FOR MANUFACTURERS ABOUT SUBCONTRACTORS
June 2020
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FOR BUYERS OF CONTRACT MANUFACTURING SERVICES Visit our online edition for breaking news, jobs, events, features and searchable directory. www.engineeringcapacity.com Editor: Andy Sandford editor@engineeringcapacity.com Sales Manager: Arfan Qureshi sales@engineeringcapacity.com Tel: 0207 241 4627 Graphic Design: Dave Blake blakey@djbdesign.co.uk Printer: Holbrooks Printers Limited Norway Road, Portsmouth PO3 5HX Engineering Capacity is published six times a year in January, March, May, July, September and November SUBSCRIPTIONS Engineering Capacity is available free of charge to UK buyers and suppliers of subcontract manufacturing services. For non-qualifying readers, annual subscription rates are as follows for 6 issues posted to addresses in: UK £60.00; Europe £80; Rest of the World £100 You can request your copy and sign up to our free weekly email newsletter on our website or contact us via subscriptions@engineeringcapacity.com www.engineeringcapacity.com Tel: O1737 270 648 Published by: Engineering Capacity Ltd Abbey House, 25 Clarendon Road Redhill, Surrey, RH1 1QZ United Kingdom Registered in England company no. 10567217 ISSN 0306-0179 COMING UP IN OUR JULY 2020 ISSUE Casting & Forging, Oil & Gas, Forming & Fabrication, Turned Parts, Aerospace & Defence, Composites Please send editorial for consideration to editor@engineeringcapacity.com There is no charge or cost involved with having your editorial included in the magazine or on our website
Editor’s View Welcome to our special June digital edition of Engineering Capacity. As you probably know, we usually publish every other month, but sponsorship by SteelScout has allowed us to produce an extra issue for you. This has given us the chance to take a wider look at some of the issues facing our manufacturing industries, and some of the approaches that we will need to take in the future to ensure our industrial resilience. The two key issues we have highlighted are digitalisation and supply chains. Digitalisation, which covers a wide range of topics from AI to automation, the Internet of Things and Industry 4.0, is the key to ensuring lean and robust manufacturing processes. The added stress that has been put on our systems by the Covid-19 pandemic has served to highlight the importance of adopting these new technologies. Our feature article from Made Smarter shows just how SME’s have been able to adopt digitalised technologies to address the current crisis. What has been crystal clear, right from the early stages of the Covid-19 outbreak, is that long and complex international supply chains are far more vulnerable than we ever suspected. The benefits of reshoring – in terms of responsiveness, building a strong sector environment and in mitigating carbon footprint – have long been known in theory. Now is the time to see those benefits in practice and accelerate the drive towards shorter, more local and more robust supply chains. Supply chain resilience will be a big priority for all organisations over the coming years, and this is where digitalisation and supply chains come together. As Richard Seel of delaware stresses in his article on page 16, supply chains will need to become digitally connected. He says: “Manufacturers will look to extend this all along the chain across multiple suppliers and customers to best position their operations for future success in the post-pandemic world.” Andy Sandford, Editor
Member of the Engineering Industries Association
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Contents June 2020
16 SUPPLY CHAIN
News
Features
06 Surface coating success rewarded 06 Queen's Award for Hardide
11 Digitalisation 06 Smarter responses to Covid-19 14 Supply Chain 06 Why bring work back to the UK?
06 Subcon to run alongside MACH 06 Subcontracting show moves to January
End-to-end understanding Reshoring benefits in focus
11 DIGITALISATION
07 26-tonne bridge fabricated 06 ECS delivers turnkey project
19 Moulding 06 What's a masterbatch 21 Machined Components 06 Pulling together on Covid-19
for distribution centre
Delivering ventilator volume
08 Pledge to support skills 06 In-Comm acts to protect apprenticeships
09 Protolabs 3d print expansion 06 ÂŁ10.5m investment in digital maufacturing
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25 MACHINED COMPONENTS JUNE 2020
SPONSORED FEATURE
The Coronavirus crisis has fundamentally changed the way that we work and will continue to have a huge impact for the foreseeable future. One of the key learnings has been the positive impact that digital tools and platforms have had on supply chain operations during this crisis. According to Industry Week, Digitalisation has become a major source of competitive advantage as supply chains decouple and manufacturers look for ways to quickly ensure continuity and introduce flexibility. In an environment of remote or split team working, digital platforms have kept scattered workforces connected and productive by enabling them to access and share information from any device or location. From online communication tools like Zoom and Slack to quoting platforms like SteelScout, digital platforms have enabled teams to run efficiently with little downtime. Safeguarding Your Metal Supplies For businesses where sourcing metal is an essential part of the production process, ensuring continuity of supply is vital in times of rapid change. SteelScout’s digital service can help to safeguard metal supplies and make procurement more efficient and cost effective for companies as they transition their teams back to the workplace. As businesses begin to reopen, there will be broad variations in the timescales for returning to productivity while JUNE 2020
How digital suppliers can help manufacturers navigate the ‘new normal’
some suppliers will remain closed. This will lead to regional variations in supply leading to further uncertainty for manufacturers. SteelScout’s UK-wide supplier network can help buyers ensure continuity of supply by being able to rapidly switch suppliers and ensure that they can still access the materials they need at the best value. And by working with one online metal supplier, buyers can save their procurement teams the hassle of setting up multiple accounts with new suppliers and benefit from one credit account with access to over 90 suppliers across the UK. As a digital platform, SteelScout enables your procurement process to be up and running immediately and from any location and device. Your team will be able to source quotes, agree and manage their orders 24/7 without the need of any additional IT or software, meaning your team can manage
their metal supplies from the office, workshop or on the go. And being an online service means that buyers can store all of their order and test documentation in one secure account reducing the need for multiple document storage. Manufacturing’s New Normal After COVID-19 There’s no doubt that digitalisation has already played a significant part in maintaining productivity, and in the ‘new normal’, companies will need to assess how to continue to harness digital technologies to remain agile and drive output. There are a number of digital platforms to support manufacturers during this time and for those businesses that require metal for their production process, SteelScout can help safeguard metal supplies and deliver efficiency and value in the process. 8 www.SteelScout.com www.engineeringcapacity.com
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INDUSTRY NEWS | Engineering Capacity Advanced surface coating technology company, Hardide plc, has been awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise: International Trade 2020. The Oxfordshire-based company wins the Queen’s Award for International Trade for Outstanding Short-Term Growth in overseas sales, which increased by 152% over the three years to 30 September 2018. The company continued this into the year ended 30 September 2019, securing record overall revenues of which 67% were international. Now in its 54th year, the Queen’s Awards for Enterprise are the most prestigious business awards in the country for British businesses who excel at international trade, innovation or sustainable development. Hardide plc develops, manufactures and applies
Subcon to run alongside MACH Subcon has now been postponed until January 26 -28, 2021 and will run alongside MACH 2021 at the NEC, Birmingham. MA Exhibitions Limited, which owns and runs Subcon, The Engineer Expo and The Manufacturing Management Show, have taken the decision to reschedule the
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Export success rewarded
nanostructured wear, corrosion and erosion resistant coatings to a wide range of high wear/high value engineering components. The company’s main overseas market is North America, where the it coats parts used in severe service applications in the aerospace, oil & gas, and pump and valve industries.
