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In some ways it is surprising that we ordinary mortals don’t recognize the initials SDMO because it is a large company with distribution networks in over 150 countries and 8 subsidiaries linked with its 3 regional headquarters in France. And with energy generation being a hot topic these days, we ought to be more aware of what is going on.
What is really surprising about SDMO as a company is the range of its generators and therefore the expertise it can bring in support of its customers.
For example, its top selling portable generators are a favourite in the UK’s hire and building site businesses. These gensets are literally selling off the shelves as they arrive at the warehouses, and they are proving to be a real growth area for SDMO here.
The company puts the continuing demand for these portable generators down to the flexible range of machines that customers can choose from. Simple open frame generators for the boatyard, robust worksite machines and silent covered ones for use in markets for example, to sophisticated generators needed for film sets where extraneous noise is a no-no and energy consumption quite high, to mention a few of them. Of course, the gensets have got to be good too, and customers don’t generally buy bad products....
With choices of petrol or diesel motors and single phase or three phase, each SDMO generator sold in the UK has Qualigen Charter marking. This ensures a high standard of user safety, information, noise, service and rating that is needed in sophisticated and highly regulated markets.
Next in the line-up in terms of size are the SDMO Power Products. In their distinctive blue livery these gensets are aimed at the professional users. Some of the smaller machines produce 7.5kVA to 630 kVA , while the largest will generate 550kWe. Useful for backup power in emergencies, war situations and such like, these machines are kept in strategic SDMO locations in the world network so that an instant response can be put into place when necessary. I couldn’t help but notice the picture on the SDMO office wall in which two covered gensets were being loaded onto a freight jet to fly to the tsunami hit Indian Sub-continent. It really brought home to me how much we rely on having electrical power, and how often it is one of the first casualties of any disaster.
SDMO is justifiably proud of its use of new technology to ensure the reliable delivery of energy from its generators. The system that I noticed was the Mics TELYS. For the everyday user, this allows the day to day running of the generator by people on the ground, but should any more complex problems occur, a USB memory stick can download the parameters from the system and relay them to a technician via the internet. The data is interpreted and a technician is despatched with parts etc to complete the repair. This saves money and time and avoids what could be local interference making a poor situation worse.
SDMO also have a range of Rental Power units on offer. In their White livery they again range from small to large. I could wheel one to the job on its custom wheelset, deliver one based on a trailer or deliver it, completely self-contained, on the back of a container lorry. I recently watched one of these large units being used by a civil engineering company that had the job of stabilising one of the chalk cliffs in Brighton. Judging from the cables emerging from the machine, the generator provided enough power for the lifts up and down the cliffs, the drilling machines, the concrete mixers and even the kettles and lights in the site office. It was a large presence there for a couple of months, but now with the job done, the cliff top path is once more open and normality is restored.
Once again using advanced electronics, these gensets can be set up for the specialist demands of welding, for three phase or single phase use (from the same machine at the same time. Unique?)
Lastly, SDMO is using its 80 strong Engineering Department to work with corporate and other clients to develop and maintain independent back-up energy resources. There are a lot of what-ifs these days - bombs, disasters and electrical grid failure that could lead to hospitals being thrown into chaos, companies losing valuable data from computer systems and traffic systems breaking down causing gridlock. By using the NBI (Normal Backup Inverter) system, the power from the National Grid is monitored and the generator is programmed to cut in automatically should voltage drop below a certain point.
Although the SDMO facility I visited in Middlewich is modest compared to the massive buildings in France, I was once again struck by what seems to be a key feature of modern business practice. Wayne Steele, General Manager, provides able leadership, and a small closely knit team, each member of which understands the machinery, the technology and the need for good customer service, provides the necessary ingredients for success in a competitive world market.
By Peter Brett
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Airstream Communications