The Manufacturer November 2021

MANUFACTURER

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MANUFACTURER VOL 24 ISSUE 7 T H E M A N U FAC T U R E R .C O M

11.2021

ANY FREEPORT

@TheManufacturer

NOVEMBER 2021 | VOL 24 ISSUE 7

IN A STORM What do manufacturers make of the Liverpool City Region freeport?

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n May, the government announced the creation of eight freeports – special economic zones free from tariffs and bolstered with business tax breaks, designed to incentivise investment, encourage economic growth and provide a boost to manufacturing.

Eighteen areas in England made a bid to become freeports – with East Midlands Airport, Felixstowe and Harwich, Humber region, Liverpool City Region, Plymouth, Solent, Thames, and Teesside winning overall.

For advocates of the new trading areas, their creation, and the decision of which areas won out, can be seen through the lens of the ‘levelling up’ agenda, or ‘building back better’ if you prefer alliteration in your political buzz-phrases. Poorer areas of the country can be given a boost, as well as assist with post-covid recovery strategies, goes the thinking.

As well as encouraging local economic boosts, it is hoped that on a nationwide level any initiatives that ease the flow of goods, help collaboration, and increase productivity, can help mitigate the impact of multiple damaging waves crashing on the bows of the economy – Covid 19 and its aftermath, supply chain chaos, rising costs, skills shortages and worldwide trade uncertainty.

While full details won't emerge until the first freeport is set up in 2022, any forward-thinking measure designed to help the UK manufacturing

sector feels like an easy thing to get behind. In our lead feature this month, we focus on the Liverpool City Region freeport, and what local manufacturers make of the plans. As examined in the article, the region’s heritage in manufacturing goes back centuries, well before the Industrial Revolution it played such a pivotal role in. Today, it hosts an array of high-tech firms with advanced manufacturing capabilities, from aerospace to automotive and pharma, while around 60 per cent of container demand in the UK is near Liverpool.

It will be fascinating to see what boost initiatives like this can do to help the region’s manufacturing base, and the sector as a whole.

And this leads us neatly on to another Liverpool-based beacon of manufacturing forward-thinking – Digital Manufacturing Week.

Whether you are reading this ahead of the event or have picked up a copy from the show stands, we welcome you to the Exhibition Centre Liverpool for a festival of networking, thought leadership, hands on experience with the latest tech, and celebration of individual and corporate level excellence.

The last 18 months have been challenging for everyone, and I don’t need to tell you about the particular difficulties that have faced manufacturing. We’re delighted to be able to be back in person to share ideas and chart the waters ahead together.

D E C @TheManufacturer www.themanufacturer.com

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Editorial Advisory Board The Manufacturer’s editorial advisory board provides insight and guidance to the editorial team on a regular basis, helping maintain the relevance and quality of the magazine’s content, both in print and online. The board also provides diverse and expert comment on strategic developments in manufacturing.

Board members also advise on other The Manufacturer products and online publications, such as the Annual Manufacturing Report. Membership is by invitation only, but if you would like to be considered, please email n.hussey@hennikgroup.com

Andrew Churchill

Thomas d’Arcy

MANAGING DIRECTOR JJ Churchill and The Manufacturer Top 100, Exemplar 2014

INNOVATION LEAD Rolls-Royce plc. Young Manufacturer of the Year, TMMX Awards 2017

Chris White

Sarah Black-Smith

Deirdre Fox

Christopher Greenough

DIRECTOR OF INDUSTRIAL POLICY Manufacturing Technology Centre

HEAD OF FACTORY OPERATIONS Siemens Digital Factory, Congleton

DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Tata Steel

CHIEF COMMERCIAL OFFICER SDE Technology, and The Manufacturer Top 100, Exemplar 2016

Dave Mooney

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Simon Edmonds

MANAGING DIRECTOR Drallim Industries, and The Manufacturer Top 100, shortlisted 2014

DEPUTY EXECUTIVE CHAIR AND CHIEF BUSINESS OFFICER Innovate UK

Jan Ward

Roy Haworth

CEO Corrotherm, and The Manufacturer Top 100, Exemplar 2014, current Judge

ENGINEERING INTEGRATION MANAGER Airbus Defence and Space, and The Manufacturer Top 100, Member 2016

David Holmes

Marcus Burton

MANUFACTURING OPERATIONS DIRECTOR MAI BAE Systems and The Manufacturer Top 100, Exemplar 2017

NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Yamazaki Mazak UK

Bill Williams

Laura McBrown

CEO The Centre for Engineering & Manufacturing Excellence

MANAGING DIRECTOR G&B Electronics and The Manufacturer Top 100, Member 2016

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06 FIRST

LIVERPOOL FREEPORT

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12 Back to life With live events back on the table, we asked a panel of industry leaders what they have most missed

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14 High voltage skills The electric revolution is a once in a lifetime paradigm shift, but do we have the skills?

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21 The age of disruption How to harness the power of data to build resilience into the supply chain

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24 Digital Twins are they the only way to address systemic sustainability and resilience questions

28 Funding the future KTN looks at initiatives that can help make businesses more sustainable, resilient and competitive 32 Green leadership Has industry has shown enough leadership on climate change?

36 Innovation alley 2021 meet the UK’s most innovative businesses at DMW

COVER: Liverpool Port, Gavin Allanwood/Unsplash

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Any freeport in a storm Amid current UK trade turbulence, will the Liverpool freeport initiative offer calmer waters for manufacturing?

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The Manufacturing Technology Centre striving for Paralympic Gold Clive Hickman, Chief Executive, Manufacturing Technology Centre has an inspiring story

BIG INTERVIEW MEGGER After two acquisitions the electrical firm is on track for a record-breaking year

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42 Smart farming Databased insights are driving decarbonisation through precision agriculture 48 Smart factory jigsaws Does digital inkjet printing hold the key to unlocking mass customisation at mass volume prices?

52 Build back better Q3 is a key moment or manufacturers and their insurance needs

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58 Ready to automate?

Deciding what, how and when to automate is not straightforward

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60 Technology adoption some guidance on how to build confidence and understanding of new systems

NOVEMBER 2021

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54 Overcoming barriers some key eCommerce strategies via a manufacturing case study

VOL 24 ISSUE 7

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62 Tools of the trade A look at Autodesk’s Fusion 360 software and the latest manufacturer enhancements

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FREEPORT IN A STORM

Amid current UK trade turbulence, the Liverpool City Region freeport may well offer calmer waters – not least for manufacturers.

Fleur Doidge reports

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'Smart factory' success empowers trade Funds redirected to production teams or site expansion and upskilling will support smart factory innovation, including technological advancements from the Internet of Things (IoT), to robotics, automation, machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI).

ALL PORT IMAGES: LIVERPOOL PEEL PORTS

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K manufacturers buffeted by the winds of Covid-19 and Brexit might be forgiven for grabbing at any promising spar of opportunity floating past. The Liverpool City Region (LCR) freeport proposal, however, might really help manufacturers swim against the current.

Local manufacturers, such as industrial automation electronics maker Brainboxes, are excited about the possibilities.

Luke Walsh, Managing Director of the Liverpool International Business Park-based SME, says freeports will smooth the flow of goods in and out of the UK. "Our ability to ensure supplies at the moment has been crazy. We find nothing is available."

Although full details won't emerge until the first freeport is set up in 2022, fending off the negative hits from supply chain chaos, rising costs and skills shortages against a global backdrop of trade turbulence can surely be mitigated by anything that eases trade, reducing costs either directly or indirectly through fostering efficiencies and collaboration across supply chains.

Walsh confirms that international supply constraints have made life increasingly difficult for manufacturers. Meanwhile, Brexit so far has simply increased paperwork and complexity while increasing unpredictability.

"For accounts we had daily updates, and now we're weekly and bi-weekly," Walsh says. "Shipping to Germany may take longer than shipping to America. Each country has a set of rules which varies a little, and when things go wrong it can be hard to track down why."

Freeports can partly address those issues, by enabling freer trade – reducing costs – within the designated zones. This will encourage companies to set up in the region and benefit from cross-pollination of ideas and increased collaboration opportunities, he says.

Fleur Doidge is a contributing writer to The Manufacturer and TM.com

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Key takaways > Trade is a key enabler of business and innovation, so easing export red tape should assist not just trade itself but innovation > The last year has been particularly tough for manufacturers (and other businesses) due turbulent conditions from Covid-19/ Brexit in particular > Because Liverpool is already host to an array of high-tech companies and collaboration initiatives, it looks well placed to benefit from the freeport plan

> Collaborative efforts coupled with direct/ indirect freeport investment will help drive smarter factories and industrial transformation – helping factories of the future, especially in Liverpool > Manufacturers that can set up within the freeport look set to benefit from a range of taxation, customs and rates relief structures, although full details likely won't be available until 2022

Brainboxes' tech also sits on Germany-controlled telescopes in Chile's Atacama Desert, and on British Antarctic Survey experiments at the South Pole – remotely monitoring dieselpowered micro-turbines on site, minimising the chance of leakage in an environmentally fragile area, Walsh says.

The freeport's proximity will enhance connections that you might not previously have made.

Luke Walsh, Brainboxes The Liverpool region has a long proud heritage of manufacturing, going right back to the Industrial Revolution that made Britain a leader among its peers. And Liverpool today hosts an array of high-tech firms with advanced manufacturing capabilities, from aerospace to automotive and pharma.

"The freeport's proximity will enhance connections that you might not previously have made," says Walsh.

Brainboxes, for example, has already been collaborating on solutions for specific challenges locally, creating an integrated robotics system and production-line projects. Manufacturers could also team up on component sourcing and solving business issues such as wage inflation, he says, as well as targeting export growth.

Brainboxes already exports about 60 per cent of what it makes, including to the USA, China, Australia and elsewhere.

Flagship products include the BB-400, a smart, versatile edgenetwork gateway for IoT applications across multiple industries. It has been used on UK trains to measure vibration – helping trains not only run smoother but faster, avoiding fines for delays.

ABOVE: Liverpool Peel Ports' Royal Seaforth Container Terminal could be set to become a more important reception point for larger containers UK-wide.

Walsh's enthusiasm is echoed by Anthony Walker, Strategic Manager - LCR 4.0 at Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU).

Walker says the freeport offers hope for global trade and investment, with Liverpool "very well positioned" to become a hotbed of innovation.

"It will contribute to that rebalancing of UK freight and logistics," Walker says, adding that LJMU's LCR project is working to help companies of all sizes and stages of development adopt digital tech, benefiting from research and innovation.

SUPPLY CHAIN "We're finding an appetite for manufacturing and advanced technology companies to kick off operations in Liverpool and not outgrow the city – which has happened in the past when a company has got a little bit too big," Walker says.

Opportunity knocks for partnerships About 60 per cent of container demand in the UK is near Liverpool, and growth in port facilities should allow the city to take its rightful place as a central location for larger containers, he suggests.

"I think the city is going to revitalise fully with the freeport status," Walker says. "I see Liverpool as actually becoming a centre of excellence or smart city for digital innovation."

LJMU offers manufacturers the chance to benefit from multiple innovation initiatives – with university collaborations for SMEs as well as large organisations "only a phone call away" and for minimal or no cost, notes Walker.

"We can work with them closely; we have 300 academics working on relevant technologies," Walker says. "We can start small – then Industry 4.0 comes together."

So far, LJMU with government funding has been supporting assorted digitisation projects for benefiting from data as well as improved supply chains and logistics – the sorts of initiatives that could make a big difference to UK manufacturing in the years ahead.

Focus areas might include security, risk analysis and management, virtual or online digital platforms for digital twinning, modelling or simulations.

"There's about £25m of investment [from] government into [our] Innovation Support projects, with a normal return on investment on the economy of about 10 to one," says Walker.

"So, with freeport status, initiatives like with the two universities, rising manufacturing business in Liverpool, and digital technologies cutting across supply chains, this is an exciting time."

Another company within the proposed freeport zone is smartfactory tech specialist Datahone.

Chief executive Cliff Brereton suggests the tariff-free status of the zone, including elements of customs and tax relief, should work to lower or at least streamline costs across manufacturing.

"What's not to like?" Brereton says.

The freeport will encourage inward investment and probably ease some pain points in the supply chain – for example by speeding up the application of technology advances to reduce inefficiencies, he explains.

Manufacturing still contributed £359bn to GDP in 2020 and is more important to the UK than many people assume, Brereton notes.

Datahone's horse in this race is helping manufacturers boost productivity and connect processes or operations via automation and analytics using internet-connected sensors, devices and software – deploying Internet of Things (IoT)-based 'smart factory' applications.

"UK productivity is about the second worst in the G7. And that makes us uncompetitive when we price things up," Brereton explains.

"There are many factors, but an 'analysis cloud' with machine learning or AI, using all sorts of statistical models, can give us a kind of situational awareness on how fast machines are running, how much downtime there is, and so on, in near-real time. Then managers can do something about it."

Can freeports level up the playing field?

That said, Steve Wells, Corporate Development Manager at strip mill steel-cutting services SME Hi Tech Steels Service (HTSS), warns that the main benefits will accrue to companies within the zone: it's hard to move a manufacturing plant, however innovative.

Freeports: Relief on taxation, rates and red tape Juliet Wallwork, Customs Duty Director at accountancy and business advisors BDO, says freeport-based manufacturers will enjoy tariff-free and simplified imports for both materials and components: finished goods can then be re-exported from the same site.

Goods may still be liable for duties on entry to wherever they are sent, however – this depends on the country concerned and UK trade agreements.

"A big barrier for many is the cost of moving to a freeport," Wallwork confirms. "But businesses are also set to claim Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) relief on land purchases within the sites, enhanced capital allowances (ECA) for new plant and machinery, enhanced structures and buildings allowance (SBA) for constructing or renovating, and up to 100 per cent relief from business rates."

