi reflow ovens, while in France the Group’s Europlacer Distribution operation is the national distributor for BTU reflow ovens and Mirtec Vision Inspection amongst other products (www.europlacerdistrib.com).

The Group’s strategy is to continue to develop its core companies to realise their potential in the global market through constant re-investment of profits to feed a stream of continuous innovation.