720240PowerAll Electrically Powered Pre HeaterClosedGRD Development of PrototypeInnovate UKPowerAll Limited can trace its history back to 1979 when it began as a specialist manufacturer of electronic control solutions for a wide range of applications, developing over the years into a modern, innovative business achieving almost £1m sales p.a. Located in York, PowerAll has an ISO9001-2008 accredited design & manufacturing facility and based on its experience in the design, development and manufacture of vehicle engine driven generators, AC and On Board power systems, PowerAll have identified a requirement for the development and provision of an electrically powered pre heater for weld repairs on rail tracks. Currently, maintenance crews rely on the use of propane gas fuelled burners being placed on the rail and the rail being heated to a high temperature. There are a number of serious issues with this method concerning health and safety, lighting burners and the control of rail temperatures. Inattention can cause over heating of the rail which is undesirable and can affect its performance characteristics. There are also issues concerning the manual handling of heavy gas bottles that have to be lifted from a van and moved to a rail bogey and gas wastage as running out of gas on a job would be disastrous so bottles are often returned for exchange with gas still in them, increasing costs. The PowerAll system will be a ‘World First’, addressing the above issues, providing a far more flexible, easily handled system that achieves environmental, energy and economic benefits for the operator, considerable safety gains for the users and at a cost of ownership that is a significant improvement over the current alternatives. The new system will enable PowerAll to diversify into a market with huge potential and generate significant sales, both in the UK and export. The project will safeguard the future of the company and will support the UK economy at all levels, providing additional valuable employment and revenue.