Employers in freeports may also pay 0 per cent employer NIC on the salaries of any new employee working at their site, Wallwork says.

According to the UK government, "full business rates relief" in England will apply for five years and be offered to all new businesses, and certain existing businesses where they expand, until 30 September 2026.

More information: K www.gov.uk/guidance/declaringgoods-and-paying-tax-when-using-a-freeportcustoms-site

"We're out at St Helens," Wells says. "Steel is bulky, costing a lot to move, so our potential for exports is really only to the EU. That's fallen from 20-21 per cent of our business to 13-14 per cent."

HTSS handles up to 5,000 tonnes of strip-mill product each month for the automotive, construction, domestic appliance, and energy sectors. Demand is rising alongside increased requests for "a more digital approach" to steel processing, laser-cut materials and flat sheet metal; the manufacturer has expansion underway – including in Dorset.

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"With the right investment conditions, there is a huge potential for manufacturing to support a green economic recovery through new technology and digital transformation," Austin says.

"Enterprise zones can deliver clustering effects valuably linked to government priorities – the number and scale of these should be significantly increased."

Government could also empower growth funds to target regional manufacturing strengths, such as Midlands automotive, Wales aerospace or North-East chemicals manufacturers – driving investment alongside a "balanced tax policy" to help level up, Austin says.

What next for UK freeports?

Stephen Carr, Commercial Director at combined LCR authority partner Peel Ports Group, tells The Manufacturer that freeports will be a key enabler for supply chains of the future, accelerating investment in an aera with a long-standing industrial heritage.

"This will incentivise others," Carr says. "And suppliers to those manufacturers will multiply the effect of new businesses established in the area."

Freeports haven't always been successful, but Peel Ports believes that streamlining logistics and shaving a few hours off transport time through regional hubs can boost competitiveness.

Also, Carr notes that each country applies the free principles in question in different ways.

"Peel Ports will seek to ensure regulatory standards in areas such as employment, environment and product quality are not diminished – as can be the case in other parts of the world," he says.

The authority's full-fledged business proposal must be submitted for an end-of-year government assessment, after which it can begin setup of the freeport – which actually falls under the remit of the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC).

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Suppliers to those manufacturers will multiply the effect of new businesses established in the area.

Stephen Carr, Peel Ports "I doubt there'll be any freeport facilities in Bridport. And we'd never be able to move the people when we have a highly skilled workforce locally," Wells says.

What UK businesses – like manufacturers – really need from government is more consistency, enabling businesspeople to make plans and fulfil them, he points out.

"It's really about having that continuity about government policy. It's never stood still for a minute," says Wells. "And you're probably talking a few years before you see any real benefits out of freeports as well."

Richard Austin, Head of Manufacturing at BDO, notes that 65 per cent of manufacturers in a BDO survey said they would invest more in the UK if there were incentives. A freeport could indeed attract investors to Liverpool – especially if they're outside the 23 countries otherwise eligible for duty exemption via free-trade agreements.

Government will provide some seed funding, certain tax incentives and remove regulatory barriers, says Carr.

"Once the final go ahead is given, the priority will be to attract private sector investors. So our primary objective in 2022 will be to utilise those incentives to secure this new investment in the City Region," Carr says.

According to a DLUHC spokesperson, "it is expected" that the first freeport will be designated by late 2021.

"Interested parties should refer to the bidding prospectus as well as HMRC's guidance on how the freeports will operate, applying to become a freeports operator and readying a business to use a freeports customs site," the spokesperson says.

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DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

BACK TO LIFE With live events back on the table, we asked a panel of industry leaders what they have most missed about face to face networking and exhibitions, ahead of Digital Manufacturing Week in Liverpool this month

Q. What have you missed about live events?

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Nicole Ballantyne, Knowledge Transfer Manager Manufacturing, KTN: I've missed eye contact, genuine smiles, handshakes, hugs and honest interest beyond the direct question. I've missed the buzz of seeing new stuff, asking lots of questions, touching and feeling things, starting with the question 'tell me what you do', and the anticipation of not having much of a clue as to where the conversation will twist and turn onto next, then making unexpected, diverse connections, acting on them, and knowing I've affected positive change.

Gerard Bartley, Data Governance and Management Consultant, BMI Group: Meeting the delegates and exhibitors!

Without that face to face contact it is much harder to get to know people, understand their challenges, learn from their experiences and share their enthusiasm.

Scott Houghton, Head of Automation and Robotics, BCW Manufacturing Group: I have missed the interaction between like minded engineers and being able to discuss new equipment and its potential application to my field.

Simon Reid, Head of Sectors, Growth Platform: After 18 months of Teams and Zoom it’s great to get back to face to face networking and actually meeting people in person. You can’t beat the random nature of live events where you bump into people in the queue for a sandwich or see people you have been meaning to call for months. Teams and Zoom is so structured, there is no spontaneity. Also there are people I have been working

closely with during the pandemic I have never met in real life – that is something I am really looking forward to!

Nick Hussey, CEO, Hennik Research: I think as humans we are social animals, and you just can’t beat face to face interactions with people, you also miss out on seeing body language and empathy which you just can’t get over conferences calls such as Teams or Zoom. So, I’m really looking forward to being face to face with people and having proper in depth and fun conversations.

Q. What’s your fondest memory from any trade show or networking event you’ve attended in your manufacturing career?

GB: Watching my team grow from being delegates to speakers at a technology show.

NB: Maybe not 'fondest memory', but a show highlight that is unforgettable has to be from Hannover Messe quite a few years back when I was working for an OEM. I was there with my posse of male colleagues and The Weather

Girls were singing It's Raining Men – hilarious in such an environment. I have high hopes for the live entertainment at the TMMX award ceremony.

SH: I thoroughly enjoyed visiting the MACH engineering conference at Birmingham NEC pre-covid. The largely varied display of equipment and solutions was very interesting. I also enjoyed the social aspect of discussion around a stall bar or food area.

NH: I think my best memory is from about three years ago – trying to walk down Innovation Alley and it being absolutely jam packed with people and the conversations, the buzz and the excitement was just fantastic.

I say ‘try’ because I couldn’t move – it was that busy. But it was just fantastic and really felt as though we were changing the way manufacturers were thinking about innovation and developing their products and services, as well as driving their businesses forward. That for me is a really fantastic memory and I love Innovation Alley!

SR: It is probably the disco at the end of each of the MX Awards since Digital Manufacturing Week moved to Liverpool. Many awards dinners are a bit stuffy but not this one. I’ve seen some amazing dancing (!) but more importantly the manufacturing community really enjoying themselves and celebrating all that is great about UK manufacturing.

Nicole Ballantyne, Knowledge Transfer Manager Manufacturing, KTN

Gerard Bartley, Data Governance and Management Consultant, BMI Group

Scott Houghton, Head of Automation and Robotics, BCW Manufacturing Group

Simon Reid, Head of Sectors, Growth Platform

year is no exception. We are recording and sharing real stories of impact that being on 'the alley' has had on start ups and scale ups - this is so rewarding, and even though my part in the mega-machine is so small, I feel I've had an impact, I've effected change, I've done something positive - and that puts a smile on my face!

Q. Is there something about the ‘physicality’ of the manufacturing sector that makes in person exhibitions particularly valuable?

NH: Yes I think so, I think manufacturers aren’t naturally the most outgoing bunch of people. There is a tendency, and I’m stereotyping here, for manufacturers to be quite serious, analytical and relatively speaking, not massively outgoing, so what I love about manufacturing events is that you actually overtime begin to see them relax and enjoy themselves. You start to see them become very animated and passionate about what they love – the products, the services and solutions.

NB: Yes - a picture says a thousand words, and a real physical object is one step even better. I think engineers need to touch and feel and press and test their hand/brain connection.

The honesty of face to face communications, the cacophony of emotional intelligence signs and signals, and the ability to relate, empathise and connect – I can't wait!

Nick Hussey, CEO, Hennik Research

GB: I am really keen to get a feel for the emerging trends in the marketplace that will shape the next few years.

GB:Yes. It is the ability to get hands on with the technology being shown by the exhibitors and really understand how it works.

SR: Manufacturing has had to keep going during the pandemic. Yes, some things have transitioned to remote working but in the main factories kept producing goods throughout. There is a place for digital events but in my experience a lot of manufacturers like to come together to network, exchange ideas and do deals.

SH: A key aspect of deciding on the implementation of new equipment is to observe a visual demonstration of its capabilities. Exhibitions are a prime place to see what is new on the market and make a comfortable decision based on the demonstrations given.

Q. What is the key thing you are looking to take away from DMW? NH: A renewed determination to succeed as UK manufacturers.

We’ve had a horrific period and the whole idea of ‘Build Back Better’ really resonates with manufacturing. There is an opportunity now for manufacturing businesses to really think about what they do, why they do it, how they do it, what their product longevity is, what their service intentions are and what they intend to do with their product at the end of its useful life.

NB: This will be the third year I've been involved with Innovation Alley, and we've seen it grow and develop over that time. The continued support of IUK, and the Made Smarter Innovation programme has ensured this

SH: My key intent of visiting the Digital Manufacturing Week is to make connections with engineers within a similar field to myself. I wish to discuss their projects over the past 12 months and identify the solutions they have used to fulfil the requirements of the task.

SR: To celebrate the resilience of UK Manufacturing during a very turbulent year and a half. It’s incredible how hard the industry has worked to keep production going, implementing whole new protocols to ensure staff safety, interacting with customers and suppliers in a new way and dealing with fluctuating demands (not to mention Brexit, supply chain issues and now spikes in energy prices). I am looking forward to people coming together and sharing their experiences, best practice and ideas and seeing the role of technology and innovation in how the sector moves forward.

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PEOPLE & SKILLS

The electric revolution is a once in a lifetime paradigm shift, not just for British manufacturing but for society as a whole, but the right skills are key says HVM Catapult’s Dr Benjamin Silverstone

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HIGH VOLTAGE SKILLS T

he UK Government’s commitment to the 2050 net zero target, and the banning of the sales of pure petrol and diesel engine vehicles by 2030, has driven a monumental change in the way that future technologies are viewed and adopted in the UK. The changes will be far-reaching both from a societal and technological perspective and will fundamentally influence the way we interact with transport, our homes and the planet.

Today, the UK has many of the ingredients needed to become a global leader in the design, development, manufacture and use of the technologies that underpin carbon reduction. But we know that one key ingredient – the skills we will need in our workforce – is in perilously short supply.

To seize the full benefit of the electric revolution, we need to re-think the way that

PICS: The right skills are key but seemingly in short supply

side with the Faraday Institution, we are now using those convening powers to bring together a broad range of industry bodies, employers, education providers and local authorities to address the skills challenge we face with a proposal for a National Electrification Skills Framework (NESF).

UK education delivers the capabilities that industry will need to achieve the goals that will reduce our impact on the climate.

The convening powers of the HVM Catapult and WMG, University of Warwick have already delivered great strides forward in the UK’s electrification journey, shaping the Faraday Battery Challenge and laying the foundations for the UK Battery Industrialisation Centres. Working side by

The philosophy The NESF is born out of a drive to challenge established modes of delivering education and skills to industry, which often see education lagging significantly behind technology. It brings stakeholders together on a national scale to establish and implement methods of addressing those skills gaps exposed by the increased

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The Opportunity for a National Electrification Skills Framework provides a tangible method of addressing the future skills required by the UK to meet its ambitions as a leading nation in electrification. Prof Dave Greenwood adoption of technologies such as batteries, power electronics and motors.

The approach doesn’t shy away from acknowledging some of the problems faced by previous skills initiatives. For example, how to remain relevant as needs and technologies evolve; and how to ensure quality across different training providers.

Instead, the NESF is built on the premise that it must remain agile and adapt to new

requirements. It includes a strong focus on the quality of provision, stripping away employer fears about variable training quality with robust assurance protocols.

And it has been designed to encourage collaboration both between industry and educators, and between educators themselves, allowing organisations to focus on their specialisms and work together for the good of UK industry.

Crucially, the NESF brings all of these components together to address the need to re-skill, up-skill and new-skill workers to support the electrification shift. Tens of thousands of UK workers will see their roles either change significantly, or disappear, as part of this evolution. So, robust forward planning to understand and identify reskilling opportunities, is critical. Many others will want to up-skill themselves to better meet the challenges ahead and build meaningful careers. The NESF will also build a pipeline to bring young people out of education and into industry as part of the new-skill initiative. These measures will build the future capacity that the UK will need to realise its ambitions.

The approach The NESF functions at levels 2-8 (or equivalent) and is informed by industry

PEOPLE & SKILLS

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partners from a wide range of sectors.

Whilst the automotive industry has led the way in electrification in recent years, there are huge changes in the aerospace, rail, and maritime sectors and, crucially for the supporting infrastructure, large changes in the utilities sector. Sector agnostic thinking has allowed the team to identify the common ground that exists between all sectors. This allows for higher quality provision and a more mobile workforce that will be able to move and adapt as requirements change over time. At the same time, the NESF will allow for a better understanding of what is more unique in each sector so that all competencies can be met more effectively.

Taking advantage of new Government funding approaches, much of what will be available is modular in nature, providing individuals and companies with opportunities to acquire new knowledge and skills at rates to suit their needs.

Importantly, the modular offerings are common between both short- and longcourse provision so that there is consistency in the topics. This means that two people who have reached the same point through different routes will have developed the same skills. Critical for widening participation, the NESF is designed to have no dead ends, allowing for visible career paths for people at all levels, whatever their role or previous education.

The NESF also challenges the existing structures of the UK education system.

