Manufacturing & Engineering Production Magazine - June 2022

MANUFACTURING PRODUCTION

MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING WEEK 8-9TH JUNE 2022

MANUFACTURING

JUNE 2022

TECHNOLOGY:

JOHAN JONZON DISCUSSES WHAT’S COMING TO INDUSTRY 4.0?

PRODUCTION

ENGINEERING

CONTENTS 24 42 34

08 Editor

Paul Attwood editor@mpemagazine.co.uk

Senior Editorial Assistant

Francesca Amato editorial@mpemagazine.co.uk

08 24 34 42 52

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Jamie Potter - It’s time for the semiconductor industry to embrace smart manufacturing How can the use of adhesives in the manufacturing process impact sustainability?

Technology - What’s coming to Industry 4.0?

Tungaloy launches brand new ranges Keep up with the latest in manufacturing at Manufacturing Expo 2022

Features Editor

Harry Peters editorial@mpemagazine.co.uk

Production/Design

Editors Note

Sales Manager

We have recently seen a welcome return of major industry exhibitions. This has been a wonderful opportunity to reconnect in person with the industry. It is incredible to see sell out exhibitions and high numbers of visitors kicking off an exciting line-up for 2022. Next up, we are looking forward to the new, Manufacturing and Engineering Week, taking place in June.

Laura Whitehead laura@lapthornmedia.co.uk Charlotte Chapman charlotte@mpemagazine.co.uk

Accounts

In this edition of Manufacturing & Production Engineering Magazine we hear from Phil Simmonds, Chief Executive Officer of EC Electronics. Phil gives us an overview of how automation is changing the world, an interesting insight into the changes leading us to where we are today in the ever developing world of automation.

Circulation Manager

We also get an insight from Jamie Potter, CEO and co-founder of Flexciton, into the global chip shortage and how the industry can overcome this with Smart Manufacturing.

Publishing Director

We hope you enjoy this issue and as always, if you have any news that you would like to feature within the next edition please email details to editor@mpemagazine.co.uk

Sales Executive

Felicity Hamilton sales@mpemagazine.co.uk Richard Lapthorn accounts@mpemagazine.co.uk Leo Phillips subs@mpemagazine.co.uk

Paul Attwood Editor

Maria Lapthorn maria@lapthornmedia.co.uk

Lapthorn Media Ltd

5-7 Ozengell Place, Eurokent Business Park, Ramsgate, Kent, CT12 6PB Tel: 01843 808 117

Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of material published in Manufacturing & Production Engineering Magazine however, the publishers accept no responsibility for the claims or opinions made by advertisers, manufactures or contributors. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical, electronic (including photocopying) or stored in any information retrieval system without the prior consent of the publisher.

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Manufacturing & Production Engineering Magazine

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News

PP C&A boss urges UK manufacturers to make the most of a ‘once in a generation’ reshoring boom De-risking supply chains, mitigating long lead times and ensuring security of supply are driving a major reshoring trend back to the UK according to a leading manufacturing boss.

Tony Hague, CEO of PP Control & Automation (PP C&A), believes that cost and availability of freight, combined with huge economic and political uncertainty, is changing perceptions when it comes to the ‘total cost of acquisition’ and this translates into a ‘once in a generation’ opportunity for domestic manufacturers.

His own business is already reaping dividends, picking up new contract manufacturing orders with OEMs involved

in transport, energy and power and warehousing and logistics.

These clients had previously worked with partners in China, Eastern Europe and India, but have recently turned their attention closer to home to achieve higher added value and shorter lead times.

“Reshoring is happening and the opportunity for the wider UK economy will only increase in my opinion,” commented Tony, who was named in LDC’s top 50 most ambitious business leaders last year.

“The political and economic landscape is volatile, and this is driving questions relating to risks and

costs around ‘extended’ and distant supply chains. There is also growing environmental concerns, as well as corporate and social responsibility of partners that reside in the supply chain.”

He continued: “All of this means we are now more competitive than ever, and this is encouraging companies to return to the UK or increase local content.”

PP Control & Automation, which employs 230 people at its world class factory in Cheslyn Hay, is on course to post £28m sales for the last twelve months, with a future order pipeline suggesting further growth is on the horizon.

Engineering charity Foothold supports more engineers than ever before during Covid-19 pandemic Global engineering charity Foothold (the Institute of Engineering and Technology Benevolent Fund) offered more support to engineers in need 2020-21 than during any other period to date, marking the most successful year yet in the organisation’s 130-year history.

The charity, which supports IET members and the wider engineering community, provided £2.1 million’s worth of support to 1,275 engineers in 50 countries from July 2020 to June 2021 – an increase in instances of support of 49% compared to previous year.

This included 362 emergency financial grants to help engineers deal with the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, with 82% of recipients saying the grant had made a great deal or a lot of difference to their lives.

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Other support offered included 23,000 instances of health and wellbeing advice, 650 sessions of sleep support, and 123 instances of career support (25% more than the previous year), with a total of £1.5 million being provided in financial awards spanning care and disability grants and the emergency Covid-19 grants.

The 2020-21 period also saw

the launch of the charity’s very own digital Wellbeing Hub, part of a 3-year collaboration with engineering and technology recruitment firm Gattaca.

Developed in response to a surge in mental health-related enquiries as a result of the pandemic, the hub gives engineers free, on-demand access to a wide range of expert content, resources and self-help courses to help them take care of their health and wellbeing.

To date, almost 1,000 engineers have signed up to the hub.

Foothold’s volunteers also played a major role in its success in 2020-21, donating 1,353 hours to support the engineering community – especially through the charity’s telephone befriending service, helping to improve the mental wellbeing of those feeling isolated during the worldwide lockdowns.

News

The strategic manufacturing outsourcing specialist has seen demand for its services rise by 25% on the previous year and bosses at the firm believe this is due to a combination of reshoring and an increasing number of high technology businesses bringing new innovations to market.

Member of the Manufacturing Assembly Network (MAN), the firm has recently widened its engineering and manufacturing capabilities to include a more comprehensive mechanical/pneumatic offer and a dedicated Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) area to support electronics integration.

“The opportunity is there, but UK manufacturers need to be bold and brave to ensure they take advantage of it,” added Tony.

“We need to invest in people, process and automation in order to create manufacturing models that are agile and flexible. Focus and spend in areas where you have really strong core competences and ensure you partner with experts in their respective fields.”

He concluded: “Companies do not need to get bogged down with high levels of vertical integration, it just causes higher overheads and can lead to lack of flexibility when capacity and demand cycles changes.

“Get this balance right and there’s no reason why UK manufacturers can’t overcome international rivals by delivering design for manufacturing support, security of supply and more added value.”

Aurrigo takes off with first autonomous shuttle trial at Birmingham Airport A driverless shuttle, owned by Solihull Council and designed and built in Coventry, made its debut in the grounds of a UK airport for the first time this week.

Aurrigo, which employs over 70 people at its Advanced Engineering Centre, will deploy its 10-seater AutoShuttle alongside live traffic on the roads of Birmingham Airport.

The company has mapped out a route that will initially transport staff from the Departures entrance and Diamond House to Car Park 5, with the potential for the trial to be extended to passengers later this month.

The zero-emissions autonomous shuttle uses a suite of sensors, including LiDAR, to understand its surroundings and move safely around its environment.

For the purpose of testing, and in line with current legislation, a safety operator will be on-board at all times, whilst the shuttle can also be manually driven with conventional controls to give the ultimate in operational flexibility.

This latest project is an exciting Solihull Council-led initiative to test how Connected Autonomous Vehicles (CAVs) might be integrated into the borough’s transport network in the future and follows a successful trial at the National Exhibition Centre last year.

Aurrigo has been creating headlines in the aviation sector after using its Auto-Sim technology to help Changi Airport in Singapore with development work on a new terminal.

The company, which was founded by brothers David and Graham Keene nearly 30 years ago, has also used its in-house software, technology and engineering expertise to develop the Auto-Dolly, a new autonomous luggage and cargo system that has the potential to deliver 60% carbon savings for airports.

It is anticipated that the digital twin modelling work could prove the business case for these dollies to replace conventional diesel-powered luggage and cargo tractors and trailers by two thirds.

This project forms part of the wider West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) funded UK Central investment programme, which is delivering a wide range of projects, from walking and cycling improvement schemes through to town centre redevelopments and build on the establishment of the Midlands Future Mobility testbed.

The opportunity is there, but UK manufacturers need to be bold and brave to ensure they take advantage of it.

Tony Hague

Manufacturing & Production Engineering Magazine

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People On The Move Altus Recognises Excellence with Company Promotion Altus Group, a leading distributor of capital equipment in the UK and Ireland, is pleased to announce that Paul Freeman has been promoted to the role of Senior Applications Engineer. Having served as a Customer Support and Applications Engineer for the last three years, Paul is being recognised for his contribution to the inspection sector of the business.

Joe Booth, Altus CEO said: “Since Paul joined Altus, he has added a considerable amount of credibility and capability to our applications and

aftersales team as a whole. Paul has and will continue to play a significant role in our success in selling, implementing and training of systems from Koh Young, a world leader in 3D measurement and inspection technology used in the production of electronic assemblies.

Furthermore, he has played a large part in the turnaround we the have seen in our local market for inspection product customer satisfaction.”

With a huge amount of expertise in technical applications, with particular specialism in Koh Young, Paul is looking forward to taking on more responsibility

in his new role. “I am pleased to take on this new role,” said Paul. “Altus has allowed me to grow, to learn new skills and advance my career. I look forward to providing a high level of technical support and training to our customers, and championing the range of inspection equipment available from Altus.”

With many years’ experience in electrical and electronics engineering, Paul joined Altus from McLaren Applied Technologies where he worked on new product introduction and the implementation of manufacturing electronic systems (MES).

Made Smarter Commission appoints Siemens’ Brian Holliday as new co-chair Made Smarter, the national digitalisation movement to drive productivity, growth and sustainability in manufacturing, has appointed Siemens’ Brian Holliday as its new co-chair.

The Managing Director of Siemens Digital Industries will head up the Made Smarter Commission alongside Lee Rowley MP, Minister for Industry for the Department of Business Energy and Industrial Strategy, replacing UK industrialist and former Siemens CEO Professor Juergen Maier.

Together they will shape the future of Made Smarter and oversee the successful delivery of its Adoption and Innovation programmes, which help UK manufacturers to capitalise on new digital technologies such as additive manufacturing, internet of things, and robotics and automation. The programmes have already received over £150 million in government funding.

Brian Holliday said: “I’m delighted to be co-chairing the Made Smarter Commission with Minister Rowley through its next steps.

“Since the original Made Smarter Review in 2017, I have been struck by the importance of this government and industry partnership in manufacturing to highlight how much the sector matters to address the productivity, innovation and skills challenges in the UK and increasingly, to find the right levers to help to invest in material, resource and energy efficiency too.”

Mr Holliday and Mr Rowley will steer a board of leading industrialists from large and SME manufacturers as well as technology providers and manufacturing organisations, including:

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Make UK, GSK, BAE Systems PLC, GE Digital, the Royal Academy of Engineering, ICW, Renishaw PLC, ATEC Solutions, Lambert Engineering, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), ABB Limited, Nestle UK & Ireland, TUC, Rolls Royce PLC, Jaguar Land Rover Ltd, Accenture and Airbus UK. Minister for Industry Lee Rowley said: “I am delighted that Brian Holliday has become the new industry co-chair of the Made Smarter Commission.

“Brian has been involved since the start and brings deep manufacturing and tech expertise to our joint mission to improve productivity in manufacturing.”

A particular focus of the commission will be the roll out of the Adoption programme which is helping thousands of SME manufacturers in the North West, West Midlands, North East, and Yorkshire and the Humber regions take their first steps into digitalisation.

