Cover Story
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/eb057216 |
| Date | 01 September 1981 |
| Pages | 29-40 |
| Published date | 01 September 1981 |
| Subject Matter | Economics,Information & knowledge management,Management science & operations |
Cover Story
In 1923 Harry Crook of Bristol pioneered the manufac-
ture of a new type of twisted wire brush, and, copying
an American idea, marketed his product using a door-
to-door selling technique. Today the firm he founded,
Kleeneze, still 100 per cent British, has a turnover of £11
million, employs a staff of 600, and, is expanding fast.
Today, Kleeneze's profitability lies foremost in the
manufacture and marketing of products for industry,
particularly brushstrip. Moreover with sales in 14 coun-
tries,
a factory in Virginia, USA, a company in France
and another one planned in Germany, the export poten-
tial is very promising.
The key to Kleeneze's current success lies in the com-
pany's know-how of both the manufacture and the
applications of all kinds of brushstrip. The idea of using
strips of tufted nylon filaments instead of rubber or
neoprene to seal doors and windows has been developed
only in the last decade or so. At the present time with
such an emphasis world-wide on energy saving, the
demand, in cold countries to keep heat in buildings, and
in hot countries, to keep the heat (and dust) out, is
enormous.
Brushstrip comes in all shapes and sizes and with
filaments or bristles made not only of nylon but of all
kinds of materials including metal, according to
requirements. To take an example, depicted on the
cover of this issue. The biggest brush seals of their type,
cup brushes 46 feet in diameter, have been installed at
Oldbury-on-Severn nuclear power station. Designed
and manufactured by Kleeneze Industrial Ltd, these
have been fitted as seals on the drum screens that filter
water for the power station's turbine condensers. Water
for cooling is drawn from the River Severn, which con-
tains seaweed and pebbles. Fouling of the water boxes
in the turbines by stones and seaweed used to result in
up to four stoppages a year to remove the debris.
Each drum consists of a 46ft diameter plastic mesh
cylinder. Unscreened water flows into the drum from
both sides and is screened by passing from inside to out-
side the drum through the
5/6in
square apertures of the
mesh. As the screen rotates, the mesh is cleaned by
washing with jets of water. Debris washed off falls into
hoppers which discharge into removable rubbish bas-
kets.
Between the walls of the concrete housing and the
screen is a gap of some three inches. A seal is fitted on
the outside edge of the drum to prevent debris bypassing
the screen, but because of wear on the previously fitted
rubber seal, there were gaps of up to half an inch which
allowed the passage of debris and even small pebbles.
The Kleeneze nylon brushstrip seal fitted in place of
the rubber is 3½in wide. The brushstrip, which provides
a complete seal, causes minimum friction, and because
of the hardwearing nature of the nylon filaments there is
little wear. A complete new seal can be fitted in under
two weeks while a single section of the nylon brushstrip
can be replaced in an hour.
News Briefs
MSC Recommends New Employment Law for Disabled
People
New legislation to protect the employment interests of
disabled people is recommended by the Manpower Ser-
vices Commission in its Review of the Quota Scheme
for the Employment of Disabled People published in
July. The report has been sent to the Secretary of State
for Employment for consideration. The new law, which
would replace the Quota Scheme, would make it a duty
of employers to take reasonable steps to promote equal-
ity of employment opportunity for disabled people. The
legislation would be linked to a Code of Practice giving
employers practical guidance on how they could comply
with the new law.
Women in management - career development grants to
employers
The Chemical and Allied Products Industry Training
Board set up its Women in Management Scheme in 1979
with the aim of encouraging and assisting companies in
the chemical and allied industries to plan the develop-
ment of women with management potential. The
Scheme which offers grants of up to £1,500 per candi-
date is highly flexible, since it enables companies to
choose the method by which the individual's potential
can best be developed. During 1979/80 15 women were
accepted for sponsorship. Their ages ranged from early
20s to 40 plus, and their qualifications from "O" level to
university degree. Most programmes included both
external courses and in-company training. Among
nominees were ex-secretaries who are now being trained
for Personnel, Office Administration and Regulatory
Affairs; one firm has used the Scheme to accelerate the
development of women already in junior executive and
lower management positions. During 1980/81 25 nomina-
tions were accepted.
Further information on the Scheme can be obtained
from: Mr G.J. L. Green, Manager, Management
Advisory Unit, Chemical and Allied Products Industry
Training Board, Staines House, 158/162, High Street,
Staines, Middlesex. TW18 4AT.
The Strasbourg Case - The Institute of Directors' View
The decision of the European Court of Human Rights
that the sacking of three railwaymen for refusing to join
a trade union was in breach of their right of freedom of
association, means that the Government must take
action towards abolishing the closed shop, is the view of
the Institute of Directors. "If Britain is to comply with
her obligations under the European Convention on
Human Rights, there can be no further delay in imple-
menting a stepped programme of measures to outlaw the
closed shop. Not only is its existence a barrier to
economic recovery, it is plainly a fundamental breach of
the rights of the individual," said the Institute. "There
has been a lamentable lack of enthusiasm for prohibitive
measures against the closed shop from a Government
which was elected promising to curb the abuses of trade
union power. Merely raising the levels of compensation
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 1981 29
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