As well as challenging it to become more forward looking and responsive, the framework challenges providers to look at ways to share credit and allow learners to accumulate their credit across a range of providers in a timeframe that suits them.

This requires levels of collaboration that are currently being built, but also requires

additional political will to create the environment in which it can happen in a supportive way.

The National Electrification Skills Framework offers benefits for all who care that we drive towards a low carbon future.

It gives employers a forum within which they can discuss their skills needs, identify the most appropriate interventions and trial approaches to meet them, whether through short courses, apprenticeships, or school-level interventions. It gives training providers opportunities to engage and bring their expertise and experience to bear in meeting industry needs, providing crucial guidance on how best to develop their capacity and capabilities to meet local and regional needs. It gives accrediting bodies opportunities to engage with wider employer groups to better understand needs and to reflect these more effectively in accreditation work. It gives learners access to a quality-assured stream of highly relevant learning opportunities that will help them to grow their careers, often in roles paying well above national average wages. And, of course, the framework gives politicians a greater confidence that the UK

ABOVE: Work is ongoing in power electronics, motors & drives with development focused on driving both the manufacture & use of new technologies will have the ability to meet the ambitious but essential goals they have set on reaching net zero.

Be part of the programme So far, the development of the NESF has been driven by almost 80 industry partners, educators, and other stakeholders. Much has been done to develop and curate immediate interventions for the automotive and commercial vehicles sectors, as well as short and longer term interventions for the rapidly growing cell and battery manufacturing sector. Work is ongoing in power electronics, motors and drives with development focused on driving both the manufacture and use of new technologies.

We want to draw more voices into this programme. Employers, learning providers and awarding bodies, professional bodies, and statutory and regulatory authorities all have a role to play in building a framework that delivers what the UK needs now and in years to come.

There is a huge opportunity to reshape the way that education and skills are delivered in the UK. The National Electrification Skills Framework is a blueprint others can follow to address other challenges posed by the 2050 net zero pledge. It is an approach built on collaboration and quality with social values at its core. This is how the UK can build back better in a sustainable and responsible way whilst looking over the horizon to address future challenges and meet them head on.

Want to get involved? Contact us at electrification-skills@hvm.catapult.org.uk.

THE INTERVIEW

The biggest contributing factor in achieving net zero by 2050 will be electrification

Piers Grumett, Group Operations Director, Megger

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A manufacturing

powerhouse Megger hasn’t just survived the past 18 months, it has thrived. Despite a dip in demand, the challenges of remote working and ongoing supplier disruptions, the company has completed two acquisitions and is on track for a record-breaking year. Jonny Williamson reports

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egger has been a global leader in electrical test and measurement for more than 130 years. The products it manufactures cover almost every application within the electrical supply industry, from generation and transmission to distribution and consumption.

Founded in London and headquartered in Dover, Megger’s footprint now encompasses nine production sites in the UK, Germany, Sweden and the US, and more than 40 sales offices across the globe.

A healthy appetite for growth by acquisition has seen the company acquire seven businesses or associated assets since 2018, with a further two currently in development.

With major changes in how power is being generated and distributed, the conservative

behaviour of many energy providers and a growing emphasis on ‘electrification’ from every side, what does the future hold?

We sat down with Group Operations Director, Piers Grumett, to find out.

What was the senior leadership team’s immediate response to COVID-19 and resulting lockdown?

Piers Grumett: The board’s strategy, right from the beginning, was simple – protect our people, support our customers and preserve our cash. Protecting our people involved putting appropriate control and safety measures in place to minimise transmission, and safeguarding as many jobs as possible.

Supporting our customers is just good sales relations, with the big shift being the move from

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ALL IMAGES: MEGGER

MAIN PIC: Megger’s manufacturing footprint now encompasses nine sites in the UK, Germany, Sweden and US

face-to-face to online. Preserving cash was about scaling back on investments and travel, which wasn’t really an option anyway. That only lasted a few months, however, because the dip in work came back relatively quickly. In fact, all our facilities remained open throughout the pandemic.

Demand fluctuated but a large part of what we produce goes into electrical utilities, which obviously needed to keep the power flowing and the lights on. Clearly, however, there has been a shift in where electricity is needed away from large traditional centres like office blocks as large numbers of people began working remotely.

We did make use of government support schemes and the support provided, but for a shorter period than many because demand soon picked back up.

The problem then changed to a supply chain issue, and that’s by far the biggest challenge we’re facing today.

What have you done to resolve, or minimise, that disruption?

A number of things. We’ve explored using alternative suppliers, like many others have done. We reengineered some of our products where we could find a similar component that required small

changes and available at lower costs and/or shorter lead times. That entailed extra costs, but it reflects our strategy to support the customer. .

Other businesses may have decided not to invest and told customers that lead times will just be longer. We’ve chosen to spend extra on re-engineering or buying components at a slightly higher price in order to keep our customers supplied.

We’ve taken advantage of what was available within the supply chains of our other production sites, and part of our business continuity plan includes making sure the capabilities of each site aren’t too dissimilar. That makes it easier to shift production from one site to another.

We’ve also brought some manufacturing in-house, where possible, for easily fabricated items such as internal fittings for test vans. Though, I imagine that will almost all return back into the supply chain because the cost difference in manufacturing it inhouse is quite high. Assembling a few dozen items by hand is incomparable to a high-speed automated line at one of our suppliers.

We do already have a software package that helps with our supply chain planning, but how to achieve greater visibility and more accurate forecasting is something I’m keen to learn more about at Digital Manufacturing Week.

Given the bespoke nature of your product portfolio, what have you done to make your manufacturing operations as flexible as possible?

In 2019, we introduced a new company-wide operating system based on a set of principles and practices developed by ourselves and other successful companies around the world.

The Megger Excellence System is a continuous improvement methodology to help us create value, eliminate waste and develop our people and processes to make our business predictably reliable.

On the production side, we are standardising work and setting up mixed model cells capable of manufacturing multiple products while maintaining the flow mentality that is so integral to Lean.

Manufacturing flexibility may come through having various carts loaded with product-specific parts and materials positioned around each cell; or it may come via process ‘islands’ capable of doing similar tasks located together.

Our aim is for MES to be fully embedded by mid2023. The first fundamental to be implemented was visual management, which was already in place to some degree in many of our operations.

As well as the expected production KPIs, visual management also includes ‘Short-term Interval Control’, which means acting quickly using problem solving tools when we see performance deviate from our target or standard.

I’ve really emphasised the importance of understanding the principles and fundamentals of operational excellence. You can have all the tools in the world, but if you don’t understand how the tool works and what is does, it’s not going to get used and the business won’t receive the benefit.

Having made an acquisition, what’s your process for integrating them into the Megger family? It sounds like the Megger Excellence System will be beneficial to that?

Is automation a development your exploring within your own operation?

Many of our products are low volume and bespoke, so trying to justify heavy automation is difficult.

However, the recent advances in collaborative robots are very interesting because the machines are now available at a lower price point than even a few years ago.

Cobots provide the opportunity to introduce small automated stations as part of the assembly line for certain repetitive tasks or to help improve safety, with human workers either side of them.

Indeed, a couple of our manufacturing sites are looking at doing exactly that.

ABOVE: The MFT1741 multifunction tester provides all the tests required to complete the necessary electrical certification for industrial wiring installations

Absolutely. Some of our acquisitions have been specific product lines or assets, so that’s just a case of bringing that knowledge or IP into one of our existing sites and putting it on our system.

For businesses with their own ERP system, for example, we tend to leave them for six months while we analyse their operation and make a plan for migrating them onto our system.

In one instance, we acquired part of a business and we had no choice but to carve them out of their ERP and put them onto ours straight away.

That's probably the most challenging example because of the tight timeline involved.

What’s your take on how the energy market is changing?

A big change has been the shift towards online measurement and monitoring, something we’ve responded to within our product range.

INTERVIEW MEGGER

For me to invest in digital tools and technologies, I need to see the proven ROI for those who’ve already invested

Last year, for example, we introduced our new CertSuite package, a cloud-based solution that can be used on almost any device – smartphone, tablet, laptop or desktop computer – in any location, whether or not internet access is available.

Our contractor customers tell us time and again how important it is for them to save time on jobs and one of the biggest timesavers is for them to change from manual completion of certificates to a software-based solution.

More and more of our base units and equipment comes equipped with a software package offering reporting, analytics and insights, and increasingly that is all happening online. Part of our strategy is certainly to grow in that area.

To help fuel that growth, earlier this year, we announced a strategic partnership with Intelligent Process Solutions (IPS) Group to co-develop online condition monitoring equipment and services, and asset performance management and insights through advanced data analytics.

Demand for physical test equipment is a slow-growing, mature market; but it is growing, particularly as developing countries install more capacity. There are also increasing challenges within Europe and the US in terms of where electricity is being generated and how it flows around the grid.

Historically, large utility companies generated power and distributed it to end users. The flow was one-way. Now, you have end users generating energy for themselves, you have lots of distributed energy resources such as wind farms, and electricity is flowing in both directions.

That has significantly changed how electricity flows around the grid. There is a huge opportunity for Megger to help support electrification, the massadoption of electric vehicles, and the whole drive towards net zero.

How is this transformation impacting your operation?

The products we manufacture today are for testing the assets. I don't see that there'll be any rapid change in those assets; it's more about managing how power flows through and around those assets in the most efficient way possible. And that’s something Megger excels at.

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ABOVE: The SVERKER 900 relay and substation test system addresses the need for three-phase testing capability in industrial applications, among others

Megger is on track to break all its performance records this year. What do you believe lies behind such success?

Our people, unquestionably. Our people are great, they know their stuff and take the initiative. As leaders, our job is to support their development and help when needed. Yes, we provide the overarching strategy and set the culture, introduce initiatives like the Megger Excellence System, but each of our centres largely behaves autonomously.

What’s key is having local leaders and strong teams who are focused on making sure each centre is performing and targets are being met. That enables the directors to step back, look at the bigger picture and plan for the future – whatever it may bring.

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More information www.megger.com/

SUPPLY CHAIN PARTNER CONTENT

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THE AGE OF DISR Manufacturing businesses need to accept that predictable and steady-state supply and demand are a thing of the past and harness the power of data to build resilience into the supply chain, argues Kearney’s Nigel Pekenc

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he past 18 months have exposed the fragility of global supply chains, most recently illustrated by profound supply-demand mismatches – from fuel to labour, engineering services to basic commodities. From the first days of the pandemic, we saw major disruptions and shortages as panic buying, factory closures and border constraints took hold. In early 2021, the blocking of the Suez Canal by the Ever Given cargo ship also reminded us just how vulnerable supply chains are to single choke points.

Global trade is intricately linked across a few single links in the supply chain that, when they break, can lead to catastrophic implications cascading down. Manufacturers need to be adaptable, maintain visibility in deeper tiers of supply and maintain dual sourcing options in case such of such breakages in the chain. During the pandemic, resilient manufacturers showed how, beyond protecting their business, they were able to gain share from less resilient competitors by back-filling critical path supply when others were out of stock and slowing down capacity and adjusting the cost-base when demand was down.

End-to-end supply chain visibility As in any human organisation, communication is key. Achieving resilience in supply chains is often about getting information flows right than physical flows. And getting those information flows

right rests on access to supply chain data in real time, particularly when demand and supply constraints change much more rapidly than usual planning time-buckets allow for.

Encouraging information sharing between parties across the end-to-end value chain is crucial. Digital advancements have already reduced the cost of collaboration massively, allowing for immediate access to key information. However, these advancements don’t always guarantee the sharing of critical information which might be considered sensitive by one of the parties involved.

Whilst tricky to negotiate, many have shown that ensuring joint access securely is possible. Third party management of data, the kind found in supply chain ‘cleanrooms’, allows each party access to critical data without sensitive information falling into the wrong hands. Allowing third parties to manage data is not yet universally practised, despite the fact it could minimise disruption.

How can it be achieved?

In one recent example, Kearney partnered with a global ingredients manufacturer to connect through the chain with its vendors through a ‘cleanroom’. While the manufacturer supplied projected growth and plans for incremental capacity, their vendors disclosed land costs and manufacturing footprints.

Neither party was compelled to share more than they were

Global trade is intricately linked across a few single links in the supply chain that, when they break, can lead to catastrophic implications cascading down through the chain comfortable with and Kearney, acting as a communication intermediary, was able to optimise the results for each business involved. Greater communication and the coordination of data meant that the entire supply chain became more efficient, mitigating potential future disruptions.

Furthermore, true resilience comes from a lot more than just holding more stock to manage uncertainty. Decision makers now have access to a whole host of data from their systems allowing them to make smart and fast decisions. Supply chain organisations must acknowledge the need to overhaul traditional ‘time-bucket’ planning processes and can apply technology to

UPTION Fig. 1

Nigel Pekenc Principal at Kearney

transform, for example, using demand sensing and supply chains that are built to pivot around demand shifts in real-time.

Bolster resilience Investment in advanced automation and robotics, particularly in warehousing, can support resilience. Artificial intelligence technologies that learn from past experience can also optimise decision-making more economically, for example, in deciding how much stock to hold depending on demand and supply factors.

Beyond technology, cultural change should never be overlooked. A resilient supply chain necessitates agility in the organisation, achieved by process-oriented and crossfunctional teams and often the abandonment of rigid policies.

Fixed rules which can’t be broken make supply chains inflexible and weaken the ability to adapt. If manufacturing businesses empower decision-makers to make decisions within trade-off envelopes and advocate a flexible approach to problem solving, managing disruption becomes far easier. Support them with end-to-end supply chain visibility where hundreds of demand scenarios can be modelled against alternative supply responses and resilience increases even further.

