Engineering Capacity July 2023 digital edition

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COMING UP IN OUR SEPTEMBER 2023 ISSUE

Machined Components, Waterjet & Laser Cutting, Automotive, Moulding, Electronics, Additive Manufacturing, Advanced Engineering Preview

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Editor’s View

The outlook for manufacturing is, at best, uncertain for the coming months. The Make UK/BDO survey released in June saw some recovery in the second quarter of the year and saw fears of a recession easing, but was far from bullish.

James Brougham, Senior Economist at Make UK, said: “Manufacturers are seeing a gradually improving picture but the word ‘gradually’ is doing a lot of heavy lifting.” He pointed to the fact that there had been a period of relative stability after the turmoil of the last few years. But is this sustainable? Probably not.

Richard Austin, BDO’s National Head of Manufacturing, commented: “Despite the first half of the year seeing some pressures easing, there are longer-term systemic challenges in the UK market, with built-in inefficiencies that need to be addressed urgently in order for UK manufacturing to effectively plan and invest.”

He believes supply chain pressures have become endemic as SMEs face continued disruption and cost pressure.

Since the survey came out, the recent interest rate rises and enduring lack of Government interest in an industrial strategy continue to dampen hopes.

Chris Barlow of accountancy group MHA says: “The Bank of England’s recent interest rate increase is bad news for UK manufacturing. Whilst lenders have shown a willingness to help viable businesses, there’s growing sector feeling that BofE policy is going to push Britain toward recession. The threat of recession has crippled manufacturers’ investment plans, with many discussing or actively reducing future investment.”

He added that the need for a long-term manufacturing strategy has never been more urgent.

We’ve all got to keep plugging away at this and try to get the message through.

Andy Sandford, Editor

Member of the Engineering Industries Association

Vestatec’s longstanding relationship with photochemical etching

specialist Precision Micro is key to supplying speaker grilles to many of the world’s most luxurious vehicles.

The Nottingham-based company supplies unique styling solutions for premium brands such as Bentley, Porsche and Lamborghini.

Photochemical etching allows Vestatec to bring intricate designs to life while also adding clear cost-saving benefits. Chemical etching also means that finished metal speaker grilles maintain their sleek appearance and tactile perception for longer, as well as offering improved sound quality and durability.

An alternative to traditional stamping and laser cutting, photochemical etching uses chemical etchants to create complex but highly accurate precision components from almost any metal. With hundreds of holes to cut in the average speaker grille, and the need for consistent, pinpoint accuracy, laser cutting is simply not viable.

Vestatec’s journey with Birmingham-based Precision Micro began a decade ago but Vestatec did offshore its supply briefly while Precision Micro was actioning a £5.1m recovery plan following a fire in 2019.

While Precision was back to full manufacturing potential within three months, reconfiguring its processes and increasing its overall capacity, Vestatec was facing difficulty

Key to luxury speakers

importing product from the continent due to Brexit and the impact of the pandemic.

Precision’s rapid recovery, combined with importing woes, soon gave Vestatec the confidence to switch back to using Precision Micro as its primary supplier. Another key reason for the switch was Precision Micro’s product quality and service offering, while the geographical proximity of the two Midlands-based businesses presents significant benefits for prototyping and makes complex designs more feasible.

In automotive, continuous innovation and strong collaboration is key. Improving the driving experience requires creative thinking throughout the supply chain – something which Vestatec’s Adam Jay believes Precision Micro always helps to deliver.

“We really push Precision Micro to explore the limits of

what's possible because ultimately, that’s how you innovate. We’ve often sent them designs which are theoretically impossible to manufacture but they always give their best efforts to make them a reality. This desire to go beyond what’s possible has helped us deliver some truly unique products,” said Adam.

Precision Micro’s value proposition ‘etching enhanced’ is something, by Vestatec’s own admission, that perfectly describes the business’s ability to explore the limits of its technology.

Adam Jay continued: “The etching process is high quality and it’s efficient for many reasons. Pushing boundaries and working collaboratively together stack up to provide USPs for both of us and I think the customers we deal with recognise our efforts to innovate and deliver consistent quality.”

8 precisionmicro.com

Visitor registration is now open for Advanced Engineering, which this year comes with new branding, removing the previous show zones from the exhibition floor.

Advanced Engineering, taking place on November 1 and 2 at the NEC, Birmingham, was previously divided into several zones. However, in order to meet the future demands of the engineering and manufacturing sectors, the show has been re-engineered to encourage even more crossindustry collaboration.

The organisers understood that this layout felt limiting for exhibitors, and that visitors in general walked the entire show floor, regardless of their specific industry. This year, the longestablished composite zone will remain, but the automotive, aerospace and connected manufacturing zones will be removed. However, these sectors will still have a strong presence at the event, with the industryspecific forums remaining. There will also be a main, central stage on this year’s floor plan where discussions about key challenges in the industry will be discussed.

“Making these changes wasn’t an easy or a quick decision,” explained Alison Willis, director of Easyfairs, the organiser of Advanced Engineering. We spoke to over 200 exhibitors, visitors and speakers to make sure that any changes made were futureproof and reflective of all stakeholders. We realised that many of the issues that our exhibitors and visitors are facing

No zones and new look

align, no matter what sector they’re from. Take sustainability as an example — we wanted to make sure that our floor plan gave attendees the best opportunity of sharing ideas and solutions to challenges like this.

“Advanced Engineering has expanded greatly over the years, starting as a specific aerospace event 14 years ago. 2023 felt like the right time to break down the walls that separated our exhibitors to fully encourage collaboration across industries and to prepare the show for a new era of manufacturing and engineering,” concluded Willis.

To ensure that visitors and exhibitors can still easily find relevant contacts, Advanced Engineering exhibitors will now be categorised by the services, products and solutions offered. They will have the opportunity to highlight all of the sectors they

work in, removing any limitations created by the specific show zones. As well as encouraging visitors from the show’s established sectors like aerospace, space, automotive and composites to attend, Advanced Engineering hopes to attract visitors from newer sectors, like marine, security, rail, energy, sports and leisure, and medical.

In 2023, Advanced Engineering will welcome back a full speaker programme with representatives from some of the leading companies in UK manufacturing. Last year, attendees were treated to talks from leading industry figures from companies like Siemens, Ford, Jaguar Land Rover, Make UK, Rolls-Royce and Airbus. As always, attendees will be able to access all of these talks free of charge, totalling around 50 hours of free CPD accredited learning. 8 advancedengineeringuk.com

The UK Government is currently expressing concerns regarding the number of workers aged over 55 who are not in work, or unable to obtain work, in particular as a means to boost the economy and productivity.

However, research has found that those in this age range, whilst offering a wide range of skills and experience, are still often shut out due to narrow views of their age.

Offering a different viewpoint, and bucking the trend, Roger Haw, Managing Director at Sheffield based heat treatment specialist, Flame Hardeners is a firm advocate of employing older workers: “It is well worthwhile to pick up someone older who can do a good job; they give some thought to instructions and procedures and are flexible, reliable and have a good work ethic.”

A typical example of this ethos is fork-lift operator Dave Jones. Dave had spent most of his working life in warehouse work and had been driving forklift trucks for six years, until being made redundant. Prior to that he had been with a company as warehouse manager for almost 18 years, but after the company was sold, changes were made, and it moved its operations to Leicester.

At 62 Dave wasn’t confident about finding permanent work and so had been doing temporary work via an agency. As a result, he joined Flame Hardeners on a temporary basis in November last year and was then offered a permanent job after Christmas.

Encouraging older workers

it’s a whole new learning curve, but I’m enjoying learning new skills; and I get good guidance from management,” Dave explained. “In this job I’m covering everything – not just raw material, as I was before. I’m also learning about engineering components and the background to the heat treatment processes. It keeps the ‘grey matter’ going.”

“I really enjoy the work, and wish I’d found this job 20 years ago. I like to be active and working, so I’m not planning on retiring any time soon!” adds Dave.

Dave explains that he needed to adapt to operating a fork-lift after having operated a bale clamp machine for several years.

“The whole heat treatment environment is new to me, and

“The Government sees an unused army of potential workers over 55 years of age, and we have been pleasantly surprised with Dave,” concluded Roger Haw.

8 flamehardeners.co.uk

Anniversary investment at Erodex

Erodex Group, which designs and manufactures graphite electrodes, tooling and fixtures is celebrating 50 years in business by investing £400,000 in automation at its graphite machining facility in the West Midlands.

2023 marks 50 years in business for the family-owned firm, which is looking to the future with the purchase of an automated pallet loading system to work in coordination with existing high speed machining centres.

As a result of the investment, the company expects to maximise efficiencies and output within a high-volume area of the business; creating capacity without the need to layer in additional shift patterns.

In addition, the alignment of existing machining capacity with automation provides Erodex with a portfolio that it has previously been unable to offer customers, therefore creating new business opportunities.

The company’s machining facility in Wednesbury has been established for over 35 years, enabling Erodex to machine its wide variety of graphite grades into highly complex components for a range of industries. It has also been a key driver in the significant growth that the Erodex Group has experienced in recent years, following a £1.75million investment in new machinery in 2021.

Steve Rolinson, Director at Erodex Group, comments: “We

are very proud to celebrate 50 years in business, which is a significant milestone for the Erodex Group.

