Members Magazine
Issue 3 / Autumn 2017
Apprenticeships with vision The PPMA members engaging with the teenagers of today for a brighter tomorrow
PPMA BEST Shaping the future of our industry
Building for our
future
Tomorrow’s Engineers’ Bryan Berry on nurturing new talent
Members Magazine
The skills gap issue Autumn 2017 / Issue 3 3
View from the top Bryan Berry from Tomorrow’s Engineers discusses how to inspire the next generation of engineers. Plus, PPMA BEST’s Danny Reed outlines how the charity is helping to plug the skills gap.
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Business intelligence Is the perception of engineering among young people changing? Just how big is the skills shortfall? And what’s the value of STEM to the UK?
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Success stories How a vision company is engaging the next generation. Plus, the steps one SME has taken to future-proof its business.
8-9 Industry
events/ Seminars, training and networking Final call for Gulfood Manufacturing, as well as all the essential dates for your diary over the next 12 months. Plus, training, networking and seminars, including the Chairman’s Lunch at the Tower of London.
10-11 Linked Up Top tips on managing apprentices. Plus, busting the myth that apprenticeships are just for young people. 12-13
Editorial Editor Kate O’Reilly +44 (0)7894 039609
kate.oreilly@ppma.co.uk Managing Editor Kirsty Sharpe +44 (0)1920 821873
kirsty.sharpe@glohouse.co.uk Editorial Assistant Lucy Benbow +44 (0)7971 987761
lucy.benbow@glohouse.co.uk
2017 editorial schedule To contribute to any of our forthcoming issues, contact our editorial team via the details above. Winter The green issue (copy deadline 13 October)
Member benefits PPMA Group recruitment partner Wallace Hind on the importance of good recruitment, and the latest from PPMA BEST.
14-15 New members Meet the newest additions to the PPMA family. 15 Get in touch Contact the PPMA team.
© 2017 PPMA Ltd The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the various authors and forum participants on this publication do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the PPMA Group of Associations.
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The best route to new talent By Danny Reed, Business Development Executive, PPMA BEST PPMA BEST is a charitable arm of the PPMA Group. One of its aims is to encourage young people to enter and develop a career in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) within the processing, packaging, robotics, automation and industrial vision supply industries, through education, training and support. PPMA BEST has offered support to member companies of the PPMA Group since 2014 through match-funded schemes, as well as bursaries for apprenticeships and graduates. During the 2017/18 academic year we will be increasing this support by taking direct action and running STEM activities in schools, alongside a comprehensive work experience programme. The activities will be run for whole groups of year 10 pupils and will be fully inclusive and accredited with the Industrial Cadets award. These fantastic days – including a headline event at the Manchester Science Museum as part of the Robots exhibition – will be fully led by The Engineering Development Trust or The Smallpeice Trust but importantly, they will also be supported by engineers from member companies, ensuring that the events are industry-focused and give the learners a fantastic insight into the work of PPMA, BARA and UKIVA firms. These great initiatives will help our members to form partnerships with local schools and colleges and develop a talent pipeline of potential graduates or apprentices in the future. To get involved or find out more, contact:
danny.reed@ppma.co.uk www.ppmabest.org.uk
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View from the top Inspiring the engineers of tomorrow By Bryan Berry, Programme Director, Tomorrow’s Engineers Engineering accounts for 26 per cent of all UK companies. It employs 5.7m people and generates 26 per cent of UK GDP. Engineering companies are projected to have 2.65m job openings by 2024, 1.86m of which will need engineering skills. While there are some positive upward trends to report in the talent pipeline, the supply still falls significantly short of demand. The annual shortfall of engineers and technicians is projected to be at least 45,000 but could be as many as 85,000, largely depending on the extent to which Brexit affects the recruitment of international students. If we are to address the skills gap, we need to engage young people from all backgrounds, so they understand 21st century manufacturing and engineering. We need more of them to understand how what they learn at school is used in the real world. Giving them the chance to talk directly to engineers and engage in hands-on activities that showcase and contextualise engineering is at the heart of the engineering community’s approach to inspiring the next generation. Apprenticeship recruitment is picking up and 2015/16 saw a five per cent growth in applicants to university engineering courses; but it would be wrong to be complacent. Although the perception of engineering is improving, to capitalise on this more must be done to inspire young people and stop girls dropping out of the talent pipeline at each decision point.