Future disruption The Resiliency Compass helps organisations identify priorities, manage risks and define sustainable strategies to navigate uncertainty and gain competitive advantage.

Our survey of 400 senior executives found that only 12 per cent of companies are sufficiently protected against future disruption. The remaining 88 per cent require significant corrective action to become resilience leaders.

Resilience leaders are at the forefront of the transition into the future of operations management. They are characterised by the following qualities, which correspond to dimensions on the Resiliency Compass (see figure 1 left): 1. Simplified product portfolio design 2. Smart customer orientation 3. Financial visibility and agility 4. Diversified customer distribution network 5. Robust and transparent logistics 6. Responsive manufacturing setup 7. Strategic supplier relationships 8. Advanced planning tools

Please visit Kearney.com to view the full whitepaper and learn more about navigating global value chain disruption.

K www.Kearney.com

The next unexpected event The past few years have shown us that the ‘black swan’ can take many different shapes. Supply-demand imbalances are likely to abate and demand patterns normalise in the midterm but what comes next is anyone’s guess, from rampant inflation to escalating trade wars. In any of those possibilities, getting ahead of the curve in supply chain resilience will be key for manufacturers.

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DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

DIGITAL TWINS AND WHY IGNORING THEM MEANS DOUBLE TROUBLE

Paul Ceely, Director of Technology Strategy at Digital Catapult, looks at Digital Twins, including how we’ll see their value increase in the not too distant future and how they may be the only way to address the systemic sustainability and resilience questions facing the supply chain.

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D

igital Twins. I bet you’re thinking, I’ve heard of them - but I probably couldn’t explain them to someone in detail.

Actually, Google trends indicate that over the past five years, the number of searches for the topic has increased by 400 per cent. Unhelpfully, the concept of a ‘digital twin’ has long been the subject of hype and a string of confusing definitions, causing a lot of uncertainty and reticence amongst businesses.

In their most simple form, digital twins are systems that gather or present data from the physical, ‘real’ world. This data is then used to build a model in the digital world (‘the twin’) which carries out analyses and enables smarter decision making in the physical world.

Throughout the course of history, we’ve seen the ‘twin’ concept – but with less of a digital element - used in many major industries.

For example, in the second world war, model ships were used in a control room to map the locations of ships on the Normandy coastline. Live data was radioed from the front line to update the location of these models and allow for better, more strategic decision making.

Digital twins take this concept in the present day - and involve coupling a physical asset or process to a virtual or digital representation - with an output enabling a function or action.

Widespread confusion Digital Twins have the potential to be powerful, but with so many definitions, options and applications, they are yet to fully take flight in industry. At Digital Catapult, we increasingly see that many companies either do not know what digital twins are, or are left scratching their heads when it comes to applications or benefits to their business.

Multiple digital technologies are required to get the most out of digital twins - such as artificial intelligence, high-performance connectivity, visualisation techniques, and IoT with powerful compute and simulation requirements - which are potentially complex and expensive today.

This leads to another barrier to their adoption: namely businesses being assured that they will get a good return on investment, by proving their worth as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible.

Why should you care?

Fully predictive digital twins have the capability to dynamically automate decision making both in operation and planning and forecasting; we’re a little way off this being mainstream, but this use case is starting to emerge and could be completely transformative when it comes to cutting costs, waste and improving assets’

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Robust, reliable and highperformance digital infrastructure is the key to live, digital coupling – enabling digital twins to take flight lifecycles. They are particularly helpful for complex systems which would otherwise be hard to address by a person in real-time.

As with all digital innovation, digital twins should be fully embedded in strategic digital transformation programmes or challenges that need solving from the outset. Tacking them on as an afterthought at the end of a project would be like starting from scratch. If this happens, companies can enter a ‘pilot purgatory’, where new concepts get stuck between seed and shelf.

Experimentation equals innovation Alongside sectors like engineering and architecture, manufacturing invests one the highest levels of R&D spend in the UK, but investment tends to be focused on product innovation rather than digital technology applications.

That said, manufacturing is an area where advanced digital technologies such as digital twins can have the most direct

impact, for example optimising the production process or design, or predictive maintenance for equipment or in-life products. For this reason, we are starting to see some leading digital twin implementations in the manufacturing area.

Research centres like the recently-launched University of Exeter’s DIGIT Lab are working with Digital Catapult to pinpoint these challenges, and help large businesses use digital technology to transform their business strategies, as we start to look beyond challenges like coronavirus and plan for growth.

Early adopters are the disruptors Thankfully, we are seeing many customers turn up the heat when it comes to experimenting with advanced technologies. Over the last few years, many have seen pretty much all areas of their lives go ‘digital’, which means the bar is naturally high. There’s a big expectation from organisations that wherever technology could be developed or applied for gains, it should be – though I’d caution that isn’t always necessarily true.

However, sustainability and resilience are two priority challenges that are emerging. Quite rightly, net zero and slashing waste have risen dramatically up the agenda, while the political and economic tremors of the past few years have really opened companies’ eyes to future-proofing their organisations and preparing for different eventualities. These are systemic problems, for example, optimising for waste in one part of the chain often drives up waste in another part - unless it is viewed as a whole.

The early adopters will become the disruptors, setting the agenda for digital twins with the potential to leave their competitors lagging behind.

IMAGE: ALEXANDER TOLSTYKH/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Resilient and sustainable Digital twins promise to deliver in both these areas. In industries like construction, digital twins and Building Information modelling have huge potential to make not only the design and construction process associated with our buildings greener, but also the operation and long-term asset management.

An example is Proctor & Gamble Amiens, a manufacturing plant that embraced Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies to accommodate a consistent volume increase of 30 per cent over three years through digital twin technology. This led to 6 per cent lower inventory levels, 10 per cent improvement in overall equipment effectiveness and a 40 per cent reduction in scrap waste.

Meanwhile, connected digital twins can provide industry with the ability to improve cross-supply chain visibility, reveal critical new insights and help us carry out predictive scenario analysis. By simulating process operations, and with flexibility on parameters, digital twins can allow us to better optimise our operations in a challenging, fast-changing world.

Eventually, this could be revolutionary not just for companies on an individual basis, but right across supply chains, which have too long been subject to poor information flow. All companies must step up and play their part when it comes to improving data sharing and scenario-planning; the current rethink involves bringing the majority of the supply chain together to actually make it work - forcing digital supply chains from the top down is simply not feasible.

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More information www.digicatapult.org.uk

While digital twin applications and proven benefits are still developing, it’s better to strike while the iron’s hot.

Paul Ceely Director of Technology Strategy, Digital Catapult

Supercharged by 5G Robust, reliable and high-performance digital infrastructure is the key to live, digital coupling – enabling digital twins to take flight and the acquisition of high-quality, secure data is enabled by a wide range of connectivity technologies. In manufacturing, these technologies are predominantly wired, meaning organisations have faced a number of barriers to advancing digital twin technologies.

Until recently, wireless future network technologies have lacked the security, reliability and performance to compete. Now, we have Industrial 5G, WiFi 6 and LPWAN to name but a few – all of which, excitingly, are reaching a state of maturity to make live digital coupling cheap, secure, flexible and interoperable.

Get ahead of the game The next year or so promises to bring about a step-change in digital twin development. As more facilities pop up that support their adoption with processes, tools, and assets, through various use cases, I expect that we’ll see their value being demonstrated even more, helping accelerate their adoption across industries - with manufacturing set to benefit immeasurably.

This trend promises to be more than a buzzword. Digital twins are one of the best ways to address complex systems, and connected digital twins may be the only way to address systemic questions around sustainability and resilience across the supply chain.

While digital twin applications and proven benefits are still developing, it’s better to strike while the iron’s hot. Read up, research what applications are emerging in your industry and have a conversation with an expert about digital twins today to see what they could do for your business.

Paul Ceely is the Director of Technology Strategy at Digital Catapult. He has over 20 years experience in technology and network strategy, covering strategy and solutions for mobile, internet, security, network management and technology evolution in general. He is responsible for the medium to long-term technology strategy for Digital Catapult, looking at future digital technology landscape and identifying priority areas to focus on.

SUSTAINABILITY

Funding for a better future Ben Peace from KTN talks through some initiatives that can help make businesses more sustainable, resilient and competitive

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here’s never been a better time to think about the future. We’ve all been through a period of great change and there’s a sense that there’s more to come.

Never have we seen so many headlines about climate change and resource shortages such as gas and petrol.

Appetite for a new, greener economy is there from government, industry and consumers alike. This shift might look different to every business. How will you make what you make better, more efficiently? How will you deal with resource price fluctuations?

How will you compete in a new greener, ever more global economy? How can what you make deliver more value to customers, to society? How can the valuable materials be recovered and reused and, in doing so, create more revenues for your business?

What products might you make in the future?

Maybe some featured in the government’s 10-point plan for a green industrial revolution published earlier this year?

The government and its agencies recognise that industry needs funding, support and the right connections in order

Ben Peace is Knowledge Transfer Manager - Sustainable Manufacturing at KTN

to change with the time, to plan for the longer term. I’m privileged here at KTN to be working to support businesses big and small, across sectors, that are making the change.

One key tool we help provide access to is funding and in my time here at KTN there has never been so much that is targeted at manufacturers. Two particular strands I’m currently involved with helping to scope are detailed below. Interested businesses will need to develop a project proposal for Innovate UK and funds are awarded to the best projects to cover a proportion of the project costs and thereby de-risk your innovation:

K https://apply-for-innovation-funding.

Circular Economy for SMEs This is a relatively small competition (a £1m pot funding approximately 20 projects).

Projects must demonstrate how you will create a step-change in the adoption of circular economy approaches such as repair, reuse, remanufacture, recycling and regeneration. The competition also provides an opportunity to work with five national interdisciplinary circular economy research centres. The closing date is 8 December.

There are also dedicated competitions out now or coming shortly on:

service.gov.uk/competition/1021/overview Sustainable Smart Factory Part of the Made Smarter Innovation Challenge, this is a much larger competition (£20m) which will help manufacturers big and small, across sectors, to investigate how digital technologies can help identify and deliver resource and energy savings within the factory. We are running a full briefing event on 9 November and some in-person networking in our Made Smarter Theatre at the Smart Factory Expo. This competition closes late January 2022.

Industrial Energy Transformation Fund – designed to help energy intensive industries and businesses with high energy use to cut their energy bills and carbon emissions.

BELOW: Developing new, more sustainable strategies is a challenge for the entire manufacturing sector

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THOUSANDS of manufacturers are attending… are you?

Researched & produced by:

FINAL chance to register – secure your ticket for Digital Manufacturing Week. bit.ly/DMW_MAG21

SUSTAINABILITY

It’s the businesses that think about the future that will be shaping it.

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Supports the commercial roll out and permanent installation of technologies at industrial sites, rather than general research, development and testing of a technology solution. A £60m pot closing 6 December, for the following project types: • Studies - feasibility and engineering studies to enable companies to investigate identified energy efficiency and decarbonisation projects prior to making an investment decision • Energy efficiency - deployment of technologies to reduce industrial energy consumption • Deep decarbonisation - deployment of technologies to achieve industrial emissions savings.

Industrial Energy Efficiency Accelerator – open to all UK industry sectors that can demonstrate either a novel technology, or the use of an established technology in a novel way, to result in a reduction in carbon emissions, through decreases in energy consumption and/ or improvements in resource efficiency. £8m of funding in total. Grant funding of £150,000 to £1m will typically be

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available for each successful project.

Closes January 2022.

Transforming Foundation Industries Demonstrators – supporting large projects (up to 2-years and greater than £5m in size) for the foundation industries (metals, ceramics, glass, chemicals, paper and cement). Focused on the demonstration of the future technology required to improve the productivity and competitiveness of UK foundation industries, piloted at active foundation industry sites, de-risking future deployment for all foundation industries.

KTN is running the briefing events for most of these, and can help you: • u nderstand which competition is right for your business • understand the process for applying • fi nd the kind of partners that will make your project compelling (e.g. the right expertise, providers of the right solutions) Take a look at our website (below) for more information. And come along to Smart Factory Expo where KTN staff will be on hand to help you exploit these

For more information visit: ktn-uk.org

ABOVE: Digital transformation, as well as improving factory operations, is a key pillar in creating energy efficiencies opportunities. (Please note that some of these competitions are still in the planning stages and details may change before launch.)

It’s the businesses that think about the future that will be shaping it. Make the most of this unprecedented number of opportunities, and help create a better, more prosperous future.

KTN’s manufacturing support has a mission to help industry make things better and make better things. We help the UK manufacturing sector to grow more productive, resilient and successful thanks to the connections we make - to the great ideas, creativity and research that our country is famous for.

KTN also has a strategic role building new communities that tackle challenges and opportunities, and shaping and providing access to funding.

Ben has a background in product design and engineering. After 10 years in industry (fuel cells, solar panels, zero emission vehicles etc.) and consultancy, Ben joined the Environmental Sustainability KTN back in 2011. Particular interests include circular economy, remanufacturing, Industry 4.0, design, business model innovation, and tools.

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Drive innovation, profitability and growth in manufacturing with master data management Create a window of transparency that unlocks the value of your manufacturing data using Stibo Systems’ Multidomain Master Data Management solutions.

Visit stibosystems.com/manufacturing to learn more.

SUSTAINABILITY PARTNER CONTENT

A tale of two cities From the Paris Agreement to COP26 in Glasgow, John Robinson, a Strategic Client Advisor within SAP’s global manufacturing and Industry 4.0 team, looks at whether industry has shown enough leadership on climate change.

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It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.

- Charles Dickens The paragraph above was written 162 years ago and yet, I think, it is a perfect summary of where we are today in late 2021. Our knowledge and understanding of the universe, together with the advances in technology are truly awe-inspiring. In that respect, it is the best of times.