Customers include leading blue-chip companies in aerospace such as Airbus, BAE Systems, Leonardo Helicopters and Lockheed Martin, as well as in oil & gas exploration and production, valve and pump manufacturing, and precision engineering. 8 hardide.com
event from September 28 -30 to January 26 -28, 2021. The shows will now run in Halls 7 & 8 at the NEC Birmingham, running alongside MACH 2021 as well as Air Tech, Fluid Power & Systems, Drives & Controls, Plant & Asset Management and Smart Industry Expo. MA Exhibitions said: “As organisers, our absolute priority remains the health, safety and wellbeing of all of our exhibitors,
visitors and staff. It is our view that the new January dates will enable us to deliver the best possible event experience for everyone involved.” Subcon will once again be co-located with The Engineer Expo and new for 2021, they will also be joined by the Manufacturing Management Show. All visitors will benefit from free access to all three events. 8 subconshow.co.uk
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Engineering Capacity | INDUSTRY NEWS A new 26-tonne steel bridge has been constructed and installed by ECS Engineering Services at a supermarket distribution centre in North London. The bridge spans a pond for the convenience of cyclists and pedestrians. ECS' fabrications department located at Sutton-in-Ashfield combines design offices and production facilities. Bridges are an area of expertise for the business, with both steel and composite fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) structures available. As a leading provider of engineered solutions to the water and infrastructure sectors – ECS has carried out turnkey bridge building projects across the country. Consequently, when it came to specify a bridge for the distribution centre site, the main contractors approached ECS to deliver. Clark Williamson, Contracts Director at ECS, recalls the project: "We were asked to carry out the design, fabrication and delivery of the bridge. At our offices, we drew up a bridge that measured eight metres long and four metres wide to span the pond. We offered the contractor the choice of either steel or FRP as a construction material, and the former was selected." As the bridge was not intended
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26-tonne bridge fabricated
We offered the contractor the choice of either steel or FRP as a construction material, and the former was selected
‘‘
to serve road vehicles, steel fabrication was required to be carried out to CE Marking Execution Class 2 (EXC2) as part of BS EN 1090-2. ECS is accredited to carry out steel fabrication work up to the highest consequence class of EXC4, which encompasses the most demanding steel structures. This certification ensured the project was well within ECS' capability. With the design complete, ECS set to work fabricating the steel bridge. A large in-house
fabrication capacity meant that the entire bridge could be easily accommodated, allowing work to be carried out smoothly and efficiently. An important area was the deck of the bridge, where a slight camber was incorporated to provide increased structural strength. Bolt-on handrails and an anti-slip surface were also added once the bulk of fabrication was complete. ECS also managed delivery of the bridge to site, which required a heavy truck and an escort vehicle due to its size. Now installed at the distribution centre within an area of natural beauty, the bridge is providing easy, scenic access for visitors to the site. 8 ecsengineeringservices.com
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INDUSTRY NEWS | Engineering Capacity One of the UK’s leading training providers has launched a new campaign to ensure apprenticeships are protected as manufacturers seek to find ways of coping with the Covid-19 pandemic. In-Comm Training, which operates three academies at Aldridge, Bridgnorth and Shropshire, is asking firms in the West Midlands to sign-up to its ‘Skills Pledge’, which will see them commit to supporting apprentices, raising the profile of vocational learning and ‘upskilling’ their workforces. ‘Powering the Engine’ will last for over a year and will ensure industry does not sacrifice the investment and time it has channelled into developing the talent they are going to desperately need to help reignite the economy now that lockdown is starting to ease. Eight companies have already taken one of the pledges, including Brandauer, CHH Conex, Glassworks Hounsell, Gotronic, Holbourne Industrial Plastics, Kiyokuni Europe, MET Recruitment and Valen Fittings. Bekki Phillips, Managing Director of In-Comm Training, explained: “The impact of Covid-19 has turned the economy upside down and many firms are trying to work out how they navigate their
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Pledge to support skills
way through the crisis, making a lot of tough decisions in the process. “We had noticed that a few firms were starting to let their apprentices go due to cost-cutting and wanted to address this before it becomes a major issue for young people and for an economy that is staring at a major talent drain.” She continued: “There has been too much progress made in bridging the skills gap for us to just sit back and watch this happen, so we’ve decided to do something about it by launching the In-Comm Training Skills Pledge. “Companies can sign-up for one, two or all three of the options and in return we offer a range of tangible incentives and
our own commitment to lobby Government on their behalf, so that we can secure as much assistance as possible to support skills development in these difficult times.” The three pledges include: Apprenticeship Ambassadors the company and an apprentice will give up one hour of their time to participate in promoting the benefits of apprenticeships; Skills Support for the Workforce - a commitment to put some of its staff through upskilling courses over the next 12 months; and Apprenticeship Recruitment – to recruit one or more apprentices every year. 8 in-comm.co.uk/skills-pledge
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Engineering Capacity | INDUSTRY NEWS Digital manufacturer Protolabs has started work on a £10.5m investment that will increase its 3D printing capability by 50% to meet the growing demand for this technology. The company, which specialises in custom prototypes and low-volume production parts, is building a new 5000 square metre production facility in Putzbrunn in Germany that will give customers even greater access to the firm’s automated manufacturing processes and quality systems. Despite the current Covid-19 pandemic impacting economies across Europe, construction of the new building has started, with the initial shell scheduled to be completed by the end of December this year and the fit-out and machinery due to be installed in several stages beginning in May 2021. Up to 25 further machines and state-of-the-art equipment will be added to the existing technology, whilst a CNC machining centre with a 5-axis milling machine - will be installed to support the finishing of 3D printed parts for high-end applications. Automated finishing, colouring and painting systems will also be part of the expansion, along with additional 3D printing technologies in the future. This is the latest investment by Protolabs follows the £5m