“The fact that we continue to go from strength to strength as a business is testament to the fantastic, loyal workforce that we have here, many of whom have been with us for a significant amount of time.

“Further investment in our machining facility represents the next stage of evolution for the business. Since the mid-1980s the Erodex Group has enabled our customers to benefit from the capabilities of our ISO 9001 accredited graphite machining facility, which is widely regarded as the best graphite machining facility in Europe.

“Continued planned investment as part of our continuous improvement programmeincluding that in automationmeans that we are well placed to

capitalise on market opportunities moving forward and further reinforces our position as UK leaders in the design and manufacture of graphite electrodes, tooling and fixtures for the aerospace and IGT sectors”. Alongside the automation investment, Erodex continue to invest in the upskilling of its employees; placing 2 Operators on additional CAD training and will continue this investment in people through the short and medium term. The company is also set to relaunch its apprenticeship scheme this coming summer, developing the next generation of engineers and further future proofing the workforce.

Founded in 1973, the Erodex group employs 90 people across two sites in the West Midlands with headquarters in Halesowen alongside the Wednesbury based machining facility.

8 erodex.com

The need to ease global supply chain disruption has seen Nemco extend its working relationship with customised safety equipment manufacturer Fortress.

The Stevenage-based contract electronics specialist is celebrating 10 years of supplying Fortress with assembled PCBs for a growing range of products that keep hundreds of thousands of people safe every day.

What started as prototype support and a few thousand assembled PCBs has now grown to volumes in excess of 90,000 per year and covering more than 50 different board variations across various solutions, including mGard trapped key, proNet, amgard ethernet enabled interlock, Atom and tGard configurable interlocks.

The business will be worth £2m per year for Nemco, which is on course to hit its best-ever sales year.

“We work really hard to build strategic relationships with our customers - it’s about a lot more than just supplying boards,” explained Bob Parker, Operations Director of Nemco.

“Our partnership with Fortress is the perfect example of our approach. We work with its design team on new product introductions and then offer technical advice on the most efficient Design for Manufacturing (DfM) process.”

He continued: “This is a real two-way conversation and involves lots of dialogue and collaboration. We’ve also got the

PCBs for safety products

alternative components to negate shortages across the sector.

This has ensured that many Fortress products can be supplied to customers in just two weeks, thanks to forward scheduling and advancing ordering.

capabilities in Stevenage to do prototyping work, so we can support the customer with quick turnaround assembled PCBs that speed up the development stage.”

There has been a lot of talk about disruption in the electronics supply chain and this is something Nemco has helped Fortress overcome through flexibility of supply, just-in-time production and providing

Michael Trice, Design Manager at Fortress, went on to add: “Nemco boards are in all but two of our product ranges and that’s testament to the quality of the components supplied.

“We know the PCBs will work at the first time of asking and this means production and assembly at our factory in Wolverhampton is not held up and we can meet urgent client requirements. It’s a relationship that is going from strength to strength as we continue our collaborative new design with Nemco.” 8 nemco.co.uk

A precision machining company that specialises in the extrusion tooling and subcontract machining industries has achieved 30% growth in turnover following the installation of a manufacturing analytics platform.

Chesterfield-based Sterling Machining installed FourJaw’s manufacturing analytics platform on 14 of its CNC machines, to support and inform its continuous improvement strategy.

Co-owner and production manager, Andy White says: “We had an ERP in place but no way of accurately measuring jobs and their profitability, until the jobs were finished. If a job took longer than expected, we couldn’t see why. FourJaw’s machine monitoring system has given us valuable data that we use to understand machine utilisation, operational efficiency and profitability. In the last 12 months our business has grown from £3.8m to £5m turnover.”

FourJaw’s MachineLink IIoT device can be easily and quickly self-installed on any manufacturing machine, regardless of brand, type or age, which makes it perfect for small and medium-sized businesses who’d prefer a low-cost, no-fuss ‘plug-and-play’ solution. By monitoring and analysing machine data, FourJaw enables manufacturers to make machines run productively and profitably.

The Industry 4.0 technology has also inspired a degree of competitiveness amongst the workforce. Andy explains:

Machine data drives 30% growth

“Initially, the guys on the shop floor were a little reluctant but soon became interested to see how it worked. It didn’t take long for them to become competitive, wanting to get the best machine efficiency scores resulting in utilisation going from 75% to 100%. This means that we are making more products with the same resources, lowering the cost of manufacturing the goods and therefore improving profitability.”

The extra capacity created by utilising the existing machinery more effectively has also created more jobs. They identified that they could change the way the shop floor was configured and put in an extra machine operator. Doing so made them more productive and the extra operator pays for himself because the machines won't be stood idle.

Since installing FourJaw on their machines, the team at Sterling Machining has improved many of its processes, informed

by the platform’s accurate, realtime data. For example, the team uses historic data to see how long similar jobs have taken and use this information to quote more confidently for future work.

The management team at Sterling has also used FourJaw’s data insight to make informed decisions when considering large capital outlays, such as new machines. Andy describes the situation, many manufacturers come up against: “You may have been in the position where you think you need to buy another machine because you think you’ve got a capacity problem, but now we use FourJaw we can see where we have capacity that we’re not using.

“In summary, FourJaw is the tool we use to maintain a ‘drumbeat’ of improvement and create a healthy, competitive environment to keep trying to do better.”

8 sterlingmachining.co.uk fourjaw.com

Bilbao’s +Industrie 23 exhibition attracted more than 11,800 visitors to a cluster of six shows including the Subcontración subcontract manufacturing event, as well as events covering additive manufacturing, digital manufacturing, pumps and valves and industrial maintenance.

Xabier Basañez, General Manager of Bilbao Exhibition Centre (BEC), said “BEC has become for three days the epicentre of the latest technologies and developments in cutting-edge products, processes and solutions to boost competitiveness and activate new business opportunities around advanced manufacturing”.

Speaking at the opening of the event, by Tamara Yagüe, President of the Biscayan Federation of Metal Companies, said it was: “… a great opportunity to open up again to the world and show the capacity of our sector to a large number of visitors and a must for all the companies that work in this sector and for the industry as a whole.”

A total of 841 exhibitors attracted visitors from 58 countries around the world, predominantly from Europe but also from China, India, South America, The Middle East and Asia.

An extensive content programme included innovation workshops, networking events, B2B meetings and a conference. The conference featured 50

Buyers come to Bilbao

speakers and looked at the challenges, advances and trends that will impact on the future of advanced industry.

One of the key meetings was the 20th European Industrial Subcontracting Meeting. Organised by the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, CámaraBilbao and Bilbao Exhibition Centre, with the collaboration of the Spanish Chambers of Commerce.

Over three days around 1,000 meeting interviews were held with the participation of close to a hundred major buyers from countries such as France, Italy, Morocco, Czech Republic, Germany, Slovenia, Finland, Holland, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland and Tunisia, as well as Spain.

The first day was attended by

subcontracting companies in general, while the second day was attended by representatives from the automotive, renewable energy and plastics sectors. The third day focused on additive manufacturing, defence and aerospace.

The meeting had the highest number of buyers to date, making it the largest B2B event of its type in Europe.

Josep Maria Gomes, International Business Developer Manager of the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, said these meetings had established themselves as an essential platform with international recognition that brings together a select community of buyers from high value-added sectors looking for new partnerships and business opportunities.

8

High Quality Subcontract Machining

APT Leicester is committed to prioritising environmental sustainability in CNC manufacturing practices. Its recent integration of a state-ofthe-art industrial aqueous cleaning system represents a significant contribution to its green initiatives.

It has replaced its previous solvent-based cleaning system with a MecWash MWX300 aqueous cleaning machine. APT says that this transition signifies a major leap forward and a shift towards sustainability in its commitment to sustainable manufacturing practices. Aqueous cleaning employs water-based solutions, reducing air pollution and minimising carbon footprint.

This industrial turned parts washer manufactured by MecWash in the UK, aligns with APT Leicester's eco-friendly objectives. Its efficient cleaning performance combines ultrasonics and high flow washing technologies to ensure precision and quality. The machine removes contaminants, such as oils, greases, and particles from CNC machined parts, minimising waste generation.

Water scarcity is a global concern, and APT addresses it by coupling the MWX300 with an Aqua Save wash water recycling unit. This innovative system captures, filters, and recirculates the cleaning water, significantly reducing water consumption and preserving this precious resource.

By adopting this aqueous cleaning system, APT Leicester says it is taking a significant step

Environmentally friendly precision

towards sustainable CNC manufacturing processes. The machine's efficient cleaning cycle and water recycling capabilities reduce reliance on single-use resources, supporting a circular economy approach.

As an AS9100 aerospace accredited company, APT upholds the highest standards of quality and precision. The MecWash system not only meets APT’s stringent aerospace requirements but also ensures the consistent delivery of pristine CNC turned

components adhering to industry specifications.

APT Managing Director, Nick Baller, emphasised, "The adoption of the MecWash MWX300 further strengthens our commitment to reducing waste, conserving resources, and minimising our overall environmental impact while maintaining the highest standards in the production of turned parts produced to aerospace standard for our valued customers."

8 aptleicester.co.uk

A large proportion of work going through subcontractor

C&M Precision's Maldon factory involves machining copper bar fed into CNC mill-turn lathes.