At the same time, however, we face a global climate change crisis of our own creation and we seem unable to avert the disaster. So, in many ways, it is also the worst of times.

Sustainability and the climate crisis are currently hot topics in industry (no pun intended). Critics will say that industry is paying lip service to this issue and that the efforts being shown are nothing more than a reactive response to market demand.

The demands regarding sustainability mainly come from two sources: government regulation and customers. Failing to meet these needs could have a financial impact on an organisation.

Financial penalties, lower profits, loss of market share and brand damage are just some of the factors that lead to the development of new products and services. A cynic might even argue that ESG criteria are only important due to the need to secure investment.

The changing market demand on manufacturers places the same demands on the supplier ecosystem and results in them also bringing new technologies, products and services to market. If the suppliers don’t respond, then they too face the same financial consequences as the manufacturers.

With that in mind, I would like you to think about the following question: How much of the innovation that we are seeing is reactive to market conditions and driven by commercial considerations?

Then ask yourself the following: How much of what industry is doing is proactive and driven by the need to solve the climate change problem?

Whilst I don’t have a fact-based answer to share with you, my experience tells me the vast majority are the former.

If a concept was perceived as risky or didn’t meet the investment and profitability criteria for an organisation, would they still do it? What if a solution could only generate a small profit or break even but had a big impact on the climate problem? Would they still do it?

My view is that the majority wouldn’t. So why is that the case when we are facing a disaster?

We must consider the dynamics at play in the overall business environment we are a part of. In a large organisation, how often is an entrepreneur or an inventor also the CEO? My limited understanding of psychometric profiling would suggest to me that the answer is not very often. I like to think of myself as a creative person who tries to think outside the box but, I also know that I do not have the desire or discipline to be a CEO. Late last year, Elon Musk made some controversial comments about too many MBA’s running corporate America. People may question his methods and bluntness but, in principle, I agree with the point he was making. If our industry leaders are all taught to run organisations in the same way and they are all measured by the same success criteria, then it stands to reason that deviations from the norm will not see the light of day.

Albert Einstein is often quoted as saying “Everybody is a genius.

But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” How many amazing ideas and inventions are still on the drawing board because they didn’t pass the corporate tree climbing test?

Just over 12 months ago, I developed an idea for a highly disruptive new business model. If this model is adopted it will bring about a paradigm shift in global manufacturing and one that will have a hugely positive impact on the climate.

IMAGE: RUPERT RIVETT/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

IMAGE: ALEXANDER TOLSTYKH/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Maybe the current MBA model is too focussed on the mass production of leaders and not enough emphasis is on creating a batch size of one.

John Robinson is a Strategic Client Advisor within SAP’s global manufacturing and Industry 4.0 team

Since then, I have been challenging the status quo with my idea but there is a very real possibility it will just fade away.

Almost everyone I have explained the concept to understand it and agree that it makes a lot of sense. Only a few however seem prepared to act and I know why.

The answer is ‘The Five Monkeys Parable’. In short, it is because “that’s the way we’ve always done it”. Some people won’t challenge or question the way we do things even if they can see it doesn’t make sense. It doesn’t follow the business model and it is not how they are measured. This is a problem in the middle management layer but the root cause is the business model they are told to follow by leadership.

I think that what Elon Musk was criticising is the system that creates our business leaders. It provides them with a very formulaic ‘curriculum’ and measures success on a specific set of mainly financial driven KPI’s. Maybe the current MBA model is too focussed on the mass production of leaders and not enough emphasis is on creating a batch size of one.

Many people are taking direct action on the climate by protesting and I completely agree with the urgent need for change.

At the end of the day, however, we live in the real world and it is a world driven by economies. Until altruism and Life-Centred Design become more important on the curriculum, the inventors and entrepreneurs will have to become better at learning how to sell ‘value’ to each stakeholder in the system. How does the solution help them improve their KPI’s? Because "it is the right thing to do" is not good enough, yet. A lesson I am learning every day.

Challenging the status quo is very difficult but luckily, my idea is gathering momentum. A growing number of stakeholders are now seeing the value to them as well as the greater good and discussing what it will take to make it a success.

The concept, the need for change, the value it offers to your organisation and the challenges will be discussed in a panel of leading figures at The Manufacturing Leaders’ Summit on the 10 November in Liverpool. Please join the session to understand more and join the discussion.

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INNOVATION & DESIGN

DON’T MISS

Simon Edmonds, Innovate UK’s Deputy Executive Chair and Chief Business Officer

Made Smarter Innovation Alley 2021

Feedback!

All feedback gratefully received.

Twitter: @SJSEdmonds K www.gov.uk/government/people/ simon-edmonds

This month’s Smart Factory Expo provides an excellent opportunity to meet some of the UK’s most innovative businesses. Simon Edmonds previews this year’s Made Smarter Innovation Alley, previews the latest plans for Innovate UK’s regional engagement events, and outlines three funding opportunities for manufacturers 36

F

ifty of the most innovative businesses are exhibiting at this year’s Made Smarter Innovation Alley.

Located at the very heart of Smart Factory Expo, the exhibition is a good opportunity to see the latest disruptive technology businesses who will be showcasing their gamechanging innovations targeting the UK’s manufacturing sector.

Innovate UK and KTN are pleased once again to be working alongside The Manufactaurer, to provide a platform to new and developing technologies that will change the landscape of manufacturing over the next five to 10 years.

ABOVE: The Innovate Local Programme is now in its 5th year

Innovate Local: Go Beyond the Limits The Innovate Local Programme is a suite of regional engagement events where we work with local stakeholders to create an event that addresses regional innovation priorities and workshops to help businesses learn more about the grants and innovation process.

Our objective is to reach out to local businesses and demonstrate the types and levels of support available. In addition, to inspire them to look at innovation in their business through the presentation and panel sessions.

The Programme is now in its 5th year, and the dates coming up are: 25 November 2021 – West Midlands 15 December 2021 – East Midlands January 2022 – North West February 2022 – South West March 2022 – East of England March 2022 – South East For more information or to get involved in Innovate Local, please contact Natasha Sim, Innovate Local Project Manager at K www.ktn-uk.org/people/natasha-sim/

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INNOVATION & DESIGN

Other funding opportunities:

Circular economy for SMEs

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The ‘circular economy’ is becoming a key theme for manufacturers, with customers, regulations and sustainability goals driving for the use of fewer resources and the reuse and recovery of products and materials, instead of disposing of them after use. This in turn creates opportunities for enterprising organisations to capitalise on new business models and have greater resilience against supply chain disruptions.

Applications are open for a new Innovate UK led competition to enable Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to address the challenges of transitioning to a circular economy. This competition is part of the UKRI National Interdisciplinary Circular Economy Research (NICER) programme, allowing businesses to collaborate with five thematic centres covering: - Chemicals (specifically olefins) - Textiles - Mineral-based construction materials - Metals (e.g. For aerospace and automotive) - Technology metals (e.g. Cobalt, rare earths, lithium).

Although the project sizes are relatively small in this competition (£50-100k), we hope that the broad range of expertise covered by the centres will enable businesses to address some of the trickier questions that face those looking at increased circularity, such as customer perception of leasing a product, understanding material flows through value chains, or testing whether a circular model is actually more sustainable on a full life cycle basis.

For more information please see K www.ukri.org/ opportunity/?filter_council%5B%5D=822 The closing date for applications is 8 December 2021.

K

For more information visit www.ukri.org/councils/innovate-uk

Innovate UK Smart Grants UK registered organisations can apply for a share of up to £25m for game-changing and commercially viable research and development (R&D) innovation that can significantly impact the UK economy. For further details please see K https://apply-forinnovation-funding.service.gov.uk/ competition/1035/overview The closing date for applications is Wednesday 5 January 2022 Knowledge transfer partnerships (KTP): 2021 to 2022, round 4 - UK registered academic institutions, research and technology organisations (RTOs) or Catapults can apply for a share of up to £8m to fund innovation projects with businesses or not-for-profits. The closing date for applications is 1 December 2021. For more information please see K https://apply-forinnovation-funding.service.gov.uk/ competition/1034/overview The knowledge transfer partnership (KTP) scheme helps businesses in the UK to innovate and grow. It does this by linking them with an academic or research organisation and a graduate.

A KTP enables a business to bring in new skills and the latest academic thinking to deliver a specific, strategic innovation project through a knowledge-based partnership.

The academic partner (known as the Knowledge Base) will help to develop the project, provide academic input and recruit a suitable graduate, known as an associate. They will act as the employer of the associate, who then works at the business for the majority of the project.

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MONTHLY

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Concise deep dives in to specific topics led by industry specialists. Watch a back catalogue of practical how-to webinars on demand, or watch live and ask questions to stay on top of the latest trends and technologies with our fortnightly schedule.

The home for directors and C-Suite of manufacturing businesses interested in networking with their peers.

Regular virtual roundtable discussions over a glass of wine, focussed on key business issues to drive efficiency, sustainability, and innovation. Apply to join: directorsforum@hennikgroup.com

themanufacturer.com/webinars

21 APR 2022

MAY 2022 Location TBC

Location TBC

EFFICIENCY AND GROWTH

INSIGHT AT SCALE

Data-minded manufacturing leaders will be coming together for the fourth year to discuss the role of data in their business.

They will be exchanging views on the best practice to collect, process, store, analyse and monetise data to turn it into actions that create significant business value.

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Automation-minded manufacturing professionals will be coming together to examine how to successfully expand the use of automation such as robots, cobots, wearables, CNC and vision inspection within their manufacturing operations. manufacturing-robotics.uk

industrial-data.uk

.,

JUL 2022

JUN 2022

Location TBC

Location TBC

REDUCE, RE-USE, REMANUFACTURE & RECYCLE

Sustainable Manufacturing Symposium welcomes 100 sustainability-minded leaders for a day of keynotes and interactive discussions providing the opportunity to virtually gather with their peers to discuss the role of sustainability in their business. The online Symposium platform will bring together all attendees in a single virtual room – concentrating the event’s focus on a series of high-profile content sessions. sustainable-manufacturing.uk

Find out more: www.themanufacturer.com/events

DEVELOP, DISRUPT & TRANSFORM

Digital-minded manufacturing leaders will be discussing how to successfully plan and implement a digitalisation strategy across their businesses.

The symposium will investigate key issues such as organisational and operational change, upskilling the workforce and when and where to implement enabling technologies. manufacturing-digitalisation.com

2021-2022 EVENTS 08-12 NOV 2021

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Join thousands of visitors, have important conversations, and expand your professional network.

Read on to find out more about the core events...

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For the sixth year, Smart Factory Expo brings together all the technologies enabling the digital manufacturing revolution – creating a carefully-curated shop window for manufacturers at all stages of their digital journey.

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41

INNOVATION & DESIGN

Fleur Doidge is a contributing writer to The Manufacturer and TM.com

Decoupling carbon from your food & drink 42

Data-based insights are driving decarbonisation through precision agriculture, ultimately delivering improvements undreamed of from farm gate to manufacturers of food and drink. Fleur Doidge investigates

I

n manufacturing, it's about smarter factories using data to streamline and innovate at every step. In farming, the trend is known as precision agriculture.

With the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report calling for urgent action to minimise climate change, farming, like most industries, is set to come under intensifying scrutiny. Yet we must have food.

Data-driven precision agricultural techniques applied to the methods of production look set to supply at least part of the answer. At the other end, this can also mean further development of technologies for precision fermentation of proteins – producing 'new' foods such as non-dairy 'cheeses' and meat alternatives.

According to an announcement quoting dairy co-operative and manufacturer Arla Foods UK's Agriculture Director Alice Swift, all farms can improve sustainability alongside profitability through precision farming, supporting crop yields and better land use.

"Lowering your footprint is all about finding the right balance between the resources that go in and the value that comes out," she says.

Less waste and faster results Feeding dairy cows more efficiently and precisely can improve milk yields, as Arla's data shows. Feeding only the protein levels required, for example, not only reduces waste but can develop healthier cows.

Data gleaned via soil sampling coupled with GPS can help ascertain correct fertiliser amounts for areas of soil. Only applying what is required at any time typically reduces nitrogen use; synthetic nitrogenous fertiliser is a key contributor to emissions from soils used to grow crops.

Implementing precision slurry spreading techniques, used by only about half of UK farmers, can also reduce airborne emissions of ammonia by 30 per cent to 90 per cent, data suggests – and Arla aims to reach net zero by 2050.

Kellogg’s Origins programme has also been working with farmers to develop precise technologies, data and support that will help suppliers become more efficient, reducing emissions and becoming more sustainable.

Duncan Rawson, agronomist and Partner at European Food and Farming Partnerships (EFFP), works with Kellogg's

Origins as part of his role influencing and informing long-term change, including decarbonisation.

This requires precise and accurate data that, via technology, can support farmers to make better management decisions – whether that means incorporating drones or satellites, or real-time remote sensing with connected devices and GPS that can also guide machinery working in the fields.

"If we can help farmers increase their natural utilisation rates or how much nitrogen put on is actually used by the plant rather than wasted, that has a direct benefit to the environment too," he says.

Much data generated, collected by devices including tractors or combines out in the fields, is typically recorded today, he says. However, now more farms are moving the next phase: developing and applying practical insights based on the more precise measurements, applying emerging information systems software for the farming space to clean, validate and analyse data.

"We've got a drone that's out in the field at the moment, supporting the agronomy, and providing some hard data now in

IMAGE: THE HUMBLE CO./UNSPLASH

If we're really moving down the regenerative or sustainable agriculture route that's a systems change Duncan Rawson, EFFP

IMAGE: ARLA

terms of the green (leaf) area index got across the field, and starting now to look at weed identification and those sorts of things as well, using artificial intelligence (AI), in the early stages," says Rawson.