Donna Edwards, Director for Made Smarter’s North West adoption programme, said: “Brian is a fantastic replacement as co-chair of the Made Smarter Commission. I look forward to working with him and other board members in our continued efforts to drive-up productivity and slash carbon emissions through the adoption of new technologies.”

I’m delighted to be co-chairing the Made Smarter Commission with Minister Rowley through its next steps.

Brian Holliday

People On The Move

ITC Continues Growth With New Sales Engineer Continued growth at Industrial Tooling Corporation (ITC) has now seen the Tamworth cutting tool manufacturer add another Technical Sales Engineer to its everexpanding team.

As the UK’s leading cutting tool manufacturer, ITC has expanded its product portfolio and also its service, support, re-grind and bespoke tooling offering. To underpin this growth, ITC has continually added more technical sales engineers to retain its unparalleled levels of customer service and support.

The appointment of Luke Insley as a Technical Sales Engineer will bolster the support provided to manufacturing companies in the South-East region of the UK by ITC. Luke entered the industry as an engineering apprentice back in 2005 and over the last 17 years, his enthusiasm and passion for the industry have rapidly elevated his career.

Completing his apprenticeship with HPC Precision Engineering in 2009 with an HNC in mechanical engineering, Luke has extensive experience as a machinist on a diverse range of machine tools from the FANUC ROBODrill to Makino, Doosan, Hardinge and others.

This progressed to CAD and CAM programming before switching to a role with a motion control manufacturer.

Following this, Luke returned to HPC as a production engineer with a remit of production analysis and improvement utilising tools such as 6 Sigma, Kaizen and Lean Manufacturing processes.

Adding to this experience, Luke has spent the last five years with a leading cutting tool manufacturer as an application engineer, delivering process improvements and cost savings for customers.

Dugard Expands Presence In Scotland With UK manufacturing exiting the pandemic at speed and the fuel crisis pushing the UK government to source more fuel from the North Sea, Dugard has now appointed Mr Ross Love to support the exceptional growth and interest levels the Hove company is currently witnessing in its machine portfolio.

Joining the company in March as an Area Sales Manager, Ross has been employed to further build the Dugard brand in Scotland.

With almost 20 years in manufacturing, Ross started his engineering career as a CNC machine shop apprentice at Wier Pumps – a prestigious Scottish manufacturer. After an eight year journey from apprentice and CNC machinist to subsequently being a CNC programmer, Ross took a position as an application engineer with one of the world’s largest and most prominent machine tool brands. With three years in this role, Ross certainly knows his way around a machine tool and can clearly differentiate between sub-standard and high-quality machine tools. It is this in-depth knowledge and an appreciation for the quality of the Ibarmia, SMEC, Kitamura, Hanwha and Pinacho brands available from Dugard that brought Ross to the business.

As well as spending three years with a leading machine tool manufacturer,

Ross has enjoyed four years as a technical sales engineer with a marque cutting tool manufacturer. Supporting manufacturers in Scotland in their aims to improve productivity and reduce production costs through the implementation of high-end cutting tool solutions, this position has certainly provided Ross with valuable knowledge and understanding of the Scottish manufacturing landscape.

Commenting upon the addition of Ross to the Dugard team, Sales

Director Mr Colin Thomson says: “We are delighted to welcome Ross to Dugard. Ross has an excellent track record in technical sales in the cutting tool sector, which will put him in good stead for his future with Dugard.

Additionally, as a skilled machinist, CNC programmer and application engineer for a machine tool company, Ross’ fundamental knowledge and understanding will be extremely beneficial to customers of Dugard in Scotland.”

“We have six machine tool brands that are complemented by extensive automation solutions. With everything from the Dugard cost-competitive range through the robust SMEC series and the Kitamura high-end machining centres, and on to the heavy-duty Ibarmia multi-tasking machines, we have a machining centre to meet the needs of every business. Likewise, we have the heavy-duty SMEC slant bed turning centres, the multi-process travelling column Ibarmia range and the most productive sliding head turning centres in the industry with the Hanwha line-up. Armed with such a diverse line-up, Ross will certainly make further in-roads with existing and new Dugard customers in Scotland. We are excited about the opportunities in front of Ross for expanding the Dugard footprint in Scotland.”

Manufacturing & Production Engineering Magazine

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Smart Manufacturing - Opinion Piece

It’s Time For The Semiconductor Industry To Embrace Smart Manufacturing

By Jamie Potter, CEO and co-founder of Flexciton

The global chip shortage has highlighted that, despite the centrality of silicon to our technology-driven world, the semiconductor industry is far from robust. The Covid-19 pandemic may have created the perfect storm of increased demand versus restricted production. However, this is just the culmination of a long-term struggle to make semiconductor production truly agile which, alongside various geo-political factors, has now exposed the fragility of the semiconductor supply chain for all to see.

The obvious answer to the capacity issue is to build more fabs, but that’s easier said than done. Building a new chip manufacturing facility can take between three to five years, and cost anything from $4bn to $10bn. Undoubtedly more fabs do need to be built, but that isn’t exactly a quick-fix solution when the ongoing chip shortage remains a clear and present danger to industries requiring a constant, uninterrupted supply of semiconductors, from consumer electronics firms to auto manufacturers.

But that’s just to keep us where we are now – what about the R&D and production capacity needed to make the ever more sophisticated, next generation chips required to transition us to a world of ‘smart’, intelligent technologies designed to automate the environment around us and create more sustainable homes and cities? How will we get to this future if we can’t even solve the current bottlenecks that afflict the semiconductor supply chain?

Unsurprisingly, the industry itself has been attempting to address these issues, and look at ways to improve how it works. In the short-term at least, one solution to the capacity problem is to

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make existing facilities as efficient and productive as possible, and effectively increase capacity without having to build additional fabs.

The smart manufacturing vision SEMI, the global industry association representing the electronics manufacturing and design supply chain, is attempting to drive this evolution via its Smart Manufacturing initiative. In a nutshell, smart manufacturing is defined as “the use of production and sensor data within manufacturing technologies to enable process adaptability”, ultimately speeding implementation and maximising efficiency. In other words, using the information generated by the factory itself to improve decision making about how best to manufacture products.

SEMI’s vision is to apply smart manufacturing practices across the entire electronic supply chain based on three essential pillars. These are: • Sensing – establishing the state at any one time of work-in-progress (WIP) and all machines/tools within

In the shortterm at least, one solution to the capacity problem is to make existing facilities as efficient and productive as possible, and effectively increase capacity without having to build additional fabs.

Jamie Potter

the fab, including process monitoring and location tracking • Connecting – ensuring that all this information can be securely transferred to both internal databases and the cloud, for the purposes of creating a ‘digital twin’ of the fab • Predicting – using the digital twin’s data, via artificial intelligence (AI) and/ or machine learning applications, to optimise both WIP scheduling and available resources SEMI is committed to promote awareness and interest in smart manufacturing practices across the industry, but acknowledges that not every semiconductor company is in the same place. While far from perfect, the industry is reasonably good at capturing data – however, the problem is that this data is often poorly integrated and can effectively become trapped in siloed systems. Without establishing a ‘single version of the truth’ by combining all data sources, it is impossible to create a functioning digital twin with which to improve efficiency.

Acceleration through disruption To accelerate the rollout of smart manufacturing, semiconductor companies have to embrace ‘disruptive’ technologies from outside of the industry’s traditional supply chain. It should by now be standard practice for chip companies to actively seek out and adopt best-in-class technology to improve efficiency and boost output. Instead, the decision is often made to develop an in-house alternative. Operating in one of the most technologically cutting-edge industries – with a multitude of engineers and scientists at their disposal – is perhaps one reason why chip manufacturers often look inwards to find solutions to their problems. Searching internally

Smart Manufacturing - Opinion Piece for these complex answers can often mean years spent on researching and millions spent developing, while progress already made by academics and disruptive tech companies gets overlooked.

The outcome is the same type of systems that have prevented the movement towards SEMI’s third pillar and properly optimising their fabs’ processes and production.

However, this reluctance is easing, with early movers already beginning to enjoy the benefits that come from a fully integrated data environment where AI-based tools can be deployed to improve and automate decision making, and help fabs to work at genuine capacity rather than the ‘false capacity’ that an over-reliance on manual processes and siloed data has created.

For companies to fully embrace smart manufacturing and truly move onto that third pillar, the next step on their journey is to transition away from conventional, heuristic scheduling software

that mimics human decision-making process based on historical data.

Instead, manufacturers need to adopt advanced technology that makes optimised decisions in real-time with the ability to seamlessly adapt to unpredictable fab environments.

By making decisions based on the actual state of the fab and its processes in the present moment, companies can realise even more capacity and see up to 10% extra efficiency in their operations.

The chip shortage may seem like a temporary problem that will soon be resolved – but that’s a dangerous assumption. Instead, it’s a wake-up call that the semiconductor supply chain needs to be re-engineered to become fit for purpose. Fab building may be part of the solution, but more important is the need for existing facilities to be fully optimised in order to realise their true capacity – and that needs the industry to be willing to innovate and pilot cutting edge technologies.

Manufacturing & Production Engineering Magazine

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Automation

Laser profile scanners improve quality and performance in machine building and factory automation Glenn Wedgbrow, Business Development Manager at Micro-Epsilon UK, provides an overview of 7 challenging measurement applications that use the latest laser profile scanning technology to help improve quality control and production performance.

2D/3D laser profile scanners are used to detect, measure and evaluate profiles on a wide range of object surfaces with high precision.

Their versatility allows the scanners to measure the profile of angles, steps, distances, extreme values and 3D measurements.

The measuring principle The sensors with integrated signal processors and optical components project a wide laser line onto the target surface. A compact size combined with higher resolution allows the scanCONTROL 30xx family of scanners

to attain new performance levels in quality control.

Example 1: easy integration due to compact size and integral controller Common laser scanners that use external controllers carry an overhead in terms of both space and weight, which can be a serious limitation when the sensors operate on tight measuring locations. However, a compact laser profile scanner with integral evaluations without requiring an external controller or PC, can be directly integrated to a PLC or other production control system.

Equipped with powerful processors and highly sensitive optical components, these scanners ensure precise measurements on almost any surface type. The lightweight scanCONTROL scanners provide the ideal integration solution for robotics applications, inline production monitoring and mobile machines.

Example 2: Blue laser technology for red-hot glowing surfaces Profile measurements on red-hot glowing targets such as milled steel push traditional sensor technologies to their limits. This is where scanCONTROL Blue Laser technology offers the ideal measurement solution. Blue Laser scanners work at a shorter wavelength of 405nm, which is far from the red part of the visible spectrum. This means it is unaffected by the emitted light from a surface, which is blocked by using a simple optical filter. This method ensures very stable signals.

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Automation A compact size combined with higher resolution allows the scanCONTROL 30xx family of scanners to attain new performance levels in quality control.

Glenn Wedgbrow

For this reason, scanCONTROL laser scanners achieve excellent signal stability and therefore precise measurement results on red-hot glowing surfaces. Applications involving MicroEpsilon scanCONTROL Blue Laser scanners measuring on red-hot glowing measurement objects exceeding 700°C are protected by patent law.

Example 3: Blue laser technology for transparent objects The scanCONTROL Blue Laser scanners also demonstrate their advantages on transparent objects such as plastics, glass, adhesives, silicones, paints, varnishes, coatings, Plexiglas and gaskets. The scanners achieve excellent signal stability on these surfaces and thus precise measurement results. The shorter wavelength of blue light reduces the penetration into the material surface that is seen with traditional red lasers.

The advantages of these scanners are also used for measurement on organic objects and reflective metals.

Measurement tasks involving blue laser scanners measuring on transparent objects such as glass and plastics are protected by patent law.

light from this laser line onto a sensor matrix. From this camera image, the controller calculates the distance information (z-axis) and the position alongside the laser line (x-axis) and outputs both in a two-dimensional coordinate system. In the case of moving objects or traversing the sensor, a 3D point cloud is obtained from the juxtaposition of the profiles.

