HF was proud to be a key contractor in the exciting new expansion of the Eden Mill site in St Andrews, Fife. With our expertise in electrical, mechanical, fire & security, and automated controls, we delivered a comprehensive range of services that ensured the site was fully operational and compliant with all necessary safety and industry standards. Our ability to coordinate across multiple disciplines, combined with our commitment to quality and safety, made us the ideal partner for this ambitious project.
Electrical Services
Powering the New Facility
Our electricians played a crucial role in Phase 1 of the project, ensuring that the site was equipped with a robust and reliable power infrastructure. We installed a 400 Amp new power supply to handle the site’s operational demands. To ensure efficient electrical distribution, we fitted new power boards and containment systems. Our team also liaised with St Andrews University, who are leasing the land to Eden Mill, to integrate the site’s electrical systems with the existing university infrastructure.
We carried out extensive lighting installations, fitting industrial lighting in all open-plan areas and emergency lighting for the escape stair areas. In high-risk areas like the cask stores and production bays, we installed ATEX-rated light fittings, ensuring compliance with hazardous area regulations.
Our electricians also handled the small power requirements of the site, installing electrical supplies for air compressors and forklift charging stations. Additionally, we completed the wiring for extractor fans and smoke vents, supporting ventilation and fire safety measures. Power supplies were also installed to support various mechanical systems on-site, ensuring all operations ran smoothly.
Summary of Electrical Services:
• Installation of a 400 Amp power supply.
• Fitting of new power boards and containment systems.
• Integration of electrical systems with St Andrews University’s infrastructure.
• Installation of industrial lighting, emergency lighting, and ATEX-rated light fittings.
• Provision of small power supplies for air compressors and forklift charging stations.
• Wiring for extractor fans, smoke vents, and mechanical systems.
Mechanical Services
Supporting Site Infrastructure
Our mechanical engineers were responsible for critical installations that supported both safety and operational efficiency. We installed the new water supply for the site’s sprinkler system tanks, ensuring reliable fire protection. Additionally, we fitted the gas supply for the building, which included a gas booster to maintain a consistent supply, essential for commercial operations.
We managed the incoming water mains, ensuring a steady supply of water for the site and as part of our domestic water services, we installed handwashing stations and an emergency safety shower, supporting hygiene and safety regulations for the new site.
Summary of Mechanical Services:
• Installation of water supply for sprinkler system tanks.
• Fitting of gas supply with a gas booster for consistency.
• Management of incoming water mains.
• Installation of domestic water services, including handwashing stations and an emergency safety shower.
Fire & Security
Ensuring a Safe Work Environment
Our Fire & Security team installed a state-of-the-art fire alarm system tailored to the site’s specific needs. The system was an L1 fire alarm system, offering the highest level of protection, with coverage in all areas of the site. We also installed ATEX flame-rated devices in hazardous zones and ensured that the fire alarm system was integrated with St Andrews University’s fire safety network.
Additionally, we fitted a VESDA Smoke Detection System, an early-warning system that enhances fire safety. The installation included all required interfaces and call points, ensuring optimal functionality.
Summary of Fire & Security Services:
• Installation of an L1 fire alarm system.
• Fitting of ATEX flame-rated fire safety devices.
• Integration of the fire alarm system with St Andrews University’s infrastructure.
• Installation of a VESDA Smoke Detection System with interfaces and call points.
Automated Controls
Streamlining Operations
Our Automated Controls team played a vital role in optimising the site’s day-to-day functionality by designing and installing custom-built control panels. The new control panels were designed to automate the sites process distillation system as well as the sites power distribution for both safety and process. Because we worked closely with our electrical, mechanical and fire & security engineers as ‘A Company Well Connected’, it allowed us to offer the client a seamless transition of our full range of services. A prime example of the benefits of working with HF.
Summary of Automated Controls Services:
• Design and installation of custom-built control panels.
• Seamless integration with electrical & mechanical systems for streamlined operations.
Why HF Group?
As a trusted provider of electrical, mechanical, fire & security, and automated control solutions, HF was perfectly positioned to deliver a full-scope service for Eden Mill’s expansion. Our ability to manage multiple trades under one roof provided a streamlined and efficient project delivery, minimising disruption and ensuring the highest standards of safety and quality.
Our company values—Safety, People, Integrity, and Quality—underpinned every aspect of our work on this project. By prioritising collaboration, technical excellence, and adherence to industry regulations, we successfully delivered a high-specification installation that will support Eden Mill’s operations for years to come.