Two sliding-head models out of the nine turning centres on the shop floor, all of which have been supplied by Citizen Machinery UK, have LFV (low frequency vibration) functionality in the operating system of their Mitsubishi controls. It results in much higher productivity and increased yield when converting malleable copper into high-end electronic components for OEMs in the medical, radar, satellite and broadcasting sectors.

Owner John Cable explained that for many of these jobs, a particular grade of copper known as OFHC (oxygen-free high conductivity) has to be used, which is more than 99% pure. One 60 mm long, tight-tolerance component previously produced from 3 mm diameter bar on an early Citizen Cincom M16 slider without LFV had to be turned in one pass through the guide bush down to 1.20 - 1.22 mm diameter along half its length. The continuous string of copper swarf frequently damaged the component and often became lodged in the counter spindle, preventing synchronous transfer after part-off and causing the machine to alarm out. Productivity was severely impacted and up to 20% of parts had to be scrapped.

Mr Cable said: "Transferring the job to a Cincom L12-VIILFV we bought in 2019 was a real winner. With the LFV function turned on,

Copper cuts like brass

the copper chips like brass. Yield is now 100%, throughput is high and we can even leave the machine to run unattended."

The other Cincom slider on site with this chip breaking functionality, a nominally 20 mm capacity L20-VIIILFV, arrived on the shop floor in 2017, making the subcontractor an early adopter of this novel technology. Supplied with a kit that allows feeding of oversize bar up to 25 mm diameter, the lathe is also proving useful for machining other materials that tend to generate stringy swarf.

C&M Precision was established in 1992 as a CNC sliding-head, twin-spindle, millturning shop, following research at the time indicating that fourfifths of rotational parts produced in the UK were less than 25 mm in diameter.

The first model to arrive in 2001 was a now discontinued M12, which has been sold on. The first job it tackled was the

production of 120,000 brass connectors requiring the milling of 3/8-inch hex flats. Amazingly, due to the rigidity of the lathe that Mr Cable described as "rock solid", one 6 mm diameter carbide milling cutter completed all of the flats, 720,000 of them, and still had not worn out.

The subcontractor is an enthusiastic user of Cincom M-series machines due to their inclusion of a tool turret as well as a gang tool post, allowing the production of complex components. A 16 mm diameter bar model installed in 2004 was joined three years later by a pair of 32 mm diameter bar capacity lathes. The latter, thirdgeneration M32 lathes have since been replaced by fifth-generation models to take advantage of Y-axis motion on the turret and

an overall higher specification.

2014 and 2015 saw the arrival of three more 32 mm sliders, this time in the Cincom A-series. They have only gang tool posts, so are faster when manufacturing less complicated parts. One of the lathes does not have a guide bush, as it is devoted to relatively limited runs of short components such as mining industry connectors. The other two sliders with a guide bush produce tens of thousands of parts per week, 24/5. One

example is a mild steel gas meter part which the customer orders at a rate of one million per year, with the subcontractor making weekly deliveries.

C&M Precision's latest two acquisitions are from Citizen's Miyano range of fixed-head lathes. Installed in January and March 2022 respectively, the twin-turret BNE-65MYY models with Y-axis motion on each tool carrier replaced two ageing lathes that had one Y-axis turret apiece.

As to the future, Mr Cable sees the continued purchase of LFV lathes inevitable. While high pressure coolant systems break swarf adequately on his current larger lathes, as they mainly process free-cutting materials, there is one job presently produced from malleable, oversize, Swedish iron bar on the L20-VIIILFV that would profit from being put onto a 32 mm Cincom in the same series with the chip breaking technology. 8 onehitcnc.com

A family-run precision engineering business in Warwickshire has invested over £600,000 to expand into new markets after receiving grant support.

MAS Precision Engineering specialises in manufacturing components for a variety of industries including motorsport, automotive, electrical, hydraulics and medical, and exports to countries including Poland, Hungary, Germany and Thailand. The 13-year-old business, which is based on the Manor Road Business Park in Atherstone, is run by brothers Martin Smith, who is the Managing Director, and Steve Smith, who is the Works Director.

The 11-strong company needed to make a significant investment of £180,500 for a new CNC sliding head lathe to accommodate a new contract which was won after another firm unfortunately went into liquidation.

Martin contacted the Coventry and Warwickshire Growth Hub and was awarded a grant of £20,000 through the Coventry and Warwickshire Business

Funding fuels expansion

Support Programme which is part funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

This was on the back of a £236,000 investment in 2019 for a Nakamura WT150-T CNC turning machine. Such was the success in 2022, a further £239,000 was spent on yet another Nakamura CNC turning machine. This ensured MAS Precision Engineering had the latest machinery, software and technology to remain competitive and increase their success rate of winning new work.

Martin said as a family-run

business they took a great deal of care with attention to detail which their customers appreciated.

He said: “We were struggling for capacity but the new machine is an opportunity to invest in our future because without the right machines we’re not able to operate efficiently or have the facility to support the industry.

“Many of our European partners have these CNC machines and if we don’t keep up with technology, we will get left behind.

“The new CNC machine means we can turnaround orders much more quickly because the previous machinery took four minutes to make a part which has been reduced to 84 seconds, meaning that output has more than doubled in the same amount of time.

“It also means we can upskill and train our staff on the new machine which will lead to the creation of two more jobs for another apprentice and a CNC tool setter.”

8 masprecision.co.uk

Bowers Group showcased its innovative metrology solutions to industry leaders at this year's Control Exhibition.

The renowned British metrology company took full advantage of the bumper crowds and highlighted its expertise in quality control and assurance.

Control Exhibition is a highly respected international trade fair that takes place annually in Stuttgart, Germany. It provides a platform for professionals, manufacturers, and service providers to highlight the latest advancements in technology, products, and services related to quality control and assurance in manufacturing, production, and engineering.

Richard Grocott, Bowers' Export Sales Director, was thrilled with the turnout, stating, "We’ve had a fantastic time exhibiting at Control 2023. It always proves to be a highlight in our calendar, but this year has been something special. Control offers us the invaluable opportunity to catch up with distributors from around the world and we would like to offer our sincerest thanks to everyone who took the time to visit us. It was great to see such a large turnout; it completely exceeded our expectations, and we really enjoyed getting to see both old faces and new."

During the exhibition, Bowers Group demonstrated its excellence in connected metrology by displaying several innovative products. Offering live demonstrations of a range of Bluetooth-enabled hand tools

Innovative metrology centre stage

that worked in conjunction with Sylvac's Sylcom software, the team was able to highlight how connectivity can improve efficiencies and reduce errors.

Visitors were also able to see Bowers' highly accurate digital external micrometer, DigiMic, which features advanced, built-in Bluetooth connectivity, as well as the Baty Venture Plus XT, which features standard zoom optics and programmable, segmented LED surface lighting. Baty’s SM350 vertical light path 350mm / 14" diameter screen bench projector was also on display.

The group was also delighted to be able to showcase its oldest brand, Moore & Wright, offering a range of high-quality and affordable handheld metrology instruments, including micrometers, calipers, indicators, and general workshop measurement tools.

Bowers Group has also announced a significant update to

its Baty Fusion metrology software, Baty Fusion, which is designed to work seamlessly with Baty’s range of vision machines and profiles projectors.

The latest version introduces several key features including a new touch probe lobing calibration option, an all-new CAD window with improved tools, as well as the innovative Leapfrog feature which allows you to measure parts larger than the working volume of the machine and can now also be used to measure parts that require rotating to gain a full 3D vision inspection of the part.

Another key feature is an improved DXF curve fitting window. The new DXF menu uses an improved algorithm fitting the curve profile to persisted feature pairs, which also includes the ability to automatically refit the profile after each workpiece completes.

8 bowersgroup.co.uk

Bureau Technical Inspection Services has been granted accreditation to ISO/ IEC17020:2012 by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS). The Hull-based company provides QA/QC inspection, statutory inspection, technical manpower, and project management services to sectors including the renewable energy, oil and gas, petrochemical and nuclear industries.

This internationally recognised standard specifies the requirements for the competence of bodies performing inspections, including their activities' impartiality, independence, and consistency.

Achieving this accreditation involved a significant effort by the

UKAS Accreditation granted

Bureau Technical Inspection Services team to integrate the requirements of ISO/IEC17020:2012 into its existing quality management systems. While it is possible for inspection bodies to operate without this standard, conforming to it can improve the effectiveness of their management system and assure customers of the high level of service they can expect.

As a condition of accreditation, Bureau Technical Inspection Services undergoes an annual assessment by UKAS, which includes on-site witness assessments of inspection activities conducted by

competent engineers.

David Blanchard, Managing Director at Bureau Technical Inspection Services said: “This is a huge achievement for our team. Quality and assurance have always been at the heart of our delivery and since launching our Inspection Division in 2022, we have worked hard to achieve this highest accolade from UKAS.”

The organisation will undergo a comprehensive reassessment every four years, with reports and results peer-evaluated and reviewed by an independent UKAS decision-maker before accreditation is renewed.

8 bureautechnicalservices.co.uk

Cheltenham based Spirax Sarco is a global leader in the design and manufacture of steam technologies, offering a comprehensive range of steam solutions to a variety of industries and processes.

The BS EN ISO 9001:2008 registered company’s impressive integrated fabrication facility is able to deliver pre-assembled packages of products, from simple valve train units through to complex steam systems.

To enable the effective operation of Spirax Sarco’s quality system the company employs a multitude of instruments and gauges that need to be calibrated monitored and traced to their locations.

