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Scottish Canals / Transport Scotland

Client Scottish Canals / Transport Scotland
Location Inverness
Project Value £500,000 +
HF Divisions Involved
Project Overview

HF Controls were awarded the tender to complete essential electrical automation upgrades across multiple swing bridge sites that form part of the historic Caledonian Canal System. Stretching 60 miles along the Great Glen, from Fort William to Inverness, the Caledonian Canal passes through towns, villages, and the expansive Scottish Highlands, requiring careful planning and execution for all works.

The existing swing bridge infrastructure, with some sites dating back to 1936 (and the canal itself originally opened in 1822), required modernisation to ensure safe and efficient operation while integrating electrical automation systems.

Project Sectors

Full Project Details
scottish canals control system

HF Controls were successfully awarded the tender contract to complete essential electrical automation upgrades for multiple swing bridge sites that make up the historic Caledonia Canal System.

Stretching 60 miles along the Great Glen from Fort William to Inverness, the Caledonian Canal passes through Towns, Villages and vast Scottish Countryside in the Highlands of Scotland.

The existing system of swing bridges, some as old as 1936 (the Caledonian Canal was originally opened in 1822) was necessary to ensure the continued and safe use of the swing bridges across the canal route while helping to electrically automate the system.
The ongoing project involved the upgrading of the Wig Wags, the early warning signal system, vehicle traffic barriers and each individual sites entire control system.

Our sister Mechanical division in HF were used as part of the site work, maintaining air conditioning systems for control room sites where necessary.

Project Challenges: The work could only be conducted during periods of canal closure in the winter ‘off season’. This brought with it the familiar challenges of Scottish winter weather.

Our controls division had to work on swing bridge sites, sometimes in sub zero conditions. Due to the swing bridge locations, sites were often to dangerous to access because of ice on the roads, heavy snow build up and road closures. All of which are constant problems for road networks in the Highlands.

Find out more

At HF, our Automated Controls Division can produce Control Panel Solutions ranging from Single Motor Panels to Automated Plant and Production Line Control Panels.

Whether your business requires one off bespoke electrical control panels or the production of multiple units, our Automated Controls Facility can produce solutions ideally suited for a diverse range of industrial sectors from Telecommunication businesses all the way to operations in the Transportation and Agriculture sector.

Our Control Panel Services cover:

  • Electrical Control Panel Design and Manufacturing.
  • Instrumentation Control Panel Design and Manufacturing
  • Fault rated motor control centres and LV Switchboards.
  • Instrument/Pneumatic Control Systems.
  • PLC/SCADA software design control package systems.
  • Inverter-Drive and Networking solutions.
  • CAD Drawings
  • Site installation and commissioning

As part of the HF Group, we can offer our clients an unsurpassed level of genuinely in-house capabilities. With senior-level hands-on management from initial planning to final handover and the opportunity to tap into a wide range of services, all backed by a team of consultants with a skills base and command of technologies which are second to none.

To find out more about the work that we do in Automated Controls, please contact our Glasgow head office today. With branches in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Manchester, Belfast and Aberdeen, we operate nationwide in everything from Manned 24 hour call out services to the latest in 5G telecommunication services.

our automated controls team on site installing a new control system for a canal in Scotland
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HF Group Accreditation - ISO 414001 2015 Accredited
HF Group Accreditation - ISO 9001 2015 Accredited
HF Group Accreditation - 45001 2018 Accredited
HF Group Accreditation - Daikin Business Partner
HF Group Accreditation - SEPA Certified
HF Group Accreditation - Mitsubishi Accredited Installer
HF Group Accreditation - WaterSafe Approved Contractor
HF Group Accreditation - ConstructionLine Gold Member
HF Group Accreditation - NSI Gold Fire & Security Member
HF Group Accreditation - BAFE Fire Safety Accredited
HF Group Accreditation - NICEIC Approved Electricians
HF Group Accreditation - Refcom Gas Certification
HF Group Accreditation - Select Approved Electricians
HF Group Accreditation - CHAS Approved Contractors
HF Group Accreditation - SNIPEF Plumbing & Heating Approved Contractor
HF Group Accreditation - OFTEC Approved Mechanical Contractor
HF Group Accreditation - SafeContractor
HF Group Accreditation - Gas Safe Approved Heating Engineers
HF Group Accreditation - Acclaim Accredited
HF Group Accreditation - Emergency Lighting Installer
HF Group Accreditation - Cyber Essentials Accredited
HF Group Accreditation - IFC Smoke Vent Installer Certified
HF Group Accreditation - ISO 414001 2015 Accredited
HF Group Accreditation - ISO 9001 2015 Accredited
HF Group Accreditation - 45001 2018 Accredited
HF Group Accreditation - Daikin Business Partner
HF Group Accreditation - SEPA Certified
HF Group Accreditation - Mitsubishi Accredited Installer
HF Group Accreditation - WaterSafe Approved Contractor

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100 Albert Drive
Glasgow, G41 2SJ

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0800 783 9480