Posted on April 11th, 2025 in
Oil & Coal Fired Power Station
Brief project description: We were contracted to carry out the Plant Life Extension Upgrades to control systems and software for an Oil & Coal Fired Power Station.
The original system was based on obsolete Texas Instrument PLC with a physical operator mimic interface. This required a complete upgrade.
An entirely new system was installed based on Siemens TIA portal S7-1500 controller with InTouch Wonderare SCADA front end operator interface. The new soft interface retained the familiar layout and appearance of the redundant hardware to ensure user familiarity and minimise training.
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PLEX Services
With the growing speed of technological advancements, it is easy to forget that so much of what was once the latest in cutting edge tech 20+ years ago, is now often deemed not fit for purpose or has become obsolete due to discontinued parts.
At HF Controls, we provide Plant Life Extension (PLEX) work for Factories and Production Plants globally that require both minor and major control panel system upgrades due to out of date software and obsolete hardware.
PLEX offers plant operators a significant cost saving alternative to complete system replacement that extends the life of their vital assets well beyond their original estimated life span.
Find out more
Our work in Automated Control Systems can truly be said to be world-class. We are a leading specialist in the complete design, manufacturing, installation and maintenance of power and control systems across the world.
At HF, we can produce solutions that cover everything from Simple Starter Panels to Advanced Latest Generation Intelligent Control Systems. Whether your business requires one-off bespoke electrical control panels or the production of multiple control units, our Automated Controls Facility can produce solutions ideally suited for a diverse range of industrial sectors; covering everything from the Food & Beverage Industry to Power, Petrochemical and Recycling Sectors.
To find out more about our range of services, please contact us today.
Unrivalled levels of in-house capabilities & service in everything we do.
The name HF occupies an unprecedented position in industry across the UK. We are ‘A Company Well Connected’ and within HF we have Electricians, Mechanical Contractors, Plumbers, Gas Engineers, Fire & Security Engineers, Telecommunications Specialists and Automated Control Engineers who collectively allow us to offer our customers so many varied services – all under one roof.
With senior-level hands-on management from initial planning to final handover coupled with the opportunity to tap into a wide range of varied services and associated consultants, we can offer our customers unsurpassed levels of genuinely in-house capabilities. And you can see evidence of this through the countless case studies on our website by clicking this link.
HF’s family culture stretches back over three centuries in business yet it means much more than dates and numbers. It’s quite literally, the core of our business. We have diversified and developed abreast of industry advancements and have grown into a group of world-class companies leading the way in next-generation technologies; and all with a family continuity at management level which is rarely seen.
If you would like to know more about HF and the range of services that we can offer across the UK through our branches in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Manchester, Belfast and Aberdeen, please contact us.
Posted on May 1st, 2023 in
Fuel Depot Station
Client: Fuel Depot Station Project length: 4 week software writing & 2 days installation HF divisions involved:Automated Controls
Brief project description: Our automated controls division, HF Controls were contracted to work on the control systems for a leading Fuel Distribution Company and two of their Northern sites in Inverness and Aberdeen. The fuel depots, which normally take fuel from oil tanker ships, store it in their onsite storage tanks and then fill fuel trucks for distribution to petrol stations, required significant upgrades. Their existing system was dependant on an obsolete, discontinued Mitsubishi PLC and this needed to be upgraded.
The client required the PLC to be upgraded to a new, modern PLC that can be supported with readily available spares and technical support if needed to help future proof the system.
Our HF Controls team took the old Mitsubishi software and rewrote it in Siemens TIA portal to be uploaded into brand new S7-1500 Siemens PLC. An FAT (factory acceptance test) was carried out in our workshop using simulation PLC’s and our test rig to test and prove all software logic was operating correctly before installing within the live fuel depot.
After the Factory Acceptance Test was complete, site gave a 2-day outage to allow our install and commissioning engineers to remove the existing PLC, wire and terminate the new PLC, and commission the system. This was done over a weekend to avoid any disruptions to the supply chain.
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Project Challenges: The Fuel Depots located in Inverness and Aberdeen are both live, busy hubs of activity. Our Controls team had to ensure that the switch of PLC systems ran smoothly to ensure that there was no unforeseen operational downtime for these vital fuel depots.
Any issue that would delay or halt existing fuelling operations would lead to major disruption further down the supply chain, so it was important that our system upgrade work was successful straight out of the box. Our skilled engineers managed to complete the successful installation first time and the new systems were successfully fitted, tested and signed off without a hitch.
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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.
Brief project description: 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.
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.
Brief project description: HF were contracted to complete the Electrical, Mechanical and Fire & Security work for the refurbishment of the old Kinning Park Primary School that has been used as a local community centre since 1979. The job required multiple divisions of the HF Group included Automated Controls to be utilised as we help convert the historic building up to modern standards.
