Millard Towers Ltd

Millard Towers Ltd. is an engineering and manufacturing firm at 300 White Street, Cobourg, Ontario, Canada. It was established in 1951 by John Millard, an engineer, inventor and pilot, who developed a lattice tower structure in a small shop in Perth, Ontario. The company makes aluminum towers for airports, militaries and government agencies and describes itself as a global leader in frangible towers.

Frangible towers for aviation

Equipment such as approach lights and instrument landing system antennas must sit where aircraft may strike it. Millard developed frangible towers with Transport Canada and the Canadian military that give way on impact to limit energy passed to the aircraft. The company says this 1951 invention is believed to be the original frangible design, that its towers appear as examples in ICAO Doc 9157, and that frangibility is confirmed by third-party full-scale impact testing and finite element analysis.

Products

• Approach light towers
• Frangible meteorology towers
• Frangible ILS structures, including localizer mounts and catwalks
• Multipurpose and custom towers, and guyed towers
• Windsocks and certified fabric windsocks, sold through an online shop
• Marine navigation aid structures and telecom towers

Services

• Tower engineering, with analysis and physical testing
• Civil engineering: foundation designs including concrete pads, piles, screw anchors, rock anchors, wall mounts and roof mounts
• Site audits of new and existing installations

Product features

• Aluminum alloy resistant to saltwater and UV exposure, with a typical lifespan of 25 years or more and a 10-year warranty
• Tilt base and tilt over features for installation and servicing
• Aluminum towers use 75 percent recycled content, according to the company

Company facts

• Established in 1951
• The company states that more than 40 accidents involving its towers have matched laboratory results, with aircraft from small prop planes to jumbo jets
• Installation examples include MCAS Miramar, Goose Bay and Lynden Pindling Airport in Nassau