Big congratulations to two of our amazing team members on tying the knot!
It’s not every day we get to celebrate a love story that we have followed from the start here at Fairburn Heating Solutions. We’re absolutely delighted for you both and wish you a lifetime full of happiness, laughter, and plenty of fantastic moments together.
From all of us at Fairburn Heating Solutions – congratulations Mr & Mrs Harris!
Sean and Finlay travelled to France at the end of January to complete our first hydrogen commissioning project. We were engaged by Comtherm for the work at the ArcelorMittal Mardyck steelmaking plant in Dunkerque.
ArcelorMittal is one of the world’s leading steel and mining companies, with steelmaking operations in 14 countries across the globe. They are the largest steel producer in Europe with a strong commitment to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions.
The ArcelorMittal operations in Dunkerque are amongst the largest steelmaking facilities in Western Europe, offering high value-added products and services, mainly to the automotive industry, but also to construction and packaging.
ArcelorMittal is working closely with the French Government to decarbonise its operations in France.
Sean first visited the site in December 2025 and the commissioning was completed in late January. Working to the specifications provided by the equipment manufacturer, the commissioning went smoothly and all partners are happy that everything is working properly.
Commenting on the project, Craig Carr, Managing Director of Fairburn Heating Solutions said “It’s great to see the hydrogen training we undertook in 2024 and 2025 being put in to practice by Sean and Finlay. As the emerging hydrogen economy grows, we are well placed to support more clients with this kind of work.”
Following the recent PDR & Field Service analysis reviews by the board at Fairburn for the Field Service Technicians , we are delighted to announce that Dan Williams has been promoted to Senior Process Gas Technician.
Dan has been with the company for over 11 years and has taken the roles and responsibilities of a Process Gas Technician to a fantastic standard. His alignment to our company values & support for both the Field Service Team and the office are exceptional. Dan has worked tirelessly to achieve these goals over these years, with many late nights, working away on jobs, and professional job site project management that always supports the whole team to the best of his abilities.
Commenting on Dan’s prompotion, Craig Carr, Managing Director said “It feels great to be able to acknowledge Dan’s unwavering support for Fairburn and his colleagues with this promotion. I’m sure Dan will continue doing what he does best for years to come, helping, supporting the whole team here at Fairburn. I for one am always happy to work under his ideas and plans on site, it goes much smoother than when I plan the day!”
Please join us in congratulating him on his achievements, well done Dan. We’re proud to have you here at Fairburn Heating Solutions Ltd.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly being discussed across many areas of engineering and manufacturing. While still an emerging technology in the field of process heating, AI has the potential to influence how commercial gas heating systems are designed, installed and maintained in the years ahead.
This article explores some of the ways in which AI could impact the wider industry — not as a description of current practice, but as a look at what might be possible in the future.
AI in System Design
AI can process vast amounts of technical data far faster than traditional methods, opening new possibilities for the design of burners, furnaces and associated systems.
For example, machine learning algorithms can analyse complex thermodynamic models, combustion characteristics and heat transfer dynamics to identify configurations that maximise efficiency. The result could be designs that deliver the dual benefits of cost savings and lower emissions.
AI-driven tools may also enable the rapid generation of bespoke heating system layouts, balancing performance, safety and energy use for each specific application. In materials selection, AI could assist in identifying alloys or refractories that minimise thermal losses and extend service life — further improving the long-term performance of heating equipment.
AI in Installation
In the future, AI-assisted design and planning tools could help engineers optimise the physical layout of process heating systems. Algorithms might evaluate burner positioning, flue routing and pipework runs to streamline installation and reduce on-site time.
Another emerging concept is the “digital twin” — a virtual replica of a system that can be tested and refined before any physical installation takes place. By identifying potential clashes or performance issues in advance, digital twins can reduce commissioning time and risk.
Looking further ahead, AI-powered robotics could also play a role in assisting with installation or maintenance in hazardous or high-temperature environments, improving safety for human operators.
AI in Maintenance and Operation
Maintenance is an area where AI could bring particularly strong benefits. Predictive maintenance systems use data from sensors to anticipate component wear or failure, enabling service teams to act before a breakdown occurs.
AI can also be applied to continuous efficiency monitoring, automatically adjusting burner performance to maintain optimal combustion and reduce fuel consumption and emissions. Diagnostic algorithms could help detect faults such as incomplete combustion, leaks or inefficient heat transfer, supporting safer and more reliable operation.
Wider Industry Impact
Beyond individual systems, AI could support broader developments in the process heating sector. For instance, it can assist in modelling the transition from natural gas to hydrogen or hybrid fuel systems by simulating combustion performance and safety considerations.
AI-based tools could also simplify administrative tasks by automating compliance reporting — tracking emissions, efficiency data and safety checks — saving time while improving traceability.
An Opportunity for the Industry
For companies across the sector, including those with deep engineering expertise, there may be opportunities to codify specialist knowledge into AI systems, ensuring that decades of experience can inform the next generation of heating technology.
While these technologies are still evolving, the underlying principles remain the same: high-quality engineering, rigorous safety standards and sound technical judgement will continue to be essential.
Fairburn Heating Solutions will continue to monitor these developments across the industry to stay informed about emerging technologies and their potential influence on future heating system design, installation and maintenance.
At our recent team event, Amy was the champion of the laser clay pigeon shooting. A good time was had by everyone, and no pigeons (or gas engineers) were harmed. Commenting on the event, Craig Carr, Managing Director said, “It was good to get the team together for a fun evening as we move into the summer shutdown season which is very demanding on both the engineers and the office staff.”
