Mario Balotelli has a reputation for being both unpredictable on and off the football pitch, none more so than in his time spent with Liverpool FC.
But it seems he may have finally found his feet, albeit on the factory floor at the UK headquarters of global hardware giant Caldwell.
The Coventry based firm has named its new robotic bi-fold testing facility after the precocious footballer; and it is believed that the facility is the only one of its kind in the UK.
Tim Ferkin, director of sales and marketing at Caldwell, commented: “We have launched a robotic bi-fold testing centre which tests the strength and durability of bi-folding doors and their hardware. It’s been a huge investment of time and money for us and has taken months to get off the ground.
“Before we started officially using the facility, it was quite unpredictable and would perform one day but not the next. When we came to naming the facility, we said to the guys on the factory floor to throw their names into a hat and we’d decided. Due to it being so unpredictable in the initial stages, somebody suggested calling it Balotelli – and it’s stuck.”
Housed in Caldwell’s new on-site, dedicated bi-fold door testing facility, Balotelli tests every aspect of a bi-fold door including the sliding mechanisms and operation of the handles.
Tim continued: “The robot tests numerous bi-fold schemes each week against the everyday stresses the mechanisms and hardware will undergo, including hardware tests beyond the required 5,000 slide cycles and 50,000 turning cycles. This ensures the door’s strength and durability and means our customers know they are always getting quality products when they buy from Caldwell.”
The investment was made as part of Caldwell’s R&D investment programme, which has seen the company invest around £1m over two years in its operations and products, and it is soon to roll out even more UK firsts in the coming weeks.
It also comes at a time when Caldwell is ramping up its bi-fold hardware production, working with some of the leading bi-fold door manufacturers to produce new and improved hardware.
David Walker, Caldwell managing director, commented: “We believe the facility is the first of its kind in the UK. We say it time and time again – but we’re always looking push engineering boundaries here at Caldwell. We want our customers to be ready today for tomorrow’s world and our investment in innovation is making this possible.”
