COMPANY PROFILE

Huge achievements often have humble beginnings, and the story of Tindall Engineering is no exception.

Melvyn Tindall founded the company as a subcontracting engineering firm, working with a single milling machine and lathe in his workshop in Shaw before moving to Oldham to produce Tindall’s earliest security products.

Initially, this took the form of reliable slide and barrel bolts that were sold directly to ironmongers once the company had moved to their long-term headquarters in Wright Street, Oldham.

However, innovation in the face of intense tragedy would come to shape Tindall Engineering’s story.

On 8^th May 1979, Manchester faced its worst fire disaster since the Second World War, as a fire rapidly spread throughout the flagship Woolworths store near Piccadilly Gardens, Manchester.

The tragedy, which cost the lives of ten people and hospitalised another 47, led to sweeping and significant changes to fire safety legislation to ensure that such a loss of life shall not happen again.

The electrical system was faulty, and set alight a piece of extremely flammable display furniture which caused a rapid spread of both flames and toxic smoke that engulfed the building within minutes.

The danger and threat to life was exacerbated by a lack of sprinklers and poor ventilation to reduce the spread of the fire, and made worse by the barred windows on the second floor of the building.

To add to this, some of the emergency exits relied on a key behind broken glass or were even chained shut from the outside, meaning that the push bar emergency doors could not be used to escape.

In the wake of the disaster, Tindall developed a flush-fitting system that could not be chained together or locked in a way that would prevent people from escaping in a panic emergency situation, using a mounted leading-edge.

This would soon be combined with a unique full-width push plate design that further improved life safety and is synonymous with MICO’s contributions to building safety that persist to this day.

In 1984, Tindall Engineering undertook its first major project outside of the United Kingdom, working as a key supplier for one of the biggest rapid transit system upgrades in Europe and to one of the largest European rail engineering companies of the 20^th Century.

Faiverley Engineering were assigned to work on upgrades to the long running Paris Metro in the 1980s, and Tindall worked closely with them to produce bespoke power lock systems to meet the robustness and everyday requirements of one of Europe’s most widely used rapid transit systems.

Tindall Engineering’s work in keeping an increasingly mobile world secure would bring them further success and attention, with the company working on the Paris Metro again in the years following.

In 1994, ASSA AB (August Stenman Stenman August) was divested from Swedish security conglomerate Securitas AB. They promptly merged with Abloy Oy to form ASSA Abloy, a global security conglomerate.

One of the earliest agreements ASSA Abloy were involved in was working with Tindall Engineering on an exclusivity distribution agreement to supply MICO panic escape hardware.

With MICO locks receiving increasing accreditation including BS EN 1125 (safe and effective panic exit devices) and BS EN 179 (emergency exit devices), Tindall Engineering had built a reputation as manufacturers of sophisticated security systems that protect life, liberty and property.

In 2002, this agreement came to an end after six years, and from that point onwards, Tindall Engineering designed, manufactured and marketed their products directly as they worked on ever-more ambitious projects.

Working independently provided Tindall with opportunities to expand its work with Original Equipment Manufacturers to increasingly sophisticated specifications and ever-more ambitious briefs.

One example of this is the MICO ELK Range, which were among the first external locking devices to be approved to LPS 1175 SR4 standards when fitted to Benweld doors, equivalent to an experienced, sustained breach attempt using loud battery-powered tools.

Three years later a range of MICO cylinder guards were also launched which received the same accreditation, as well as a focus on ballistic, blast and fire protection.

As well as new products, Tindall provided products for a growing number of specialist projects, spanning markets around the world, as their reputation and accreditations increased.

A project with Bristol Water and the development of SR4-accredited locks meant that Tindall’s products spread out to another major market sector, whilst Tindall Engineering worked on a new bespoke project that would make them a part of the global security stage.

In 2005 Taipei Metro, one of five major rapid transit systems in Taiwan, was undergoing a period of expansion and renovation which included a series of new lines and new medium and heavy capacity rolling stock.

After working with Paris Metro, Tindall Engineering supplied a bespoke touchbar system to the updated Taipei Metro in keeping with their history of considering both high security and extensive life safety in their products.

In 2008, Tindall Engineering launched what has since become their flagship high-security lock, the MICO Abryll, a lock that at the time received an SR5 security rating when fitted to certain Technocover doorsets.

It has since received an LPS 1175 SR6 rating when used as part of certain Sunray or R&D Sheetmetal doorsets, becoming one of the only single-point locks in the world to receive SR6 accreditation.

This instantly made it the talk of the security world, as it was at the time the highest ever rated single-point locking device in the United Kingdom, and caused Tindall Engineering to receive attention not only from a growing number of security-conscious businesses but also departments of Her Majesty’s Government and the National Grid.

At least three MICO locks, including the Abryll, is recognised by the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI) for use by the government for locations and purposes where protection from professional breach attempts was paramount.

The Abryll was not the only high security innovation at Tindall at that point, however. MICO’s Hasp & Staple range developed in 2010 was one of the first external devices rated to SR3 that allowed for panic escape in an emergency even if a padlock was fitted through innovative design.

In 2012, Tindall Engineering was acquired by the Surelock McGill Group, a locking and security systems concern that added the former’s expertise to a growing all-around security group.

This acquisition led to Tindall’s own expansion, as the design, development and manufacture of new MICO locking products required relocation to a larger premises in 2013, with a dedicated showroom added in 2015.

Over the decade since Tindall Engineering began its journey as part of the Surelock McGill Group, they have continued to strive to meet and raise the standards for security and locking solutions using innovative design, technological partnerships and boosting their products.

Most recently, this has included developing and expanding their external padlockable collection and working in partnership with Securex Technology to develop a range of electro-mechanically actuated locks designed especially for ATEX hazardous zone areas.

The corrosion resistance of the entire MICO range was upgraded to BS EN 1670 Grade 5, which reflects “Exceptionally High Corrosion Resistance” and is the current maximum standard recognised by the British Standards Institute.

As well as this, Tindall Engineering during this period rolled out a 1,000,000 cycle testing regime, subjecting their locking products to rigorous tests to simulate years of use.

In 2019, the MICO Modula Single Point launched, providing a combination of versatile mortice lock functionality with a market-leading bolt throw and LPS 1175 SR2 accreditation.

With continued plans for expansion of their manufacturing, research and development, and production base, Tindall Engineering has started the 2020s driven by the motivations that started half a century ago to keep people safe and secure through innovative precision and engineering excellence.