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Protolabs 3d print expansion
extension currently being finalised at its European Headquarters in Telford. "We are the world’s fastest digital manufacturer, but a major goal for us is to produce 3D printed parts even faster. When a finished design enters our online ordering platform it goes through a short feasibility check by our expert design team and then on to be printed. The new facility will give us the capacity to speed this process up even more to real time,” explained Bjoern Klaas, Vice President and Managing Director of Protolabs Europe. “We will be able to move all departments from the current building in Feldkirchen near Munich to Putzbrunn and,
importantly, with the larger production area and 50% more capacity, we’ll be able to deliver even more projects in as little as one day. “With optimised work processes and additional employees, the new location will support our activity in the UK, especially our ability to produce certified medical devices under ISO 13485.” Operating from manufacturing facilities across three continents, Protolabs helps customers to accelerate product development, reduce costs and optimise supply chains with technology-enabled 3D printing, CNC machining and injection moulding. 8 protolabs.co.uk
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INDUSTRY NEWS | Engineering Capacity Photo-chemical etching specialist Precision Micro has seen a six-fold increase in essential sensors and valve parts for ventilators. The business, which is able to turn around pieces in very short timescales including set up and production, is now producing tens of thousands of ventilator components – a process which sees its specialist photo chemical etching equipment producing precisely engineered parts for ventilator manufacturers across Europe who are supporting the fight against COVID-19. Mick Taylor, Commercial Director at Precision Micro, said: “Since the international response to the outbreak of Coronavirus escalated and health services have needed to quickly increase their capacity of vital medical equipment, we have seen a number of our manufacturing customers turning Edwards Engineering has designed, built and installed a bespoke £1m grain drying facility for a long-term customer in Fife. The project, delivered on time and on budget, saw Perth-based Edwards Engineering take on the challenge of designing, procuring and installing a fully bespoke unit, tailormade to suit the available space at the farm storage facility.
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Six-fold increase in demand
their facilities over to the production of ventilators. As part of that supply chain, we too have needed to demonstrate we can create essential components quickly and reliably, meeting that surge in demand. “We’re proud to be playing our part in this global effort and have
realigned part of our production to accommodate critical medical parts which require a high level of expert precision engineering. As a key part of these critical supply chains we want other manufacturers to know we’re here to help if and where we can.” 8 precisionmicro.com
Grain plant makes the grade The 18-month project has resulted in a plant which dries and processes crops with significantly improved efficiency and to a higher specification. Edwards worked with BDC Systems Ltd to design and install a SVEGMA continuous flow 50tph Grain Dryer, Skandia conveyors and elevators, a JKF
dust filtration system along with the grain pre-cleaner and cleaner from Cimbria. Agricultural Manager Sandy Knight said: “Our client is now able to offer the highest quality of grain, whilst adhering to the most stringent health and safety standards.” 8 edwardsengineering.co.uk
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Engineering Capacity | DIGITALISATION
Smarter responses to Covid-19 Made Smarter SMEs in the North West are using robotics, automation and 3D printing to cope with staff shortages and meet increased demand. SME manufacturers supported by Made Smarter are using emerging technologies to navigate the impact on business from the coronavirus pandemic. Businesses signed up to the North West pilot to support the Industry 4.0 revolution have adapted in a variety of ways, including switching production to make medical scrubs, ventilator parts and PPE to help the front-line fight against the disease. Others have harnessed new capabilities to ramp up production to meet increasing demand and continue operating while staff self-isolate to prevent the spread of COVID-19. While Made Smarter shut its offices to do its bit to combat COVID-19, its team of expert business and technology advisers continued to offer support and advice virtually. Alain Dilworth, Made Smarter Programme Manager, said: “The COVID-19 outbreak has widespread repercussions for the economy, which will have most
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Tibard staff producing medical scrubs for the NHS
likely led to uncertainty in terms of the way businesses operate. “It has been impressive how manufacturers have reacted and adapted to the different circumstances they find their businesses facing. “Made Smarter has been able to continue offering help and advice over Skype and telephone. “Our advice is fully funded, meaning you can understand the digital tools available to help boost processes and grow your enterprise without the financial barrier. On top of this, you can apply for up to 50% match-funding for technology implementation and access a digital technology intern
to support you with the research, development and implementation of emerging technologies.” Technology being put to good use Fabricon Design uses advanced manufacturing methods to produce innovative plastics, aluminium and steel component designs for a range of sectors. It has responded to the UK’s need for vital equipment by making headbands for facial masks used by NHS staff and designed and manufactured a respiratory port for a hospital’s CPAP machine. The business, based in Ashton-Under-Lyne, Greater Manchester, is using a new 3D
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DIGITALISATION | Engineering Capacity printer, adopted using Made Smarter support, which made the switch between materials quicker. Mark Bushdyhan, Director of Fabricon Design, said: “We wanted to use our internal expertise and technology to help with the call for vital equipment. We already utilise 3D printers within our operations. They are incredibly effective at prototyping designs quickly. It’s fantastic that we have been able to utilise them to print headbands which will support the protection of NHS staff. We are also looking at other options such as using our injection moulding machines which can produce over 7,000 of these components a week.” Textiles manufacturer Tibard, based in Dukinfield, Greater Manchester, was forced to close its operations producing work wear and uniforms but reopened to start making PPE equipment and scrubs for hospitals. With help from Made Smarter the business replaced its twodecade-old CAM cutting machine with a modern IoT-connected machine. It now has access to advanced features which minimise downtime and guarantee predictive maintenance which helps meet demand. Ian Mitchell, Managing Director of Tibard, said: “Given the current impact on our customers, we have
