Ajax Equipment

What Ajax Equipment does

Ajax Equipment is a privately held UK manufacturer, founded around 1969 and headquartered at Milton Works, Mule Street, Bolton, operating from a 3,000 square metre facility that combines a technical support office, a powder testing centre, a design office, and fabrication capabilities. The company designs and builds custom equipment for handling and processing bulk solids and powders, with a portfolio that spans screw feeders, screw conveyors, hoppers, continuous and batch mixers, lump breakers, rigid IBCs (including Lynflow™ and InvertaBin™ designs), screw elevators, heat exchangers, cryogenic coolers, twin-screw ash conditioners, plug screw feeders, drum emptying machines, sack tip stations, and flights and augers. Equipment is engineered to standards including ISO 9001, ASME 8, PED category 4 (module G), and ATEX Zone 1/21, allowing the company to serve process-critical applications. Under the direction of Managing Director Eddie McGee, Ajax sells direct to enterprise customers through technical sales engineers, supported by an in-house powder testing laboratory that characterizes wall friction, vertical shear, tensile strength, annular shear and attrition, cohesion, and bulk density to determine design parameters.

The company serves six primary verticals: chemicals, pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, powdered metals, renewable energy and waste-to-energy, and nuclear, with named customers including Johnson Matthey, Indorama Ventures, Kemira Chemicals, Vertellus, Lianhetech, Hosokawa Micron, Sterling Pharma Solutions, Agristo, Halo Foods, North British Distillery, Liberty Powder Metals, Atomising Systems, British Nuclear Fuels plc, UKAEA Harwell, and the British Antarctic Survey. Its proprietary LynFlow™ ribbon flight geometry is described as providing superior powder transfer and preventing product build-up while allowing process gas flow through the system, and is applied across feeders, conveyors, mixers, and bins.

Ajax generates revenue through one-time sales of custom-manufactured equipment, professional services for powder testing and pilot trials, and recurring replacement parts and consumables (e.g., replacement paddles for installed units). Pricing is custom-quoted per specification and is not publicly disclosed. Distribution is direct via a sales-led B2B motion with technical consultation, and the company has delivered projects to customers in the UK, Spain, Ireland, Egypt, the USA, Australia, China, and Brazil. Ajax is also a partner in Project Chariot, an £18m advanced manufacturing collaboration with the Centre for Process Innovation, Procter & Gamble, and four UK universities (Birmingham, Durham, Leeds, Cranfield) developing continuous mixing and coating processes for super-fine powders.

Name

Ajax Equipment

Legal name

Ajax Equipment

Website

http://www.ajax.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ajax Equipment is a manufacturing company located in Bolton.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Bulk Solids Handling Equipment

NAICS

Industrial Machinery Manufacturing (3332)

SIC

Special Industry Machinery (No Metalworking Machinery) (3550), Special Industry Machinery, Nec (3559)

akta.pro primary industry

Conveying, Feeding & Accumulation Systems (Packaging Lines) (IMAHAOAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Blow-Molded Drums, Barrels & IBC Components (IMANAGAE)

Keywords

• Bulk solids handling equipment
• Screw feeders conveyors
• Powder handling equipment
• Industrial mixing equipment
• Hopper design equipment

Headquarters

HQ city

Bolton

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Custom Equipment Manufacturing: Design and manufacture of custom bulk solids handling and processing equipment including screw feeders, conveyors, hoppers, mixers, lump breakers, and heat exchangers. Equipment is custom-designed for individual applications with various materials of construction and finishes.
2. Powder Testing Services: Flow property assessment and powder testing services to determine design parameters for handling and processing equipment, including pilot machine trials.
3. Replacement Parts and Consumables: Supply of replacement paddles and consumables for existing equipment installations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Ajax Equipment designs, manufactures and supplies custom-built equipment for handling and processing bulk solids and powders, including screw feeders, screw conveyors, hoppers, continuous and batch mixers, lump breakers, heat exchangers, screw elevators, sack tip stations, cryogenic coolers, drum emptying machines, ash conditioners, and rigid intermediate bulk containers (IBCs). The company also provides in-house powder testing services to determine flow characteristics that inform equipment design, and supplies replacement parts and consumables for installed equipment. All equipment is custom-engineered to application requirements with materials of construction ranging from mild and stainless steel to high-duty alloys, and is qualified to standards including ISO 9001, ATEX, ASME 8, and PED category 4.

