Northumberland entrepreneur secures funding for pipeline safety innovation

The Northumberland entrepreneur behind technology that improves safety within the oil, gas and power industries is making his innovation global with a five-figure investment.

Jon Naylor is the creator of the TorqTag – a small device for use in the process of closing the dozens of flange pieces that join sections of pipeline.

Recognising a need to improve the processes, which are carried out engineers in a precise order to ensure connections are made as they should be, Jon developed the TorqTag.

The magnetic device temporarily attaches to each bolt, potentially helping technicians keep track of their bolting sequence.

Each TorqTag features a unique barcode, allowing them to be used in conjunction with electronic data collection devices.

Jon, who owns Bedlington-based JNCS Business Services Ltd, will put £10k from the new North East Small Loan Fund towards improving manufacturing processes.

He has already secured orders from new and existing around the world but hopes to drive further growth.

With that goal, JNCS Business Services Ltd is working with Cramlington firm Algernon Precision Engineering to develop a new machine that enables sets of 28 TorqTags to be made in just a few seconds. This will allow orders to be fulfilled far more quickly than is currently possible.

Jon said: “These bolts have to be tightened in a certain order, just like you tighten opposite nuts on a car wheel to prevent it from becoming unbalanced, and with dozens of bolts on each pipeline, it can be hard to keep track of what has and hasn’t been done.

“The TorqTag means users know precisely which bolts have been tightened, removing any doubt from the process and ensuring that engineers don’t have to resort to chalk marks and other low-tech methods they’ve previously used to keep these tasks on track.”

He continued: “Rising demand and interest in the product has created a need to speed up the manufacturing process, and the machine that’s been designed and built here in Northumberland will make a significant difference to the number of orders we can fulfil.”

The £9m North East Small Loan Fund is part of the £120m North East Fund and typically offers loans of between £10k and £50k businesses throughout Tyne & Wear, Durham and Northumberland.

NEL Fund Managers investment executive Mike Guellard commented: “Jon has developed an easy to use and highly effective solution for a specific industry issue, and now has the capacity to realise the potential of this latest piece of North East innovation in markets right around the world.”

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