Feed Mill Engineering News: ISF’s October Round-Up

Welcome to this month’s feed mill engineering news from ISF. October brought two award shortlists, a new case study and a busy workshop.

Feed mill engineering news: two award shortlists

ISF has been shortlisted for Manufacturer of the Year at the York Press Business Awards 2026. Our Managing Director, Iain Scott, has also been shortlisted for Business Personality of the Year.

Iain founded ISF 37 years ago, so seeing that story recognised alongside the team’s engineering work means a great deal to everyone here. The awards take place on 26 November, and we’ll share how we get on. You can see the full list of finalists here

A new set of lifting void doors

We finished a new set of trap doors for a customer who lifts press dies through three floors of their building. Until now, operators fitted removable handrails around each opening by hand before they opened the door. That worked, but it relied on everyone doing it right, every time.

The new doors handle that step. When the floor plates lift, the gates and guard grid are already in place. When the doors close, everything folds away, leaving a flat floor built to take a 1-tonne die across the top.

Read the full lifting void trap doors case study to see the project from first sketch to finished doors.

Meet the team: Laura Palmer-Hukins

Laura joined ISF in 2021 as Quality Manager, after a career in retail and insurance. She didn’t know much about animal feed mills back then, and she’d be the first to admit it.

Five years on, her role covers quality, training, marketing support and now finance. We asked her about her journey, the lessons she’s learned, and what keeps her at ISF. Read the full Q&A with Laura.

Buy British and our longest customers

Buy British Day on 3 October got us thinking about our own workshop here in York. From design through fabrication and installation, much of what we deliver comes from our own team for feed mills across the country.

That work builds long relationships. A poultry mill in Buckinghamshire has worked with us for over 35 years. A feed mill in Nantwich and another in Cumbria have both been with us for almost 20 years. We don’t take that for granted. Customers keep coming back because we do the job properly, and we’re glad they do.

Feed mill engineering news from the workshop floor

The workshop stayed busy all month. Our fabrication team kept plenty of work moving through the shop, and our installers prepared for upcoming jobs.

Explore how a feed mill works

We also shared our interactive diagram of a modern animal feed mill. Hover over any section to learn about that part of the process and how it affects the final product. Visit our products page to try it yourself.

We’re hiring a Draughtsperson

We’re looking for a Draughtsperson to join our team in York. The role covers 3D modelling and manufacturing drawings, sheet metal and fabrication detailing, and layouts for conveyors and structural steelwork.

Experience with Autodesk Inventor or similar CAD software helps, and we provide training. Read the full job description.

That’s this month’s feed mill engineering news from ISF.