Product overview

Ajax Equipment is a UK-based manufacturer specializing in bulk solids and powder handling equipment. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of handling and processing equipment including screw feeders, screw conveyors, hoppers, continuous and batch mixers, lump breakers, heat exchangers, and powder testing equipment. Their products are designed for industries including food, pharmaceutical, chemical, nuclear, renewable energy, and powdered metals. The equipment portfolio ranges from individual components like screw flights and augers to complete systems such as sack tip stations, drum emptying machines, and cryogenic coolers. Ajax also provides powder testing services to determine flow characteristics for equipment design, and their products are compliant with standards including ISO 9001, ATEX, and PED.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LynFlow: Proprietary ribbon flight technology designed to provide excellent powder transfer and prevent product build-up. Used in screw conveyors and bins for difficult flow materials.
• Lynflow
• Lynflow
• LynFlow

Products and services

• Screw Feeders Screw feeders provide an integrated approach to hopper and feeder interfacing including flow property assessment and screw geometry selection for effective performance. Feeders can be made in mild steel, stainless steel, and high duty alloys with a variety of finishes.
• Screw Conveyors Custom designed screw conveyors for reliable performance, specifically engineered for long conveying lengths, delicate or difficult-to-handle materials, and applications where hygiene and contamination resistance demands are high.
• Continuous Mixers Continuous mixers combine dry powders or mix powder with liquids, with applications ranging from cereal bars to ash conditioning. Liquid additions include pastes, syrups, foams, water, or liquid nitrogen.
• Lump Breakers Size reduction equipment ideal for reducing lumps, caked and bag set materials to a consistent particle size for ease of processing. Available in low and high-speed versions for hopper and chute feed.
• Hoppers Hoppers designed with geometries based on powder flow characteristics (established by Ajax or a third party) to ensure reliable flow. Hoppers accommodate high pressures, high containment, and stringent hygienic requirements, with materials of construction including carbon steel, stainless steel, and high alloy materials.
• Rigid Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBCs) Three types of bins offered: Standard Gravity Flow bins for moderate to easy flow materials, Lynflow bins for difficult flow materials, and InvertaBins for total containment and awkward flow products. Food and pharma standard bins are available.
• Powder Testing Equipment and Services Range of equipment and services to measure the flow characteristics of powders to determine design parameters for handling and processing equipment, including Wall Friction Tester, Vertical Shear Tester, Tensile Tester, Annular Shear and Attrition Tester, and Cohesion Tester. Pilot machine trials available.
• Batch Mixers Vertical and horizontal batch mixers for food, pharmaceutical, and chemical industry applications. Mixers are individually designed and tailored to suit each application, with paddle, ribbon, or combination mixing elements.
• Flights and Augers Screws and flights produced in a range of material and surface finishes, including LynFlow ribbon flights and mixing elements for continuous and batch mixers.
• Screw Elevators Individually designed screw elevators with elevations up to 90 degrees for a wide range of industries covering granular materials, fine powders, pastes, and filter cake.
• Heat Exchangers Heat exchangers providing effective batch and continuous heat transfer for heating or cooling powders. Rapid cooling covered by Ajax cryogenic coolers.
• Sack Tip Stations High containment sack tip stations that facilitate the opening and emptying of sacks in an isolated environment, protecting the operator from dust and from an exposed sack cutting blade.
• Cryogenic Coolers Screw-based units designed for continuous freezing or chilling of bulk products using liquid nitrogen refrigerant, for applications where rapid cooling or flash freezing is required.
• Drum Emptying Machines Drum emptying machines that use a corkscrew principle to penetrate and break up material within drums via a screw that simultaneously rotates and advances, then withdraws pulling the bulk from the drum.
• Twin Screw Ash Conditioners Twin screw paddle conditioners for dampening, neutralising, or stabilising fly ash and similar residual bulk solids, with capabilities up to 100 TPH ash conditioning.
• Plug Screw Feeders Plug screw feeders that densify material as it leaves the screw to create an impenetrable barrier, preventing oxygen from entering furnaces while ash is removed from gasification processes.
• Agitated Screw Feeders Screw feeders with a hopper section above the inlet fitted with an agitator for materials susceptible to arching such as filter cake or fine cohesive powders, featuring separate screw and agitator drives.