From strong employment prospects and competitive salaries to a varied career at the cutting edge of technological advances, engineering has a lot to offer. We owe it to the potential engineers of the future to give them every opportunity to understand that and encourage them to study the subjects that allow them to be part of it. Through targeted employer outreach, regional and local events, an industry-funded programme of targeted interventions and high quality careers resources, Tomorrow’s Engineers aims to do just that. Tomorrow’s Engineers is led by a growing network of companies of all sizes working collaboratively, drawing on dedicated local expertise and developing strategic schools engagement activity that is changing perceptions and opening up the industry to young people from all backgrounds.
www.tomorrowsengineers.org.uk
Making engineering child’s play
business intelligence The recruitment crisis facing the UK’s engineering and manufacturing sectors has been well-documented. An ageing workforce, combined with a perception of STEM careers as outdated and unfashionable, has left the industry with a significant employee shortfall. But there is evidence that the tide is now changing: apprenticeship numbers and university applications are up, buoyed by strong starting salaries, job security and the lack of a gender pay gap prevalent in many other sectors. For tomorrow’s engineers, the future is looking very bright...
“As the UK charts a course for itself outside the EU, a thriving engineering sector is critical to our future prosperity. To achieve this, we need to boost the numbers of home-grown engineers. Unless we take action now, we will be faced with a severe shortage of engineering talent which will act as a major drag on future economic growth.” David Landsman, Director, Tata Ltd
Value of STEM to the UK
Plugging the gap
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20,000
5.7m
108,000
£33,689
4/5
Percentage that engineering contributes to the UK’s GDP
Number of employees working in engineering in the UK – 19% of total UK employment
The 2015 mean salary for those in full-time STEM employment
All stats: Engineering UK 2017: The state of engineering
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Annual shortfall of engineering graduates
The number of engineering apprenticeship starts (England) in 2014/15, the highest for ten years
Four out of five manufacturing employers are planning to recruit apprentices in the next year
Don’t miss… PPMA members can download a synopsis of the Tomorrow’s Engineering report, Engineering UK 2017: The state of engineering, from our website:
h ttp://bit.ly/2vZb5H7 Members can also download a summary of a study by the University of Bath and commissioned by the PPMA on factors influencing engineering career choices:
h ttp://bit.ly/2g1CZ1c
Changing perceptions
Women in STEM
University challenge
96
3.5
5
3/4
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Percentage of teachers who would recommend a career in engineering to their pupils
Three quarters of parents view engineering positively as a career
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Percentage of 11-16 year olds who would consider a career in engineering
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Boys are 3.5 times more likely to study A level physics than girls
Only 1 in 8 of those in engineering occupations are women
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There is no gender pay gap in the mean starting salaries earned by graduates across all engineering disciplines
Percentage growth in the number of applications to engineering courses over the past year (compared to all subject average of 2.7%)
£4,000
Engineering graduate starting salaries are £4,000 higher than the all-subject average
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Percentage of UK first degree engineering graduates that are unemployed three years after graduation
success stories
Engaging with vision engineers of the future This vision company is inspiring the next generation of engineers to ensure a continued pipeline of talent
At a glance Challenge: How to raise awareness of the vision industry as a future career path Solution: Highlight the capabilities offered by industrial vision to sixth form students through a programme of technical vision projects Outcome: Some students have returned for further work experience and one has taken up an apprenticeship in the industry
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Machine vision is an enabling technology in a host of industries, yet companies in the UK vision industry continue to find it difficult to recruit engineers with an appropriate skill set. STEMMER IMAGING has taken a positive step in this respect by promoting an early interest in vision at school level through the Engineering Education Scheme. Working with nearby Farnborough Sixth Form College, STEMMER has provided an opportunity for three successive groups of sixth form students to participate in six-month vision projects. These have been as diverse as developing a football video game, a gesture recognition control system for computers, and a food packaging inspection project.