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Mark Bushdyhan, Director of Fabricon Design, with staff at Tameside Hospital
changed our production to focus on responding to the vital needs of the NHS and carers for protective clothing during these difficult times. It is rewarding to see our business responding to help to support our medical professionals and key workers whilst they are working tirelessly to support people across the UK.” Beverston Engineering specialise in prototyping and the manufacture of engineering components for aviation, aerospace, oil, gas and pharmaceuticals industries. Alain Dilworth, programme manager for Made Smarter
As a supplier to Rolls-Royce, part of VentilatorChallengeUK, a consortium of 14 firms including Airbus, Ford and Siemens, Beverston has been making parts for the ventilators for the NHS. The SME, based in Knowsley, Liverpool City Region, has been working with Made Smarter to create a solid productivity infrastructure and lay down the foundations for the smart factory connectivity that is capable to rapidly scale up in the future. Rod Wah, Managing Director of Beverston Engineering, said: “We have needed to be agile to enable us to respond to the UK’s vital needs. Our employees have worked hard machining parts that they have never made before, very quickly.” Storth, a manufacturer of agricultural machinery for slurry management, worked with Made Smarter to introduce a robotic welding system into its production line to reduce delivery times and maintain quality. The technology also allowed the Lancashirebased business to continue operating when welding staff were self-isolating. Julian Lopez, Export Manager at Storth said: “Our adoption of a robot welder, through support from Made Smarter has been a success from day one. We were experiencing bottlenecks within
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Engineering Capacity | DIGITALISATION our welding process which was causing delays in schedules. The robot has helped us overcome the delays but also helped us to continue operations at a time when some of our welders have been self-isolating, which has caused staff shortages.” Some SMEs are using new technologies to continue manufacturing operations remotely. Alphabond Technologies Ltd, an adhesives manufacturer based in Northwich, Cheshire, has achieved continuity after Made Smarter supported the business to adopt a new ERP system which enables it to connect systems for increased data visibility and automated reporting, resulting in a boost to its efficiency and allowing for real-time decision-making. Dylan Shaw, Managing Director of Alphabond Technologies Ltd, said: “Not only has the new technology reduced manual and duplicative processes, it has also increased our response rates to customers. An added benefit we have seen through these challenging times is our ability to adapt and work remotely. Remote working wouldn’t have been possible otherwise.” Despite temporary closure or reduced operations due to lockdown other Made Smarter businesses are using the time to
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Andrea Hough, MD of ATEC Engineering Solutions
plan for the future. DA Techs, an alloy wheel refurbishment specialist based in Chorley, Lancashire, used support and advice from Made Smarter to invest in digital technologies which proved key in it winning a three-year contract and scaling growth plans. It has now secured support for the second phase of its digital strategy. Jamie Baxter, Director of DA Techs, said: “During this time, we are building on the technology adoption we have already introduced into the business. The next phase will enhance the systems architecture to enable data-driven decisions and forecast future demand. Now more than ever I think investment in smart working and greater efficiency is going to be vital, and we are delighted to be working once again with Made Smarter.”
While many industries have been forced to pause their activity to play their part in helping the country defeat coronavirus, the government has acknowledged that it is important manufacturers maintain their operations to keep supply chains moving. ATEC Engineering Solutions, a Salford-based business which designs, manufactures and repairs complex electronic and electromechanical equipment, is still running its production as a vital part of the defence supply chain. Andrea Hough, Managing Director of ATEC and member of the Made Smarter National Commission and North West Pilot steering group, said: “I am so proud of my team at ATEC. They have responded to the current climate with dedication, energy and compassion. In addition to maintaining the smooth running of our existing operations, the team have adopted remote-working tools such as Zoom to enable social distancing. We have also utilised our 3D printers to produce protective visors for local care homes and care home trusts.” Made Smarter has also produced an essential guide about how a manufacturing SME can try and maintain continuity and future-proof the business. The PDF can be downloaded from here. 8 madesmarter.uk
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SUPPLY CHAIN | Engineering Capacity
Why bring work back to the UK? Even before Covid-19 highlighted the fragility of extended global supply chains, a trend toward reshoring of critical component and part manufacture was well under way. Precision engineering specialist Dawson Shanahan, a long-time proponent of UK-based manufacturing, spells out the growing advantages of this approach and addresses its challenges. “The pandemic’s sudden closure of production centres in China and other Far-Eastern locations sowed chaos amongst western manufacturers,” says Jeff Kiernan, Dawson Shanahan’s Commercial Director. “For many in the UK, however, uncertainties related to Brexit had already turned thoughts toward moving their manufacturing plants back home and sourcing from local rather than overseas suppliers.” He continues: “It’s also a popular idea with the public. In a recent survey by manufacturers’ organisation Make UK, 70% of adults responding said Britain should aim to be a top-five manufacturing nation.” Dawson Shanahan is in the business of designing, prototyping and engineering customer-specified components
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and assemblies for sectors ranging from automotive and motorsports to aviation, power distribution, electronics and medical. Always UK based, the company believes strongly in the innovation, productivity and skills of Britain’s manufacturers. It points out that the quality of British-made goods is recognised globally and that UK manufacturing has a strong base on which to build. One of the world’s top ten industrial nations, Britain should break into the top five by 2021 if current growth trends continue. Britain’s manufacturing sector, directly employing about 2.7 million workers, accounts for around 70% of the country’s business R&D and nearly half of its exports.