Amanda Shakespeare of Spirax Sarco, Cheltenham explained. “Given both the health and safety and commercial implications of the failure in the field of our products, Spirax Sarco administers a strict quality regime. Our exacting quality standards are a major reason for the excellent reputation Spirax Sarco now enjoys throughout the world.

“To enable a multitude of different checks and inspection routines to be carried-out, we currently have more than 12,000 instruments in active service, all of which need to be calibrated, the vast majority of this work takes place on-site. In addition to numerous analogue and digital dimensional gauges, such as micrometers, calipers and bore gauges, we also use countless specialised instruments across a broad range of diverse

Calibration steams ahead

disciplines, such as pressure, material analysis, mass and electrical testing. Not only do we need to adhere to each individual instrument’s calibration schedule, we need to analyse its wear rate and track its location throughout our sites.

“As the volume of instruments being sent to commercial calibration laboratories reached a critical level some time ago it was decided that a first-class, onsite calibration facility, with results traceable to UKAS (The United Kingdom Accreditation Service) should be established. Now fully operational, in addition to making commercial sense, the facility’s ability to calibrate and return critical instruments to production in hours, as opposed to days, and sometimes weeks when sent for external calibration, aids the company’s overall efficiency.

“Having previously used a fairly limited DOS based gauge

management software system in our calibration facility, to help improve our efficiency we undertook a search for a more up to date product. After narrowing our search and arranging demonstrations of the four most suitable systems, impressed by its advanced capabilities, we purchased IndySoft’s calibration and asset management software.

“As well as having all of the features that we were looking for, IndySoft software proved extremely flexible, fast, easy to use and it had an excellent reporting function.

“Not only did IndySoft’s staff provide excellent initial training and help us to configure the software to suit our specific needs, on the rare occasion that we experience a difficulty, IndySoft provide an instant response.

“As our gauge inventory has expanded and our calibration workload has grown, had we persevered with our previously >

used DOS based software system, the administration of our calibration system would now be a logistical nightmare. The speed and ease of use of the IndySoft system has helped us to ensure the continued effective administration of our busy calibration function. In addition, the availability of IndySoft software updates makes our system future-proof.

“Each working day, the IndySoft system provides a comprehensive list of gauges to be calibrated, and importantly for us, their locations. Once calibrated, the system updates the gauge’s history, provides a fail/pass decision and gives us access to analysis tools. It really helps that all relevant information is displayed in a logical way with excellent graphics.”

IndySoft has regularly introduced innovative products that have become established as industry standards. IndySoft’s paperless system with full audit trails has recognition of compliance to many quality standards, such as AS9100, QS9000, TS16949, ISO9000, FDA 21CFR Part 11 and ISO17025.

Calibrations can be performed on a pass/fail basis, test point results or even from embedded Excel or Word documents. A software module is included allowing users to perform studies such as R&R, Linearity, Bias, Stability, Failure Logs etc.

Managing Director of IndySoft Europe, Jake Bishop added. “More often than not we supply IndySoft software to in-house calibration facilities and

commercial calibration laboratories that have previously been using manual systems. So it is particularly rewarding when companies such as Spirax Sarco chose to replace their less efficient, existing software systems with IndySoft Calibration and Asset Management Software. Invariably, potential customers currently using inferior software packages recognise their inherent limitations and have formulated ‘wish lists’ of features needed in a replacement system. As IndySoft Calibration and Asset Management Software delivers all of the required elements, when given the opportunity to demonstrate, in the vast majority of cases, IndySoft is chosen as the replacement system.

“In addition to its suitability for managing the gauge stocks of smaller concerns, IndySoft software’s unmatched ability to administer extremely large inventories, that include multiple gauge categories with mixed calibration schedules, across multiple sites, renders it ideal for

use within the most demanding of situations. These attributes meant that IndySoft was the ideal answer to Spirax Sarco needs.

“Much of IndySoft Europe’s remarkable sales success has been due to satisfied customers recommending our software to other potential users. IndySoft Calibration offers the most flexible and easy to use calibration system. New users are able to calibrate equipment and generate certificates of calibration ‘Out of the box’.

“Through the use of an exclusive process modelling engine, IndySoft users can configure their own, event driven systems with checkpoints and rules set at every point along the equipment path. This flexibility ensures that assets are handled according to company’s existing workflow and procedures. Users are able to track all equipment as it moves about their businesses, manage schedules such as preventative maintenance, calibration, service/repair, and create user defined timetables.”

8 IndySoft.com

As a result of unprecedented demand quality management services provider, G&P, has expanded its recruitment services division.

Working with manufacturing organisations around the world to ensure their products meet appropriate quality standards, G&P’s recruitment team identify, screen and place suitably qualified personnel into open roles within manufacturers. The permanent, temporary and contract roles cover a wide range of quality associated positions such as production operatives, vehicle technicians, quality engineers, supplier quality engineers and auditors.

“Quality remains the primary

Quality recruitment expansion

focus for most manufacturers, but over the last few years they have had to adapt and introduce a more flexible workforce, which brings with it a host of new and significant challenges,” explained Simon Francis, group quality director, G&P. “However, our specialist recruitment services help these companies flex up, quickly and cost-effectively with the right people for the job. As our service removes many of the headaches associated with traditional in-house recruitment, it’s not surprising that we’re having to scale up our own operation accordingly.”

In the last 12 months G&P’s

recruitment team have helped manufacturers fill more than 600 permanent, temporary and contract vacancies across 60 sites.

Simon Francis added: “Many of our customers have found that it is much more of an employee’s market, rather than an employer’s one in recent times, and have therefore struggled to attract and retain good candidates. With this shift, we have seen a subtle but definite increase in the demand for permanent placements which gives customers direct access to our global pool of qualified and experienced talent for every level of their organisation.”

8 gpqm.com

Altus Group, which supplies capital equipment for the electronics industry, has introduced the innovative Quins HR inspection solutions. Developed by Quins with customer feedback in mind, these new high-resolution units are designed to effectively address the increasing challenges faced by manufacturers due to the shrinking size of components and the growing demands of inspection requirements. With the widespread adoption of 01005 components, the need for the highest level of accuracy in inspection has become crucial to ensure fault detection and traceability for production support. The Quins LC20HR and LC20HR/UV units offer unparalleled image quality and resolution and is equipped with the LS30 Quins box boasting an impressive 4800 dpi capability. The system is accompanied by an upgraded SL300 computer, delivering enhanced data processing capabilities to handle the increased demands of modern inspection applications.

Hi-res electronics inspection

The enhanced resolution of the Quins LC20HR and LC20HR/UV units ensures that even the smallest components can be accurately inspected. The higher computing power also supports the enhanced processing required to maintain efficient production operations. Additionally, the modular software employed in all Quins variants makes inspection easy for new

product introduction (NPI) and small-scale production runs.

Anthony Oh, Operations Manager- Inspection Products at Altus Group, said: "What is ideal about Quins is that a single unit can be used for so many inspection processes to generate returns. This latest variant catering for 01005 components will only ensure that the offering of Quins remains complete and future-proofed for many sites."

The new Quins LC20HR and LC20HR/UV inspection solution offers a significant improvement in resolution compared to previous units, with a maximum of 4,800 dpi and 2,400 dpi for an image size of approximately A4. reaching 4,800 dpi for images of A5. The HR system's computer features 32GB RAM and a 1TB SSD drive, along with an external 2TB USB SSD backup drive. 8 altusgroup.co.uk

Industrial thermoforming company, Donite Plastics is making lightweight panels and components for the aircraft interiors sector.

While aircraft interiors have traditionally been composed of metals and metal composite materials, there is a growing demand in the market for lighter weight aircraft interiors, which Donite Plastics is happy to accommodate.

Donite Plastics manufactures an array of thermoformed parts for the aircraft interiors industry, with the company’s latest development producing lightweight panels and components with up to 39% weight reduction and 89% part reduction per panel.

With the average aircraft burning 0.03 kg of fuel per hour for each kilogram carried on board, the significant weight and parts reduction offered by Donite Plastics will have a positive impact on the environment, leading to greater fuel savings and reduced CO2 emissions, helping the aviation industry achieve its set climate target of halving CO2 emissions by 2050 compared with those in 2005.

The Saintfield-based company is also developing a robotic application for its complex assembly, with their products being displayed at the Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) in Hamburg. At the event, which is the world’s leading marketplace for airlines and the aerospace supply chain, Donite Plastics demonstrated why thermoforming and plastic is

Lightweight aircraft interiors

set to be the material of the future for aircraft interiors.

Director at Donite Plastics, Stephen Kissick, explained the company’s commitment to making sustainability one of its top priorities: “At Donite Plastics, we play a pivotal role in the growth of the UK’s aerospace sector. As pioneers of lightweight technology, we produce thermoformed parts and complex assemblies for leading aerospace manufacturing companies across the globe.

“We have introduced multiskins, which sees us bring multiple layers together in order to strengthen the product and our manufacturing process, with this new lightweight technology is proving instrumental in reducing

the weight in complex assemblies.

“We are committed to continuous improvement and developing new, innovative solutions, with our lightweight panels and components giving our customers greater design freedom. Our complex assembly processes will offer more customisation options to our customers, opening the doors to exploring a range of colour palettes, textures and finishes without compromising functionality.