The vision projects
Each team of students came up with their own project ideas, which were discussed in detail before the project was finalised. Each team member was then assigned specific responsibilities, with one student taking the role of project manager. The projects also contained a strong business element, with students learning about the costs of developing a product and the impact they have on profitability. At the end of each project, the students
produced a detailed report (in excess of 50 pages) which was independently assessed alongside other projects from the region. The first vision project was to develop a system for tracking a football’s trajectory during a penalty kick and investigate ways of implementing the technique into a smartphone and tablet app. The second group of students investigated developing a gesture recognition scheme for environments where a touchscreen is not appropriate, such as operating theatres. The third project involved the design and construction of a freestanding system for automated inspections of breakfast cereal box packaging. This system has subsequently been used for demonstrations at exhibitions, as well as providing a test bed for engineering development.
A measure of success
The projects have proved to be highly successful, both in terms of the recognition the students have achieved within the scheme and the aptitude they have shown to addressing real-life engineering challenges, as Mark Williamson, Director – Corporate Market Development at
Future-proofing an established business Investing in apprentices is already paying dividends for one PPMA Group member
From left to right: A group of sixth form students work on a system for automated inspections of cereal box packaging The completed cereal box inspection system is now being used for demonstrations at exhibitions One of the teams developed a system for tracking a football’s trajectory and implemented the technique into an app
STEMMER IMAGING, explains: “This has proved to be a really productive scheme. Several of the students have come back to us for subsequent work experience, including one who is currently working here during the summer vacation from her Physics degree at Oxford University. Another student went on to take up an apprenticeship with one of our customers.”
www.stemmer-imaging.co.uk T +44 (0)1252 780000
Yorkshire Packaging’s (YPS) engineering department was staffed by an ageing workforce. With retirement dates looming, the company urgently needed to future-proof the department whilst ensuring it remained at the forefront of technical expertise and industry knowledge. In particular, following a sharp increase in machinery sales, it needed to find a way to cope with the growing demand for its shrink wrappers. Although the sales, production and marketing departments had some young graduate recruits, the engineering department was lagging behind. The company therefore decided to invest in an apprenticeship programme which would inject some youth, enthusiasm and fresh thinking into its engineering department. First to join was Jake Martin, who was subsequently followed by two further additions to the team, Kieron and George. Their contribution has been so impressive that YPS has nominated Jake for this year’s PPMA Group Apprentice of the Year Award.
Making a difference
“Jake has progressed more than we ever thought possible in the two and half year that he’s been with us,” says Olivia Routledge, Machinery Sales Co-ordinator. “He’s now more technically qualified on software than all of our existing engineers and some contractors.
Further Information The Engineering Education Scheme in England & Scotland is for Year 12 or S5/6 students and is administered by the Engineering Development Trust. For more information on this and other schemes that are available across all age ranges and abilities, please contact Danny Reed at PPMA BEST:
danny.reed@ppma.co.uk
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At a glance Challenge: How to futureproof the company and remain at the forefront of technical expertise, faced with an ageing workforce Solution: Invest in an apprenticeship programme in the engineering department Outcome: The company has taken on three apprentices, one of whom is now the firm’s most technically qualified engineer, saving them thousands of pounds each year
He has become our most accomplished and qualified engineer for palletiser installations and servicing. At times, Jake has had to step up to the position of lead installation engineer on our single biggest machinery installation in our history, at a world-recognised snacks brand. This has gained the company a major bluechip reference which will bolster future sales.” “Thanks to Jake and his exceptional technical mind and expertise, we can now offer an optional extra module to our palletiser customers with each sale,” continues Olivia. “Jake has single-handedly, in his own time, developed this extra software on our palletisers, which was not something that was asked or expected of him. Enlisting the help of an outside contractor to develop this software would have cost us between £5-10,000. This addition has now become a saleable feature on all of our palletisers, retailing at £3,000.”
www.yps.co.uk YPS apprentice Jake Martin has been shortlisted for Apprentice of the Year at this year’s PPMA Group Industry Awards
Key industry events Forthcoming
Later on
21-23 ProPak Myanmar 2017 sep
12-15 Oct 2017
pacprocess Tehran 2017
Yangon, Myanmar
Tehran, Iran
The 4th international processing and packaging exhibition for Myanmar.
www.pacprocess-tehran.com
www.propakmyanmar.com
25-27 SEp
24-26 Oct 2017
ProPak Cape 2017
Pack Expo Las Vegas 2017
Cape Town, South Africa
Las Vegas, USA
www.propakcape.co.za
The continent’s premier packaging event, attracting over 2,000 industry suppliers and more than 30,000 packaging professionals.