Reshoring advantages Today there is less incentive for offshoring to countries like China, as the differences in labour costs are narrowing. Meanwhile, there are local and national Government tax incentives to encourage reshoring. Dawson Shanahan summarises the positives of reshoring as follows: • Less supply chain risk. Local supply chains offer simpler logistics and greater agility, so gaps resulting from any sudden change can be quickly filled. • Shorter delivery times. Customer orders are fulfilled more quickly, while rapid transmission of prototypes and parts for testing reduces time to market for new products. • Lower minimum order quantities. With local suppliers, small orders become practical and less cash is tied up in stock. • Higher quality. This key UK strength is often the prime motive for reshoring. Far-Eastern suppliers may be capable of delivering the required quality, but assessing their facilities, processes and products, and correcting any problems, is difficult at such a distance. • Closer communication. As above, long distances are an
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Engineering Capacity | SUPPLY CHAIN obstacle to effective co-operation and problem resolution. • Reduced transport costs. The rising expense of shipping and importing is compounded by distance. Air freight, for small orders and prototypes, is especially costly. • Smaller carbon footprint. Fewer transport miles mean less fuel consumption and greater environmental sustainability. Reshoring challenges and solutions Set against these benefits and savings are the disruptions and costs involved in restructuring a business for reshoring. Make UK particularly highlights the following challenges: disrupted production; extra load on managers; finding suitable local suppliers; potentially higher energy prices; and meeting planning regulations. Les Reeves, Joint Managing Director at Dawson Shanahan, adds: “If reshored businesses are to be competitive on price, they need to increase efficiency and lower production costs by innovating and investing in new production systems and technology. This includes gearing up for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). Recruitment and training of staff is another
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essential. Manufacturers may have to pay more to attract the right people, but we would emphasise that Britain has a rich pool of talent on which to draw.” Working with customers to address these issues, eliminate supply chain risks and maximise reshoring advantages is a wellestablished element of Dawson Shanahan’s strategy. The company can be found, along with many other like-minded businesses, on the website www.reshoring.co.uk (see page 18). This has been developed by Reshoring UK, a collaboration of leading industrial associations, to help manufacturers find trusted and accredited UK-based suppliers. Digital transformation, based on constant capture of real-time data through the Internet of Things, will be vital to UK-based industry’s success and is central to Dawson Shanahan’s approach. To this can be added increasing automation and advances in robotics, machine learning and artificial intelligence.
At Dawson Shanahan, one expression of such change has been in the use of advanced metal-forming simulation software to analyse and enhance tooling designs. This replaces the much slower traditional approach in which prototypes are created, tested and tailored by trial and error to their application. Importantly, as well as speeding up tool creation and reducing time to market for new products, it improves the quality of those products. “Collaboration is key to our ability as a tier 2 engineering business to help manufacturers achieve UK-based success,” Les concludes. “Our discussions often start long before the first part is produced. We gain a full understanding of their requirements, review designs and make suggestions to simplify production, reduce costs and improve long-term component reliability. After production starts, we continue working together to refine processes, maximise quality and seek further opportunities for improvement. Being geographically close and readily accessible makes this collaboration much easier and more effective.” 8 dawson-shanahan.co.uk Jeff Kiernan, Commercial Director at Dawson Shanahan
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SUPPLY CHAIN | Engineering Capacity
End-to-end understanding With disruption driven by COVID-19 continuing to overwhelm business across the globe, the need for end-to-end supply chain visibility and management has never been so urgent says by Richard Seel, Managing Director, delaware North America. It has become increasingly clear that if businesses across the manufacturing space want to manage disruption and adapt to new demands quickly, they need to have a good understanding of, and visibility over, their supply chain, in order to de-risk their operations. While manufacturers often have a tight relationship with their immediate Tier 1 or Tier 2 suppliers, they often have a much less clear understanding of commodity suppliers working at the start of the supply chain. In other words, while key components or sub-assemblies manufactured by the Tier 1 and 2 businesses are clearly understood, the sources of those components are far less so. If multiple suppliers and organisations in the upper tiers are being supplied by the same supplier lower down the hierarchy – and little is known about that supplier - this will inevitably build
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an inherent risk into the supply of those components, To mitigate the risk, manufacturers are likely to want to increase both the inventory they hold and the working capital at their disposal. Operating costs will increase as a result and they are likely to find it more difficult to plan, forecast and ensure supply to customers. Exploring the Benefits So, if organisations had full endto-end visibility of their supply chain, how could this actively benefit and improve operations? Ultimately, it is about enhanced understanding and control. Manufacturers will be able to leverage this capability to help optimise inventory and working capital, rather than having to build stock to help mitigate supply risk. They will also be able to use it to
model their supply chain and carry out an element of ‘what if’ analysis. This is likely to result in improved planning and risk mitigation, and greater facility to switch suppliers in the event of disruption, ensuring continuity of supply. Better supply chain modelling could also help manufacturers improve tracking and visibility from source and become more responsive to customer demands as well as improving the collaboration between suppliers, reducing operational costs for the manufacturers and the risk of disruption to its end customers. Achieving enhanced supply chain visibility is not easy. It requires manufacturers to work closely with suppliers and ensure that they understand them right down the chain. Beyond that, it also requires the sharing of more data. This includes production plans across the chain to ensure better forecasts and the introduction of new technology in order to capture data at all stages and interactions with the supply chain, helping to ensure full endto-end traceability. Looking to the future Yet, ultimately, recovering from the pandemic may prove to be the