Tech firms swing into agri-action Rawson points to data-platform company Map Of Ag as among a growing number of tech firms helping drive farm efficiency.

Its Precision Decisions subsidiary offers soil sampling, yield and grass growth tracking, telematics and more via its MiFarm geospatial mapping and AgPortal products; its vehicle-mounted Yara ALS N-Sensor ensures that optimal rates of fertiliser are applied to specific areas.

Map Of Ag Head of Sustainability Hugh Martineau agrees inefficient use of nitrogen remains a key environmental issue and driver of climate change via farming – even though its use has often been reduced already, sometimes via legislation.

"As an industry we have become accustomed to applying almost 'insurance' levels of nitrogen, using standard applications based on best-case scenario yield predictions," Martineau says.

Consequences have included water and air pollution as well as biodiversity impacts from ammonia and nitrous oxide emissions.

"It’s fair to say that nitrogen is arable production’s biggest liability," Martineau says. "The Nutrient Management Guide might state you can apply 200-220kg of N/ha to achieve a 10t/hawheat crop, but in reality that might not be necessary, as it does not take into account the soil dynamics on an individual farm."

According to Map of Ag, 26 per cent of farmers have considered investing in precision farming technologies – from GPS and variable-rate fertilising or spraying tools, to environmental or biodiversity monitoring tools, smart irrigation, or machine performance automation, monitoring and analytics.

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IMAGES: DUNCAN RAWSON

We can help farmers increase their natural utilisation rates or how much nitrogen put on is actually used by the plant KEY TAKAWAYS

> Data-based insights will also help agriculture solve other problems – including the fight against climate change > Farms and manufacturers, alongside other stakeholders, should work together for best results > More precise 'smarter' farming can lift the game with better agricultural products, whether you're looking at dairy, arable or any other sector > This will flow through with benefits for food & drink manufacturers - a key manufacturing sector in the UK

IMAGE: NANDHU KUMAR/UNSPLASH

44

> Data insights gleaned from tech are helping drive precise agricultural techniques

Rawson adds that, previously, the "right sort of data" and measurement was typically lacking to apply to the management and modelling of dynamic, constantly shifting biological systems in ways that don't exacerbate risk for the farmer who is trying to adopt new methods.

Biodiversity specifically has been an area historically difficult to quantify and manage, and data analysis can now help with working out what habitats are needed to naturally control pests – pinpointing ways to use less pesticides that can damage the environment and potentially accelerate climate change.

"With all of this, you've got to measure progress over the long term, and it's a constant battle that's started to come to a head across the industry now because of the focus on emissions," he says, adding that industry, farmers, and government need to increasingly collaborate to find the best solutions.

"It can potentially get quite tough for UK farmers post Brexit because we're coming out of the EU Common Agriculture Policy (CAP)," Rawson says. "Yet fixed costs are huge – so the opportunities to actually collaborate and share more might be huge – including benchmarking, comparing performance as a powerful tool."

Without data, it's really difficult to properly settle debates – such as whether New Zealand farmed lamb offers a lower carbon footprint than Welsh lamb, for example. And without clear facts, debates can become polarised and unhelpful. Meanwhile, progress on sustainability and the funding of 'blue sky' research needs to speed up.

"This is one of the biggest challenges we have," Rawson says. "If we're really moving down the regenerative or sustainable agriculture route that's a systems change: the way that you till your soils or fertilise, and the way you integrate animals and cover crop rotations and so on. It's not just about individual fields anymore."

Collaboration in UK innovation When it comes to collaborative efforts, Arla's 360 Innovation Farm near Aylesbury provides knowledge sharing for members and industry stakeholders alike, and serves as a test hub for trials of herd health scanning, a 'happy cow' wellbeing index being developed by monitoring individual animals via connected sensors and location data, as well as slurry emissions reduction technologies.

Scotland's Agri-EPI Centre in Mid-Lothian, with its network of satellite farms, is another beacon of R&D around precision agriculture – such as the 'healthy heifer' project that helps drive emissions reduction by delivering timely interventions that boost efficiency based on monitoring information about the genetics, nutrition, environment, activity and health of young female dairy cattle.

"Some 15 per cent of heifers fail to enter the milking herd with a further 19 per cent culled during first lactation due to poor health or injury," according to Agri-EPI Centre, which also works with partners in Kenya to improve the sustainability of smallholder millet crops.

Advanced techniques for measuring GHG emissions from soil are also being studied at the centre; the Soil Flux 360 project aims to evolve new soil and crop technologies that can help slow climate change – although CO2 accounts for 75 per cent of emissions, methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) 28 times and 310 times as potent, respectively.

"Most of these emissions come from the

CASE STUDY

Reducing impact and maintaining wheat yields In Kellogg's Great Britain Wheat project, Kellogg's teams up with farmers in Northamptonshire that grow wheat for Kellogg’s Special K cereal – identifying ways to improve yields while improving soil health and reducing environmental impacts of this agriculture. Since the project began in 2014, cover crops implemented in field trials have decreased nitrogen leaching by 40 per cent while maintaining crop yield and financial performance. A 2020 carbon emissions and removals analysis confirmed changes in one farm practices had improved nitrogen management, silvopasture (when trees and pasture for grazing animals is integrated), expanded field margins, and crop rotations while potentially slashing net emissions from the farm by 60 per cent. The worm population has also expanded by 20 per cent, which indicates biological activity and good soil health. "This result confirmed that investing in improved practices can make a significant contribution to meeting UK farming’s ambitious goal of reaching net zero by 2040," according to Kellogg's.

burning of fossil fuels for energy production, transportation, manufacturing and building but land use also plays a significant part," the centre affirms.

Faster analyses using more accurate data can help improve agricultural techniques and reduce emissions much faster; Agri-EPI Centre points to an automated chamber experiment on soil flux monitoring of strawberries by Pamona College, California, that slashed the data processing time from 68 days to just one.

Dave Fitzgerald, Head of Responsible Sourcing for Kellogg's Europe, says the cereal manufacturer sponsors sustainable development projects worldwide – from UK wheat projects to initiatives supporting Spanish rice growers, Madagascan vanilla producers, and Ecuadorian cocoa farmers.

"The UK government has committed to net zero, and more consumers are looking at the climate impact of food," he says.

"We've measured emissions across the full value chain, from farm to consumer – and you can be talking about some 70 per cent of emissions happening at the farm side, depending on the particular supply chain, so we need to be working with them."

Kellogg's works with co-operatives and other organisations that source directly from farmers, but builds a ‘strong relationship’ through its Origins programme.

Insights and statistics gleaned this way can also be used to demonstrate progress to, for example, regulators, he adds.

"Traditionally, the way things would have been measured would be to look at the practices that are being used on farms and then assume that that practice is delivering a particular outcome, but not actually measuring it because it's difficult or expensive to do," Fitzgerald says.

Emerging recipes for success Dave Freeman, Business Area Manager – Agriculture at Ricardo Energy & Environment, confirms working with Kellogg's Origins as recently as late 2020, investigating carbon on farms and their journeys towards net zero.

Precision agriculture is at different stages per sector, whether you're talking about precision crops, or sheep farming, or a poultry unit or pigs instead, for example. That said – and despite some disagreement on the exact share – agriculture represents "somewhere around 10 per cent" of UK emissions, Freeman says.

"Sometimes what we're doing doesn't all get included in a calculation."

Fortunately, carbon auditing and environmental lifecycle analysis not only gives clues on emissions reduction but also pinpoints opportunities for agricultural businesses, he notes – especially since the best way to decarbonise raw material inputs is through greater efficiency.

Yet driving productivity remains a "massive challenge" for agriculture in the UK and has been for "probably a couple of decades", he suggests.

"So precision farming and livestock is starting to gain much more traction.

There is no single thing: it could be about looking at animal nutrition – dietary formulation or additives to reduce direct emissions. Or a much more targeted approach to health or welfare, with a lot of emissions come from fertiliser use," Freeman says.

"The world is changing, that's the interesting part. So there are big questions to answer."

IMAGE: DOLLAR GULL/UNSPLASH

ABOVE: Geolocated data collected by a drone can help pinpoint problems in the field, from poorer soil to pest infestations

K www.kelloggs.com/en_US/ sustainability/working-withfarmers.html

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Achieving Sustainability in a Post-Covid World Paul Walsh, General Manager – EMEA, at CIM It goes without saying that, for management teams, the past 12 months have undoubtedly focussed on damage limitation.

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PEAK is proven to simultaneously deliver cost and CO2 reductions for Tier 1 manufacturing sites delivering insights once it is embedded within a facility, with a full return on investment within weeks.

For more information Meet us at Stand G56 at the Smart Factory show smarterbuildings@cim.io +44 (0) 20 8133 9490

SMART FACTORY

Smart Factory jigsaws - the missing piece

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he vast majority of businesses have switched on to the productivity, efficiency and flexibility gains digital technologies can deliver.

The growing awareness and adoption is reflected in the almost 80% of UK manufacturers who expect ‘Industrial Digital Technologies’ to be a reality in their operation by 2025.* This digital transformation of industry encompasses a wide range of hardware and software, from blockchain to virtual reality. That same study also revealed the most common technologies found in UK

industry, namely additive manufacturing; robotics & cobotics; the industrial internet; artificial intelligence & machine learning; and augmented & virtual reality.

What isn’t mentioned is digital inkjet printing, a technology uniquely capable of delivering one-off personalised items at the speed and cost of mass produced goods.

Once considered to be a ‘nice-to-have’, the ability to offer customised products has risen to become a key growth differentiator.

One in five consumers are willing to pay 20% more for a personalised or exclusive product, a study by Deloitte found. ** Furthermore, personalisation can increase marketing spend efficiency by almost a third and lift revenues by 15%, according to McKinsey Digital. *** Jetting off For manufacturers, the obvious use for digital inkjet printing is to create customised labelling and packaging. Yet, the potential applications are almost limitless, says Eric Worrall, Vice President of Products and Services at Global Graphics Software.

LEFT: Meteor printhead drive electronics

“I've worked with companies that use inkjet printing to decorate everything from ceramic tiles and wallpaper to fabrics, and seen it used to decorate aircraft tail livery and entire cars,” he explains.

What’s really exciting, Eric continues, is the word ‘inkjet’ has become something of a misnomer.

“It’s no longer just about jetting ink,” he explains, “The heads in modern printers can accommodate a wide variety of different fluids, including binding fluid used with powder to create 3D objects, and a fluid capable of producing the copper wiring in automobiles.”

“A company in Taiwan has even began using the technology to produce OLED television panels,” he adds.

This ability to produce an item, as well as to create effects on the surface of materials, has led to digital inkjet printing being used in almost every sector of manufacturing, albeit on a relatively small scale. Global Graphics Software is at the forefront of efforts to drive adoption into the mainstream.

A global reach The Cambridge-based business is one of four operating subsidiaries of the Global

IMAGE: METEOR

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To most people, inkjet printing means a desktop device printing on A4 paper. Yet, digital inkjet printing holds the key to unlocking mass customisation at mass volume prices. Jonny Williamson reports

SMART FACTORY

Graphics group, which develops and manufactures integrated hardware and software solutions for graphics and industrial inkjet printing.

Current other members include Meteor Inkjet (also based in Cambridge), Belgium-based HYBRID Software (acquired in January 2021), and Xitron (based in Michigan, US).

The HYBRID acquisition is one of several major announcements made over the past 18 months, despite lockdowns and supplier disruptions.

In 2020, Global Graphics Software received a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in recognition of the technical breakthrough of its new screening engine that corrects quality defects that occur due to the physics of jetting ink onto substrate.

More recently, in September 2021, Meteor expanded its manufacturing, lab and office space to meet growing demand for its products and services.

According to Meteor’s Managing Director, Clive Ayling, the new space, (adjacent to the company’s existing site) provides purpose-built facilities to capitalise on growth opportunities and “paves the way for future innovation.”

Lower costs, more agility One such opportunity is the growing interest surrounding the reshoring or near-shoring of production.

“Businesses have become much more aware of the benefits delivered through digital processes, even though they could still be done with traditional methods, because it’s not only commercially more viable to do so, it also allows you to greatly reduce your batch sizes,” Clive explains.

“You no longer need to keep warehouses full of stock or have the space to store offset rollers, or wait for goods to arrive via cargo ship. You don’t need to have a

Our work is primarily about trying to make complex things simpler Clive Ayling, MD, Meteor Inkjet

BELOW: The OPC UA standard connects the print subsystem to the production line

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demand is heading will likely come as welcome news. With digital inkjet printing, there is no wasted stock as everything is made to order.

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Understanding that inkjet can be used in so many more ways than you think in industrial environments unlocks so much potential innovation Eric Worrall, VP of Products & Services, Global Graphics Software

minimum six-week reaction time. You can do it all now – quickly, efficiently and at a price that’s competitive.”

Like so many areas, this is an issue that’s been accelerated by pandemicrelated disruption and business pressures, particularly within the supply chain.

“Extended supply chains and just-in-time manufacturing don’t provide the flexibility, agility and resiliency needed to operate now and in the future. If you suddenly lose half your orders, digital printing allows you to very quickly pivot to new work.”

At a time when financial pressures are at the forefront of many a business owner’s mind, not having to tie up capital in finished goods based on best guesses of where

A common language What’s important to note, adds Clive, is that this isn’t about replacing existing processes, necessarily, it’s more about acquiring additional manufacturing capabilities and integrating them into existing workflows.

“Our intention is for print to become a standard component within a smart factory set-up,” explains Eric. “The challenge in doing that is that the printing industry has developed its own language and set of standards, and manufacturing has its own. We need to talk the language of manufacturing and ensure our systems can communicate with the rest of the factory.”