26-28 Oct 2017
Indiapack pacprocess 2017
www.packexpolasvegas.com
26 SEP
PPMA Group Industry Awards National Motorcycle Museum, Birmingham Taking place on the first night of the PPMA Show, the Industry Awards celebrate the finest examples of excellence across all facets of the industry. This gala event also features a four-course dinner and comedy from host Stewart Francis.
New Delhi, India www.pacprocess-india.com Apprentice of the Year Award
Dubai World Trade Centre, UAE
sep
NEC Birmingham
PPMA UK pavilion
www.gulfoodmanufacturing.com janette.lane@ppma.co.uk
www.ppmashow.co.uk
PPMA Show 2017 26-28
31 Oct-2 Nov 2017
Gulfood Manufacturing 2017
23-26 Jan 2018
Upakovka 2018 Last chance to register
Our biggest PPMA Show in 12 years features over 350 exhibitors, a revamped Learning Hub featuring FA boss Martin Glenn (Day 1, 11.30am), and a packed seminar programme. The show attracts thousands of quality end-users every year.
Moscow, Russia www.upakovka-tradefair.com 28 Feb-1 Mar 2018
Empack 2018 NEC Birmingham www.easyfairs.com
www.ppmashow.co.uk
20-22 Mar 2018
Japan Pack 2017 3-6 oct
ProPak Vietnam Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Tokyo, Japan
The place where cutting-edge devices, technologies and services in packaging and related industries from around the world come together with users and buyers. www.japanpack.jp
www.anugafoodtec.com
Ricoh Arena, Coventry
The UK’s largest showcase event dedicated to photonics and light technologies. www.photonex.org
13 Nov
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School STEM day Manchester Science Museum Visit the Robots exhibition to see education come to life and learn how your business can inspire the next generation of engineers.
www.ppma.co.uk
20-23 Mar 2018
Anuga Food Tec 2018 Cologne, Germany
Photonex/Vision UK 2017 11-12 oct
www.propakvietnam.com
16-18 Apr 2018
Pack Expo East Philadelphia, USA www.packexpoeast.com
PPMA BEST featured
13-16 June 2018
ProPak Asia 2018 Bangkok, Thailand www.propakasia.com janette.lane@ppma.co.uk
PPMA UK pavilion
Seminars, training and networking Forthcoming 18 PPMA Driving Day
31
oct
oct
Heyford Park, Upper Heyford, Bicester Our safety and awareness driving day, brought to you by Ultimate Car Control, is both educational and fun. Free for PPMA members.
19 oct
Introduction to Project Management Marriott Hotel, Manchester This practical course offers tools and techniques to those who have never been trained in running a project, are working in a project support office, or are new to the role of project manager. Areas covered will include: applying and understanding the use of a lifecycle approach; clearly defining a project’s purpose; avoiding ambiguity or unrealistic expectations; understanding the importance of risk management and change control; and much more.
Networking Event – Industry 4.0 Arla Foods, Leeds The next Industrial Revolution is coming…is your company ready? The Industrial Internet of Things and Industry 4.0 will increasingly impact machine builders, while advances in technology are already blurring the boundaries between the digital and physical worlds. Learn what this means for your business at this half-day event. Featuring sessions on machine and mechatronic design, automatic integration, and possible new business models, the event also includes a Q&A session and light lunch. Free for PPMA members.
7 nov
PPMA member rate £95 +VAT.
CE Audit Marriott Hotel, Manchester Airport Aimed at machinery purchasers as well as manufacturers, this course will cover what information is reasonable to share and will explain what to check in a Technical File and the documentation required. PPMA member rate £95 +VAT.