Example 5: Path planning in welding automation In modern spot welding, additive welding processes and robot welding, all process steps are clocked and carried out with the highest precision. In this respect, high precision sensors from Micro-Epsilon impress in numerous measurement tasks and are used, for example, for control, intensity control and weld path planning. The scanners are used for profile measurements and provide precise profile information of the weld seam, even on difficult surfaces.

The calculated paths eliminate deviations from the component tolerance in such a

way that the welding head is positioned over the desired seam at all times.

Example 6: Burr measurement in slitting lines The cutting process causes burrs to form on the cut surfaces of the metal strips. For inline monitoring of the burr, scanCONTROL laser scanners are used, which permanently monitor the sheet edges. Due to the Blue Laser technology, precise measurement values with high signal stability are determined. Limit value transgressions are transferred directly to the control system, allowing the slitting process to be adjusted, for example, by servicing the knives or adjusting the path control.

Example 7: 3D measurement of components prior to plasma cutting In order to process huge domes quickly, fully automatically and at extreme precision, it is necessary to determine the shape of the domes and their exact position within the production line. As the pure CAD data of the dome often differs by several centimetres from the actual dimensions, the 3D profile of the covers is measured before processing using scanCONTROL laser scanners. The exact dimensions are then determined from the 2D data generated by the scanner which is connected to a 6D position system.

For more information on 2D/3D laser profile scanners, please call the Micro-Epsilon sales department on +44 (0)151 355 6070 or email info@micro-epsilon.co.uk

Example 4: 3D measurements in the production line scanCONTROL laser line scanners use the laser triangulation measuring principle for two-dimensional profile detection on different target surfaces.

Line optics project a laser line onto the target surface. A high quality optical system images the diffusely reflected Manufacturing & Production Engineering Magazine

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Automation

Servomotors: powerful when the going gets tough Demanding tasks that require high torque are the DL4 servo motor’s primary discipline.

Particularly powerful and flexible in its connection to machine designs, the servo motor sets new standards. Luca Banfi, Sales & Marketing Manager at KEB Automation’s Italian partner company Brusatori, explains the special features of this “power package”.

What sets the DL4 motors apart from other servo motors?

DL4 servo motors are designed to fulfill very high torque requirements. Compared to most of the motors on the market, they stand out due to their compactness and for the high nominal torques they can reach. Furthermore, the customisation of these motors makes it possible to adapt them to most machines and obtain truly excellent performances. The possibility of having different shaft designs and different types of feedback allows these motors to be adapted to individual customer needs.

In which applications is the motor used and are there certain challenges for which it fits best?

The DL4 servo motors are particularly suitable for very stressful applications.

In many cases, the environmental conditions and the operating cycle of the machine put a strain on the mechanical structure, bearings and windings. DL4 motors are designed to fit applications in different fields, from a wind turbine (pitch and yaw systems) to the machining of metals, wood and plastics. For example, in wood processing, the motors are subjected to constant high stress due

to a combination of factors such as temperature and humidity combined with high torque requirements.

Which servo motor variants are available and what can users look forward to soon?

Starting from the mechanical variants available, the following solutions can be considered: mounting form B3 or B35 – smooth shaft, with key or splined. In some cases, it is also possible to have a hollow shaft version. On the electrical side, different types of windings, thermal sensors and position sensors are available. Last but not least, there is the possibility of having motors with natural ventilation or servo ventilation – the latter guaranteeing very high nominal and peak torque levels.

Can you tell us something about the development history of the DL4?

The development of the DL4 motors started around 20 years ago, when the market was looking for machines with ever higher performance. At first, we started with the development of motors with good performances, after which the market made available components with increasingly better characteristics.

From here, there was also the evolution of the motor itself allowed an important step forward. Furthermore, the development of position sensors has made it possible to attain even better results in terms of the control of the machines where these motors are used.

Servo systems In combination with the KEB COMBIVERT F6 drive controllers (servo inverters) as well as assembled encoder/motor cables, power drive systems can be created with perfectly matched optimal speed and torque characteristics, as well as providing high efficiency and easy start up.

Brusatori Motori Elettrici is an Italian, family-run manufacturer of electric motors. Founded in 1953, the company manufactures synchronous, asynchronous, direct current and permanent magnet motor technology.

For more information on DL4 servo motors and COMBIVERT F6 drive controllers, please visit www.keb.co.uk

Manufacturing & Production Engineering Magazine

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Automation - Opinion Piece

The Robotics Revolution: How Automation is Changing the World Phil Simmonds, Chief Executive Officer of EC Electronics tells MPE Magazine his views on how automation is changing the world.

Not long ago, the notion of being surrounded by robots in the workplace and our everyday lives was reserved for the world of science fiction.

Yet, the robotics industry is thriving and

expanding rapidly in the modern world.

During the coronavirus pandemic, the need for robotics increased as businesses leaned on machines to perform tasks safely whilst workers remained at home under lockdown restrictions. Additionally, labour

shortages have struck many industries worldwide due to the pandemic Brexit and mass retirement, increasing the adoption of robotics to fill labour gaps and enhance productivity and operational efficiency.

With robots becoming more intelligent every day thanks to technological advancement, we are witnessing a massive shift towards automation across industries to optimise maintenance and minimise human error. So, what does the term ‘robotics’ mean in 2022, and how is Industry 4.0 helping robotics evolve from a futuristic concept to a widely accepted tool of industry and innovation?

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Automation - Opinion Piece Trending growth in the robotics industry Robotics is a branch of technology involving the design, engineering, manufacture and operation of robots: programmable machines used to perform tasks traditionally carried out by humans. Over the past few years, we have witnessed significant advances in robotics technology, leading to the rise in demand and production for various robot types for different applications. The robotics market is growing — especially in industrial settings, where robots perform time-consuming or dangerous jobs and maintenance.

Maintenance is a critical responsibility for industrial and manufacturing facilities, as machine breakdowns and downtime can have significant financial and reputational consequences for businesses. Research suggests that UK manufacturers lose £12,042 every time a machine is out of action, equating to hundreds of thousands of pounds lost every year for larger companies. Modern robots can perform routine maintenance for vital equipment and collect data to predict and prevent costly malfunctions.

In addition to mitigating the impact of labour shortages and improving operational efficiency, robotics also help reduce carbon emissions.

Phil Simmonds

The rapid progression of the internet of things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) have prompted other sectors to embrace this developing technology. For example, ‘cobots’ are collaborative robots capable of working alongside people in the workplace to enhance human abilities or complete repetitive tasks — from food packaging and quality inspection to assisting in retail settings. As such, forecasts predict the cobot market will account for 30% of the total robot market by 2027.

Autonomous mobile robots (AMR), such as self-driving forklifts and inventory robots, are becoming increasingly popular in warehouses, agricultural and healthcare settings. The market for delivery robots is also forecast to rise at a staggering compound annual growth rate of 35.1% between 2021 and 2026 due to demand from the food, beverage and retail industries. Robotic process automation (RPA) is a commonly used technology in settings like hospitals that require repetitive tasks, such as appointment scheduling and stock management.

Future applications for robotics and automation From military to medical, logistics to automotive electronics manufacturing, the development of next-generation technology within the robotics sector has boundless potential for large and smallscale applications — with several benefits for businesses.

As the robotics industry continues to expand with the development of Industry 4.0 technology like the IoT and 5G, machines will perform increasingly sophisticated tasks, adapting to their surroundings and improving autonomous decision-making. In the smart factories and workplaces of the future, autonomous mobile robots (AMR) will require less and less human intervention, generating an attractive return on investment for organisations that invest in this technology.

In addition to mitigating the impact of labour shortages and improving operational efficiency, robotics also help reduce carbon emissions.

Modern robots are energy-efficient and operate at optimised levels of accuracy and precision, helping sustainable manufacturers to minimise the energy wasted by inefficient processes and faulty products. Plus, robotics will aid the production of renewable energy equipment, such as fuel cells, allowing other organisations to lower their energy use.

Ultimately, with the proper programming and investment, robots have the potential to shift the way we work and enhance our day-to-day lives. Robotics training and education will be crucial for the electronics industry to keep pace with this ever-evolving market. Electronics manufacturing service (EMS) providers must ensure engineers have the technical skills required to deliver high-quality, reliable components for the safety-critical sectors in which they are deployed.

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21/11/2019 13:12

Automation

Chemical innovator invests in automation to drive green growth A manufacturer of eco-friendly, innovative domestic cleaning products is forecasting 25% growth and creating new jobs after investing in a new automation technology.

Qualkem (formerly Repclif Chemical Services), based in Crewe, has installed new tube labelling and filling machinery specifically for short production runs.

The second generation family business with 16 staff has been developing and making chemicals for half a century, and believes that the solution - which uses up to 100% recycled plastic tubes and closures, 85% recycled polyurethane labels that are in-line applied, and 85% recycled cardboard packaging - is unique to the market and will give it a competitive edge.

As a result, Qualkem is forecasting 25% sales growth over the next three years and creating two new jobs, while upskilling several existing roles.

The £57,500 technology investment, supported by a £20,000 grant from Made Smarter’s North West adoption programme, will also give the company visibility and access to valuable production data to drive continuous improvement across its processes.

Ivan Anketell-Clifford, Director, said: “Introducing the automatic tube labelling and filling machinery will

see the start of our commitment to digitalisation. Not only will it allow us to offer another packaging regime to our existing customer base, but it will also allow us to actively market to new sectors, for example cosmetics.

“The new Rigao machinery is going to make a huge difference to our company’s future and will help us achieve our true potential. Moreover, this digitalisation project will allow us to offer customers the ability to source green chemistry in green packaging, driving more sustainably packaged products into the marketplace, doing our bit for society and the environment.

“The impact of Made Smarter’s support has been instantaneous and we see them as an important partner to assist other technology projects as we search for production efficiencies, as part of our continued growth plans.”

Launched by chemical engineer Robert Frazer and industrial chemist Doug Holt in 1971, as Repclif Chemical Services, the business has worked with many blue chip companies and household brands including Mercedes-Benz, Rowenta, Lakeland and Portaloo.

For the last two years the business has been run by Robert’s son-in-law Ivan and daughter Rachael who have embarked on a change in business strategy focussed on developing its own label, or dual branded product

Introducing the automatic tube labelling and filling machinery will see the start of our commitment to digitalisation.

Ivan Anketell-Clifford

ranges in partnership with market leading wholesale/distributors in growth sectors. The business was rebranded as Qualkem in January.

Donna Edwards, Made Smarter’s North West Adoption Programme Director, said: “We are delighted to be supporting Qualkem on the first stage of its digital transformation. It is a fantastic example of a business using technology to automate how it manufactures products, creating growth, new jobs, new skills, while laying the foundation for further improvements.

“Qualkem is among hundreds of manufacturers in the region grasping the opportunities offered by Made Smarter which include expert, impartial technology advice, digital transformation workshops to help take that first step to transform a business, and support with technology investment. I would encourage other SME manufacturers to do the same.”

For more information, visit www.madesmarter.uk

Manufacturing & Production Engineering Magazine

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News

Brandauer seal £500k+ funding to charge new lamination technology

Siemens extends Connected Curriculum programme Connected Curriculum, Siemens’ innovative teaching programme integrating technology into the higher education curriculum, has expanded its university partnerships bringing its total to 10 leading UK universities.

Launched in 2019, the initiative supports academic staff to tailor Siemens’ industrial hardware, software, and learning materials to develop crucial Industry 4.0 skills for their students.

Sheffield Hallam University and the University of the West England (UWE) are the latest universities to have signed up to the programme.

They join the existing Connected Curriculum academic community comprising of the University of Sheffield, Manchester Metropolitan University, Liverpool John Moores University, Middlesex University, Teesside University, the University of Exeter, Coventry University and the University of Salford.