This interoperability is absolutely vital, Eric says, particularly as digital print doesn’t happen in a separate room detached from the assembly line.

“Digital inkjet printing is fully integrated into production, so much so that if something downline doesn’t pass the quality inspection, it can be rejected and instantly re-ordered,” he continues. “ “Another factor is that print operators are highly skilled, knowledgeable individuals.

It takes years of experience to achieve the correct colour management or the right level of output quality. Those skills just don’t exist within manufacturing. That’s where Artemis comes in.”

Quality control Artemis is Global Graphics’ new cloudbased data collection hub which combines advanced artificial intelligence with vision learning to effectively fill that skills gap. Artemis can provide varying levels of assistance depending on who’s using the system, from enhanced automated control and print operator guidance, to trend analysis and predictive maintenance scenarios.

“Thanks to Artemis, production managers can focus on looking after the factory, the printing element is all taken care of via sophisticated software and automation,” says Eric.

With the eyes of its competitors still fixed on the printing industry, the stage is set for Global Graphics to have a significant impact in the manufacturing world – to the benefit of the entire group, the OEMs it supplies and end users.

“Digital inkjet printing has been around for a while, but we’ve now reached the stage where the technology is capable of producing high-quality, finished goods that are completely unique and at scale,” Eric notes.

“That has happened at exactly the moment when customers now expect to have a hand in specifying or designing the products they buy, and when businesses are reassessing when, where and how they manufacture and the associated labour involved. Everything has sort of aligned.”

Future solutions Having a manufacturing operation within its group, however, means Global Graphics faces the same challenges as the rest of industry.

“Unsurprisingly, recruitment is tricky,” Clive reveals, “despite being based in Cambridge and the steady supply of tech-savvy graduates and engineers here.”

As an electronics manufacturer, the shortage of chips has presented another problem, and it doesn’t look to be going away anytime soon.

Ironically, Clive concludes, digital inkjet printing is a key part of the solution. “One of our fastest growing markets, and has been for a while, is the manufacture of printed circuit boards. And here we are trying to source PCBs,” he notes.

“Integrating inkjet printing into the production of PCBs brings manufacturing costs down, increases the flexibility of your factory and enables you to bring production closer to your end market.

“We’re part of our own solution, it could all be done in the UK, we just need to open our minds and think outside the box. And the time to be doing that is right now.”

FOOTNOTES: * https://webassets.infor.com/resources/ Analyst-Report/Infor-Make-UK-Innovation-MonitorReport.pdf **https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/ ch/Documents/consumer-business/ch-en-consumerbusiness-made-to-order-consumer-review.pdf *** https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/ mckinsey-digital/our-insights/marketings-holy-graildigital-personalization-at-scale

K

More info: www.globalgraphics.com

Please contact the sole marketing agents for quoting rents and prices: Tim Western tim.western@eu.jll.com

GROWTH PARTNER CONTENT

Build back better with resilience at the core Why accelerated growth in Q3 is a key moment for manufacturers and their insurance needs Make UK, the manufacturers’ organisation which champions engineering and manufacturing across the UK, has released its Q3 Manufacturing Outlook report for 2021.

The good news is that it reveals accelerated growth in the sector and hope for the future after damage caused by the pandemic.

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But what lessons can be learned from the last year and how can manufacturers mitigate the risk of supply chain disruptions as they fight for a new future?

Lisa Birch from A-Plan Corporate Insurance, part of the Howden Group, gives us her view.

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he latest industry figures revealed in Make UK’s Manufacturing Outlook for Q3 of 2021 make for encouraging reading for the sector, and provide a real opportunity to strengthen business models and insurance cover for a healthy future.

Make UK’s report, published in partnership with BDO, reveals that following a series of sharp declines in output and orders last year, manufacturers are reporting a swift bounce back as new business returns to high levels for many across the sector.

It’s a comeback, which has been built on hard work, flexibility and resilience – and has been delivered by a record rise in both domestic and overseas orders.

With the industry on the up, the question now is how can the sector be better prepared for future risks, whether that is another pandemic, weather-related impacts, political changes or an economic downturn?

Lisa Birch, Director at A-Plan Corporate Insurance (part of the Howden Group), has attained Chartered Status at the Chartered Insurance Institute, and her insurance career spans across Insurance broking and programme design. She has underwriting experience both in the UK and internationally in Bermuda, and now works closely with Make UK to understand the challenges their members face. She then creates insurance programmes that provide balance sheet protection and allow manufacturers to concentrate on growing and managing their business.

In addition, how can it cope with ongoing challenges, which include the continuing impact of Covid-19 on global trade as well as the Trade Cooperation Agreement (TCA) between the UK and the EU following Brexit?

Supply chain disruption Both of these issues are causing significant supply chain disruptions, and potential insurance pitfalls.

Overordering stock to cope with rising demand and to protect a business against supply chain problems can lead to over-filled warehouses – and leave businesses in danger of failing to abide by requirements and recommendations imposed by insurers.

This includes: • Breach of clearance restrictions e.g. impairing sprinkler systems • Blocking fire doors • Goods stored outside close to the premises • Overall impact on good housekeeping • Congested shop floor areas The consequences of these oversights are severe. They can impact balance sheet protection because claims may not be paid, leaving businesses at risk.

Other insurance issues in the current climate include longer leadin times for replacement machinery, which means businesses should check if their business interruption indemnity period is long enough.

It is also important to consider if material damage sums insured are still adequate when a company grows and costs rise, and to ensure that insurers have been informed if manufacturers have pivoted during the pandemic to produce different types of goods.

GROWTH PARTNER CONTENT

PICS: A-Plan Corporate Insurance urges Manufacturers to do

regular risk health checks

Key Stats from the Make UK Manufacturing Outlook (all based on the balance of change in the quarterly figures)

• B usiness confidence has reached its highest level for a single quarter since 2014 at 7.7 • Output is up 42% – the highest on record.

• U K orders are up 48% - the highest on record.

The prediction for the next quarter is 50% • Export orders are up 37%, and recovering quickly • E mployment is up 23%, the second rise since Q1 of 2020 with jobs continuing to grow but at a slower rate • Investment intentions are up 37%, the highest on record Stephen Phipson, Chief Executive, Make UK:

“Growth prospects continue to accelerate for manufacturers as economies at home and abroad continue to open up. However, supply chain shortages and the rapidly escalating increases in shipping costs are threatening to put roadblocks on the road to faster growth despite the current optimism.”

The A-Plan Corporate team have been partnering with Make UK for fifteen years and have vast experience in the manufacturing industry. Areas of expertise include automotive, robotics, foundries, engineering & supply industries, precision engineering, CNC, fabrication and defence.

Building resilience through insurance cover Business resilience is important at all times, but perhaps even more so when businesses are re-adjusting - and it dovetails with what the insurance market is asking for now.

From a risk and risk management point of view there are a couple of really crucial areas to consider as businesses grow.

The insurance market has been absolutely ruthless in recent times, which means to have the insurance you need it is vital to do things right – especially if you are growing fast and struggling to find space in the warehouse for goods being stored.

Robust Business Continuity Plans Events over the last 18 months have demonstrated the need for businesses to adapt and change their working model overnight. It is therefore critical for manufacturers to have a resilient Business Continuity Plan, one that is documented and tested on a regular basis, and then reviewed.

Insurer Risk Improvements - No more extended deadlines One issue that has emerged over the last year is that insurers are no longer willing to go beyond their deadlines, which puts pressure on manufacturers to stay on top of requirements mandated by insurers. In the past, maybe it was possible to have an extension by two or three months for completing this requirement, but not now. The date is the date and insurers rarely move from it.

This means that when it comes to maintaining material damage and business interruption insurance, businesses need to be absolutely sure they have done everything in their power to comply with insurer and survey requirements, suggestions and recommendations.

Doing that puts a business in a much more powerful position with their existing insurer and when they go to market.

How A-Plan Corporate can help An in-depth risk health check is available to prepare businesses for what lies ahead, and A-Plan Corporate also provides a free on-site risks review for the manufacturing sector.

Talking to our experts regularly can ensure you have the right cover and the right strategy to grow a business.

The bottom line is that when it seems like times are good, it is vital manufacturers don’t lose sight of where they really need to be, or what challenges lie around the corner.

Embracing risk assessment and risk management now can build resilience for the future and keep British manufacturing on an upward curve.

A-Plan Corporate. The broker taking care of the makers.

Call m 0330 175 7485 or email k corporate@aplan.co.uk

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More information: www.aplan.co.uk/corporate

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GROWTH PARTNER CONTENT

Overcoming barriers to B2B eCommerce 9xb’s Rob Burns looks at eCommerce strategies via a case study from client Watco - a floor coatings and repair product operation which transitioned from traditional B2B sales to an award-winning online business

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he manufacturing industry has undergone significant transformation over the past few years with the opportunity for growth and improved productivity in abundance. But due to the complex nature of B2B sales transactions, the manufacturing industry has traditionally been slow to react to increased demand for digital eCommerce experiences.

The upward trajectory of B2B online sales looks to become business as usual – a trend sparked and accelerated by the pandemic as buyer behaviour shifts to digital. B2B buyers want consumer-inspired experiences and demand instant access to information, giving them the autonomy to self-serve.

Manufacturers now need to focus on evolving their strategies and leveraging digital solutions to meet B2B buyer needs. This will require specialist expertise to overcome complex challenges, from legacy technology constraints, entering new markets and the need to replicate offline experiences online.

BELOW: watco.co.uk named B2B

eCommerce Website of the Year UK Digital Growth Awards 2021

Due to the increase in millennial decision-makers, advancements in commerce technologies and other market factors, B2B buyers are looking to gain more control and streamline their buying processes

The self-service era Putting the pandemic aside, the landscape of B2B purchasing has been changing for some time. Due to the increase in millennial decision-makers, advancements in commerce technologies and other market factors, B2B buyers are looking to gain more control and streamline their buying processes. The ability to self-serve isn’t just a benefit to the buyer, but to the seller too who can reduce operational costs and increase customer satisfaction to drive more sales.

Watco identified the need to migrate its traditional buyers online to gain a competitive advantage and cater for its growing digitally savvy audience. A new eCommerce website was launched with country-specific variants for the UK, France, Ireland and Germany. The flexible and scalable platform provided a configurable framework, free from constraints allowing Watco to continue to evolve and innovate whilst meeting the changing needs of their business and customers.

Despite multiple business benefits, manufacturers have been deterred from selling D2C due to the risk of damaging existing trade relationships.

When in reality, with a strong D2C strategy, manufacturers can strengthen their current retail relations and enjoy growth from new markets. customer segment without disrupting their core B2B audience. This has resulted in an established online D2C brand, driving significant ROI.

Watco’s eCommerce website empowers B2B buyers to make informed decisions and transact without needing to call sales teams or wait for email responses. This has been achieved through customer-focused tools and features for easier, self-serve purchasing. This included optimised on-site search, price inc/ex vat, coverage calculator, stock availability, customer reviews, sample requests, click and collect, wish lists, account area and more.

Combining these features with detailed technical information, such as FAQ’s, webinars, datasheets and advice pages, Watco delivers an exemplary online buying experience.

Retailer relationships Manufacturers traditionally sell goods to other businesses, such as end-users,

wholesalers or retailers. The shift in buyer behaviour has driven the opportunity to explore new revenue streams. This includes trading direct-to-consumer (D2C), which gives manufacturers new sales channels and the potential to earn a higher margin.

Despite multiple business benefits, manufacturers have been deterred from selling D2C due to the risk of damaging existing trade relationships. When in reality, with a strong D2C strategy, manufacturers can strengthen their current retail relations and enjoy growth from new markets.

Watco adopted an agile way of working, allowing them to deliver new commerce models at pace, taking a test, learn and pivot approach to gauge opportunity size and customer sentiment.

By developing and launching a new online-only brand, focused on broadening their appeal to DIY consumers, Watco were able to acquire a completely new

Obstacles to eCommerce integration Providing customers with instant access to up-to-date information increases sales and underpins loyalty. However, legacy technology systems can be perceived to be a barrier due to cost, lack of expertise and concern over the business impact on legacy processes.

Manufacturers should consider how web technologies can be used to connect multiple disparate IT systems together. A scalable eCommerce platform will support multiple integrations to future proof their eCommerce strategy, streamline operations, automate the ordering process and deliver real-time information.

Watco’s website is built on the robust eCommerce platform Peracto which allows for seamless integration with third-party systems and which has empowered Watco to sell securely and reliably 24/7/365. Through powerful integrations, Watco has been able to eliminate manual order entry, deliver accurate data & inventory and drive a smooth omnichannel experience for their buyers.

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More information: www.9xb.com

9xb is a multi awardwinning eCommerce agency, which builds and supports high-performing eCommerce websites for ambitious brands.

Specialising in complex business logic, 9xb provides technical, strategic and creative solutions that overcome barriers to growth.

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Come and see Powerstar at

Smart Factory Expo 10th - 11th November, Liverpool STAND C62

Resilience against power disruptions plus smart management of multiple power flows

Industry 4.0 + Net Zero is an equation that does not necessarily add up The rapid increase in automation, robotics, digitisation and connectivity of our manufacturing sites is creating a critical dependency of our operations on a stable and reliable electricity supply. Even the slightest dip in power can reset PLCs, stop production, scrap components or reduce the life of production equipment.

This is happening at the same time that we are pushing to achieve net zero carbon emissions from our operations, using renewable energy from the grid or generated on-site. Either way, the intermittent nature of renewables means that power supplies are more prone to voltage and frequency fluctuations, short term brown-outs or even full black-outs.