Feature events
Final call for Gulfood Manufacturing Gulfood Manufacturing 2017 (Dubai World Trade Centre, 31 Oct-2 Nov) is the event’s biggest edition ever, featuring over 1,500 exhibitors and covering more than 70,000m2. This growth reflects the enormous opportunities for businesses in the region. Government figures show the food industry currently makes up around 11 per cent of the nation’s GDP and the UAE food trade is forecast to grow by a staggering 70 per cent by 2030. Plus, in the last few weeks, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, unveiled plans for a Dh5.5bn (£1.15bn) food business park that will help make the emirate the region’s leading hub for food exports. It’s clear that Dubai offers some great new business opportunities for exporters. To secure your place at the PPMA UK pavilion, contact janette.lane@ppma.co.uk www.gulfoodmanufacturing.com
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15 nov
Sales Skills for Non-Sales People Marriott Hotel, Northampton This one-day sales training workshop is designed to help boost your sales effectiveness, covering topics including: conversation openers; ways to increase trust and rapport; ensuring confidence when presenting price; and effective follow-up. It will also look at the most common reasons why businesses do not reach their sales potential, such as ineffective planning and poor questioning. PPMA member rate £95 +VAT.
1 dec
Chairman’s Lunch Tower of London Join us for first-class networking and superb food at this historic venue. Free for PPMA members.
Stay up to date To book your place on any of these events, or for questions and comments, call 020 8773 811 or contact christine.jordan@ppma.co.uk
Linked Up Tips, advice and queries from the PPMA Group membership. Could you mentor the next generation of engineers? PPMA BEST is looking for PPMA Group member companies to support STEM day activities and offer work experience placement(s) during the 2017/18 academic year. Taking place in November, each STEM day will be located close to interested member companies and will engage with 120 year 10 students; we currently have over 100 interested schools. In addition, supporting companies are asked to offer work experience placements to year 10 and/or year 12 students in the spring and summer terms. For more information on what’s required of the STEM day role models and the work experience mentor, please contact
danny.reed@ppma.co.uk
Apprenticeships aren’t just for engineers Multipix Imaging takes the role of educating the future generation seriously. Directors Julie Busby and Peter Hunt were both apprentices themselves and the company not only employs apprentices at its head office in Petersfield, Hampshire but is also a patron to the Advanced Manufacturing Training Centre (AMTC) in Coventry. Julie Busby and Support Manager Stefan Fox personally train apprentices on machine vision and provide them with an introduction to this exciting and growing area of industry. Multipix recruited two apprentices in 2015, but not in the field of engineering; one is employed in IT Support and the other in Digital Marketing and Social Media. Both successfully completed the 12-month course and Kerry Walker was offered full-time employment in the marketing department. Earlier this year, the company employed a new apprentice, Thomas Clarke, who had previously completed Level 3 IT Support. Under the new apprentice standards scheme, Thomas has now started Level 4 Software Developer and has already proved to be a valuable member of the support team. “It is our ethos that every apprentice is treated with respect and rewarded for their efforts, with the intention to offer full time employment on completion,” says Julie Busby. “It’s a two way street – you provide the correct environment and support for young people and they will excel. In return, you are rewarded with new employees that have the relevant skills, immediately contributing to the success of the company.”
www.multipix.com
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Julie’s top tips: • T he quality of training by apprenticeship providers can vary dramatically, so careful research is required before committing. •D on’t think the onus is on the provider to create a fully rounded apprentice with relevant skills. An employer must have a clear objective for any apprentice they employ and be prepared to invest their own time and resources.
Top tips for recruiting staff By Olivia Routledge, Machinery Sales Co-ordinator, Yorkshire Packaging Services • Don’t be scared to shop around – while it’s possible to find the perfect candidate in the first interview, they may not come along until the tenth. Don’t settle for second best, because your business is at stake. • Make use of business-focused social media channels such as LinkedIn, or even your own company websites and e-shots. Getting the right recruit doesn’t always mean you have to spend big.
