Made-to-measure textile solutions for weather protection, ventilation and access – developed, manufactured and installed from Ledbury, UK.
Galebreaker Ltd
Ledbury, Herefordshire (UK)New on Amplifa
About Galebreaker
Galebreaker Ltd is a family-owned British manufacturer of textile-based solutions for weather protection, ventilation, access and cooling. At the 40,000 sqft factory in Ledbury, Herefordshire, products such as wind shields, heat shields, bird protection nets, side curtain systems (VVS), door systems (Rollerscreen, Maxidoor, Agridoor), clip-on systems (Bayscreen) and silage protection sheets (Sila-Cover 300, 300 g/m² polyethylene) are manufactured. Production includes high-frequency welding of fabric panels and the make-up of technical textiles; over 80% of the components used are developed in-house. Design is carried out using 3D CAD, structural FEA and CFD flow simulation in partnership with Ergon Research (Italy). Customers come from agriculture (dairy, beef, calves, pigs, goats, equine, arable), from power stations, offshore oil & gas, data centre cooling, HVAC, warehousing, manufacturing and waste management. References include Ford, Kings Lynn Power Station, Ensco 72 Oil Rig, ME Global, Walkers Snack Foods and British Gypsum. Founded in 1984 on the basis of a livestock building firm established by the Scudamore family in 1980, Galebreaker supplies customers worldwide including the USA, Canada and Europe.
- Site
- HR8 2SS Ledbury, Herefordshire
- Processes
- High-frequency welding (HF welding) of fabric panels, Sewing/make-up of technical textiles, Design & manufacture of custom-tailored weather protection/wind protection solutions, CFD modelling (flow simulation, structural FEA, 3D CAD), Wind Loading & Structural Verification, Site surveys and installation (worldwide, HUET-certified for offshore), Manufacture of wind shields / Wind Shields, Manufacture of heat shields / Heat Shields
- Materials
- Polyethylene, HDPE (high-density polyethylene, knitted), BN25 Birdnet Material, Polyethylene (300 g/m², Sila-Cover 300), HDPE (knitted), High-frequency welding, CFD modelling (flow simulation, FEA, 3D CAD)
- Certificates
- ISO 9001
- Founded
- 1984
- Industries
- Agriculture (Dairy, Beef, Calves, Pig, Goats, Equine, Arable), Power stations, Offshore oil & gas, Data Centre Cooling, HVAC, Warehousing
- 01
Engineering (3D CAD, FEA, CFD)
- 02
Material cutting
- 03
High-frequency welding
- 04
Sewing/make-up of technical textiles
- 05
Assembly of system components
- 06
Site survey & installation (worldwide)
- 07
Wind Loading & Structural Verification
Materials & Processes
Polyethylene (300 g/m², Sila-Cover 300)
Highly tear-resistant, tightly woven material for silage protection sheets with airtight sealing.
HDPE (knitted)
High-density polyethylene for flexible weather protection and curtain systems.
BN25 Birdnet Material
Net material for permanently installed bird protection nets on HVAC and cooling systems.
High-frequency welding
Joining technique for seamless, dense joints of PE fabric strips.
CFD modelling (flow simulation, FEA, 3D CAD)
Calculation of air flow and wind loads for the design of cooling and weather protection solutions.
Locations
Ledbury, Herefordshire
UKHeadquarters, factory (40,000 sqft) and office
- Materials
- Polyethylene fabric, HDPE, net material
- High-frequency welding machine (1998)
- Industrial sewing machines (1998)
Components & Products
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High-frequency welding (HF welding) of fabric panelsJoining | – | – | – | – | Polyethylene fabric, HDPE |
| Sewing/make-up of technical textilesJoining | – | – | – | – | Polyethylene fabric, HDPE |
| Design & manufacture of custom-tailored weather protection/wind protection solutionsEngineering | ±2% length/width (goods tolerance per terms and conditions) | – | – | – | Polyethylene fabric, HDPE, Net material |
| CFD modelling (flow simulation, structural FEA, 3D CAD)Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Wind Loading & Structural VerificationTesting | – | – | – | – | – |
| Site surveys and installation (worldwide, HUET-certified for offshore)Assembly | – | – | – | – | – |
| Manufacture of wind shields / Wind ShieldsEngineering | – | – | – | – | High-performance fabric |
| Manufacture of heat shields / Heat ShieldsEngineering | – | – | – | – | High-performance fabric |
| Manufacture of silage protection sheets (Sila-Cover 300, 300g/m² polyethylene)Plastics | ±2% length/width | – | – | – | Polyethylene, HDPE |
| Installation of bird protection nets (BN25 Birdnet)Assembly | – | – | – | – | BN25 Birdnet Material |
3 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High-frequency welding machine | – | – | – | 1998 | Ledbury, UK |
| Industrial sewing machines | – | – | – | 1998 | Ledbury, UK |
| Factory/production site | – | 1 | 40.000 sqft | 2008 | Ledbury, Herefordshire, UK |
Additional services
Reference customers
Quality
Galebreaker is ISO 9001 certified (since 2008) and pursues right-first-time production using 5S, OEE and Continuous Improvement. Wind loads and structural verification are checked computationally (FEA/CFD).
| Evidence | Ledbury, Herefordshire |
|---|---|
| ISO 9001 |
History
- 1980
The Scudamore family founds Farmplan Construction for livestock building construction in Herefordshire.
- 1984
The Galebreaker brand is created in Ross-on-Wye; first product: Rollerscreen.
- 1986
Exit from milk production; Bayscreen is introduced.
- 1990
First exports to Europe (Eire, Germany, France, Switzerland) via the SPACE trade fair in Paris.
- 1992
Yoyo Door (today Maxidoor) introduced; move to a 5,000 ft facility in Mitcheldean; £1 million annual revenue, 10 employees.
- 1998
Expansion to 12,000 ft in Mitcheldean; acquisition of high-frequency welding machines and sewing machines; Trackscreen and Agridoor introduced; entry into the industrial market with Wind Shields (Kings Lynn Power Station).
- 2001
First Heat Shields delivered to the Ensco 72 Oil Rig; entry into the offshore oil & gas market.
- 2003
Acquisition of the CIS Flexipart business in Chepstow; entry into the commercial market.
- 2004
Introduction of the Variable Ventilation System (VVS) side curtains (up to 3 m high, 72 m long).
- 2008
Move to the 40,000 sqft factory in Ledbury; founding of Galebreaker Agri Ltd and Galebreaker Industrial Ltd; over £5 million revenue, 35 employees; ISO 9001.
- 2009
Royal Show Innovation Award for the VVS side curtain design.
- 2014
Consolidation in North America with a US sales agent and partnership with DHD Cooling Ltd.
- 2015
Partnership with Ergon Research (Italy) for CFD services.