The Instrumentation System contract awarded to SELLA CONTROLS consists of several key architectural elements consisting of SCADA, Data Acquisition, High Speed Data Acquisition and Historian systems to facilitate engine test comparison and analysis for performance tuning. SELLA CONTROLS were successful despite strong competition from rival system integrators, leveraging on our skills, capabilities and technical expertise.

The package scope includes for the design, engineering, panel build, testing, commissioning and support for engine testing at site for each engine build. The first build facilitates a modular test of primary major mechanical components, with build 2 concluding the engine construction with the balance of mechanical plant and testing as a complete unit.

The application for the Instrumentation System is to provide the monitoring, visualization and data logging of sensor values for the SABRE engine, an innovative propulsion technology under development and test by Reaction Engines. The engine will be capable of operating from a standing start, to reach Mach 5 speeds (five times the speed of sound) and then transition to rocket mode for space access attaining Mach 25. This will enable a new generation of air and space vehicles providing efficient long range hypersonic air flight plus re-usable responsive space launch.

Systems integration specialist SELLA CONTROLS is pleased to announce the award of its first contract with Stadler in Switzerland. After more than 12 months of technical discussions and some hard commercial negotiations, SELLA CONTROLS have an order for a combined Automatic Selective Door Opening (ASDO), Correct Side Door Enabling (CSDE) and Automatic Power Mode Control (APMC) system. The system will use the Tracklink III product and also continues our growing partnership with EKE Electronics, as we will be using their Trainnet Controller for the logic and interface to the train systems.

The systems are being supplied for fitment to 3 types of new trains that Stadler are suppling to operate on the Wales & Borders routes, mainly running out of Cardiff.

The new trains are:

• 11 off FLIRT DMU4, 4-car DMUs (Diesel Multiple Units)
• 7 off FLIRT BMU-B3, 3-car BMUs (Bimodal Multiple Unit)
• 17 off FLIRT BMU-B4, 4-car BMUs (Bimodal Multiple Unit)

The Bimodal Multiple Unit (BMU) will be the first trains in the UK that have the capability to operate with electronic drive, battery drive or diesel motor.

With the rapidly developing situation regarding Coronavirus COVID-19 we are letting you know what steps SELLA CONTROLS is undertaking to ensure we are able to continue to operate and meet our customer’s needs whilst also ensuring the safety of our employees.

Underlying all of our actions is a recognition of the importance of the health and safety of our employees, our customers, and their respective families during these times of uncertainty. Our business is the supply and maintenance of mission and safety critical systems for high hazard industries and critical infrastructure; in many cases our customers’ activities and products are essential for the wider community and we will strive to continue to support our customers through this crisis.

We would also like to reassure all our technical support/maintenance contract holders that our aim is to continue to provide the necessary support levels.

We constantly monitor and follow UK Government advice and our current position is that all employees who can work from home will be encouraged to do so and we have put in place the technology and infrastructure in order to facilitate this. We have ceased all non-essential travel and are encouraging both employees and clients to use technology to communicate; such as conference calls and video conferencing rather than face-to-face meetings.

We currently plan to maintain core operations at each of our offices in Stockport, Ashby de la Zouch and Coalville to enable us to continue to undertake critical roles in safety systems, operations, testing and production and thereby provide the support for our customers when they are likely to need us most. We have in conjunction with this brought in new working practices to minimise the risk to health; such as enhanced cleaning and hygiene protocols and the minimising of group working and reducing the risk of unnecessary contact and we would ask that any visitors also adhere to these policies.

Our staff are regularly briefed on developments and we continue to monitor closely the evolving situation and adopt suitable approaches to work in line with advice from the UK Government and the World Health Organisation.

Systems integration specialist SELLA CONTROLS and telecommunications business telent Technology Services Ltd are to continue their partnership in providing maintenance and support services to Transport for London (TfL).

Following the successful award by Transport for London of the ‘1FM Service Agreement’ to telent, SELLA CONTROLS has been awarded a 7 year third line support agreement for the systems it supplied to the Central and Piccadilly Line Control Rooms.

The ‘1FM Service Agreement’ combines mission-critical maintenance services, system design and upgrade works for TfL’s technology assets across varied environments including roads, rivers, the London Underground and office buildings. SELLA CONTROLS has been working closely with telent over the last two years in providing support for the systems within an existing contract. During this time the two companies have built a strong partnership supporting the Central Line and Piccadilly Line Systems. A partnership that will now continue into the new agreement.