“Our services are unique in that we offer our customers the advantages of weight reduction without asking them to make compromises in terms of quality and durability.”

8 donite.com

The Farnborough Aerospace Consortium says that millions of pounds worth of business has been generated by its participation in the Ohio Global Aerospace and Supplier Summit.

US businesses will now be setting up in the UK, and British businesses are planning to put down roots in the US, according to Alan Fisher, the FAC’s chief executive officer.

Ohio and Farnborough represent the centres of their countries’ aerospace industries, and newly forged links will benefit both economies.

At the Farnborough Air Show last year FAC and the Ohio Aerospace Institute signed a ‘memorandum of understanding’.

This has paved the way for companies to cross the Atlantic and following the Ohio summit three UK firms have plans to open in the US and three US firms want to set up in the UK or expand their presence.

Alan Fisher said: “This was a hugely important summit that will lead to millions of pounds worth of business being generated.

“We have signed up three new

Ohio business boost

members to the FAC and anticipate another four or five joining soon – they are both UK and US firms.

“Inward investment to the UK will be from Jergens Inc, a precision manufacturer, Lone Star, which provides analytics, and Duke Manufacturing. All want to open here or grow their UK business.

“Another US firm we had positive discussions with was Gertsburg Licata, an affordable law firm that helps UK companies open in America.

“British firms planning to set up in the US are Blue Abyss, a tech business, Bloc-digital, which maximises digital asset potential, and TISICS, a metal composites business.

“FAC members including Materion, another metal composites company, also attended the summit, which included a tour of NASA’s Research Facility.

“FAC exists to win business for members and we were able to speak at the summit to representatives from major companies including Boeing, Airbus, Safran, Embraer, GE Aerospace and Parker.

“The work done on the visit will bring investment to the UK, particularly the Farnborough and wider Hampshire area, and will also create jobs.

“Britain is a world leader in aerospace, a sector that is now including more businesses looking to the potential of space travel. 8 fac.org.uk

Quality Precision Machined Components & Turned Parts

A team from The Digital Gap and Studio 77 had a great couple of days filming at two West Midlands foundries, Alucast Ltd, and Newby Foundries Group Ltd, as part of a wider pilot project aimed at encouraging more young people to consider a career in the castings industry (as part of the wider engineering and manufacturing sector).

The filming was to create a 360 degree ‘virtual tour’ of a foundry which can then be viewed by using a simple VR headset and taken into local schools and colleges to show children, college students and their teachers the range of roles that are on offer. The VR tour will be supported by some film clips of young people in the industry talking about their jobs and what they like about working in the casting industry, as well as a new website and careers leaflet.

“It’s not just about pouring metal,” explains Cast Metals Federation CEO Pam Murrell, “albeit that is important of course, but we also want to show that there are jobs in design and simulation, in 3D printing and CNC machining, in moulding, tooling and patternmaking, not to mention HR, sales & marketing and procurement.

“Our industry can offer interesting and exciting roles and is growing internationally – plus we use secondary materials (ie scrap metal) as our main raw ingredient, so the industry is an important part of the circular economy for metals - foundries were the original recyclers

A foundry in your classroom

afterall,” she explained.

The wider schools engagement project, which is being delivered for the industry by Next Gen Makers and enabled by funding from the Foundry Training Trust and the Innovation Networks* (through Coventry University Enterprises Ltd with support from Midlands Engine and funding from the European Regional Development Fund) will also include a number of schools visits to try out the new resources from the autumn.

The 360 virtual tour will be used alongside the existing ‘Foundry in Box’ concept which enables young people to ‘have a go’ at making something in metal, whilst gaining a greater appreciation of casting as a route to manufacture and learning about how many of the things we use everyday are manufactured.

“We are conscious that our

member companies sometimes struggle to attract new people into their businesses and find it hard to fill apprentice vacanciesthe general public, including teachers and parents, may have the impression that the castings industry is old-fashioned and irrelevant”, continued Pam. “So our hope is that, by providing some additional resources to our businesses, they can start to build relationships with their local schools and colleges and go on to offer T-level placements and work experience which might help encourage young school leavers to consider apprenticeships in manufacturing and engineering. Companies that already have those local relationships are definitely at an advantage when it comes to filling vacancies and building their future talent pipeline.”

8 nextgenmakers.co.uk

A new design guide has been launched to highlight the possibilities and green footprint of cast irons.

Engineering designers are being urged to take advantage of a new guide that highlights the vast potential and environmental sustainability of the ‘original composite material’.

The call has been made by the Cast Metals Federation (CMF) as it looks to educate and persuade more professionals in industry to consider the huge range of mechanical properties of cast irons when they are designing new products.

‘Cast Irons – Part 1: Materials and Properties for Design’, which has been published by ISO (the International Standards Organisation) as a Technical Report (ISO/TR 10809-1:2023), provides a comprehensive yet accessible overview of design considerations, and clearly explains the potential of this hugely versatile family of metals.

The newly updated technical report includes tables to assist the designer to firstly select the right type of cast iron and then choose the right grade, depending upon the component criteria required.

There is also information about typical compositions, mechanical properties, and section sensitivity aspects (needed because of the effect of variations in cooling rates due to section thickness) with useful tables, images, and diagrams.

It is hoped that this influential guide will act as a bible for

Cast iron benefits

key design considerations, principles, limitations, and opportunities associated with the use of cast irons.

Pam Murrell FICME, Chief Executive Officer of the Cast

Metals Federation and Chair of ISO TC 25 (under which committee this work was organised), explained: “The metallurgical aspects of cast irons are often not well understood and cast iron is, after all, the original composite material.

“So, whilst this revised guide is not a textbook of cast iron metallurgy, I am confident that designers and engineers will find it enormously helpful in discussions with their cast component suppliers, whilst materials scientists and students of ferrous metallurgy should also find it hugely informative.

“We want people designing the

next generation of products and applications to do so by making informed material choices and then hopefully they can leverage the huge versatility and power of cast irons.”

The family of cast irons offers a vast range of mechanical properties to the engineering designer, yet many are unaware of the full range of iron grades available to them and the opportunities they provide in terms of castability and applicability.

And of course, in most modern economies, cast irons are readily produced using recycled metal (using steel scrap or cast-iron parts at end of life) making them ideal for companies looking to reduce the carbon footprint of their supply chain.

Pam continued: “When most people say cast iron, more often than not they mean grey cast iron, which is a relatively low cost and easily castable material, but with excellent machineability and good vibration damping and heat transfer properties - this makes it highly versatile. However, to take this approach is ignoring the wider family of cast irons.

“They believe cast iron is a material that does not offer much in terms of strength and ductility - but to only consider grey cast irons is to ignore all the other types of cast iron that are available, many of which do offer ductility, wear resistance and corrosion resistance, as well as strength and castability.”

She went on to add: “In fact, the global tonnage of cast iron

components was around 74Mt in 2021 with parts for a huge range of applications, including machine tools, mining and agriculture, automotive, rail and freight transport. All of this demonstrates the huge range of current uses for the full family of cast irons.”

The ‘Cast Irons – Part 1: Materials and Properties for Design’ ISO Technical Report sits alongside an accompanying

technical report on the welding of cast irons (ISO/TR 108092:2011 Cast irons. Welding).

Many experts have contributed to the publication, including Richard Larker and Kathy Hayrynen, who led the ISO working group.

To purchase a copy of the technical report please contact the Cast Metals Federation. 8 Castmetalsfederation.com

Casting course in demand

The Institute of Cast Metals Engineers’ ‘Design for Casting’ technical course is in demand with companies wanting to understand more about casting as a route to manufacture.

The advantages of casting are clear – near-net-shape production (leading to a reduction in process steps) and design flexibility (particularly now that 3D printing of patterns and moulds enables a rapid turnaround of prototypes). The use of secondary raw materials (metal alloys) for metal casting means that the final component is readily recyclable too and can have a lower carbon footprint when compared with parts manufactured using other processes and materials.

But an understanding of design for casting and casting processes is needed to ensure that component designs are optimised for the process, reducing the need for design modifications down the line, whether the part is to be sand cast, die cast or

cast using the investment of lost wax process.

The feedback from ICME’s recent design for casting was very positive from all attendees; when ICME asked delegates if they would recommend this course to others, the response was an overwhelming ‘yes’.

The course covers a range of topics including an overview of casting processes, principles of casting design, some ‘dos’ and ‘don’ts’ of design for casting, an introduction to casting metallurgy and solidification as well as casting repair – so some common defects and methods of rectification.

Delivered by John Myers, who has a wealth of experience and knowledge from time served within the industry, the course can be delivered on site at a company’s premises or at ICME offices in the West Midlands, and can be tailored to the specific needs of the learners, who may have a good level depth knowledge about casting or may

need a ‘back to basics’ approach. A delegate commented: “This course has given me a good overview of things to consider in casting design and methods.”

Pam Murrell CEO of the Cast Metals Federation, whose company member benefits from the training said, “I am delighted to see such strong interest in this course. It’s great that people in the manufacturing supply chain can take advantage of casting to produce their parts, as the casting process is a key part of circular economy for metals. And of course making the parts in the UK means we avoid exporting this secondary metal, which is a key resource for the country, whilst also keeping local jobs and avoiding the carbon footprint associated with shipping. And hopefully some of them will go on to design and source other parts in the UK and our team is here to help with any casting sourcing enquiries.”