Reaping the rewards of an in-house apprenticeship programme
We believe in apprentices, at any age By Warren Spiers, Spiers Engineering Safety When they hear the word ‘apprentice’, most people imagine a school or college leaver. In fact, the age limit on apprentices has been removed, so today’s apprentice could just as easily be someone in their late 30s or early 40s who has been made redundant or is simply looking for a career change. A build-up of rubbish in Birmingham this summer by striking refuse collectors has triggered a debate about how a bin man who finds himself being made redundant might expect to find alternative employment. I have been disappointed by the number of people resigning bin men to the rubbish heap – perhaps, among them, there could be someone capable of adding value to my business. Therefore, after some consideration, we are now ready to advertise our first role for a mature apprentice. I hope that older people who would not normally have considered changing career at this point in their life, will take notice and grasp this opportunity with both hands.
www.spierssafety.co.uk
How to manage and coach an apprentice By Neil Lewin, Learning & Development Consultant – Industry 4.0, Festo Ltd It’s easy to think that managing an apprentice is only about imparting technical knowledge and improving their level of skills. But in the new apprenticeship standards, which have been designed by employers, there is an equal weighting on skills, knowledge and importantly, the behaviours that employers want to see. That’s why the role of the manager is so important. People learn more from the actions of others than from any textbook and every apprentice will be gathering information about how to behave in the workplace from their peers, colleagues and their immediate boss. Managers therefore have the opportunity to shape the face of the new workforce – but only if they have developed the right people management skills themselves. A coaching approach can have a real impact as it relies on questioning and listening, rather than telling and doing. It encourages apprentices to use the knowledge they have, in the context of the situation they find themselves in, and make decisions for themselves. It requires the manager to provide an environment where trust and support are key, whilst challenging the ‘coachee’ to think for themselves and evaluate the options. Understanding the coaching process is a key skill for modern managers that can bring quick results and ensure apprentices add real value to your business. To find out about open courses and coaching programmes for your managers, go to
www.festo-didactic.co.uk and look at People – Management.
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HepcoMotion is committed to the development of young, enthusiastic engineers – since opening its training school nearly 25 years ago, it has had over 100 apprentices. Many managers and even the chairman himself started work at HepcoMotion as apprentices. Indeed, nearly 50 per cent of the firm’s engineering production staff are either apprentices or former apprentices. Today, the company’s apprenticeship programme continues to go from strength to strength under the leadership of Training Manager Maurice Porter, who ensures the apprentices receive a balance of both the academic and practical skills required. Maurice firmly believes that finding out the individual interest of each apprentice is key: “If they have a particular interest in CNC machining or projects, then this would be the department we would work towards finally placing them in. Obviously, this needs to be balanced with production demand and the needs of the business, but we find that if we can match their interest with their abilities, they are inspired, and more likely to excel in this area. Ultimately, this benefits both the apprentice and the business as a whole.” Hepco was recognised for its efforts at last year’s PPMA Group Industry Awards, where it won the PPMA BEST award. This year, the company is hoping for similar success as Hepco engineering apprentice Toby Cowan has been shortlisted for the Apprentice of the Year award.
www.hepcomotion.com
Good recruitment equals good business Member benefits By Tony Moroney, Managing Consultant for Wallace Hind Selection, an executive search and retained recruitment consultancy that successfully recruits key personnel for major organisations across the UK and Europe.
Wallace Hind Selection is the PPMA Group’s recruitment partner. The PPMA Group has partnerships with various service providers, covering insurance, H&S and employment law, recruitment, training, litigation, technical advice and driver training. To access any of these services at a preferential PPMA member rate, contact membership@ppma.co.uk
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Every business owner or manager knows that their best asset is their staff. Why then, do so many pay so little attention to effective recruitment? Some people spend more time considering their new car than they do thinking about how best to recruit, yet good recruitment is the key to a successful business. Similarly, poor recruitment could be holding your business back – I’ve lost count of the number of times that people have said to me: “Just send over some CVs and I’ll have a look…”. Attracting top talent has never been more difficult and recruitment can be complex. Ask yourself these three simple questions: • Do I know what is happening with recruitment trends in my sector? • Do I know what the salary levels are in today’s market? • Do I know how to attract the best talent?
As a PPMA member, you have access to a range of free expert advice from Wallace Hind Selection, who are the PPMA Group’s recruitment partner. Not only have we been working in this sector since 1996, our team has over 40 years’ combined knowledge, at all levels and across many disciplines. We can offer free and impartial advice on a number of recruitment-related matters, including salary surveys. In addition, we can provide a professional turnkey recruitment solution, at specially negotiated rates for PPMA members. The message is simple: take recruitment as seriously as you take your business and engage with professionals.