By using curriculum examples, case studies, and real-life problemsolving tutorials, more than 470 learners have been armed with real-

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Manufacturing & Production Engineering Magazine

world industrial experience and new digital skills.

The Connected Curriculum initiative offers students access to Siemens’ simulation software including NX Mechatronics Concept Designer, Tecnomatix Plant Simulation, PLCSIM Advanced, TIA Portal, MindSphere and Mendix.

Since its inception, universities have used the programme to engage with dozens of businesses on a variety of projects.

At the University of Exeter, learners have helped manufacturer, Dana TM4, based in Chudleigh, Devon, achieve production line improvements.

The project involved using Siemens Tecnomatix Plant Simulation software to create a ‘digital twin’ of the production line to help identify improvements in the process.

The company has been so impressed by these solutions that it is keen to work further with the learners and is considering rolling out these findings across global manufacturing sites.

Teesside University is also using Connected Curriculum to forge links with businesses and support local SMEs with the development of bespoke MindSphere applications.

In tandem with this, Teesside University has also appointed Ross Caddens, Director of UK PreSales and Business Development for Siemens Digital Industries Software, as a visiting professor in Cyber-Physical Design. Through this Royal Academy of Engineering funded award Professor Caddens will work with staff to directly support students on a range of leading-edge technology projects.

A leading metal pressings specialist has secured more than £500,000 of funding to help it develop new thin gauge laminates for use in an exciting electrification project.

Brandauer, which employs 60 people at its factory in Birmingham, is proving out a manufacturing process for creating special stacks used in a new highly sustainable motor for the light commercial vehicle/offhighway sectors.

The firm is part of the UK-ALUMOTOR consortium that is being led by Ricardo and includes partners Aspire Engineering, Warwick Manufacturing Group, Phoenix Scientific Industries and Global Technologies Racing. £4m of consortium funding has come from the Driving the Electric Revolution Challenge at UK Research and Innovation, with the consortium tasked with delivering,

News testing and validating pre-production of a highly sustainable motor with up to a 12kg reduction in rare earth magnets per machine.

Brandauer, a proven collaborator through its membership of the Manufacturing Assembly Network (MAN), had previously worked with the consortium on a feasibility study for production and this has provided crucial information on geometry, tolerances, material usage and refined production processes.

The new funding will help it take this knowledge and put it towards the development of tooling that will create the paper-thin laminates that engineers will then assemble into varying stack sizes for use in the stator and rotor part of the electric motor.

15 staff at the Birmingham firm are expected to be involved in the project, with the new Yamada 80 tonne press due to be used once production of the samples start. Bosses are estimating that this could be worth more than £1m per year if the component is fully realised.

For further information, please visit www.brandauer.co.uk or follow @cbrandauer on twitter

The firm is part of the UK-ALUMOTOR consortium that is being led by Ricardo and includes partners Aspire Engineering, Warwick Manufacturing Group, Phoenix Scientific Industries and Global Technologies Racing.

Boss Training Ltd Partnership to Bring Better Training Options to Wolverhampton National training provider Boss Training Ltd has announced a partnership with PLT training to provide new facilities for trainees.

The partnership will see the relocation of Boss Training’s current Wednesbury training centre into more modern facilities at Showell Road in Wolverhampton, currently operated by PLT Training.

The move means that Wolverhampton will have a one-stopshop for a huge variety of health and safety training courses, with Boss Training bringing its first rate IPAF, PASMA, UKATA and CITB Training Courses to the centre. PLT Training currently offers NEBOSH, Confined Spaces, Forklift and First Aid training courses.

By forming the partnership, Boss Training Ltd are bringing better facilities to their trainees, where they will deliver vital manufacturing and construction industry training.

The opportunities for upskilling staff at local firms will be improved in an area where development is on the rise.

Wolverhampton has seen a wealth of new developments in recent months, including the Brewers Yard regeneration

project in Culwell Street, which will see 300 new homes for the area, the rejuvenation of Heath Town Estate where 200 new homes will be created, and eight tower blocks will be improved.

In addition, the refurbishment of Bond House will create 34 supported living apartments and services for individuals

with a history of rough sleeping and homelessness.

The Showell Road training centre will provide purpose built classrooms and fantastic transport links for people from the wider West Midlands area to access the training offered by Boss Training and PLT Training.

Manufacturing & Production Engineering Magazine

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News £250,000 digital transformation investment pays off as Conservatory Outlet back on track with production Investing in a major digital transformation programme has helped one of the UK’s leading fabricators of windows, doors, home extensions and conservatory products to bounce back from global supply chain disruption and rising energy prices.

Wakefield-based Conservatory Outlet, which supplies a 27-strong network of home improvement retailers across England and Scotland, is now back at 98.5% on time in full (OTIF) for the last four weeks and is aiming to build on this even further over the next six months.

The company has had to manage increased lead times for material and

unprecedented demand from customers, who have been benefitting from the massive surge in spending on homes and domestic office spaces.

At the heart of the approach has been a £250,000 investment in creating a live tracking system in the factory, meaning that everyone in the business has realtime information on where a product is in the manufacturing process, starting from initial order right through to dispatch.

Led by Group Head of IT Craig Schmidt, the digital transformation has also given it critical information on improved order planning, material utilisation and predictive maintenance on machines, reducing downtime in the process.

Whilst technology is playing an increasing role in production, Conservatory Outlet continues to be committed to developing its workforce and recruiting the talent of the future.

The company, which recently achieved Investors in People for the first time, is putting all the office team through an intensive product training programme to allow them to better respond to any customer service or product related issues.

A new training academy for attracting and developing future sales talent is also set to be launched shortly and will be rolled out across its network of retailers.

For further information, please visit www.conservatoryoutlet.co.uk or follow @conservatoryuk on twitter

Led by Group Head of IT Craig Schmidt, the digital transformation has also given it critical information on improved order planning, material utilisation and predictive maintenance on machines, reducing downtime in the process.

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RTITB partners with OPAL in Oman to help raise lifting operation safety and standards RTITB has partnered with OPAL (Oman Society for Petroleum Services) to deliver the Oman National Occupational Standard Project for Lifting Operations Training and Skill Certification assessment scheme.

With more than 450 members, made up of oil and gas companies, including producers and operators, contractors and suppliers, OPAL aims to promote standards of work, and increase competencies and professionalism among those operating plant and materials handling equipment.

As a result of the new collaboration, RTITB, the UK’s leading workplace transport training accrediting body, will be part of the organisation’s lifting operations framework, with a view to improving the standards and skills of operators, at the same time increasing safety in members’ operations.

As part of the new assessment scheme, competency cards will be issued for lifting operators based on their skill level, in line with assessment standards set by RTITB. The standards have been specifically designed to help make measurable improvements to safety, while reducing risk and increasing efficiency.

Cards will be issued electronically

by RTITB and only operators who have received the card will be able to work for OPAL members.

For more information on working with RTITB to raise training standards for lifting operations, visit www.rtitb.com.

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Electrical & Electronics Altus Assists Electronics Manufacturers with Laser Direct Structuring Options

EPS Tech Sets its Sights on Success with Infor Electronics supplier to defence industry chooses Infor CloudSuite High Tech & Electronics to secure businesswide process efficiencies Infor, the industry cloud company, announced that EPS Tech, a leading Israeli provider of advanced embedded electronic systems to the defence and industrial markets, has chosen Infor CloudSuite High Tech & Electronics and Infor PLM to improve process efficiencies across the business. The multitenant cloud, enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution — powered by Amazon Web Services (AWS) — and delivered by Infor’s partner, Intentia Israel, will span all business processes at the firm’s Tzur-Yigal facility, delivering real-time visibility and increased collaboration across the end-to-end supply chain.

EPS Tech went through a thorough assessment of the market and a competitive tender process before

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Manufacturing & Production Engineering Magazine

choosing Infor CloudSuite High Tech & Electronics for its industryspecific functionality. An integral part of the implementation will be its Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) capabilities, designed specifically for discrete manufacturers, which will be fully integrated into EPS Tech’s production and assembly processes, providing full transparency across the product lifecycle.

“Our highly-skilled electronic hardware, software, and mechanical engineering teams offer a unique foundation for innovative, agile and reliable technology to our customers, and we were looking for an ERP solution that reflects that,” said Daniel Applebaum, EPS Tech CEO. “The industry-specific capabilities of the Infor CloudSuite High Tech & Electronics make it the ideal solution for our business. It will help us significantly improve our process efficiencies right across the organization, from planning and engineering through to production, assembly and quality control.”

“The teams at Intentia Israel and Infor are both very experienced not only in the high-tech electronics space but in the defence sector, too.

Infor understands our business and our customers’ businesses, which gives us confidence in their ability to deliver exactly the right solution not only for EPS Tech, but for our customer base as well,” Applebaum added.

Electronic devices are getting more complex as the drive towards miniaturisation increases in every industry from automotive to medical and healthcare. This brings with it the task of finding production methods to produce small lightweight devices with the same capabilities to support the application.

One technology that is meeting the challenge is Laser Direct Structuring.

Altus Group, a leading distributor of capital equipment in the UK and Ireland, are helping customers to meet the design challenge thanks to LPKF’s LDS range.

With LPKF’s LDS it is possible to produce circuit layouts on geometric or free-form shapes. Designers are enabled to meet ongoing demands for integrating more functions in ever-smaller spaces on plastic components and 3D Molded Interconnect Devices (MID).

The goal of 3D MIDs is to unite electrical and mechanical functions in a single construction unit. 3D circuits are often only feasible using complex interconnection technology, or with LDS technology.

For those looking to make prototypes and small batch work the entry-level LPKF Fusion3D 1100 is the ideal choice. This compact, cost-effective platform features a large, height-adjustable work surface and an optional vision system to assist with aligning the structuring data.

The CAD data acquisition and processing of structuring jobs is carried out by LPKF CircuitPro 3D software, which interprets the data and optimises the structuring process.

This lets complex layouts to be split into individual poses to allow laser-structuring in different positions.

@ecelectronics EC Electronics Ltd ecelectronicsuk

EC Electronics: The Best EMS Provider for OEMs Founded in 1984 and headquartered in the UK, EC Electronics is a global electronics manufacturing services provider that develops and supplies electronics-based products to customers from a variety of markets. With over 35 years’ experience in the industry, we have a strong reputation backed by accreditations and are constantly adapting to the ever-changing market.

Our mission is to be the best-in-class electronics manufacturing services partner for OEMs and product innovators. As such, we’re always investing in new ways to support our customers – either by improving our service offering, production techniques, logistics or facilities.

As part of this continuous improvement, we have recently expanded – growing our presence across Europe. In January 2020, we opened a brand-new office in Amsterdam, which will enable us to further support all of our European customers and allow us to continue delivering the exceptional service they have come to expect from us. This expansion means EC Electronics now has six facilities across the globe in the UK, Romania, Hong Kong and the Netherlands.

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UK 4 Newton Court Rankine Road Basingstoke Hampshire RG24 8GF England  +44 (0)1256 461894  sales@ecelectronics.co.uk  www.ecelectronics.co.uk Romania Str, Stadionului, Nr. 4 Loc. Petrosani 332060 Jud. Hunedoara Romania  +40 (0) 254 552 024  www.ecelectronics.ro Hong Kong 1/F Room 07 (B) Wah Wai Centre 38-40 Au Pui Wan Street Fo Tan Hong Kong China  +852 3153 2478  sales@ecsupplychainsolutions.hk  www.ecsupplychainsolutions.hk Netherlands EC Electronics BV Keizersgracht 127 Amsterdam 1015CJ Netherlands  +31 20 262 0943  sales@ecelectronics.nl  customerservices@ecelectronics.nl  www.ecelectronics.nl

Spring, Fasteners & Adhesives

How can the use of adhesives in the manufacturing process impact sustainability?