Quantifiable outcome

• Feed variations resolved from 30% to stable consistent feed at Bradley Pulverizer phosphate handling plant
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers26 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Centre for Process Innovation (CPI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAjax is collaborating with CPI as part of Project Chariot, a £18m advanced manufacturing initiative developing innovative processes for super fine powder production. Ajax supplies screw feeders and continuous mixers for the powder processing laboratory hosted by CPI.
• Procter and GamblecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerP&G is collaborating with Ajax as part of Project Chariot to develop novel particle systems for fine particles based on Ajax's continuous screw mixing technology.
• University of BirminghamsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in Project Chariot collaboration advancing UK manufacturing in continuous mixing and coating of powders.
• University of DurhamsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in Project Chariot collaboration advancing UK manufacturing in continuous mixing and coating of powders.
• University of LeedssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in Project Chariot; initially utilizing continuous mixer for research before it became part of CPI's powder processing laboratory.
• University of CranfieldsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in Project Chariot collaboration advancing UK manufacturing in continuous mixing and coating of powders.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Coperion: Global leader in compounding and extrusion, bulk material handling, and size reduction systems. Directly comparable to Ajax in screw feeders, conveying, and bulk solids processing, but at significantly larger scale across multiple industries.
• Schenck Process: Global provider of feeding, conveying, weighing, and screening technologies for bulk materials. Highly comparable product portfolio to Ajax in feeders and conveying, though serving broader and larger-scale industrial customers.
• GEA Group: Large industrial process technology supplier serving food, pharmaceutical, and chemical sectors with mixers, separators, and processing equipment. Overlaps with Ajax in food and pharma powder handling at much greater scale.

Direct peers

• Hosokawa Micron: Powder and particle processing equipment manufacturer offering mixers, agglomerators, and containment systems. Direct competitor in pharmaceutical and chemical powder handling, and notably already an Ajax customer.
• AZO: Specialist in automated bulk material handling systems, pneumatic conveying, and feeders for food, pharmaceutical, chemical, and plastics industries. Closely comparable to Ajax in raw material handling and IBC solutions.
• Glatt: Process technology provider for pharmaceutical and food powder processing, including fluidized bed, mixing, and containment systems. Comparable to Ajax in pharmaceutical-grade powder handling and continuous processing equipment.
• Lödige: Manufacturer of mixers, reactors, and drying systems for pharmaceutical, chemical, and food industries. Direct overlap with Ajax's batch and continuous mixing equipment portfolios.
• Eriez: Specialist in magnetic separation, metal detection, and material handling equipment including vibratory feeders and conveyors. Comparable niche industrial equipment manufacturer serving overlapping customer industries.
• Frewitt: Swiss manufacturer of powder processing equipment including mills, sieves, and containment systems for pharmaceutical and food industries. Comparable to Ajax in pharmaceutical powder handling and lump-breaking/size reduction.
• Müller GmbH: German manufacturer of mixing, drying, and processing equipment for chemical, pharmaceutical, and food powders. Directly comparable to Ajax's batch and continuous mixer product lines.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@AjaxEquipmentLtd
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ajax-equipment-limited
• Xx.com/AjaxEquipment

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ajax Equipment