T +44 (0)1604 683310 tm@wallacehind.com www.wallacehind.com
Understanding members’ needs By Sidiqa Hazara, Membership Relations Executive
Since our last issue went to print, we’ve been extremely busy preparing for the PPMA Show. We’ve also been very excited by the overwhelming number of entries for the PPMA Group Industry Awards – good luck to all the shortlisted companies. I am looking forward to catching up with some familiar faces and those I have not met yet at both the PPMA Awards night and the show itself. Aside from the show, our membership team has been busy focusing on getting in front of members on a one-to-one basis, organising events and delivering training and seminars in various locations. Following the launch of our regional events, which have been very well received, we are now heading for Leeds on 31 October to
hold another Industry 4.0 networking event, while a BARA event focused on systems integrators will take place on 13 October at JLR, Coventry. Those of you who attended our Digital Marketing Networking Event at the Williams F1 Facility will I’m sure agree how much of a success it was. We look forward to continuing to offer further ‘hot topic’ events such as this in the future. I regularly visit members in all parts of the country to get an understanding of what piques your interest and how the PPMA can assist with future benefits and services. However, to help us get an understanding of the bigger picture for the industry, I would urge all members to take part in the comprehensive membership survey being carried out in October. Please look out for the email in your inbox.
Get in touch Our Membership Relations Executive, Sidiqa Hazara, regularly visits PPMA members. To invite Sidiqa to visit your business or find out how to make the most of your membership, contact:
sidiqa.hazara@ppma.co.uk T +44 (0)20 8773 5521
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PPMA BEST (Business Education, Skills and Training) is a charity established in 2014 to encourage young people to enter and develop a career in engineering within the processing, packaging, robotics, automation and industrial vision supply industries through education, training and support. It is an independent charitable trust with its own Board of Trustees and works in collaboration with STEM outreach organisations and the education sector to deliver inspiring programmes. The charity was set up by the PPMA Group of Associations for the benefit of its member companies and the wider industry. Its aim is to tackle the ongoing skills shortage and build the future generation of engineers. In partnership with the Manufacturing Technologies Association, PPMA BEST will be running an educational outreach event at the Manchester Science Museum on 13 November 2017 as part of the museum’s Robots exhibition. For further information about BEST and to get involved, contact Danny Reed, PPMA BEST representative:
danny.reed@ppma.co.uk
Welcome new PPMA Group members Acepak
CWM Automation
Acepak offers end-of-line packaging machinery from shrink-wrapping to case packing, as well as palletising and stretch wrapping. The company has a 33-year history in manufacturing and has installed over 6,800 machines in 16 countries, primarily in Africa, Asia and Australia. Most recently, it has installed equipment into the dairy industry in the UK.
CWM Automation is a packaging machinery and end of line automation manufacturer. Formed in 2006, the company provides bespoke filling, heat sealing and lidding machinery and fully automatic end of line automation solutions to the dairy, convenience food, bakery, pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries. As well as UK companies, CWM’s 50-strong workforce regularly develops bespoke machinery for customers across the globe.
