COMPANY NEWS
Meet The Expert | Steve Crowley
One of the most valuable skills in the transition to electrification isn’t just designing new facilities — it’s knowing how to repurpose what already exists. Steve Crowley, HSSMI’s Technical Lead for Manufacturing Engineering and Facilities Management, has built a career on exactly that expertise.
A Mechanical Engineer with over 40 years’ experience in the Electronics & Automotive industries, Steve was employed by Ford and Case New Holland, working across all areas of manufacturing, test and development of engine and final vehicle assembly.
Turning Combustion Engine Lines into Electric Motor Facilities
Since joining HSSMI, Steve has used his automotive process engineering experience and knowledge on various projects for Ford and JLR, defining and developing new Bill of Process and Bill of Sequence documentation to repurpose existing internal combustion engine machining lines to produce electric vehicle motor components — utilising existing capital equipment to minimise cost and optimise timing.
This work has involved taking products from design concept through initial builds and into high-volume manufacturing production line solutions, including full specification and procurement of automated equipment. With extensive experience of JIT and Lean Manufacturing techniques, Steve has helped optimise various manufacturing assembly lines to minimise investment and reduce time to product launch.
Other projects at HSSMI have involved integrating an innovative PCB-Hydrogen type fuel cell system into an existing electric vehicle for proof of concept, establishing a Build BOP and BOS plan. Further R&D-related projects have involved manufacturing upscaling of containerised storage of hydrogen for remote locations and developing manufacturing facilities to produce electrolysers.
Delivering Complex Heavy-Duty Manufacturing Solutions
Steve’s project experience showcases the depth of his manufacturing engineering expertise:
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- CNH — Basildon. Steve led a team of engineers to specify, procure and commission capital equipment to build heavy-duty tractors — including AGVs to transport the tractor chassis from paint shop to a new dedicated low-volume assembly line, automatically sequencing the vehicle through final build stations up to a total finished weight of 15 tonnes. He specified and developed sub-assembly trolleys for fuel tanks, battery boxes and driver’s seats delivered line-side with elevating tables, designed fixtures and lifting aids for front axle sub-assemblies requiring 180-degree trunnion access (up to 2 tonnes), and specified manipulator arms to pick front hood assemblies and elevate them up to 4 metres. He also specified, procured and commissioned line-side torque control equipment with “No Faults Forward” diagnostic systems from Atlas Copco and Makita, including interlocked tool changers and torque reaction arms for operator safety, alongside powered jib-type hoists with interchangeable lifting attachments.
Two Years Deep in Battery R&D and Scale-Up
For the past two years, Steve has also been closely involved in battery R&D related projects and their associated scale-up manufacturing facilities, applying the same rigorous process engineering discipline he has built over four decades to one of the industry’s fastest-moving areas of development.
A Hands-On Engineer with Decades of Practical Delivery
Steve holds an ONC and HNC in Mechanical Engineering. His core skills — project management, procurement of technical equipment, JIT best practices and quality improvements, and health and safety management — reflect a career grounded in practical, hands-on delivery of complex manufacturing equipment and processes.
Why It Matters
As manufacturers look to electrify without starting entirely from scratch, the ability to repurpose existing capital equipment — safely, efficiently and cost-effectively — is invaluable. Steve’s expertise in transitioning legacy facilities to new technologies is helping HSSMI’s clients make that shift without the cost of a clean-sheet rebuild.
Want to learn more about how HSSMI’s manufacturing engineering and facilities expertise can support your project? Get in touch with our team.
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