By Jean-François Chartrel, Bostik Engineering Adhesives Global Head of PD & TCS Sustainability is a big word, and a key driver for every manufacturing business. But sustainability means different things to different people.

To some it means reducing the use of potentially harmful chemicals in the manufacturing process; to others, it means reducing the manufacturing time, and improving efficiency; to another group it may mean reducing the number of parts, especially plastic, and improving their carbon footprint.

So how does the choice of adhesive affect sustainability at potentially every level?

Adhesive manufacturing One of the key factors is in how the adhesive itself is manufactured.

‘Traditional’ methods of manufacturing face a number of challenges. Typically, they consume large amounts of energy

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and generate high levels of waste.

Controlling potentially harmful emissions is similarly an issue. New manufacturing processes have been developed that overcome these issues and more.

Latest techniques, including those used in the manufacture of or MECA (Methoxyethyl Cyanoacrylate) -based Cyanoacrylate (CA) adhesives, for example, have no such issues. The process consumes considerably less energy than conventional manufacturing techniques while delivering a higher yield (estimated at between 95% - 98% on average) and creating less waste.

It is also a much ‘cleaner’ process all round, allowing for far greater control of emissions.

Faster curing times The performance of the adhesive is also important. As evidenced with Bostik’s Born2Bond™ range of high-performing

engineering adhesives, a product with a faster curing time (but without sacrificing performance) enables the manufacturing process to become more efficient.

When it comes to CA adhesives specifically, new patented ‘Light Cure’ technology is certainly helping in this regard. A conventional UV technology requires at least one transparent surface to cure, which means it is not effective on non-transparent materials, limiting its application. New ‘dual cure’ technology, however, is different; it has two curing mechanisms, combining light (UV) and contact (humidity).

This new generation of CA dual cure adhesives are designed for bonding applications that require fast fixturing, coating, or surface cure. The UV sensitivity allows rapid bonding through transparent parts, and quick curing of light-exposed bulk or surface coated areas. The instant bonding capability of

Spring, Fasteners & Adhesives

Light Cure CA adhesives also ensures curing between opaque substrates, giving designers and manufacturers much greater flexibility.

To give some idea of the speed with which CA adhesives cure, without light exposure, bonding time is recorded at approximately 60 seconds; with light curing, that time is closer to 5 seconds.

The implications on sustainability and efficiency of the manufacturing process are obvious, not to mention the impact on cost.

The use of LED lamps is a major source of energy saving (this is true across both ‘traditional’ UV and the most current dual cure systems) and is a very penetrating

source of light (so it does not just cure on the surface) making it more efficient.

The dual process is quicker and uses less energy than conventional UV systems.

It also negates the need for any postcuring, further improving efficiencies.

The performance of the adhesive has an impact on sustainability in other ways.

The volume of adhesive dispensed is reduced (when using manual or automated dispensing equipment) and dual-cure technology allows the assembly of multiple substrates on the same production run which would not be possible (or as efficient) with mechanical fasteners.

Glass, metals and plastics can all now be accommodated with ease, as well as leather and even woven products, allowing the precision bonding of small parts within complex designs: perfume bottles that combine metal with glass; hearing aids and speakers; luxury goods such a leather shoes and bags; expensive glass and crystal; and high-class jewelry.

MRO and Automotive Aftermarket segments can also benefit from adhesives that allow for maintenance and repair.

(Indeed, the processes that use UV curing to bond components gain a further advantage in terms of flexibility and sustainability. When these products are end of life, or in need of repair, parts can be easily dismantled through the further application of heat, allowing those components to be recycled or re-used.

This is proving very popular, for example, in smartphone manufacturing and repair.)

The use of LED lamps is a major source of energy saving (this is true across both ‘traditional’ UV and the most current dual cure systems) and is a very penetrating source of light (so it does not just cure on the surface) making it more efficient.

Jean-François Chartrel

often replace the need for solder or screws, though in certain processes (the assembly of an aircraft fuselage, for example) a rivet may be used to further secure the bond. Cure-on-demand highprecision process is highly welcome in manufacturing and allows for exclusion of non-cured adhesives from bonded substrates and parts.

As a general trend, however, the enhanced bonding characteristics and performance of a new generation of adhesives is helping to reduce the number of parts typically used in a finished product. This means that often complex designs can be further simplified and rationalized, making them lighter and typically requiring less energy to make. Fewer parts also equates to better use of resources and less waste, thereby supporting a manufacturer’s sustainability credentials. An accelerated production line and manufacturing process also supports a higher margin in sometimes low-margin businesses.

A sustainable business must first and foremost be sustainable itself, and new thinking in adhesive product development is helping manufacturers to meet their sustainability targets while delivering a more efficient manufacturing process.

Reducing waste A benefit of adhesives generally is that they help to reduce waste since they

born2bond.bostik.com

Manufacturing & Production Engineering Magazine

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Machining Case Study & Machinery - Case Study

VERICUT and AML join forces to simplify complex machining demands After a decade of using VERICUT machine simulation, verification and optimisation software, Advanced Manufacturing (Sheffield) Ltd (AML) is extolling the virtues of providing industryleading protection for its high-value capital assets and expensive parts.

VERICUT from CGTech is a key component of business success at this rapidly expanding precision machining company, which serves a plethora of customers in sectors such as aerospace, energy and defence.

More recently, AML has embraced the efficiency and productivity gains offered by VERICUT’s Force™ module, which is driving tool life gains and cycle time reductions in the order of 30-40%.

Originally a spin-out from the awardwinning Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) at the University of Sheffield, AML is today a recognised market leader in delivering flexible manufacturing capability at the leading edge of machining technologies and efficiencies. The company is AS9100-certified and carries a Rolls-Royce Certificate of Approval. In addition, AML is part of the SC21 framework for ’21st Century supply chains’ to accelerate the competitiveness of aerospace and defence companies.

To manufacture the market’s highest quality precision parts, the company utilises the very latest technologies, including VERICUT simulation, verification and optimisation software from CGTech.

“We’ve had VERICUT from day one of manufacturing at AML, which dates back around a decade,” explains Engineering Manager Jason Mills. “VERICUT is our safety net; it looks after our complex components, some of which are machined from expensive forgings that cost in excess of £50,000 before we’ve even drilled a hole. There is no margin for error. We use all of the features in VERICUT, including gouge detection, collision detection and, more recently, the FORCE module. The software also looks after our machine tools through virtual simulations, which are critical because a replacement spindle could cost around £40,000 for the hardware alone.”

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Business is extremely busy, so we also have a DMG Mori DMU 125 FD five-axis machining centre on order, and are looking at two more assets in the near future.

We are not shy of investment if it makes sound business sense.

Jason Mills

From receipt or generation of customer CAD, forging and stage models, AML engineers start building up what it calls the ‘Tech Pack’ from its Siemens NX CAM system, including documentation and any relevant paperwork. The company will then start importing the component, fixture and tool models into VERICUT. Here, AML can take advantage of its VERICUT NX Interface, a function that provides an easy and convenient way to verify, optimise and analyse individual NC programs, a series of selected tool paths or a complete sequence of operations, directly from within Siemens NX. “We then start simulating the tool paths, checking for everything that could possibly go wrong, from collisions and near misses, to spindles running in the wrong direction,” explains Jason Mills.

AML has seven seats of VERICUT base and essential modules that

Machining & Machinery - Case Study looking at two more assets in the near future,” says Jason Mills. “We are not shy of investment if it makes sound business sense.”

The company also takes advantage of several further VERICUT modules, including AUTO-DIFF™, which compares a CAD design model with a VERICUT simulation to automatically detect differences, weaknesses or mistakes in the design. include Verification (detects program mistakes and verifies part accuracy), CNC Machine Simulation (detects collisions and near misses between all components in the machining zone) and Multi-Axis (simulates multi-axis milling, turning and mill-turn operations).

The latter is vital as AML has 15 DMG Mori CNC machine tools on site, almost all of which are high-specification, multiaxis NT series mill-turn models. These include a large NT6600 with 6-metre bed and the latest arrival, an NT4250 DCG, which is capable of simultaneous fiveaxis mill-turn operations with a directdrive motor installed in the B axis.

“Business is extremely busy, so we also have a DMG Mori DMU 125 FD five-axis machining centre on order, and are

“We use AUTO-DIFF on every component as part of our standard operating procedure [SOP],” states Jason Mills. “With AUTO-DIFF, anyone involved in the manufacturing process can identify an incorrectly processed job. We find that it often flags up errors, especially as we have numerous millturn machines. The tools on mill-turn machines can be flipped round either way, so if they are not set-up correctly, VERICUT will capture it.”

Additional VERICUT modules on site include CNC Machine Probing, which checks for probe collisions (all of the CNC machine tools at AML feature Renishaw probes), and TDM Systems, which provides a live, on-the-fly connection to TDM. The company is now

building tools in TDM for direct import into VERICUT. Most recently, AML has added Force Milling to its list of modules. VERICUT Force makes optimising an NC program fast and easy by calculating the contact between the tool and material, cutby-cut. Force also takes the cuttingtool edge and material into account, adjusting the feed rates accordingly so they are optimal and constant.

“We’ve seen up to 40% more tool life and 30-40% savings in machining cycle time when using VERICUT Force,” says Jason Mills. “The module is invaluable for our production work as it provides us with a competitive edge. It’s quite easy to use and understand. We simply pick the material from the database and input the cutter geometry, which we get from the tooling manufacturer. Force then does its calculations in the background.”

AML has come a long way since spinning out of the AMRC (the company remains a tier-two AMRC member to this day).

“We have 30,000 ft² here now, which is a tenfold increase in 10 years,” explains Operations Director Mark Hands.

Continued on the next page...

Manufacturing & Production Engineering Magazine

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Tiger·tec Gold Fascinating milling work.

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Machining & Machinery - Case Study If we’re not protecting our machines or our parts, then we’re not protecting the customer programme, nor the relationship we have with them.

Mark Hands

“We’ve gone from 8 staff to 66; from two CNC machines to 15, and imminently about to sanction another two.”

It is all about continuous improvement at AML, a strategy that is spurring ambitious goals for the years ahead.

“For the 2021-2024 period we set targets to grow turnover from £4.9 million to £12 million; headcount from 55 to 110; and assets [CNC machine tools] from 10 to 22,” says Mark Hands.

AML is also working with a team of consultants from Sharing in Growth, business experts in the world of advanced manufacturing. The dedicated three-year transformation improvement programme is witnessing the entire AML team commit to an intense and comprehensive scheme of training, mentoring, coaching and development.

“We are big believers in reinvesting in our future, as well as our people,” says Mark Hands, who joined as a project engineer in 2011 and is now a company director and major shareholder. Similarly, engineering manager Jason Mills began his career at AML as a CNC machinist, while the company’s quality manager was originally a press brake operator.

a key differentiator in providing value for customers. AML aims to apply the best knowledge in tooling, CAM strategies, dynamic analysis and CNC machine platforms to deliver precision quality at high production rates. Key to this goal is VERICUT.

The coming years are clearly bright for this progressive manufacturing business, where production follows a simple mantra: apply the best manufacturing technology available to provide lowcost parts to customers. This is more than just a tagline; AML was born out of advanced research activities and the company still believes that technology is

“VERICUT brings security to our business,” says Mark Hands. “Not just because our parts are expensive, but because some are 1-offs with no margin for error. We also rely on VERICUT to protect our CNC machines; large, expensive assets that are costly to repair. If we’re not protecting our machines or our parts, then we’re not protecting the customer programme, nor the relationship we have with them.

Right first time within the business is a must and VERICUT is a vital part of that.”

Jason Mills concludes: “I can’t ever see us changing from VERICUT. We’re comfortable and happy with the software, as well as the level of support we receive from CGTech. Today we apply VERICUT to all of our parts. No matter what we change in NX, even if we just add a command to turn on the coolant, it goes through VERICUT as it provides confidence for everyone in the business, from directors to machine operators. You can’t put a value on that.”