For more information, contact Dave Grobler:
dave@acepak.co.za T +27 83 253 2099 www.acepak.co.za
BS&B Safety Systems BS&B Safety Systems manufactures and supplies explosion protection solutions for process industries. The company’s range of products includes chemical isolation and suppression systems, flameless vents, explosion vents and spark detection, which undergo rigorous audits and quality control systems to ensure consistency of performance. For more information, contact Mark Shannon:
mark.shannon@bsb-systems.co.uk T +44 (0)7825 834295 www.bsbsystems.com
Codetronix Ltd Codetronix, trading as Citronix UK & Ireland, is the exclusive distribution channel of Citronix continuous ink jet (CIJ) printers, spare parts, consumables, aftersales and technical support for the UK & Ireland. Citronix Inc. (USA), a Domino Printing company, designs and manufactures CIJ printers to apply identifying marks to almost any kind of material or surface. The company is currently offering a 30-month manufacturers’ warranty on its new CIJ printers and a special offer on consumables for companies with legacy Citronix printers that are still operational. For more information, contact Ralph Ibbitson:
info@citronix.co.uk T +44 (0)113 337 2070 www.citronix.co.uk
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Jeros UK Ltd
Jeros UK supplies a full range of utensils, parts and crate washer systems into the food and allied industries throughout the UK and Ireland, with full spares and engineering back-up from their base in Doncaster. For more information, contact Terry Hill:
T +44 (0)1302 887677 www.jeros.co.uk
For more information, contact Paul Harvey:
paul.harvey@cwm-automation.com T +44 (0)1427 614222 www.cwm-automation.com
Datalogic Datalogic operates in the automatic data capture and process automation markets, specialising in the design and production of barcode readers, mobile computers, sensors for detection, measurement and safety, RFID vision and laser marking systems. The world’s leading players in the retail, manufacturing, transportation & logistics, and healthcare industries use Datalogic products, certain of the attention to the customer and quality of the products that the Group has been offering for 45 years. For more information, contact Mari Still:
mari.still@datalogic.com T +44 (0)1582 790032 www.datalogic.com
FEG Ltd
FEG specialises in design and build, project management and consultancy for the food, industrial, manufacturing, process and pharmaceutical industries. With expertise and knowledge in an array of engineering, design, planning, specification and management disciplines, the company’s highly qualified personnel offer impartial solutions to meet their clients’ requirements. For more information, contact Grahame Turner:
info@feg-global.com www.feg-global.com
Landfill Alternatives Landfill Alternatives supplies over 1,100 customers with waste management solutions; from a small cardboard recycling baler for a corner shop to a bespoke system for a car manufacturing plant. The company offers a free assessment plus a report of any potential improvements it can make for your business. For more information, contact Doug Barrons:
T +44 (0)1295 816733 www.landfillalternatives.co.uk
Magnum Materials Ltd Magnum Materials offers a variety of inkjet printers for every need. The company’s Afinia Label full-colour digital label printers provide exceptional quality, efficient ink usage and high speed. Magnum’s quality label industry products make printing and finishing easier and more dependable. For more information, contact Rebecca Whitehead:
rebecca@magnum-uk.com T +44 (0)161 343 1131 www.magnum-uk.com
Get in touch Palletiser
Talens Engineering
Palletiser designs and manufactures a range of palletisers and conveyance systems: product-to-palletiser, pallet conveyance and integration of associated machines. The company’s in-house 3D design modelling can simulate programming and installation of proposed conveyor systems. Palletiser also fully assembles machinery, tests prior to dispatch and provides on-site installation and continued support.
Talens Engineering provides effective and competitive contract engineering services, specialising in life science applications. The company’s engineering team supports customers in the design of specialised process machinery and laboratory equipment. Its services include consultancy, comprehensive engineering from conceptual design through to detailed engineering, FEA and CFD computer simulations, prototyping and testing.
For more information, contact Kelvin Gailbraith-Lowe:
kelvin@palletiser.biz T +44 (0)1892 571140 www.palletiser.biz
Spiers Engineering Safety Spiers Engineering Safety is a UK-based machinery safety consultancy offering support in all aspects of conformity, compliance, inspection and risk assessment of machinery services. The company does not outsource work; it uses its own expert engineers to give clients the support and knowledge needed to make their machines safe. Spiers offers support for CE marking of machinery services, PUWER inspection services and machine risk assessment services, anywhere in the world.
For more information, contact Daniel Cros:
daniel.cros@talens.tech www.talens.tech
Unitronics Unitronics is the original manufacturer of integrated HMI/PLC products. Since the company started back in 1989, it now has more than 160 distributors in over 55 countries. From simple standalone machines to systems requiring in excess of 2,000 I/O points, Unitronics has a product to suit. For more information, contact Sean Donelan:
sean.donelan@unitronics.com T +44 (0)800 206 1017 www.unitronicsplc.com
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Systech Systech, specialists in product verification and brand protection, is trusted by top pharmaceutical companies worldwide to ensure regulatory compliance and supply chain integrity, mitigate risk, and drive efficiency. Beyond compliance, the company is leading the charge to protect global brands – for CPG, F&B, health & beauty, pharmaceutical, and CMOs. For more information, contact Alastair Taylor:
alastair.taylor@systechone.com www.systechone.com
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