8 ICME.org.uk

ICME (Institute of Cast Metals Engineers) recently delivered its ‘Metallurgy for Nonmetallurgists’ course to 14 delegates. The course was presented by Clive Clemens Hon FICME who shared his many years of knowledge and experience within the castings and foundry industry.

During the two-day course, delegates learned about simple phase diagrams, solidification metallurgy, aluminium alloys standards & specifications as well as the metallurgy of steel, cast irons, copper and copper alloys. The course also included mechanical properties and testing methods, casting defects and their causes, heat treatment processes and surface treatments for castings as well as a basic intro to design for casting.

Delegates were full of praise for Clive and the course and comments included: “Well presented and highly educational training. I was pleased with the content and the quality of the programme.”

“Very knowledgeable of all foundry operations and the course will help me in the future in my role.”

“The course was very well presented, and the trainer was very knowledgeable with excellent subject knowledge.”

“Our team that attended the training course were of various knowledge, backgrounds and length of service within the business. We all agreed that what we learned will be invaluable to

Learning about metallurgy

all of us and has helped us on our thinking around process problems and how to better prepare our metals.”

Amy Worrallo, Training & End Point Assessment Manager for ICME said, “The positive feedback and level of interest in this course has shown there is a continued need for development within our industry. ICME is here to support the industry with

training programmes to enable the professional development and progression of individuals with their careers. We are starting to be able to offer a wide range of courses in response to demand from the industry, which is really encouraging and will help to ensure that those in our industry can continue to problem solve and grow their businesses.”

8 ICME.org.uk

A new rhino enclosure at Knowsley Safari has been protected for decades to come thanks to two firms involved in its major redevelopment.

CLM Services Ltd was asked by the park’s team to provide assistance with the design, fabrication, and installation of six new paddock fence lines, four keeper areas, a dedicated veterinary area, and a VIP area for the brand-new rhino enclosure.

One of only a few fabrication companies registered as a Member with the British & Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA), CLM Services called on its longstanding partner, Merseyside Galvanizing Ltd, (part of Wedge Group Galvanizing Ltd) to galvanize the steel and ensure the structures would be protected against corrosion and rust.

Eight white rhinos are now housed in the new enclosure, including a rare southern white rhino which was born shortly after work was completed.

“As a family-run business and member of BIAZA, we’ve worked on many zoological projects over the last 15 years,” explained Matt Hayes of CLM Services. “To be asked by the team at Knowsley Safari to develop a permanent new environment for its endangered white rhinos has been a real privilege, and we’re pleased to have been able to deliver a fit-for-purpose solution for each of their requirements.”

A fence line structure was part of the scope of works, consisting of over 50 tonnes of precast

Housing rare rhinos

concrete panels and 15 tonnes of galvanized steel, which allows staff to safely access the rhinos and undertake a range of vital animal welfare activities.

Six sliding gates, each weighing 500kg, were also installed along the fence line to allow keepers to transfer the rhinos safely from paddock to paddock, including a keeper porch designed to provide them with close access whilst remaining fully protected by a solid partition.

“One of the most innovative parts of the overall design was the vet area, which weighed

five tonnes and included two manual and fully adjustable sliding gates to safely contain rhinos, allowing staff to adapt the size of the area based on the individual rhino’s size and conduct hoof inspections and weigh-ins,” Matt added.

“It’s always beneficial to use galvanizing for an environment like this where steel is open to the elements, and often harsh weather conditions. It can also be washed down with ease and without worry of damaging the structure, helping keepers to maintain a clean habitat and ensure the continued welfare of animals. The team at Merseyside Galvanizing once again delivered on the brief and provided us – and the safari team – with the reassurance that the steel structures will last for decades to come.”

8 wedge-galv.co.uk

A new manufacturing cell, including an AgieCharmilles wire-cut EDM machine, will help HV Wooding target a £2m opportunity in electric vehicles.

The company offers busbar manufacture, wire erosion, laser cutting, CNC machining, metal stamping and assembly, with all work carried out to exacting quality standards governed by ISO9001:2015, ISO45001 and the environmental ISO14001 accreditations.

The company employs 98 people at its Range Road Industrial Estate facility in Hythe and has spent more than £250,000 on creating a dedicated manufacturing cell for producing bonded stators and rotors, as well as optimising its rapidly expanding busbar production capabilities.

The investment boost has seen it install new ovens and benches and the acquisition of the stateof-the-art AgieCharmilles Cut E 600 wire erosion machine. This will help the company deliver highly precise and accurate results in metal cutting and shaping, reducing turnaround times in the process and supporting orders to aerospace, automotive and the medical sectors.

Matt Lacey, Sales and Marketing Manager at HV Wooding, commented: “There’s so many opportunities for us in the EV market and this investment gives us the capacity to go after millions of pounds of new work.

“The unit refurbishment, coupled with the new AgieCharmilles wire EDM, will

Targeting £2m EV opportunity

boosting our capacity for manufacturing bonded stacks.”

He continued: “Sales are up about 20% over the last two years, so now is the perfect time to invest in our factory and make sure we position ourselves for the next five to ten years of growth.

allow us to support our global customer base with the production of prototype and small series production bonded stators and rotors with the best possible lead times.

“Having the additional wire erosion capabilities will also support the highly complex and intricate parts we are increasingly working on, not to mention

“There is significant interest in electrification as the automotive sector looks to get ahead of the game with the ban on combustion engines in new cars coming into play in 2030 and the energy sector continuing its growth.

“Our precision engineering capabilities are perfect for producing busbars, stators and rotors that will help power the vehicles of the future.”

8 hvwooding.co.uk

From design, sampling and technical support to manufacture, Simpson Springs & Pressings Ltd provide the complete service.

One of the UK’s leading automotive suppliers has joined forces with In-Comm Training to boost its learning and development offer and support employee retention.

Gestamp, which manufactures metal components for use in car body structures, has invested in a dedicated training centre at its plant in Four Ashes in Wolverhampton.

The six classrooms are being used to deliver Lean Manufacturing Apprenticeships for a minimum of 60 existing Team Members every year, as well as a host of other development activities designed to increase the skills base of its 650-strong workforce.

The Gestamp Training Centre (GTC) took twelve months to develop and houses two In-Comm Training experts, as well as Gestamp training specialists to oversee the Level 2 course that combines theory with significant practical training on the shopfloor.

Recruited from all production areas within the business, staff undertake a 10-week programme of training before completing an improvement project on the shopfloor and an endpoint assessment.

This project has been supported by the West Midlands Combined Authority, allowing Gestamp access to unspent levy funding by other organisations to use the apprenticeship model to develop existing staff and new recruits.

The longer-term vision for the facility is that it will grow its offering to employees in

Gestamp boosts training

more technical courses and qualifications.

“We’ve transitioned and recruited up to 650 staff to our new Four Ashes manufacturing facility and, now this is complete, the next step was to get the Training Centre up and running,” pointed out Philip Carr, Learning and Development Manager at Gestamp.

“In-Comm Training has been supporting us with apprenticeships and upskilling courses for more than a decade, so are the perfect partner to team up with to make this a reality. In the first few weeks of the centre being open we’ve delivered over 1000 hours of training!”

He continued: “Together, we’ve developed the dedicated learning space to support delivery of a Level 2 Lean Manufacturing Operative apprenticeship. 60 of our employees are on the first cohort and we want to do the same number every year for the

next four – meaning we’ll support nearly 250 people through this qualification alone. This is in addition to the 40 employees that are already enrolled on other Level 2 to 6 apprenticeships.

“In addition to boosting the skills within the business, we also want to give employees an incentive to stay with us. The current labour market is so competitive and ‘retention’ is just as big as recruitment for us.”

Bekki Phillips, Chief Operating Officer at In-Comm Training, added her support: “This is another fantastic example of how we are taking an employer-led approach to bridging the skills gap in industry.”

Gestamp has invested more than £50m in its Four Ashes facility, a state-of-the-art manufacturing plant which supplies hot and cold stampings to all of the major automotive brands.

8 gestamp.com

in-comm.co.uk

C&C Fabrications has invested in two new pieces of equipment that will help enhance its efficiency and provide higher quality products to its customers.

The investments include a Meyer manual and automatic geared head pillar drill and Siegmund welding table and clamping system.

With the addition of the pillar drill, C&C Fabrications can now provide a highly precise, faster, and safer environment when drilling holes. This machine is designed to drill holes in diverse types of materials, including

More efficient fabrication

steel, aluminium, and brass.

The Siegmund system, is billed as the world's strongest welding table. This solid steel welding table has a machined flat working surface that, when combined with a wide variety of clamps, allows for extremely precise and consigned welding of fabricated products.

C&C Fabrications Managing Director Chris Wallage said, "This investment will significantly help us improve the quality of our products, increase the efficiency

of our workforce and help support the growth of C&C Fabrications in the future.

“We have invested in the latest machinery to ensure that we can provide the highest quality products and services to our clients. Our end-to-end service includes consultation, design, and manufacturing, and we now have the capacity, skill, and technology to exceed the requirements from our customers.”

8 candcfabricationsltd.co.uk

Why use UK-based suppliers?

Onshoring is becoming increasingly popular as large businesses turn to UK-based suppliers to increase efficiency in the supply chain within a turbulent global climate. SMEs can also benefit from adopting this strategy as Jim Griffin, MD of automotive manufacturer Interflex explains.

