At the Poole factory of Thompson Valves Ltd has been replaced by a batch cleaning machine that is proving much more versatile in operation. Called Elba, the aqueous machine is supplied in the UK by Turbex. The superseded washing, rinsing and drying line, which was also water-based, processed components on a continuous belt and did not have the ability to rotate the parts. As a result, there was a risk of water being retained within the valve bodies and other components, causing staining and also oxidation while they were in storage. Other problems of the older system were its large footprint and difficulty in obtaining spares.