SELLA CONTROLS built and commissioned the Central Line CCS and Piccadilly Line RCS solutions, using its integrated Tracklink^® SCADA application for telecommunications. This included the integration of CCTV, Telephony, LLPA, SCADA and the safe control of ETCDS. These systems are critical to the operation of the two lines, requiring 24/7 availability.

telent Technology Services Ltd’s maintenance service team, based in East London, will carry out all first line maintenance activities on the systems with SELLA CONTROLS providing third line support. In addition to operational support, annual Planned Preventative Maintenance services on the key systems will be completed by SELLA CONTROLS.

Chris Elliott, SELLA CONTROLS’ Business Development Manager for Rail commented; “the Central Line CCS and Piccadilly Line RCS solutions have now been operational for some time during which the two companies have provided a high quality of maintenance services ensuring that both systems achieve optimum performance. We are looking forward to the continued working relationship with the maintenance team from telent building a strong partnership over the next 7 years. This is a great example of the supply chain working collaboratively in the best interest of the customer.”

Ben Armstrong, Account Director at telent Technology Services Ltd added; “SELLA CONTROLS have supplied excellent third line support for the operationally critical control room systems installed on the Central and Piccadilly Lines over the past 2 years. With this new contract award we will continue to provide an outstanding service to TfL assisting them to keep London moving.”

The support agreement between telent and SELLA CONTROLS commenced on 1^st January 2020 when the current Communications Maintenance Services contract expired.

Since the UK Referendum on membership of the European Union Sella Controls has been continually assessing the likely impact of “Brexit” on our business and working to mitigate the impact; whatever the eventual outcome in October 2019.

Our primary objective is to ensure continuity of service to our customers by working closely across our supply chain and our risk management is focused on a constant review of supply chain planning in light of the anticipated risks around various Brexit scenarios; taking in to consideration the latest publicly available information.

Our current assessment is that the likely impact on our business will be low as our operations are based entirely in the UK however we have international customers and suppliers and have implemented continuity planning as follows:-

• The major area of risk is around future customs arrangements. We trade internationally and are already experienced at importing and exporting within and beyond the EU; working within existing customs declaration procedures with a UK EORI Number, which will facilitate customs clearances, should there be a no deal scenario.
• We are working closely with our import / export agents and transporters to ensure there is a smooth transition and they are able to declare goods on our behalf. We are also engaging the Customs Declaration Service (CDS) to assist in smooth transactions through borders.
• We have undertaken a mapping of our supply-chain with high (Tier 1) to low (Tier 4) risk and are working with Tier 1 companies obtaining their direct support to ensure our supply chain is prepared in the event of no deal. All Tier 2-4 suppliers have provided us with statements on their own Brexit preparations.
• We have held meetings with our UK wholesale suppliers who in turn have their own non-UK supplies and obtained assurances that they have appropriate plans in place and are carrying stock levels to meet our needs.
• We have undertaken a review of all of our non-UK suppliers and discussed with them arrangements to bring forward delivery of critical components scheduled for the October / November period.
• To assist our staff internally we have a help file with links to relevant HMRC advice to ensure that shipment details are as accurate as possible which will further mitigate potential delays at customs points.
• We have set aside working capital funding to facilitate increased levels of stock holding.
• We provide control systems through our engineering expertise and our technicians and engineers are predominately UK residents. We do not envisage any issues with residency of our current workforce and continue to monitor this.
• We trade in a number of currencies including the Euro with our inflows in foreign currencies aligned to our respective outflows and see little exposure should there be a short-term devaluation in sterling. Should this be longer term we will adapt our currency exposure risk management accordingly.
• We recognise that under certain scenarios Brexit may impact the Standards and Regulatory environment in which we operate however our current view is that there is insufficient clarity around this area against which to plan; other than to continually assess updates from industry bodies and regulatory authorities.
  

In summary, we are not aware of any issues likely to seriously impact our business but continue to monitor this closely.  Any disruption we envisage will be short-term disruption at borders and customs clearance and we have mitigated this by targeted early delivery of critical equipment and strategic stock holdings; both directly and through our suppliers; as set out above. With what we know today we have appropriate plans in place, which are under constant review.  As an SME we are able to react quickly to the impact of various Brexit scenarios and this has a high priority on our Risk Register and is under regular review by our Board of Directors.

John Blackwell

Managing Director