Onshoring at Interflex

We began work on our own onshoring in 2021 while we were struggling with the impact of Covid restrictions. We examined data for our suppliers to evaluate standards around quality, delivery, performance and price. By identifying the worst performing suppliers, we found two key areas to focus on –moulded components and sound absorption materials.

We considered using new suppliers in the UK and

producing these goods ourselves. This led to significant investment in our facilities to produce compression moulded components and the sourcing of sound absorption materials with two UK suppliers. We also funded a new moulding cell which was delayed due to Covid but is now fully functioning.

As we progressed, the impact of the Ukraine war further amplified the business case for onshoring due to the resulting rising costs of materials, transport and energy.

Efficiency

In my 36 years in manufacturing, mainly in the automotive sector, I’ve witnessed firsthand the OEM reliance on global sourcing. Due to this, I’m committed to moving as much of our supply chain to the UK as possible, or at least as close as we can within Europe.

One of the biggest benefits of doing this is that the time from placing an order to receiving it is greatly reduced. This is because there is far less potential for the delays that are so familiar thanks to post-Brexit customs red tape, transport disruption such as blockages in the Suez Canal and a volatile global climate - including the war in Ukraine, widespread strike action and the recent global issue with semiconductors.

Agility

Using a UK-based supplier means you have more control over receiving a high-quality product, tailored to your needs - and often with a smaller minimum order quantity.

At Interflex, when we source a product from as nearby as Germany, we still need to order a 40ft trailer’s worth to make it viable, whereas we can have a

smaller delivery shipped along with another customer’s order from a UK supplier. Not only that, we’re looking at a lead time of 10 days in the UK as opposed to around six weeks from mainland Europe.

This shorter lead time allows us to operate a ‘just in time’ service, responsive to our customers’ requirements. Also, UK-based manufacturers are easy to contact and visit in person if required. Simply being in the same time zone and speaking the same language can make a big difference by eliminating issues such as one we had with goods being stuck in Italy because a public holiday meant there were no customs staff available.

Cost-effectiveness

Cost-effective sourcing is about considering savings that can be made on transport costs in the context of the recent hike in oil prices, and the cashflow benefits that come with smaller order quantities and shorter lead times. Also, by doing business on home soil, you’re not vulnerable to exchange rate shocks.

An individual widget may be cheaper in China, but by the time you factor in the unseen price of customs and transport delays and the risk of the product not meeting quality standards, it becomes clear it’s about the bigger picture.

Sustainability

By using a UK-based supplier, companies can vastly reduce

their carbon footprint and often source a greener product than is available elsewhere. As a manufacturer of sustainable materials, such as our new lightweight NVH material, Ocean, this is a key benefit.

A sustainable approach increasingly also makes good business sense. We’ve recently been contacted by a couple of first-tier suppliers who were specifically looking for a product that not only was recyclable but was created from recycled materials. As the automotive industry strives to meet increasingly stringent eco requirements, this kind of demand is only set to increase.

The economy

For many businesses, a totally homegrown model is simply not feasible. However, by using our own valuable resources to pay for components sourced here in the UK, we can contribute to the overall health of the UK economy by helping to safeguard jobs and contributing to creating new investment opportunities.

Peace of mind

When suppliers let you down, you disappoint your own customers. So, when you’re waiting for the arrival of a time-critical order without knowing if the goods cleared customs on time or a ship was rerouted, it can become extremely stressful. Bringing the process home reduces this stress by removing the potential for these unpredictable yet all too common issues.

Results

Moving sourcing from two European companies to UK suppliers did not give the cost saving we expected when we first made our calculations in 2021, but it did negate the increases that arose when the Ukraine war began. The compression moulding work is ongoing and will be completed this summer.

Having a moulding cell in our facility has enabled us to win new work, to date exceeding £1million in sales. By September we will have moved around £1million of purchases to the UK, representing around 22% of this year’s purchases.

Onshoring is not a quick fix, and you may be surprised by customer resistance to change. Also, it’s crucial to make sure you can afford the initial costs to benefit from the eventual savings involved. However, once we have stabilised our existing supplies we will begin work on another key commodity, as experience has proven onshoring is the right strategy for us.

8 interflex2000.co.uk

Metal composites company TISICS has unveiled a lightweight landing gear component for commercial aircraft that could help the industry deliver on its Net Zero ambitions.

Currently, aircraft are made of 50% metal components, but TISICS is creating an industrial evolution by offering a sustainable alternative. By replacing these metal components with TISICS's lightweight and high-strength metal composites, the aviation industry can pave the way for a future where every aircraft is lighter and more fuel-efficient.

Developed as part of a project backed by £2.5 million in Research and Development funding from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and Innovate UK, in collaboration with Safran Landing Systems, Light Land is the world's largest metal composite component for commercial aircraft. This novel part not only demonstrates improved fuel efficiency but also contributes to a significant reduction in carbon emissions through innovation.

TISICS is spearheading the transformation of metals to create a greener and brighter future. Its titanium and aluminium composites, manufactured in the UK, offer an exceptional weight reduction of 30-70% for high-performance systems, leveraging their strength, mass, corrosion resistance, and temperature properties. Surpassing the

Metal composites for JetZero

TISICS's mission. As the industry strives to achieve JetZero by 2050, the adoption of innovative zero-carbon solutions becomes increasingly crucial. TISICS's lightweight landing gear offers a compelling solution to reduce emissions and increase operational efficiency starting in 2028 and expanding across multiple aircraft systems, including ultra-efficient wings, engines and next-generation airframes.

strength and stiffness of titanium at a 40% lower density and outperforming high-strength steel, TISICS's composites double the specific stiffness of common engineering metals.

The adoption of Light Land is projected to save airlines £650k in fuel costs per year, per aircraft, making them 13% more costeffective compared to their titanium counterparts. Moreover, wide-body aircraft fleets utilising TISICS composites will contribute to a yearly CO2 emission reduction of 9.6 million tonnes. These remarkable statistics highlight the transformative impact of TISICS's technological advancements on the aviation industry's environmental sustainability and economic viability.

The demand for lightweight, efficient gear in the aerospace sector aligns perfectly with

According to the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) and PwC, the development of ultraefficient lightweight aerostructures represents a £9.8 billion market opportunity by 2041.

Stephen Kyle-Henney, CEO of TISICS, said: "We're hugely excited to showcase the potential of Light Land for the UK's aerospace industry. Offering high-value, fuel-efficient, zerocarbon, and commercially available aircraft components is a huge first step towards achieving JetZero. TISICS' future products will lead to increased competitiveness for UK aeromanufacturers, securing a firstmover advantage in high-value markets. This will create a domestic supply chain, reshoring previously imported products, and generating over 240 highly skilled jobs in the UK within the next five years."

8 tisics.co.uk/

Velocity Composites, which supplies composite material kits to aerospace and other high-performance manufacturers, has completed the successful manufacture of the first composite production kits from its new advanced manufacturing facility in Alabama, US.

The major development at the site supports the signing of a fiveyear Work Package Agreement in December last year with GKN Aerospace in the US, expected to be worth in excess of US$100 million in revenue over five years.

The milestone is the culmination of an intensive period of training, audits, and approvals, during which the site successfully achieved approval of the AS9100, Rev. D quality management system in November last year.

This was followed by several prime customer audits through December 2022 and early January 2023 and concluded in full customer audit approval and authority to proceed with First Article manufacture. This critical step is the ultimate verification by the customer that the site fit out and infrastructure, the trained processes and procedures, and the quality and transfer plans presented by Velocity exceed the required standard.

The detailed First Article plan that has been agreed with the customer can now be implemented, where one of every kit can be manufactured, delivered and verified prior to sustained volume production.

US milestone for Velocity

This will be on a programme-byprogramme basis leading to the phased transfer of all kits to Velocity supply, with the final programme scheduled to be completed within this financial year and the full rate of production starting either at or before the next financial year.

In the future, the site will become a launch hub for other customer contracts, and high-level business development activities are already underway with several potential large customers.

Jon Bridges, Chief Executive of Velocity Composites, said: "This is a major milestone for Velocity Composites as we expand into North America. The whole Velocity team, both in the US and UK, have worked incredibly hard to deliver a fully operational site,

a well-trained team, and a plan ready to start delivering flying products to our launch customer.

“The site can move forward into production ramp-up with continued support from the UK team and close collaboration with our customer to ensure a smooth transfer of the entire project.

“For myself and the Velocity team, the customer and industry approvals of this new showcase facility is further endorsement that our business model, processes and technology are world class in our industry, and our targeted business development activities are further enhanced by having a capable advanced manufacturing site in North America with significant capacity to grow."

8 velocity-composites.com

An engineering business started for little more than £60 in its founder’s garden shed in 1973 has grown into a multimillion-pound concern with world-leading clients supplying pioneering technology into global markets.

Founded in Cambridge, Shearline Precision Engineering is now based in Ely but the reach of its input is not only worldwide but extends to outer space!

The company’s parts can be found in world-leading inkjet products for Cambridge and other players, innovative medical devices and beauty advancements, F1 motor racing and globally renowned car marques, electric vehicles, electronics, defence, aerospace and nuclear markets.

Shearline subsidiary SXL is currently quoting a multi-millionpound package of work for the defence industry – many parts for which will be manufactured from magnesium.