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Engineering Capacity | SUPPLY CHAIN tipping point for change across the supply chain. Manufacturers will make more of a concerted effort to address vulnerabilities that have been exposed by the virus. Organisations will focus on developing stronger supply chains and understanding where weaknesses occurred and how they can be mitigated. Doing so will involve detailed analysis of existing data and relationships. In terms of the latter we anticipate manufacturers will be looking to work more closely with existing suppliers to understand how they can improve the end-to-end visibility, while at the same time diversifying suppliers and potentially using suppliers closer to home in order to reduce supply chain risk. Samuel Roscoe, Senior Lecturer at the University of Sussex Business School and Associate Fellow of the UK Trade Policy Observatory noted that, "While nearshoring brings production closer to the customer, it presents an element of risk when borders are closed, and governments restrict exports because of a new coronavirus outbreak or second wave of COVID-19. Another option is to establish parallel supply chains where a percentage of production volume (20-30%) is located in the UK. The UK based supply chain
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would have the capacity to ramp up production volumes to 100% during a crisis and would include UK based packaging suppliers and final product assembly. The remaining 70-80% of production could remain overseas. If it took the UK based supply chain 3-4 months to ramp up production volumes, then 3-4 months of finished goods inventory would need to be held in the UK". As the virus abates, we will also see a desire among manufacturers to adopt advanced technologies, such as blockchain and AI, to help future proof themselves for crises to come.' Blockchain and AI look set to form a critical tool in manufacturers’ armouries going forward. While blockchain provides a secure means to track and trace
products, organisations will still need to adopt an approach, irrespective of blockchain, where they are working with their suppliers to build this traceability information along the entire supply chain. AI could be used to try and develop the links and build that database. There will be an expectation to be able to track and trace products up and down the supply chain, so as to eliminate issues or find alternatives quicker. But beyond even just the use of blockchain and AI, supply chains will need to become more digitally connected. Manufacturers will look to extend this all along the chain across multiple suppliers and customers to best position their operations for future success in the post-pandemic world.� 8 delawareconsulting.com
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SUPPLY CHAIN | Engineering Capacity
Reshoring benefits in focus The 22 trade associations behind the Reshoring UK say the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the weakness of many complex supply chains and underlined the benefits of working with UK suppliers. Julia Moore, CEO of the GTMA, which led the initiative, says: “Ever since manufacturers began outsourcing production to more competitively priced overseas economies there has been a race to the bottom based on price,” states CEO Julia Moore. “However, there is an intrinsic value attached to making things here in the UK, not least being the opportunities to innovate. Reshoring UK highlights the skills and resources of the UK supply chains and aids manufacturers when considering domestic production for new projects or for the relocation ‘onshore’ of existing work programmes.” The Reshoring UK initiative has been developed to assist manufacturers locate and understand the breadth of skills vested in the SME engineering companies capable of delivering UK-based products and services The website portal has been created to help re-establish the capability required to meet manufacturers demands and
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those businesses that have used it in this current crisis have realised just how much capability and competence is available within the UK. Pam Murrell, CEO of the Cast Metals Federation, which was one of the first trade associations to support Reshoring UK, says: “I would like to believe that there are some significant opportunities for more local sourcing and an increase in the amount of manufacturing carried out here in the UK. “We have seen the challenges that long supply chains can cause and how easily they can be fractured. At the same time, we have a manufacturing supply chain in the UK that is dominated by SMEs who battle on against
sometimes impossible odds. “The UK rightly insists upon good H&S conditions for workers, as well as encouraging a focus on resource and energy efficiency, so just continuing to export our carbon footprint is not ethical. It looks like we shall need lots of new jobs to support the UK economy in the short and medium term – the wider value to the UK economy offered by the skilled and high value jobs in manufacturing, in terms of skills, local taxes and apprenticeships, should be factored in, certainly to any national procurement and infrastructure projects, with fiscal stimuli aimed at supporting investment and improving productivity.” 8 reshoring.uk
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Engineering Capacity | MOULDING If you’re looking to achieve a splash of colour, texture or even anti-bacterial into your plastic components, chances are your moulder is using masterbatch in the mix. Thomas Catinat, Operations Manager at Broanmain Plastics explains why masterbatch is so popular and how as a moulder they go about achieving the perfect blend to ensure consistency batch-to-batch. Masterbatch is commonly divided into five segments - black, white, colour, additive and fillers. Each formulation offers different functions that when distributed evenly through the polymer mix give it its unique plastic fingerprint. Colour masterbatch is a highly concentrated pigment. Supplied in pellet form rather than powder or liquid, it is blended into plastics to create a range of end-use applications, for example food and beverage packaging, appliances, automotive and pharmaceutical packaging. Additive masterbatch offers improved performance of plastic products, for instance illumination, UV resistance, antioxidants, antimicrobials or antistatic. Filler masterbatch is used to create better properties such as stiffness or a lighter weight polymer. Chalk, for example, is used to bulk out the plastic.
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What’s a masterbatch?