Electrical – Our electrical division were responsible for the complete installation of brand new mains power source, including upgraded CT metering and the installation of Distribution Boards throughout the building. As part of the complete rewiring of the building, we also fitted new electrical wiring from local distribution boards to new LED light fittings (and refurbished and upgraded fittings) as well as additional small power outlets.
The architectural designs required for the job included dimming controlled lighting in set ground and first floor open plan areas.
Working alongside our Mechanical division, we were responsible for the installation of new commercial kitchen equipment and the installation of Smoke Vent controls (required by our Fire & Security Division) that were connected to the roof Velux windows with main and remote panels located as required.
An elevator was installed by a specialist lift fitting contractor and to ensure the building was compliant, we a installed disabled refuge system on all main and half landing levels of the building that can be used in the event of an emergency.
We ensured that we stayed in close contact with our fellow contractors within HF to assist with power supplies and control requirements where necessary.
Mechanical – Our Mechanical Division were tasked with the installation of the buildings brand new central heating system and plumbing system. This included everything from new combi boilers to radiators, pipping, sink units, toilets and showers.
Because of the age of the building, we fitted a new Gas supply for both boilers and kitchen cooking equipment.
Our HVAC team were also tasked with installing new ventilation and extraction systems throughout the building.
Fire & Security – Our Fire & Security engineers installed a brand new L2 fire alarm system throughout the building that connected to various Mechanical installed gas systems. We fitted a variety of Security devices and CCTV cameras across the site ranging from tamper alarms on windows to motion sensors in hallways, bell boxes and security lighting outside. We installed video and pin code Access Control Systems that use simple to operate control handsets installed and interlinked across all offices throughout the building.
Controls – Our Automated Controls team were contracted to design, build and install a main control panel for the site that would be located within the plant room of the building. The control system included wire to all valves and pumps and was linked with newly installed zonal thermostats throughout all levels of the structure. The controls system our team designed included built and wired controls for kitchen extract and intake fans as well as heating battery controls for both the kitchen and ground floor toilet areas.
Project Challenges:
The architect/interior designers wanted to keep the authentic rustic look and feel of the original school building where possible. This meant that we had to work around existing interior design features. The Kinning Park Complex was originally built in 1910 as the science block of Lambhill Street Secondary School. Due to the age of the building, difficult access restrictions and the complex nature of rewiring such an old building while installing new plumbing and heating systems – all while ensuring that the building met the latest fire and security standards – understandably had its challenges. But as ‘A Company Well Connected’, we can provide Electrical, Mechanical, Fire & Security as well as Control System services all under the one roof. This means that through experience, skill and inhouse communication, our team were able to work through any obstacle that popped up during the site fitting.
Find out more
The HF Group of companies offers clients an unsurpassed level of genuinely in-house capabilities and senior-level hands-on management from initial planning to final handover. For our customers, it gives them the opportunity to tap into a wide range of services and a team of consultants with a skills base and command of technologies which are second to none. We have diversified and developed abreast of industry advancements and have grown into a group of world-class companies leading the way in next-generation technologies; and all with a family continuity at management level which is rarely seen. Faced with today’s business challenges – recessions, pandemics, takeovers and mergers, this is testament to HF’s truly outstanding approach.
Hugh M Fulton – Group Chairman says:
“Experience shows. Our strong ‘family’ system is based on cohesion, flexibility and communication. We have a proven track record of delivering results and a truly quality service.”
Posted on May 17th, 2022 in
Clearways Yard, Belfast Harbour – Electrical System Controls
We are about to start on-site works for complete shredder plant and ancillaries at Ireland’s largest scrap processing plant located at Clearways main yard in Belfast harbour.
This will be a full scale system integration of all electrical aspects of plant from 33kV design/supply and installation down to optical Ethernet networks and PLC control system.
Project Time: 24 months (development and design), 6 months installation
HF have recently assisted in the expansion of SAFC’s existing facility in Irvine which included a dry powder milling and blending facility. HF were responsible for the full mechanical, electrical & process control packages.
SAFC is the custom manufacturing and services unit of Sigma- Aldrich Corporation. The company is recognized as a top 10 Global specialty chemicals and biologics supplier. As a trusted manufacturer for the life science and high technology industries, SAFC works closely with customers to resolve development challenges and accelerate the product pipeline, utilizing its global “Centres of Excellence” and dedicated manufacturing facilities. HF is proud to have been party of the Scottish centre based in Irvine.