For more information, visit the CGTech website at www.cgtech.co.uk call +44 (0)1273 773538 or email info.uk@cgtech.com

Manufacturing & Production Engineering Magazine

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Machining & Machinery

ETG Ireland Takes Subcontractor from Manual to CNC Machining Founded in 1992, P&T Precision Engineering has an established reputation as a subcontract manufacturer that specialises in the production of jigs, fixtures and machined components for the food, medical and pharmaceutical sector. Historically a manual machine shop, the County Kildare company has made the transition from manual to CNC machining with the support of the Engineering Technology Group (ETG) Ireland.

Discussing the transition from being a manual machine shop to a CNC facility, Mr Darragh Walsh from P&T Precision Engineering says: “We were a small family company with six employees and we decided to invest in CNC equipment from ETG. We ended up buying quite a lot of new equipment. This has helped us to grow in the industry sectors that we need to grow in, and it has helped our customers to get more products with shorter lead times. In a short space of time, we have gone from six staff to 22, but we have also grown our number of machines - and we hope to grow that into the future as well.”

The future for P&T will hopefully see us break through to the 2000sq/ft and expand with quality machines and also increase our workforce to help increase our capacity. This will certainly result in more machine tools from ETG Ireland.

The Nakamura AS200L twin-spindle turning centre from ETG Ireland is a 65mm diameter bar capacity machine with an 8inch chuck that offers a turning capacity up to 340mm diameter with a maximum turning length of 570mm – providing sufficient capacity for the requirements of P&T. With a powerful 11/15kW 4500rpm main spindle motor and a sub-spindle unit with 5.5/7.5kW and 6000rpm, the Nakamura AS200L is perfect for the productive turning of all material types with its perfect blend of power, torque and spindle speed. This is complemented by a driven tooling unit with capacity for up to 15 driven tools with a maximum spindle speed of 6000rpm and 3.7/5.5kw spindle power, ideal for all the drilling, threading and milling requirements of P&T. “P&T are a very creative company and they do a lot of design work for the companies that they work with.

So, they came to us with particular types of work and asked if they could do it on our machines. We sat down with them and supported and guided them through the different ways that

we could approach jobs – in a way that was different to what they were doing in the past. That has enabled P&T to create much better parts, much quicker whilst retaining and improving upon the precision and the tolerances of the parts that they are making,” continues Jamie.

Jamie says: “ETG Ireland also provided all of the training, as the Heidenhain CNC control was new to P&T. We guided them through the training process and how the CNC control works. We also provided full operator training where we came in and set their parts up with the shop floor machinists and went through the full machining aspect. ETG has taken P&T from the manual machining process to the full CNC process, we were able to be there all the way.”

Looking to the future, Darragh concludes: “The future for P&T will hopefully see us break through to the 2000sq/ft and expand with quality machines and also increase our workforce to help increase our capacity. This will certainly result in more machine tools from ETG Ireland.”

Darragh Walsh

Manufacturing & Production Engineering Magazine

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Smart Solutions & Innovation

3DGBIRE announces new partnership to deliver metal additive manufacturing 3D print specialist 3DGBIRE has announced a partnership with CMG Technologies – a leading provider of Metal Injection Moulding (MIM) – to bring UK-based de-binding and sintering capabilities for parts which have been 3D printed with BASF Ultrafuse 316L and 17-4PH stainless steel filaments.

The move will enable customers to rapidly introduce metal additive manufacturing into their businesses and produce pure, industrial grade metal prototypes and end use parts in as little as five days, without having to export them overseas for de-binding and sintering after printing.

Leah Melling, marketing, sales and technical support manager at 3DGBIRE, explains: “This partnership with CMG Technologies will make it easier and faster than ever for customers to print metal parts and prototypes on FFF or

FDM 3D printers and finish them with de-binding and sintering - all here in the UK. “Previously, parts had to be shipped to Germany for processing, which was costly and time consuming, so we were naturally very keen to bring a debinding and sintering offering into the UK that will ultimately enable business to realise the enormous cost and time savings of additive manufacturing.”

The development helps businesses to reduce lead times, allowing them to quicky produce prototypes and begin production with additive manufacturing, whilst avoiding expensive tooling and mould costs if high volumes are not required.

Parts are produced with Ultrafuse 316L and 17-4PH filaments, which contain high levels of stainless steel and polymer binders to enable easy printing. The binder content is then

removed from the printed part via a catalytic de-binding process and the part is then sintered to a high density to achieve its hardness and strength.

The parts produced by this process are virtually identical to those produced

by MIM or CNC, which are more costly manufacturing methods for small batches.

Rachel Garrett, managing director of CMG Technologies, adds: “We’re very pleased to partner with 3DGBIRE and provide this full end to end service. By merging our specialist manufacturing processes, we have essentially helped businesses to cost-effectively begin producing stainless steel metal components in smaller volumes, with the flexibility to easily iterate them if they need to.”

To learn more about 3D Printing with BASF filaments, visit sales@3dgbire.com

This partnership with CMG Technologies will make it easier and faster than ever for customers to print metal parts and prototypes on FFF or FDM 3D printers and finish them with de-binding and sintering - all here in the UK. Leah Melling, marketing, sales and technical support manager at 3DGBIRE

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Manufacturing & Production Engineering Magazine

Smart Solutions & Innovation SICK’S Monitoring Box Opens a Window to Better Machine Performance SICK has launched The Monitoring Box, a simple system that enables plug-and-play condition monitoring and preventative maintenance of sensors, machines, processes and plants. The SICK Monitoring Box can be adapted for diverse individual operating requirements to provide live status feedback and historical analysis, supporting more effective maintenance and optimised efficiency.

With the SICK Monitoring Box, all kinds of industrial operations from manufacturing and logistics to ports, transport systems or waste management facilities, can begin to digitalise their processes on the road to Industry 4.0.

Enabled by pre-configured Apps on a wide range of SICK sensors, the Monitoring Box provides transparent data monitoring through an intuitive, browser-based dashboard for desktop or mobile devices.

Device data is processed via powerful IoT gateways to enable local data storage on a customer premises or via secure connection to the SICK cloud.

Data at a Glance To get started, a SICK service employee installs and activates the gateway, your devices are connected and data transmission begins. If preferred, customers can then choose to hand over their entire device monitoring to SICK service, not only of SICK sensors, but also of third-party devices where appropriate.

Simply log in and view all your devices at a glance with the AssetBrowser, search by device status using the AssetFilter, view incidents and graphical representations to identify historical patterns and trends.

Use the Data Explorer and Event Log to review a record of alarms and notifications.

Email alerts can be set up, e.g. to notify operators when values go under or over pre-determined limits, enabling a more speedy response to maintenance and servicing needs.

Thanks to the pre-defined monitoring SensorApps, additional sensors can be integrated into the SICK Monitoring Box without any programming knowledge.

Once installed, greater transparency enables sensors and machines to be

monitored remotely. Operating and process parameters can be easily visualised.

Robust Security The SICK Monitoring Box offers a reliable system architecture, robust data security and password-protected access rights.

For more information about the SICK Monitoring Box, please contact Andrea Hornby on 01727 831121 or email andrea.hornby@sick.co.uk.

Website: www.sick.co.uk

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Oxy-fuel, Plasma, UltraSharp and Waterjet Cutting Technology Machine sales, service, support and consumables Call us on: +44 (0)1706 757 670 www.kerfdevelopments.com | Email: sales@kerfdevelopments.com Kerf Developments Ltd, Unit 1a Eagle Technology Park, Queensway, Rochdale, OL11 1TQ

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Technology

What’s coming to Industry 4.0?

Janus, the Roman god of new beginnings, is represented by a double-faced head, one facing the past and the other facing the future. Taking inspiration from this, manufacturers looking to accelerate their digital transformation in 2022 should also consider the impact of 2021.

So, what technology should manufacturers be looking to adopt?

Here, Johan Jonzon, co-founder and CMO of edge analytics pioneer Crosser, shares his insight on the digital technology to watch over the next year.

One thing that’s certain this year is that the pandemic-induced waves of disruption to operations are far from over. According to a survey conducted

by Info-Tech Research Group, 47 per cent of respondents expect a longterm change to the way we work. For many manufacturers, this change takes the form of an accelerated digital transformation.

Raconteur predicts that by 2025, 463 exabytes of data will be produced globally each day. That’s a huge increase from 2020’s daily 2.5 exabytes. It’s clear that data is going to explode over the next few years, so organizations need to be ready to unlock its value and adopt a data-driven mindset. For a successful digital transformation, manufacturers must consider how to use this data for improved decision making, better productivity and growth. So, what’s coming next?

Living up to the hype Hyperautomation was heralded as one of Gartner’s Tech Trends in 2021, but will it continue to in 2022? In theory, the concept of hyperautomation sounds relatively simple — to automate as many processes as possible across an organization. However, in practice, reaching a hyperautomated state is a slow-burning challenge.

Contrary to traditional automation, which focuses on individual processes, hyperautomation looks holistically at an organization as a whole. It involves eliminating data silos and integrating business systems. With robotic process automation (RPA) central to the process, hyperautomation also involves artificial intelligence (AI), process mining and streaming analytics. By integrating each of these technologies in unison, manufacturers are able to achieve endto-end automation of their business for increased efficiency.

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Skills shortages have been a problem for most sectors globally for a few years now — according to McKinsey, 87 per cent of companies either already have a shortage of digital skills or are anticipating one in the next few years.

on different protocols, produce data in different formats, and generate values at different time intervals, which all needs to be unified.

Johan Jonzon

Eliminating coding confusion

However, unlike some other digital transformation trends, hyperautomation is not something that can be implemented quickly. Connecting data from every system within a business, including the factory floor, IT systems, sales applications and supply chain management tools is challenging.

Each of these systems may operate

With the complexity of hyperautomation clear, it’s likely that throughout 2022 we will see manufacturers continue to implement their hyperautomation strategy and pioneers will start to unlock its value. In fact, Gartner predicts that 85 per cent of hyperautomation adopters will continue their efforts and investment in 2022.

Low-code software has been around since the 1980s, but a combination of factors will lead to further growth in 2022. It eliminates the need for vast coding knowledge within a business.

Instead, it takes a visual approach and uses functions like ‘drag and drop’ to allow non-developers to visually create the process that they are trying to create without the for code.

Technology employees who sit outside of IT but still create technology for commercial use.

With the need for seamless UX that suits business technologists, manufacturers should expect to see a rise in the composable business model. Composable business models based on the idea that all business processes can be created using a set of interchangeable, modular building blocks.

Composable business is enabled through open and easy-to-use application programming interfaces (APIs) — software intermediaries that allow applications to communicate. By combining the functionality APIs with interchangeable, modular building blocks common business processes can be implemented also by non-IT staff.

There is a dual challenge facing all industries today that will mean we see the rise of low-code software in 2022.

Skills shortages have been a problem for most sectors globally for a few years now — according to McKinsey, 87 per cent of companies either already have a shortage of digital skills or are anticipating one in the next few years.

On top of this, the pandemic placed unprecedented levels of pressure on

already under capacity IT teams, who were tasked with facilitating a rapid shift to remote working and increasing automation on the factory floor to keep the workforce safe. And according to Mulesoft’s 2021 Connectivity Benchmark Report, the pressure on IT is showing no signs of stopping. On average, IT teams were expected to deliver 30 per cent more projects in 2021 than 2020. At the same time, less than four in ten teams completed all projects asked of them.

With this in mind, the demand for lowcode enterprise software is likely to increase to alleviate this pressure.

Low-code software, like Crosser’s Flow Studio, allows existing OT personnel to automate industrial processes themselves without any input required from software developers.

With the pressure on IT sure to continue into 2022, it’s likely that we’ll see a growth in the low-code market to prevent the restriction of industry’s digital transformation.