Specific fillers can also be added to make a component fire retardant. Black and white masterbatch are typically used in building and construction, automotive, consumer goods and domestic appliances. Achieving a special effect, such as chrome, wood grain, stone, marbling and even sparkle is also possible. These types of compounds are often used to boost consumer appeal and mimic heavier materials. Compounded mixes might be purchased in bulk when creating larger quantities of components. But for many end customers, masterbatch is often the most
cost effective way for moulders to create the perfect recipe time and again. Blended in-house, moulders use volumetric dosing units to automatically mix the material ready for processing. The ability to maintain a low stock holding and call up a specific blend when required from an external supplier can be more economical, helping to keep production costs down on short runs. Universal masterbatch offers convenience, and is more readily available from suppliers and works with most polymers. Conversely, polymer specific masterbatches are formulated using the same base polymer that it will be blended with. These tend to be bespoke and customised to suit a specific customer’s requirement for pigment colour, as well as special properties like heat stability. Jet blacks and bright whites For a number of components, such as electronics, producing the deepest blacks and the purest whites can be more challenging that some think. It requires a high pigmentation concentration, especially to make contemporary
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MOULDING | Engineering Capacity products such as mobile phones really stand out. Achieving uniform colour is critical. And although there’s usually a standard range of around 40+, there can be over 1000 different masterbatch formulations. Typically, a white masterbatch is used to add opaqueness or whiteness into plastic products. Black masterbatch is good for electro-static conductibility, durability and exposure to extreme weather. That’s why black is used in a lot of functional outdoor plastic applications, such as construction pipes, as it is stronger and lighter than coloured equivalents. Performance enhancing additives are often added to both black and white masterbatch Colour matching Picking the perfect colour is one thing. Ensuring consistency batch-to-batch is quite a science. Everyone sees colour differently. While Newton divided the spectrum into seven named base colours - red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet, according to psychophysicists we see tens of millions of different hues and shades. Given this, the human eye cannot be relied upon to match samples accurately. Once a specific masterbatch has been created, specific formulation details, including colour pigments,
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raw material ratios, notes and directions are held on a recipe card. A moulder can call up these instructions at any time to ensure production consistency. Should a recipe card be unavailable, physical samples can also be matched using a light box or spectrophotometer. Homogenisation of a blend, including the dispersion of the masterbatch during dosing, plays a big role in minimising colour and product performance variations. Most recipes detail the percentage by weight of masterbatch to be applied. Yet, discrepancies can occur. Changing the host polymer or switching suppliers is typically when this might happen. For this reason, moulders tend to stick with the same supplier. As with all plastic processing, stability is essential. Thermal resistance and durability need to Thomas Catinat, operations manager at Broanmain Plastic
be factored in. It’s precisely for this reason why most processors avoid using a high percentage of recycled plastic mixes for the base polymer. The more plastic is reprocessed, the greater the molecular structure changes. This loss of chemical properties affects the composition and therefore is likely to affect the compatibility of all the ingredients within a blend. Aesthetics aside, understanding the environment in which the end component will be used is critical. For example, components exposed to direct sunlight will need to use a specific masterbatch to prevent discolouration. The chemistry of some colour pigments may be incompatible with the chemistry of some base polymers. Additionally, other agents, such as fillers, could impact the fusion. One thing is certain, masterbatch has become integral to modern day plastic processing. Out of all the product types, colour masterbatch is experiencing heavy global demand. This robust growth can be attributed to brand differentiation trends in packaging, FMCG, furniture, construction, agriculture and aerospace. Likewise, black and white masterbatch is being extensively utilised by automotive manufacturers for light-weighting and to improve fuel efficiency. 8 broanmainplastics.co.uk
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Engineering Capacity | MACHINED COMPONENTS
Growing with the business The PSL Datatrack production control software installed at Bernard Holmes Precision has been able to grow with the business, thanks to is modular nature. The company initially invested in PSL Datatrack production control software in order to streamline its production process from initial quotation through to final invoice. The decision was based on the desire to acquire ISO 9001 as many customers were demanding that their major supplier of subcontract engineering services should be accredited. Production Director Russell Thackray had recognised that the company's manual paper-based administration systems were simply not up to the required level to achieve the accreditation. The company achieved ISO 9001 just four months after implementation with zero noncompliance. The goal of attracting more work from larger organisations in different industries continues to be successful and today the company
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has 18 CNC machines alongside a busy manual machine shop. Continuous investment in the software has seen Bernard Holmes extend its initial PSL Datatrack sales and invoicing modules into an all embracing package that helps run the business. Job Costing and Shop Floor Data Collection (SFDC) were added back in 2014, with Gauge Calibration added more recently in 2019. Russell Thackray says, “One of the attractions of PSL Datatrack has been the fact that you can add additional modules whenever you need them and know that they will be compatible with those that you already have. The software grows with us and helps us to take the business forward.” The availability of PSL Datatrack and the information it provides is
now vital to Bernard Holmes. The system tracks everything that is being produced on a daily basis, providing management with instant information and allowing close control of the business. Data is entered once at the quotation stage and reused throughout the rest of the process, saving time by preventing the need for manual retyping of information. “We have come a long way from our original paper spreadsheets and all the administration that went along with managing them. Growing the business has been the main aim and we would not have been able to do that so well without the PSL Datatrack team who have supported us all the way,” concludes Russell. 8 psldatatrack.com bernardholmes.co.uk
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MACHINED COMPONENTS | Engineering Capacity
Pulling together on Covid-19 The experience of Citizen Machinery and its subcontractor customers shows how British industry has pulled together to meet the Covid-19 challenge head on. Citizen Machinery UK's managing director Edward James says the pandemic has united the whole of the manufacturing sector to an extent never seen before in terms of the levels of selfless application by huge numbers of people to boost production of much-needed medical equipment. Citizen became involved early on when it was contacted by the UK government's consortium for ventilator production, which became known as Ventilator Challenge UK. The committee recognised Citizen as a critical supplier of bar automatics for the medical sector. This type of machine tool, especially the slidinghead variety with turn-milling capability, was critical to the rapid, efficient manufacture of components in very high volumes for making the extra ventilators needed by the NHS. Drawing on the pool of talents Mr James commented, "At the outset, the government was considering building a
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factory to make ventilator parts and assemble them. However, we and others advising them suggested that the best route would be to enlist the help of the existing pool of first-class manufacturers and their supply chains already using our lathes and production equipment from other leading machine tool suppliers. "I gave them a list of about 50 companies that use Citizen turning centres, choosing firms that operate sufficient numbers of machines, hold ISO accreditation and have the right level of expertise and metrology capability. We knew many of them already
make ventilator parts as well as similar types of medical and nonmedical parts out of both normal materials and special alloys. Nearly all of the recommended contacts were approached by multinational firms, including Rolls-Royce, GKN and BAe, appointed by Ventilator Challenge UK to oversee supply chain management from purchasing through to ventilator assembly. The manufacturers were asked to change over their production to machining medical components and they immediately agreed to do so. As many of the firms recognised that additional capacity would be needed, it triggered multiple orders for new Citizen bar automatics from several companies and from additional manufacturers that became involved in the initiative through word-of-mouth recommendation. In just over three weeks to mid-April 2020, 17 machines were prepared and delivered from stock, all for the production of medical parts, and for the rest of April sliding-head lathe deliveries were running at one Edward James, managing director of Citizen Machinery UK
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Engineering Capacity | MACHINED COMPONENTS per day. Each was commissioned and operating on a customer's shop floor in approximately 36 hours from receipt of the order. Overlaid on this was a significant amount of re-purposing of existing turn-mill centres to manufacture medical equipment. Turn-milling plastic instead of moulding Many were reconfigured for making metal parts that are normally produced from stampings, forgings and castings. By far the largest proportion of resetting, however, involved writing programs and providing tooling packages for turn-milling large quantities of plastic components from bar that are normally injection moulded, such as tubing connectors for ventilators. Often they are supplied from overseas, including China, but deliveries may have either stopped or the numbers available were insufficient. Mr James added, "The six-week lead-time to produce a new injection mould tool is too long – the parts are needed much faster than that. Our multi-axis slidinghead bar autos are ideal for turning such components at both ends and milling and drilling them in the same cycle so they come off complete, without the need for special fixturing and with minimal material wastage.
