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At Industrial Washing Machines (IWM), innovation is built on collaboration. Across every department, teams work together to deliver smarter, more efficient and more sustainable industrial washing solutions.
Within the Electrical Engineering Department, that collaborative approach is led by Steve Skelding, who has been part of IWM for three years. Steve plays a key role in the design and development of IWM’s electrical systems, working closely with colleagues to ensure every machine performs safely, reliably and efficiently.
“My role at IWM begins at the very start of the process of designing and building a machine,” explains Steve. “From looking at new products that can bring improvements to selecting the correct components for the solution we are trying to achieve. My role continues all the way through the electrical design and production process, ensuring at every step that we are producing a quality product that we as a team can be proud of.”
This focus on teamwork and shared achievement is central to IWM’s culture, turning individual expertise into collective progress.
Building smarter industrial cleaning equipment
At IWM, the electrical design journey begins long before a single wire is connected. Steve and his team take a hands-on approach from the outset, selecting components, designing control systems and refining every detail so the finished machine performs exactly as required.
Their work covers a wide range of areas, including electrical design, PLC programming, HMI development, testing, quality assurance and continuous improvement across electrical production.
This approach ensures every machine leaving the factory reflects not only strong engineering knowledge, but also IWM’s commitment to teamwork, quality and shared responsibility.
Sustainable electrical design in industrial washing systems
Sustainability has become one of IWM’s key priorities, and the electrical engineering team plays an important role in that progress. Eco-conscious thinking is now built into each stage of product development.
“Sustainability has become one of our main focuses in recent times,” Steve explains. “Using feedback from our customers and partners, we are always looking at ways our machines can save water and reduce energy consumption without reducing performance, while selecting good-quality components from market-leading manufacturers.”
Every component is carefully considered in terms of safety, reliability, sustainability, quality and availability. Any proposed component change goes through detailed assessment to understand what improvements it will bring, followed by in-house testing before it is specified for customer machines.
This deliberate process helps ensure sustainability and performance work together, rather than competing against each other.
A new Siemens control system
One of the most exciting recent developments at IWM has been the creation of a new Siemens-based control system, developed through 18 months of teamwork, research and supplier collaboration.
“We have recently developed a new control system,” says Steve. “Working closely with Siemens, we have a new control system with a whole host of new features that we are proud of, and think will assist our customers with their goals of reducing carbon footprint.”
The advanced control platform enables real-time power monitoring, giving users accurate data on energy use in kilowatt-hours. It also supports water consumption monitoring, helping customers identify waste and optimise efficiency.
“Our power monitoring feature gives us real-time feedback on how many kWh the machine is using, which can be monitored to ensure the machine is running efficiently,” Steve adds. “We are also able to monitor water consumption to our machines, which we believe will be a game-changer to ensure our machines are running effectively and highlight water wastage.”
The system is now being implemented across IWM’s full machine range, showing how innovation and teamwork can deliver lasting benefits for customers and the environment.
Overcoming engineering challenges
Every engineering project presents challenges, and for IWM, one of the biggest has been applying new electrical improvements consistently across a diverse product range.
“Due to the wide range of different machines we manufacture, one of the most difficult challenges has been to try and implement all the improvements we are making across our whole product range,” Steve explains.
This is where IWM’s collaborative culture becomes especially valuable. By sharing expertise across departments, improvements can be rolled out systematically and efficiently, ensuring customers benefit from the latest developments.
Staying ahead with automation and smart control
IWM maintains strong relationships with manufacturers and suppliers, staying open to new ideas and product developments that can improve performance, reliability or sustainability.
“We have a good relationship with manufacturers and suppliers, so we ensure we are always open to suggestions on new products,” says Steve. “We also ensure we are present at trade shows, checking out manufacturers’ new products.”
This ongoing curiosity helps IWM stay at the forefront of industrial washing technology.
The future of sustainable washing equipment
The next generation of IWM machines will continue to build on these advances, particularly through data-driven efficiency.
“We are always looking at new innovations we can bring to the market to benefit our customers,” Steve notes. “Water consumption monitoring will be of massive benefit to our customers as this leads to ensuring our machines are running efficiently, which in turn affects energy and chemical consumption.”
This customer-focused development shows how IWM’s engineering teams are not simply responding to industry needs, but actively helping shape the future of sustainable manufacturing.
Celebrating teamwork in sustainable engineering
For IWM, innovation is not just about the technology inside its machines. It is also about the people behind them. Steve and the electrical team reflect the company’s values of collaboration, quality and continuous improvement.
“The project that has been very enjoyable and rewarding on a personal level, and I believe it has brought value to the business, is the development of our Siemens control system,” Steve reflects. “This project has been 18 months in the making. This system has been developed with a lot of hard work and assistance from our suppliers and partners. It’s great seeing this system being implemented on our full range of machines. Getting good feedback from customers brings a great sense of pride.”
“My favourite thing about working at IWM is that every day is different,” Steve adds.
It is this combination of innovation, teamwork and adaptability that continues to power IWM forward, shaping technologies that deliver for customers today while supporting a cleaner, more efficient tomorrow.
Powering the future of industrial washing machines
Under the leadership of Steve Skelding and the wider electrical engineering team, IWM continues to set new standards for innovation in industrial washing technology. Their shared focus on sustainability, reliability and efficiency reflects the company’s wider mission: delivering intelligent, high-performance machines that help customers operate more sustainably and productively.
At IWM, innovation is always a team achievement.
For more information on Powering Progress: How Electrical Innovation is Driving Efficiency at IWM talk to Industrial Washing Machines Ltd