One of its ventures is already out of this world. Two freshly engineered Raspberry Pi computers launched for the International Space Station boasted Shearline-made super corrosion resistant cases.

Shooting for the stars wasn’t foremost in founder David Littlechild’s thoughts when he borrowed £60 from his dad and scraped together some savings to launch the fledgling business from the summerhouse at the bottom of his parents’ garden in Cambridge.

Dyslexic and with no

50th anniversary for ‘£60 startup’

qualifications from leaving school, David had learned the trade by working at Cambridge University Engineering Labs. With no prospect of a degree that would have landed a key job at the Department he decided to go it alone.

Brother John had introduced him to a glass blowing company called TW Wingents and he started making gas jets for their blow torches on a small lathe in the summerhouse. That work blossomed and in the meantime John and David launched a flash lamp manufacturing business at Cambridge Science Park –Noblelight.

David sold his stake and decided to strike out on his own. Shearline steadily picked up work from globally successful companies and shifted through the gears in terms

of premises before building its own facility in Ely.

The biggest growth factor was a contract with instrumentation giant LKB Biochrom which has remained a customer for more than 45 years. Another catalyst for expansion was the development of the inkjet sector, principally through Domino, Linx and Willett (now Videojet) – all of whom are customers today.

Shearline has consistently invested in state-of-the-art machinery which boosted capability and meant Shearline could handle increasingly large and complex jobs.

David says: “The investment in new machines and the latest technology has been a priority for Shearline and has allowed us to maintain efficiency and quality –both crucially important in global

markets. The investment has included one of the largest 5th axis machining centres operating in a subcon environment.”

Shearline continues to expand into new markets. For example, the company has AS9100 accreditation to supply parts for the aerospace and defence industries. Newer markets include robotics, wind turbines, EV technology, medical and electron microscopes.

In 2007 it bought the company HLT allowing Shearline to machine, scribe and cut ceramics materials. In 2010 it then bought the assets of a motor sports company, now known as Shear XL.

Its work includes racing car engines and transmissions and hypercar components. Shearline is also now working closely with a defence customer in the United States machining magnesium components for drones.

David says: “For example, that US company approached us as they were struggling to find a suitable manufacturer that could machine magnesium, due to its flammable properties.”

Shearline is also working closely with an exciting new customer in the development and

manufacture of fast charging battery systems, collaborating with a food and drink industry client on an environmentally friendly system with the potential to take off in big volumes.

HLT is partnering with a global manufacturer in the electronics industry and running trials with a view to start manufacturing in production volumes at the start of next year.

Demonstrating its versatility, Shearline is working on a prototype fabricated aesthetic beauty device for a household name company.

There’s no gain without pain though and David – who these days acts in a consultancy capacity – and managing director Jon Littlechild say one of the biggest challenges has been finding suitably skilled staff.

Spurred by government failure to consistently woo enough apprentices into manufacturing industries, Shearline chose to develop its own apprenticeship scheme. This provides high quality apprentices following a four-year programme.

Similarly, being aware of the gender disparity in the engineering sector and how

important it is to make sure women are fully represented, Shearline always ensures that women form a key element of the annual apprentice intake. Two of the current apprentice cohort are women.

In terms of the workforce overall, almost a third of the company’s entire staff are women, several of them talented engineers, while a good number are managers right up to the Finance Director role.

Ever mindful of the macroeconomic situation, Shearline senses a further opportunity for growth, as David Littlechild explains: “One of the reasons I believe the future for Shearline is so good is that the recent supply chain problems with China has forced companies to consider reshoring their manufacturing operations.

“Challenges for the future include fluctuating energy prices, which in turn influence many other commodities that Shearline purchases such as materials.

“To partially mitigate this, we have installed over half a megawatt of solar panels which will account for around 25% of our energy usage.

“Shearline has for many years invested in green manufacturing long before environmental consideration was at the forefront of peoples’ minds –recycling materials, installing a combined heat and power unit as well as coolant management systems that reduce oily waste by as much as 75%.”

8 shearline.co.uk

UK Metals Expo brings together the entire metals supply chain with the manufacturing and engineering sectors for a two-day event on 13 and 14 September 2023 at the NEC Birmingham.

From primary metal manufacture to supply chain management, processing metals, metal fabrication, machinery, engineering, surface coatings and recycling, the event is dedicated to highlighting the latest trends, advancements, and innovations across all industry sectors including automotive, aerospace & defence, oil & gas, transport and medical equipment.

UK Metals Expo is a free-toattend exhibition and conference that will offer a wide range of innovative products, services, and interactive sessions led by top experts such as JCB, Boeing, Spirit AeroSystems, Rolls-Royce, Ford Motor Company, Network Rail, Spitir, The Royal Mint, RWE, Algeco, OCEA Shipbuilding, Ricardo, Bryden Wood, ADS Group, Spirit AeroSystems, Tata Steel, Make UK, Outokumpu, Hydro, ThyssenKrupp, CRU and many more.

With an expanded exhibition space that has doubled in size, featuring over 200 supply chain exhibitors, it is a unique opportunity for attendees to network, forge collaborations, explore emerging trends, and discover new growth opportunities across all key sectors.

The conference program, with other 60 sessions and 100+ leading practitioners spread

Don’t Miss UK Metals Expo

across 4 stages, provides attendees with valuable insights into the current state of the metal industry and the emerging technologies and strategies that are shaping its future.

Day 1 of the expo, on 13 September, will commence with an Opening Keynote by Stephen Kinnock, the Labour MP for Aberavon. He will discuss the critical role of steel as a foundation industry for a modern manufacturing renaissance.

Following this, a thoughtprovoking panel discussion on the importance of a robust industrial strategy for the UK will take place, featuring distinguished panellists such as Gareth Stace (UK Steel), Neil Hodgson (Department for Business & Trade), and Tom Jones (The Aluminium Federation). These experts will share insights into economic growth, innovation, and long-term sustainability.

Other engaging sessions on

Day 1 include "Circular Economy - The Practical Aspects" with Alison Jones (Stellantis), which explores the implications and opportunities for manufacturers, suppliers, and customers. The discussion on "Decarbonisation of the UK Steel Industry" will feature industry leaders Ben Burggraaf (Net Zero Industry Wales), John Barrett (University of Leeds), Peter Quinn (Tata Steel Europe), and Russ Hall (HMVC), who will delve into strategies to achieve Net Zero emissions.

Day 2, on 14 September, will carry forward the momentum with sessions focused on supporting the growth of the offshore wind sector, unlocking the economic viability of recycled metals in manufacturing, improving training and skills, advancing metallurgy for sustainable manufacturing, and exploring the future of steel construction.

8 ukmetalsexpo.com

ALFED, the Aluminium Federation, is set to attend this year’s UK Metals Expo at the NEC, Birmingham on Stand E26.

Throughout the two days, ALFED will take part in four panel discussions covering a variety of topics, including industrial strategy, the power of aluminium and innovation. The team will also host a member networking session, ‘Meet the Aluminium Industry’ in the ‘Innovation Theatre’ on 13 September (4pm).

On day one of the event (13 September), Tom Jones, ALFED’s CEO, will join a panel on ‘Why a UK industrial strategy matters and how we get there’, discussing the existing strategy and the needs and challenges faced by the metals industry. The team will also moderate an afternoon panel on ‘Unleashing the power of aluminium: exploring innovation in aluminium applications’ will explore primary and secondary aluminium production using realworld case studies to demonstrate the innovative and transformative uses of aluminium.

Day two (14 September) will see ALFED moderate two further panels, including ‘Unlocking the Economic Viability of Recycled Aluminium in Manufacturing’ in the net-zero theatre (1pm) exploring the ongoing race between reusing and recycling and ‘Advances in Aluminium

Metal Forming: Pushing the Boundaries of Innovation’ (2pm) delving into the latest advancements in metal forming techniques and technologies.

ALFED CEO Tom Jones said:

ALFED at UK Metals Expo

“The UK Metals Expo provides a unique platform to engage with key figures from across the entire metal supply chain with the engineering and manufacturing sector. We’re looking forward to

stimulating debate between some of the sector’s most prominent figures about the future of the metal industry and aluminium value chain. “

8 alfed.org.uk

DIRECTORY | Engineering Capacity

JFL Broaches and Broaching

JFL are broach and broaching specialists with many years personal experience. We offer a comprehensive broaching service covering keyways, squares, hexagons and special forms.

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SUB-CNC Precision is a leading UK manufacturer specialising in CNC machining of Turned parts

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Qualiturn are a very modern subcontract machining service. We offer CNC precision Turned and Milled components to your specifications and quantities. We work with all sizes of customers, offering the same service to all. Supplying various market sectors across the world. CNC

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CNC mill-turn facility using Star sliding head lathes with bar capacity up to 32mm diameter. Miyano and Doosan fixed head lathes with bar capacity up to 65mm. Hurco vertical machining centre.

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Kirkham Engineering Co Ltd

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DAWSON PRECISION COMPONENTS

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SPRING MAKING 8

Simpson Springs & Pressings Ltd

Precision manufacturers of a wide range of compression tension and torsion springs. Also circlips, wireforms, contacts, antennas and light pressings. Quality approved to BS EN ISO 9001:2000.

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Unit 1, Latimer Road Industrial Est, Latimer Road, Wokingham, Berkshire RG41 2YD Tel: 0118 978 6573 www.simpsonsprings.co.uk