Powerstar supports manufacturing sites of all sizes to achieve resilient, reliable and consistent power for their production while enabling net zero projects with battery storage systems and microgrid control systems.

Resilience+ is a technology range that provides power resilience to a site plus additional applications and benefits.

Not only are Powerstar’s power resilience solutions highly efficient, but they can also be used to reduce energy costs and carbon emissions, improve sustainability, and more.

Power Resilience

On-site Generation

Solving Grid Constraints

Net Zero

Smart Microgrids

Reducing Energy Bills

EV Charging

Energy Efficiency

Generating Revenue

T: +44 (0)1142 576200 | E: info@powerstar.com | www.powerstar.com

SMART FACTORY

Ready to automate?

Automation can be the answer to a whole host of manufacturing and operations questions. But deciding what, how and when to automate is not straightforward, says Liz Salter at IfM Engage…

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he benefits to using automation in manufacturing often outweigh the challenges, especially when it can increase efficiency and production and help manufacturers to be more competitive.

But if you’re a business that thinks you are ready to automate, it is wise to step carefully. Thinking through the process of automation and its impact beforehand, and exploring the potential downsides, means you will be able to make better informed decisions and save yourself a host of issues later down the line.

People are often keen to shout about the benefits of automation and hear them describe ‘quick wins’ or ‘low-hanging fruit’ but longer-term direction that will have significant impact needs deep consideration.

Yes, there are some classic benefits such as reduced labour costs, increasing consistency of processes and increased production rates but there are also many challenges that should be considered when implementing automation on the factory floor. Some of these concerns include deciding what to automate, finding skilled employees and the impact on your existing processes.

Liz Salter combines her industrial experience with IfM research outputs to work with manufacturing companies of all shapes and sizes in the development and implementation of their business and operational strategies. She started working with the IfM Engage team in 2010.

Let’s take a look at some of these considerations in more detail: Feasibility Consider how likely a solution is to succeed. There are many kinds of digital solutions available on the market today, with many solution providers ready to compete for your custom. Making a list of your short- and long-term needs and identifying automation solutions that match them is a sensible first step which will help you ensure you’re meeting a need which actually exists.

The Digital Manufacturing on a Shoestring project, based at the IfM, is a good place to start if you’re a small- to medium-sized company looking for low-cost off-the-shelf solutions. We can help you to identify a process or a part of production to automate that doesn’t cost the earth and allows you to try out small-scale digital solutions that won’t disrupt your core operations.

Machines vs humans Machines may be efficient, but they don’t have the versatility or creativity of human beings. It doesn’t take much to mean they stop working properly, whereas human workers can apply ingenuity and imagination to get around the problem.

Be wary of costly machines that do a highly specific job. If production were to shift, a human worker is more adaptable than a large piece of kit that no longer fits into your plans.

Implementation challenges Don’t underestimate the implementation challenges that come along with automation. It’s crucial to consider the job that workers are currently doing. More often than not, the job includes subtleties such as detailed quality checking which won’t be able to be done via automation. Think carefully about what the job involves and the value which is added by a human being.

Most people aren’t lucky enough to work off a green field site but have an existing factory, so it’s also important to look at existing legacy equipment and kit to work out how well, or not, automation systems can integrate.

Impact on current processes It’s important to consider the effect of automation on your current processes. Ask yourself: How will automation impact your product?

Making a list of your shortand long-term needs and identifying automation solutions that match them is a sensible first step which will help you ensure you’re meeting a need which actually exists.

And what will your customers think? Automation involves the same task being done on repeat so there is naturally a level of product personalisation that cannot be achieved in the same way.

Skills and maintenance The reliance on automation creates more demand for skilled maintenance and service technician jobs. For example, when equipment runs into problems, it needs to be back up and running as quickly as possible. Do you have access to these skills, and the resources to fund them?

Automated equipment can involve a high level of cost, and can sometimes require a higher level of maintenance than with a manually operated machine. The cost of developing and deploying both the hardware and the software for automation should be considered. Do you have the in-house expertise to understand the products and processes?

Implementing automation successfully It is never too early to consider the potential automation can offer you and your business. But preparing for and considering some of the challenges posed by automaton will require consideration of the entire business processes, as well as the culture of the whole organisation.

At IfM Engage, our tried and tested automation assessment tool, backed by research from the Institute for Manufacturing at the University of Cambridge and applied by industry experts, is helping manufacturers make confident manufacturing automation decisions. This supports company decision-making and helps firms take the longer-term view of automation.

Liz Salter, Industrial Associate, IfM Engage will be hosting a masterclass at Digital Manufacturing Week on ‘Making the right automation investment decisions’ on Wednesday 10 November. The session will introduce a systematic approach to decision making and show how this informs good equipment sourcing choices.

Find out more about how IfM Engage can help you consider your automation investment decisions at K www.engage.ifm.eng. cam.ac.uk/project/assessing-your-automation-investmentdecisions/

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SMART FACTORY

Overcoming barriers to

Technology adoption

Jason Naselli is the Content and Communications Manager at IfM Engage

The IfM has recently undertaken research into how technologies are accepted and adopted in the manufacturing space, and has developed some guidance on how to build confidence and understanding of new systems. Jason Naselli explains

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s digital technologies continue to be adopted by industry, they are unlocking the possibilities of new efficiencies and new business models across sectors.

But the successful incorporation of these technologies to create new business solutions requires collaboration from all parts of an organisation – from strategic planning and finance to engineering and operations.

Researchers from the IfM have been studying how technologies are accepted and adopted across organisations, to better understand how this collaboration and implementation can be done effectively. They have developed executive education approaches that can be used by organisations to overcome uncertainty and confusion around new technology. By catching people up with the conversation and building their confidence at engaging with strategies for technology change, they support firms in building understanding of how technology can be used to generate value and support new business models.

The Internet of Things After a year of testing and refining, IfM Engage is offering a new course focused on the Internet of Things (IoT), which introduces IoT concepts and relevant strategies as well as the strengths and limitations of the relevant supporting technologies.

It offers a bird’s eye view of the whole field of IoT, in an accessible format. With this overview format, it gives people a framework for understanding the big picture on the Industrial Internet of Things as well as new business models in their industry and the launching of IoT products – to enable them to identify what is relevant and what is not.

Aimed at middle and senior managers without a technical background, the course uses hands-on activities and real-world examples, approaches we have seen associated with improved levels of confidence in a range of relevant competencies. The course helps to illustrate how IoT data can transform not only the operations of organisations but also the ecosystems in which those organisations participate.

Find out more: K www.engage.ifm.eng.cam.ac.uk/project/theinternet-of-things/

Artificial intelligence In addition, a recent industrial survey has now examined some of the challenges firms face in adopting artificial intelligence (AI), including barriers specific to AI, such as the issue of trust.

The survey tested the importance of over a dozen key factors in the successful integration of AI into an organisation, with results pointing to the potential importance of things like organisational culture as well as transparency around how it is used and where human input is needed.

At a masterclass at Digital Manufacturing Week, senior research associates Dr Imogen Cleaver and Dr Florian Urmetzer will present these findings and host small discussion groups with participants to share experiences about how to overcome challenges in AI adoption.

To find out more about the research, education and practice of the Institute for Manufacturing, as well as the offerings from our knowledge transfer company, IfM Engage, visit our stand at Digital Manufacturing Week or see our websites.

K

www.ifm.eng.cam.ac.uk www.engage.ifm.eng.cam.ac.uk

Develop, operationalize, and scale industrial solutions 10-25x faster

The #1 Industrial DataOps Platform

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION PARTNER CONTENT

WHAT’S NEW As manufacturing continues to evolve, your tools need to adapt and grow with your business. Autodesk Fusion 360 unifies design, engineering, electronics and manufacturing into a single software program – so that can mean a lot of updates! With new releases of Fusion 360 every 7 weeks providing continued feature updates and enhancements, it can be very time consuming to keep track of improved functionality and understand how your workflows and processes can benefit.

The Latest Manufacture Enhancements Our September 2021 release saw a host of new features, enhancements, and we also squished a few pesky bugs.

Here are some of the key changes in the Manufacture workspace available to you in Fusion 360 today.

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New! Short link options for Flat Finishing Our latest update now includes Short link options for Flat Finishing operations. This gives more control over linking by letting the user set the Maximum Stay-Down Distance, as well as the transition type to No Contact, Straight line, or Smooth.

New! Haas, Haimer, and IMCO Tools and Holders added Under the tools tab in our cam.autodesk.com page, there are new Haas holders, Haimer holders, as well as IMCO tools (Metric or Imperial) available for download.

New! Autodesk generic simulation files in Machine Library The Machine Library lets users manage machine tools by using Machine Configurations to define available machines and resources. These configurations can automate the settings in the Job Setup. There are many Machine Configurations available in the standard library. In the library are the following new Autodesk generic simulation files for nutating milling machines kinematics: In addition, Fusion 360 users will have available configuration files for some of the leading machine manufacturers including Hurco, Kern and Mazak. The easiest way to get started is to copy an existing configuration that matches some of the characteristics of your machine.

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

IN FUSION 360 Improved! Steep & Shallow – Optimised Perpendicular Passes The Steep and Shallow strategy has a new option to output optimised perpendicular passes when using Parallel only (Set Threshold angle to 90 and shallow). When the cut direction of the tool runs parallel to a steep region, an inconstant step-over can occur, leading to greater cusp heights, greater tool loads and a poor-quality surface finish. The new Optimised Perpendicular passes in Steep and Shallow maintains the step over regardless of the area. The autonomous nature of this new addition means it only applies the optimised passes where necessary. The result is a more efficient toolpath that machines a more consistent surface finish.

Improved in Preview! Machine Animation for NC Programs and 2D cutter compensation Currently still in Public Preview and free to try, we’ve improved our Machine Simulation capabilities to now be able to simulate NC programs before they are exported. Users will also be able to see a machine simulation of the toolpaths with 2D

Other Enhancements The Manufacture workspace enhancements are just a selection of the overall improvements available in the September release of Fusion 360. We’ve also included new fluid flow applications in generative design, enhanced Edit-inPlace functionality in our Modeling toolset, and improved the Height Offset option for Arrange in Nesting and Fabrication.

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For a more detailed overview of the latest release, visit our September 2021 Product Update – What’s New article. www.autodesk. com/products/fusion-360/blog/september2021-product-update-whats-new/

cutter compensation turned on. This expands on what can be simulated more realistically, allowing users to communicate more effectively with their clients.

Improved! Wear and Inverse Wear Compensation options in Turning Profile Finishing We’ve reintroduced Wear and Inverse wear options in the Compensation Type drop-down menu for Turning Profile Finishing.

It’s another way to use compensation and improve part quality, while reducing scrap at the same time.

Updated: Milling, Turning, and Turn-mill Post Processors We are continually working hard to bring updates and improvements to the many open-source Post Processors and Machines we offer for free. The latest can be found in our post processor offering on the Online Post Library, which can be searched by vendor, type, or name, and any recent changes to each post processor can also be seen.

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Clive Hickman, Chief Executive, Manufacturing Technology Centre

The Manufacturing Technology Centre striving for Paralympic Gold help her reach the podium in the new VL2 event at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, we were able to use our collective skills to bear.

That challenge was to make her paddle lighter, reduce its diameter and enable better grip while retaining its strength and durability.

Using the MTC's and NCC's combined capabilities in additive manufacturing, composites and other state-ofthe-art technologies, we were able to design a new paddle with a high-performance carbon fibre shaft, a customised 3D printed handle and an optimised blade angle.

Instilled with confidence in her newly optimised paddle, Emma's time of 57.028 in the Women's Va'a Single 200m Canoe Sprint (VL2) ensured a historic gold medal, beating the record she set in the heats by over a second.

Emma then rounded off her Tokyo campaign with a silver medal in the Women's Kayak Single 200m Canoe Sprint (KL2), using a conventional kayak paddle.

An immense achievement for Emma, to whom we are extremely grateful for asking us to support

the collaborative working across the HVM Catapult is so important to maximise potential and make significant impact on the ambitions of the UK

her campaign, and a great example of how collaboration is a recipe for success when the end goal is shared.

That’s why the collaborative working across the HVM Catapult is so important to maximise potential and make significant impact on the ambitions of the UK.

The exciting thing about the HVM Catapult is its ability to adapt and evolve with the world around it. We saw this recently when Dick Elsy led the Ventilator Challenge UK as Covid-19 started to devastate the UK and overwhelm the NHS. It is often said that the UK manufacturing industry has been in a slow decline over the past 50 years, and while it is true that the rest of the world has increased its competitive advantage, I have always remained convinced that manufacturing would once again become a priority in the UK. In light of the pandemic and other world challenges that we face, such as net zero and security of food supply, now is that day. We have a unique opportunity to join forces nationally, academic, industry and the Catapult network, to regain the manufacturing advantage.

Adaptability and collaboration will be an essential piece in the puzzle to build resilience into our manufacturing sector and enable clean, green recovery.

Join the conversation at Digital Manufacturing Week this year - register here K www.digital-manufacturing-week.com Nick Hussey

Stuart Moody

Andrew Wooden

Grace Gilling

Tom St John

Henry Anson

Jonny Williamson

Ashley Oulton

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Manufacturing led projects are rarely linear; they often require multiple skills and capabilities.

That is true for any challenge thrown the High Value Manufacturing Catapult (HVM Catapult) Centre's way, whether that is a large OEM seeking process support or an entrepreneur with an innovative idea they want to bring to market.

The collaborative power of diverse skills is imperative to achieving the very best results.

So, when Paracanoeist, Emma Wiggs MBE, (below) set HVM Catapult's Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) and National Composites Centre (NCC) a challenge that would

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