A recent study by IDS‑INDATA – The Real Cost of Downtime in Manufacturing: Sector‑by‑Sector Breakdown and 2025 Forecasting – highlighted that the cost of unplanned downtime for UK and European manufacturers is likely to be over £80 billion in 2025. That’s a staggering figure and a clear call to action. Survey data suggests that over 80% of industrial businesses experienced some unplanned downtime in the last three years, with an average duration of four hours. In the UK on average, every company loses 49 hours of productivity every year.
Key drivers behind this crisis include:
These factors aren’t unique to specific sectors—they impact all manufacturing, especially in energy- and heat-intensive industries.
The IDS‑INDATA’s data shows:
Downtime isn’t just numbers on a page – it means lost productivity and revenue; emergency repair costs; delay to key projects and in the long run, damaged reputation and client trust. In some operations, just one hour of breakdown can cost millions of pounds in lost output, create supply chain bottlenecks and even compliance issues.
The report strongly recommends shifting towards Predictive Maintenance. By collecting real-time data from equipment, manufacturers can anticipate issues before they happen – transforming unexpected stoppages into planned maintenance windows
At Fairburn Heating Solutions, we recommend Predictive Maintenance to all our clients, as part of our Asset Management Journey which reduces breakdowns and grows productivity.
Contact us today on 01886 358025 to discuss how we can ensure uninterrupted manufacturing success.
We’re delighted to announce that Jay Bovill has passed his commercial gas exams and is now a Qualified Service Technician for Process and Commercial Heating. Jay started at Fairburn as an apprentice in 2022.
Harrison Barrowclift has also passed his exams and is now completing his work portfolio as the final steps in this training stage.
Commenting on their joint success, Craig Carr, Managing Director said “We’re really delighted for Jay and Harrison. They have both made good progress and deserve their success. It’s great news for Fairburn and our clients that we have two more qualified members of the team.
You can see the whole Fairburn team here.
In recent weeks, we have had three emergency call-outs which involved fires. While metaphorical fire-fighting can feel like the everyday situation for maintenance engineers in manufacturing plants, real fires clearly can have very serious consequences for production and more importantly, the health and safety of people working in those environments.
Regular, planned maintenance of process heating systems minimizes the risk of unexpected breakdowns and more serious events such as fires. Predictive maintenance uses data collection and analysis to forecast when components are likely to fail, so we can address the potential issue before it occurs, rather than reacting to a problem which could (and often does) happen just when you need it least.
The Fairburn Asset Management Journey shows how we move our clients from the unpredictable, chaotic world of reactive maintenance to proactive maintenance and on to maintenance excellence.
If you are tired of “fire-fighting” maintenance, give us a call on 01886 358 025 to discuss how we can help.
In 2025, Fairburn Heating Solutions proudly celebrates its 20th anniversary — and what a journey it’s been.
Back in 2005, the company was just a vision shared by three determined individuals: Craig Carr, Mark Johnson, and Keith Fairburn. With no employees and only five clients, they rolled up their sleeves and got to work. What started as a tight-knit partnership quickly grew into something much larger — and today, Fairburn is home to a team of 12 and has taken on 10 apprentices in that time.
Our first employee, Sean, joined us in 2007 and paved the way for the dynamic team we have today. In 2023, we moved from our original base in Martley to larger premises in Blackpole, to support our continued growth.
From those early days of servicing a small client base, we’ve expanded to support over 128 clients across 26 industries — a number that continues to climb. Our work has taken us far and wide, with completed projects in eight countries (yes, even as far as Russia in 2019). Among our more ambitious jobs was the replacement of 11 air handling units in a sixth-floor automotive paint shop “penthouse” — a true test of the team’s skill, scale, and stamina.
We’ve also continually raised our standards. Gaining SafeContractor accreditation in 2010, followed by Avetta in 2015 and ISO 9001 in 2019, we’ve committed ourselves to the highest levels of quality and safety. Our services have evolved dramatically over time – recentring our approach to the industrial process heating world to delivering complete turnkey solutions for key clients with shared values. For well over a decade we have been offering integrated mechanical, electrical, civils, and controls solutions. Most recently, in 2024, we completed hydrogen training and are set to deliver our first hydrogen client project in 2025.
Technology has played a big part in our evolution too. We introduced tablets for engineers in 2016/17, replacing mountains of paperwork and bringing efficiency to the field operation and faster, more accurate reporting to clients. In 2023, we took a major step forward by integrating our field service, CRM, and finance systems into one streamlined, cloud-based platform — tailored exactly to our needs.
As for ownership, our structure has changed over the years. We started as an equal partnership, became a limited company in 2006, and eventually, Craig Carr took the helm as sole owner after Keith Fairburn and Mark Johnson moved on in 2014 and 2017, respectively.
Through two decades of change, innovation, and growth, one thing remains constant: Our core belief that process heating should never cause downtime; this underpins our commitment to quality, our clients, and each other.
Here’s to 20 years — and the exciting road ahead!
We’re delighted to announce that after 18 years of unparalleled support and service to Fairburn heating Solutions, Sean Sheldon has agreed to join the board at Fairburn Heating Solutions Ltd as Technical Director.
Whilst Sean will remain an active member for the field service team for the foreseeable future, he will now also be assisting the board with technical strategic developments for the business and its personnel. Sean will also head up the Field Service Team, whilst continuing to support the wider business with technical sales, new business partnerships & field service technical training requirements.
Commenting on the promotion, Craig Carr, Managing Director said “I’m pleased Sean has accepted the offer to join the board. His expanded role will support the ongoing growth of the business and allow me more time to service my role as Managing Director. I know everyone will want to join me in congratulating Sean on his well-deserved promotion.”
You can see the whole Fairburn team at our website.
