PRV Engineering Ltd was first established in 1986 manufacturing pressings for the food packaging industry. Over the years, their engineering services expanded into the Railway Sector, Aerospace and Defence among others. This was largely due to a forward-thinking approach and continuous investment in staff, facility and equipment.

It all began with the introduction of jars and bottles as the requirement for their products started to decline. In 1998, PRV changed direction and moved into subcontract engineering selling their remaining presses. Two years later, in 2000, they expanded their now well-equipped 29,000 sq ft facility in Pontypool, South Wales.

Shifting To The Railway Sector And High Voltage Products

From the onset, PRV made progress by acquiring engineering companies and developed all their order books. It wasn’t long before they identified, acquired and relocated four engineering companies into the Pontypool plant.

At first, PRV concentrated on the High Voltage Switchgear, Rail Product and Oil and Gas industries. While these were classed as specialist areas, they also manufacture for others including Food, Chemical, Aircraft, Automotive, Marine and Defence. However, PRVs expansion and continued success came from working with the Railway Sector and High Voltage products.

Thinking Ahead With “One-Stop-Shop” Engineering

PRV Engineering realised early on that many engineering companies used the term, “One Stop Shop” but that very few actually delivered true to the statement. They decided to provide an all-encompassing service that would offer as much as possible without losing control of the product in the manufacture. Soon, PRV became more diverse offering CNC Machining, Fabrication, Painting, Powder Coating, Presswork, General Engineering, Structural and Mechanical Installations.

Success Story: Claverham

PRVs first taste of the railway sector came through Claverham, a company well-versed in the aerospace industry. They had developed a revolutionary set of electromechanical points and set up a new division called IAD Rail Systems. It was designed to build, test and install these products. Claverham approached PRV to examine the design and add value to the product. The idea was to reduce engineering costs where possible to make it more accessible to the railway sector.

Needless to say, PRV achieved and exceeded the customer’s goals with great efficiency. They have now manufactured components consistently over the last few years which have been successfully installed at over 800 locations throughout the UK.

Since then, we’ve had the pleasure of working closely with IAD Rail Systems on many other projects. Quality is foremost on PRVs agenda and all products and services offered are completed in accordance with the Quality Standard BS EN ISO 9001:2000 certification covering all activities.

Extensive Railway Sector Portfolio

Over the last few years, PRV Engineering added to their Rail portfolio in several ways. They now manufacture for Track, Track Laying and Maintenance equipment among many others. Recently, they secured contracts for supplying Electrical Connections, Contacts and other Rolling Stock Products to Transport For London and the Underground Rail Network.

They have manufactured various components from small switch contacts to Wheels and Axles as well as Gantries and Support Columns for electrical installations, cables and pipework. Custom Enclosures for any purpose are also part of their portfolio accommodating any type of IP rating. This even includes container conversions for generator Sound Proofing applications.

If you add all that to their involvement in Overhead Line Equipment with customers like Hawker Siddeley Switchgear (Brush Switchgear), it’s evident that PRV enjoys a successful alliance with the Rail Network and its suppliers.

PRV Masterclass In Manufacturing Obsolete OEM Products

One of PRVs most successful areas of supply is the remanufacturing of Obsolete OEM products. This extends to parts that are no longer available or from companies that have closed down. They can reverse engineer parts for many industries and even improve on the existing ones. By redesigning or utilising more modern materials, PRV Engineering can extend the lifespan of components and improve its functionality.

Final Thoughts

Since 2007, PRV Engineering Ltd has focused on expanding the business within the Rail Industry. They’ve invested heavily in expert staff, cutting edge technology and their facility. As a subcontractor, you have to operate outside of the normal working practices of most engineering companies while offering a much wider range of first-class services.

PRV wants to extend this service throughout the Rail industry and will work towards this goal. They believe that the UK Railway Sector should be one of the best in the world and can achieve that status with the aid of companies working to improve the infrastructure.

For more information on the products, services and industries that PRV specialise in, please visit their website. You can also join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube or LinkedIn using the hashtag #PRVtech.