Accessibility through APIs Ensuring a seamless digital user experience (UX) is essential for manufacturers looking to upgrade to Industry 4.0. All more often, employees are expecting the same quality of UX at work as they are at home, presenting manufacturers with the challenge of competing with the UX of tech giants like Facebook and Amazon.

Simplicity and usability have presented a need for technology that can be built up quickly by members of an organization outside of the department. 2022 will see the rise of the business technologist —

Using the philosophy of composable business and reusable APIs, 44 per cent of organizations are developing plans to enable non-IT users to integrate data sources to gain actionable insights into their facility’s operations. With the acceleration of the digital transformations showing no signs of slowing down, adopting this technology in 2022 will allow manufacturers to empower their IT teams and business technologists alike to streamline their operations using prebuilt APIs, for more efficient operations.

For manufacturers looking to adopt any of these technologies, Crosser’s suite of low-code solutions can support your digital journey. The Crosser Platform allows the real-time analysis and automation of any data source, while Crosser IPA — industrial process automation — is a hyperautomation essential, allowing non-developers to design intelligent workflows and integrate siloed systems across all business functions.

The unpredictability of the last couple of years has prepared businesses across all sectors to expect the unexpected.

Manufacturers have had no choice but to integrate technology to make their operations more flexible, scalable and digital. But like any innovation, new digital technologies are never far away.

So, preparing for what’s next will help manufacturers to gain a competitive edge and keep their digital operations at the edge of innovation.

To learn more about Crosser and its digital transformation solutions, visit www.crosser.io.

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Events & Awards News

Ahead of the Curve: Titan Enterprises Celebrates Over 40 Years of Innovation In a constantly fluid economy, continuous innovation is a primary focus for the manufacturing industry in order to maintain its footing.

Titan Enterprises has been manufacturing optimised liquid flow metering solutions for more than 40 years. Supplying a diverse range of industries, Titan’s design and engineering expertise is fundamental to the company’s success.

Trevor Forster, Managing Director of Titan Enterprises, founded the company in 1981 with the aim of producing modestly priced, high-quality, low flow measuring devices for OEM customers.

Trevor recognised from the outset that improvisation and creativity were the key to securing their footing in the market, delivering affordable and lasting solutions that resolved issues for their customers.

Titan’s R&D is primarily driven by customers looking for solutions that will support their specific applications and deliver more efficient, reliable and accurate results. “More than once we’ve been told ‘You can’t do that’, but we’ve just done it anyway!”

Trevor recalls. “The way we work with customers from research, development, through to production has enabled us to solve a lot of OEM application issues,” Trevor adds.

“Through that process, we’ve helped customers decrease their assembly times, improve efficiency, and provide extra functionality.”

Work on developing a viable, accurate ultrasonic meter began in 2001 with a collaboration between Titan’s R&D team and The Cranfield Institute of Technology. The resulting patented ultrasonic technology led to

an expanding line of Atrato® ultrasonic flowmeters.

The focus technology for Titan at present is our ultrasonic liquid flow measurement devices. Taking our Atrato® ultrasonic flowmeter product design understanding, we have pushed both electronics and physical design to improve the overall performance window. From our extensive pioneering work with a USA medical company to produce a disposable ultrasonic flowmeter that measures the volume of liquid manually injected into a patient, to recently launching our new software interface for the Atrato.

Innovative ShuttlePouch™ Wins Flexible Plastic Pack of the Year

AkzoNobel Powder Coatings unlocks a new world of opportunity for heat sensitive substrates with the new Interpon W range

Alpha Laboratories Ltd. (Eastleigh, UK) and shuttlepac Ltd. (Telford, UK) are delighted to announce that the unique and innovative ShuttlePouch™ has been awarded Flexible Plastic Pack of the Year in the 2021 UK Packaging Awards.

AkzoNobel has launched Interpon W, a range of powder coating solutions that can transform how designers and manufacturers work with heat sensitive substrates (HSS) such as wood and plastic.

Developed by shuttlepac, ShuttlePouch provides a compliant UN3373 sample packaging solution that protects users from exposure to biological samples during transit and on arrival at the laboratory. It addresses the needs of users, radically improving ease of use and reducing the cost of packing and shipping sample tubes, compared with using conventional methods. In addition, ShuttlePouch contains up to 83% less plastic than other standard specimen pouches (an average of 73% reduction across the range of pouches available), making it the more environmentally friendly option.

The ShuttlePouch™ range is exclusive to Alpha Laboratories in the UK and Ireland, and provides a powerful, cost effective solution to the clinical and diagnostic market.

Bringing benefits beyond physical attraction and with sustainability as standard, Interpon W is not a single product but rather a comprehensive range of powder coatings that include the Interpon W Core, Flex Pro, Fast and Fast Pro*.

They are better by design so that even the most challenging shapes and substrates can be given a seamless, consistent finish and all-round protection.

They enable furniture, kitchen and bathroom products or building and construction materials to be protected and enhanced in minutes in ways that could not have been imagined before.

The Interpon W range utilizes various innovations to achieve remarkable results. These include ultra-low bake technologies that deliver indoor and outdoor products with excellent chemical, scratch, liquid and heat resistance.

Please visit www.UN3373.co.uk for further information or contact Alpha Laboratories on 0800 38 77 32 or email marketing@alphalabs.co.uk

Manufacturing & Production MPE322003- Alpha Laboratories Ltd- QP.indd 1

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15/03/2022 MPE32200413:17:39 AkzoNobel-QP.indd 1

Visit our website here more details.

15/03/2022 13:45:47

Events & Awards News

Hugo Beck wins ‘Top 100’ award for the fourth time to confirm its standing as one of Germany’s most innovative SMEs Hugo Beck’s commitment to innovation in horizontal film, flowpack and paper packaging machines, as well as automation solutions, has been recognised with a prestigious award.

For the fourth time, the packaging machine specialist has received the ‘Top 100’ award, which honours the most innovative companies in the German SME sector. The award, now in its 29th year, commends Hugo Beck’s success in innovation management and its achievements in developing sustainable packaging solutions.

With its preceding wins in 2006, 2011 and 2016, the award acknowledges the strength in innovation of the Swabian family-owned company. With over 65 years of experience in providing customised film packaging machinery across multiple industries, the manufacturer more recently has expanded its portfolio to include paper packaging machines.

“Sustainable packaging is the number one topic of the future for our customers to help them meet their environmental objectives,” explains Timo Kollmann, Managing Director of Hugo Beck. “As a packaging machine manufacturer, we must lead the way and offer futureproof solutions, continuously looking to innovate in the field of packaging technology with sustainability and Industry 4.0 at the top of our agenda.”

“We work in close collaboration with our customers, to realise their requirements and to deliver the ideal packaging solution to suit their needs. We’re delighted to be recognised for our customer-focused innovation.”

In light of the global demand for sustainable packaging, Hugo Beck launched the first of its hybrid packaging machines in 2019, which helps reduce material consumption using extremely thin film and environmentally friendly paper within one application. This innovation was a key factor in the Top 100 audit process, as it provides customers the flexibility of choice in packaging materials within a single investment.

A more recent innovation is the development of the packaging machine paper e-com fit which uses uncoated, recyclable paper which can then be sewed

New Feritech Innovation Centre is opened

by HRH The Duke of Kent The newly-constructed Feritech Innovation Centre, which is located near Falmouth, had its official opening on 11th April 2022. The guest of honour for the occasion was HRH The Duke of Kent.

The Duke of Kent was welcomed

by Rob Ferris and Gemma Ferris, Directors and co-owners of Feritech Global Ltd. He was accompanied on the visit by the Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall, Colonel Edward Bolitho

closed. This has proven popular in the e-commerce and mail order sector and has since been promoted as an innovation by Germany’s Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy.

The Top 100 award examines to what extent a company is oriented towards innovation and how consistently its structures follow this goal. Special weighting is given to the question of whether, and how, innovations and product improvements can make a real difference to the market.

The award ceremony will be held on 24th June 2022 at the German SME Summit, in Frankfurt, where the top

OBE and Deputy Lieutenant James Staughton OBE. The Duke of Kent was taken on a tour of the new Innovation Centre, which specialises in advanced engineering solutions for marine and other industries. The new facility will offer a full range of services including product design, machining, fabrication, electrical, electronics, embedded software, hydraulics and 3D printing services – all under one roof. This will be one of the most advanced facilities of its kind in the UK. After the tour, Rob Ferris thanked The Duke of Kent, who unveiled a plaque to commemorate the occasion. The Duke was then invited to plant a tree close to the entrance of the centre, as part of The Queen’s Green Canopy tree-planting initiative to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee.

The new facility has been designed to work in harmony with its local environment. The site is designed to harvest its own water from boreholes. It has a state of the art solar roof which provides all of its power, with air source heating for its offices. The surrounding area will have over 3,000 trees planted, to help it blend with its rural location and promote bio-diversity.

innovators will receive congratulations from longstanding science journalist, Ranga Yogeshwar.

Manufacturing & Production Engineering Magazine

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Storage & Handling

Toyota’s systems integration division is committed to delivering turn-key automation projects Toyota Material Handling UK has announced the establishment of a systems integration division dedicated to designing and delivering turn-key automated storage and handling projects.

Toyota Logistics Solutions Integration (LSI) will develop systems based on the most appropriate technology for each client’s specific requirements, which means that designs are not restricted to products within the Toyota portfolio.

Luis Sullivan, Head of Systems Integration within LSI, says: “Toyota is one of the world’s most trusted brands and is known for the exceptional build quality of its industrial products. But the equipment selected for every LSI solution is proposed on its own merit to provide tremendous productivity gains and the lowest total cost of ownership.”

Luis Sullivan continues: “We describe the LSI approach as ‘technology agnostic’.

We respect the specific character of each project and offer end-to-end automated solutions designed to fit a client’s business. This means that we approach each project thinking ‘what does this customer need?’ rather than ‘what products can Toyota offer this customer?”

LSI designs systems based on the latest automated picking and storage technologies, state-of-the-art sorters, conveyors, autonomous robots and

Toyota is one of the world’s most trusted brands and is known for the exceptional build quality of its industrial products.

But the equipment selected for every LSI solution is proposed on its own merit to provide tremendous productivity gains and the lowest total cost of ownership.

Luis Sullivan

automated guided vehicles (AGVs).

All the necessary control software is also provided – from single modules

that connect to a client’s existing IT infrastructure to a fully-built central management system.

LSI oversee an automation project from commission to sign off, while Toyota’s team of highly qualified and experienced service engineers provide fast and efficient ongoing after-sales support and system maintenance.

Toyota expect the UK market for automated handling and storage system to continue its upward trajectory as more companies seek to optimise their intralogistics processes and improve operational robustness through automation.

Paul Freeman, Head of Logistics Solutions at Toyota Material Handling UK, comments: “The need to make the most of every available square foot of storage capacity and move more inventory around the warehouse or distribution centre building with optimum efficiency has made the idea of automating key intralogistics functions increasingly attractive. Brexit and the pandemic have made it increasingly difficult to attract warehouse personnel and, as a result, we have seen our customers go from zero automation to at least partial automation within their businesses.”

Paul Freeman adds: “Toyota is the largest manufacturer of forklift trucks in the world, but the role of our solutions integration operation is to identify scalable material handling systems, innovative software and automation engineering to deliver unique solutions that help our clients become leaders in their industries.”

www.toyota-forklifts.co.uk/ automation/automatedsolutions/logistics-solutionsintegration

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News

Reach Truck Training Goes Online and Saves Businesses Hours

Merger marks new era in water collaboration As the water sector, governments and wider society face unprecedented challenges, the need to embrace change, innovate and collaborate has never been more critical. The merger of two influential water sector organisations in the UK, aims to lead the way.

On 1 April 2022, British Water (BW) and the Water Industry Forum (WIF) announced that the merger of the two organisations was complete.