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Citizen Machinery UK engineers installing a Cincom sliding-head lathe at short notice at a subcontractor in the West Country
"It is actually a lot of work to identify parts that can be re-engineered in this way and then re-purpose a lathe to make them. A significant amount of CAD effort is required, plus complex CAM programming and post-processing. Citizen’s applications department did this both in-house and at customers' factories, outsourcing what it could not handle. Machines available at short notice Citizen was fortunate in being able to supply large number of lathes at short notice thanks, in part, to being able to draw on a large number of
demonstration machines. The company also has a policy of supplying its machines and accessories from UK stock and more were available than usual, as extra had been brought in due to the possibility of a hard Brexit. Additional machines were in the UK, including some of the very latest models, ready to be shown at the now-postponed MACH exhibition. Moreover, a bull run of sales had led to a backorder book of about eight weeks, with turning centres that were nearly ready for delivery able to be re-purposed at short notice and diverted urgently to medical component manufacturers. The original machine packages are being replaced from stock. Mr James concluded, "I am told that most of the turned parts have already been manufactured for the 30,000 extra ventilators, which is testament to the effort put in by us, other lathe suppliers and an army of willing and capable manufacturers in Britain and Ireland. "I would like to offer a big thank you to all our staff and suppliers who are helping to make this happen. Everyone is volunteering to work tirelessly around the clock, at weekends and even through their holidays." 8 citizenmachinery.co.uk
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MACHINED COMPONENTS | Engineering Capacity
Delivering ventilator volume A six-spindle bar automatic turning centre is helping Unicut Precision deliver the volume of ventilator parts currently required. The Welwyn Garden City subcontractor invested in the German-built Index MS40 sixspindle bar automatic from sole agent Kingsbury towards the end of last year. The aim was to raise production efficiency but in the current climate is relying more and more on the machine to help fulfil the demand for these medical equipment parts. Jason Nicholson, Unicut's managing director said: "Although we have never been afraid to purchase new production plant, I admit that this latest investment was an entrepreneurial leap. We bought the machine with some work in mind but it was a bit of a gamble. Orders that were coming in were only making use of part of the capacity.” However, as Jason discovered, the gamble would soon pay off. Until March 2020, the 40 mm bar capacity multi was being used to make parts for the yellow goods industry but when COVID-19 began to take hold, everything changed. After the Government’s Ventilator Challenge UK announcement,
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It’s really refreshing to see how, at times like these, people really step up. We’ve lent tools to competitors. Kingsbury provided the programming on the MS40 free of charge. At the end of the day, we’re pulling together right the way through the supply chain
‘‘
orders came in quickly. Unicut agreed to produce up to 780,000 critical components of 31 different types over seven weeks, something that would not have been possible without the MS40. Jason said: "It’s really refreshing to see how, at times like these, people really step up.
We’ve lent tools to competitors. Kingsbury provided the programming on the MS40 free of charge. At the end of the day, we’re pulling together right the way through the supply chain. “I hope that, after this, people will begin to look at UK manufacturing in a different light. It is very easy just to look at cost that’s the one thing we’re constantly competing against. In future, I hope that buyers and OEMs feel a responsibility to source from the UK if they can." Without the MS40, Jason believes Unicut would not have been in a position to take on the ventilator work or to keep to the time frames required. He concluded, "We started turning parts on the MS40 within three or four days of receiving the drawings, helping us to produce the parts accurately and on time. "The machine is capable of holding tight tolerances. Due to the vital role the ventilator components will play, a high degree of precision is required. People’s lives are depending on companies like ours to deliver quality parts on time and there is no margin for error.” 8 unicutprecision.com kingsburyuk.com
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Engineering Capacity | MACHINED COMPONENTS The directors of Gatesheadbased TDX, which supplies services and tools to the thin-film plastic thermoforming industry, can now enjoy weekends off after it automated its machine shop. The latest purchases have been a Japanese bar-fed turning centre and a German-built Hermle 5-axis machining centre with a 20-pallet storage system supplied by Kingsbury. Two members of the management buyout team that purchased TDX in 2013, Neil Atkinson and David Renton, were especially pleased to progress the investment. Five-axis machining was usually the bottleneck at the 24,000 sq ft toolmaking facility and it normally fell to the two directors to go into the factory two or three times on both Saturday and Sunday to change over five non-automated 5-axis machining centres. Since the Hermle C 250 with linked HSFlex automated pallet change system entered production, weekend visits have been unnecessary. Each aluminium thermoforming mould billet is pre-machined on one face and then milled on the other five sides internally and externally in one operation in from four to six hours. 20 pallets equates to an average of 100 hours' machining on the Hermle, more than enough to keep the production cell busy
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Time off for toolmakers
non-stop from Friday afternoon to Monday morning. Mr Atkinson said, "The automated milling cell has not only eliminated manual intervention at weekends but also requires minimal attendance
during the week, freeing the operator for other tasks. "We approached six potential suppliers, all of which carried out machining trials for us. Kingsbury demonstrated the fastest cycle time on the Hermle, approximately 10 per cent shorter than the best of the others. "Equally importantly surface finish was also better, shortening the time spent on hand finishing our moulds. I estimate that they are polished 30 per cent quicker than moulds coming off our other 5-axis machines." 8 tdx-tss.com
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