“By joining forces, we’ve created an even stronger organisation that can deliver ever greater value for all our members, key stakeholders, partners, and the sector as a whole,” said Chris Loughlin, chair of British Water. “There is tremendous synergy to be gained from bringing our respective strengths together.”

The merger will increase the range of services on offer, strengthen membership support, and enhance the opportunity for challenge-led thought leadership, which will provide greater authority and a stronger voice both nationally and internationally – elements that are only growing more essential in the current economic climate.

BW and WIF began exploring the possibility of a potential merger in 2020, and following detailed discussions and

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Manufacturing & Production Engineering Magazine

due diligence, it became clear to both boards that the timing and rationale for pooling resources was so compelling that in 2021 the organisations recommended to their respective members that they proceed with a merger.

A proposed operating model and governance framework have been

developed to support the activities and priorities of the merged organisation, and importantly to preserve the Water Industry Forum’s integrity and independence - enabling it to maintain the trust and respect it enjoys throughout the sector.

The Water Industry Forum will remain as a not-for-profit limited company, operating as a subsidiary of British Water. Its management board will be bound by a code of conduct guaranteeing its independence and neutrality, and its directors will also be required to adhere to a code of ethics, with everyone’s integrity and impartiality assessed on an ongoing basis.

A harmonised subscription model will be introduced during a postmerger transition period. Subscriptions will increase for a small minority of members, with any increase phased in over an extended period.

The merger of these two organisations aligns with the direction of travel throughout the water sector.

This sentiment is underpinned by a questionnaire across the UK water sector representative organisations coordinated by the Water Industry Forum, which demonstrated an overwhelming support for closer working and increased collaboration.

News RTITB’s innovative eTruck UK online eLearning program can now be used to train reach truck operators, as well as counterbalance lift truck operators, in less time.

The eLearning solution is designed for novice theory training. It enables businesses to save up to 2 days per operator, per course, freeing up Instructors to deliver more practical training. This helps to quickly and safely get more trained operators into warehouses and address current skills shortages.

“When we launched eTruck UK for novice forklift operator training at IMHX in 2019, there was no way of knowing that the demand for eLearning would quickly grow due to the Covid-19 pandemic,” says Laura Nelson, Managing Director for RTITB, the leading accrediting body for workplace transport training. “However, our goal remained the same. We want to digitalise parts of operator training to save businesses time and money without compromising safety or standards. Many organisations have added eLearning into their ongoing operator training already. Now, they can train reach truck operators with eTruck, as well as those using counterbalance lift trucks.” eTruck is an award-winning digital storytelling platform, developed by MASystem in Sweden. It is only available in the UK and Ireland from RTITB. It enables novice reach truck and lift truck operator theory training to be delivered completely online. eTruck also introduces several key concepts relating to practical skills and knowledge. For example, pre-use inspections, load types, racking, and more.

By focusing on readiness for practical training as well as delivering theoretical knowledge, this eLearning can reduce a novice course for 3 people by two days.

Novice reach truck or lift truck operator training candidates can use the unique solution to learn at their own pace online, at any time. This enables training to be completed outside of working hours or in designated learning time at work.

Instructors’ time is also freed up, making them available to deliver more practical training and get skilled operators into the workplace more quickly. eTruck is available with lifetime licenses both for those delivering in-house training and for training providers. Reach truck and lift truck operator theory courses using eTruck can be booked via RTITB Accredited Training Providers.

Fuel price rise fears prompt Burton Roofing to switch from diesel to electricpowered Toyota forklifts Burton Roofing Merchants Ltd – a leading supplier of roofing materials to both the construction trade and the public – is replacing the diesel-powered Toyota counterbalance trucks in operation across its 13 UK depots with electric-powered models also from the Toyota range.

The decision to switch from a diesel to electric fleet was prompted by concerns over the rising price of fuel following the announcement that the Government is planning to prohibit the use of red diesel in forklift trucks.

In the March 2021 budget The Chancellor of the Exchequer revealed his intention to withdraw the right to use red diesel from companies operating in a number of sectors and user groups – including transport and logistics. In effect this means that transport and logistics firms will no longer be able to purchase or use red diesel (which gets its name because it is literally coloured with a red dye to allow it to be identified and prevent its use in road vehicles) to fuel dieselpowered forklift trucks. The new rule will come into effect from 1st April 2022.

Jordan Edge, Burton Roofing Merchants’ Group Transport Manager, comments: “From April 1st 2022 companies like us that operate

large diesel-powered IC engine lift truck fleets, face a significant increase in their materials handling equipment (MHE) running costs. This coming price rise coupled with our constant efforts to reduce Burton’s environmental impact - both globally and locally - led us to consider alternatives to diesel-driven MHE.” Burton has operated Toyota equipment for over 25 years and had no hesitation in turning to Toyota Material Handling for advice.

A fuel cost analysis was undertaken at each of Burton’s 13 sites. Based on the current price of diesel and electricity, the figures showed that over a five-year period, electric trucks represented a considerably more cost-effective option.

Initially, Burton introduced new electric trucks at two of its depots in the south of England. Such has been the success of these models that the company is now in the process of rolling out electric counterbalance machines at all UK facilities.

Depending on each depot’s size and workload, between two and five machines are in operation although every model supplied will have the same specification to allow equipment to be transferred between Burton’s facilities if required.

The model specified is the Toyota Traigo 80 8FBMT30. This 4-wheel counterbalance truck offers a nominal 3000kg lift capacity and is designed for heavy-duty applications.

The Toyota Traigo 80 delivers long operating times in indoor operations such as pallet racking or outdoors in a yard – an important consideration for Burton who work the trucks for extensive periods.

During a typical day at each depot the machines undertake a range of tasks both inside the storage facility and outside in the yard space.

Jordan Edge adds: “The trucks are having a very positive impact on our business. They work externally for long periods of the day and have proved equally as effective as our old diesel trucks – even in extreme weather conditions. And, because they are slightly smaller than the diesel trucks they have replaced, the new Toyota electrics have an advantage when working within confined spaces. The switch from diesel to electric has allowed us to reduce our operating costs and has helped to make our business more ‘green.’”

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Product News

Tungaloy Launches Brand New Ranges Tungaloy UK has now introduced its latest advanced product offering with a new product campaign that has been presented by Tungaloy Corporation Chairman and President of the IMC Group, Mr Jacob Harpaz.

The company’s ADDFORCE global launch introduces the latest innovations in metal cutting tools from Tungaloy.

The groundbreaking new products have been developed to improve customer productivity by significantly accelerating machining operations.

Jacob Harpaz has undertaken a world tour to present the new innovations with presentations already given to customers in Japan, Asia, Europe and North America. The new ADDFORCE products include the latest cuttingedge technology for turning, milling, grooving and holemaking applications

and are destined to build upon the already impressive results provided by Tungaloy’s existing product lines.

To celebrate the launch of this exciting and expansive new range, Tungaloy UK will run a series of promotions on product ranges such as the new AddForceCut, the AddInternalCut, TetraMiniCut, TungFeedBlade and TetraForceCut parting and grooving series. From the turning portfolio, Tungaloy UK will be introducing the new AH6225, the PS and PM chipbreaker inserts and IsoEcoTurn turning inserts, the

MiniForceTurn and TungTurnJet turning lines.

From the tranche of new milling products, Tungaloy UK will introduce the new AddDoFeed high feed milling series, the Tung-Tri and TungForceRec shoulder milling line alongside the extended TungMeister range of interchangeable milling heads and the Drillmeister interchangeable drilling system. For further information on how you can take advantage of the new lines from Tungaloy that improve productivity, reduce costs and enhance machining performance, call Tungaloy UK.

AFNOR UK receives approval to deliver new UKCA marking for gas products across the UK One of the world’s largest certification bodies has added another string to its bow by becoming an approved body for the UKCA product certification scheme.

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Product News

Fluke Networks announces expanded network connectivity testing for LinkIQ™ Cable+Network Tester Fluke Networks announces an upgrade to its LinkIQ™ Cable+Network Tester that expands the tester’s ability to test and troubleshoot IP networks, and support users in 12 languages. This new software is shipping in all new LinkIQ units and is available as a free upgrade to existing customers.

“While systems integrators and network administrators need to verify

AFNOR UK, a subsidiary of the French standardisation operator AFNOR Group, sought UKCA marking accreditation in conjunction with sister company Certigaz to serve UK businesses post-Brexit, as well as international clients.

West Midlands-headquartered AFNOR UK can now offer UKCA as a standalone certification, or, working alongside another sister company, Afnor Certification, combined with CE marking, for gas appliances, with the organisation close to becoming approved to cover construction materials, fire safety and PPE. Previously, companies in the UK were required to comply with European Union safety, health, and environmental requirements as part of CE (European Conformity) marking, which also indicated a product’s compliance with legislation and allowed free movement within Europe.

From 1 January 2021, the UK government implemented its own UKCA for products placed on the market in

cabling performance to ensure network performance, they also need to ensure that the user’s traffic can reach its destination,” stated Robert Luijten, Field Marketing Director, Fluke Networks.

“Our network test features give these professionals visibility into network connectivity and response time of key resources, allowing them to verify and troubleshoot end-to-end network issues.”

The new release includes: • Expanded network testing – With version 1.1, customers can now verify connectivity and response time to key network devices with one touch of the screen. LinkIQ can now be configured to perform IPv4 or v6 ping tests and will display the response time for four pings to a target device of the user’s choosing. The test results display the DNS and DHCP servers and the gateway router. LinkIQ also displays the IP address of the nearest switch. The new version of LinkWare PC includes this information in its test reporting.

• Two-pair cable tests – Cable performance tests up to 100 Mb/s can be specified for two-pair cables, widely used in industrial environments.

England, Scotland, and Wales, with companies given until 1 January 2023 to get marked.

To facilitate the UKCA, the UK Accreditation Service (UKAS) accredits conformity assessment bodies (CABs) to enable them to be appointed as approved bodies in accordance with the relevant legislation.

As a result of the accreditation, AFNOR UK can offer both UKCA marking and CE marking, acting as a one stop shop for clients, which makes the movement of gas-related products easier across Europe.

UKCA is not a substitute for CE marking in the European Economic Area (EEA) outside of Great Britain.

Ben Salter, technical and accreditation manager at AFNOR UK, said: “When the plan to roll out the UKCA was announced, there was a consensus in the marketplace that finding a solution between the UK and the European Union to recognise each other’s testing was the ideal outcome.

• Language support – The LinkIQ user interface now supports 12 languages.

• Reporting – A new version of the LinkWare™ PC software, the industry’s de facto reporting solution, is also available. This new version provides reports including the expanded network testing, allowing users to document their work.

The 1.1 software release is available in the LinkIQ Cable+Network Tester, which can be purchased from Fluke Networks resellers worldwide or at www.flukenetworks.com/LinkIQ. Current owners can access the new firmware and LinkWare PC by visiting: www.flukenetworks.com/ support/downloads.

“It became apparent that that was not possible, so we were quick to move forward to become an approved body

by UKAS for UKCA, which is crucial for businesses in England, Scotland and Wales. With companies having less than 12 months to get marked, we are urging those affected to seek support as soon as possible to ensure there is no disruption to their operations.”

AFNOR UK is already in the process of delivering UKCA across sectors including manufacturing and renewable energy.

Ben added: “Afnor UK offering UKCA accreditation across the full suite will be testament to the hard work and dedication of the team to ensure UK businesses have access to the services they require to continue operating efficiently, effectively and compliantly.

“We know some of our clients, as well as prospective clients, have been waiting for us to be accredited, and it’s great that we can now offer even more support with their specific business needs.”

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Health & Safety Getting the Most Out of Occupational Hygiene Surveys A good occupational hygiene survey should assist you in providing an accurate assessment of exposure to health hazards in your workplace.

In order to achieve this, you will also need to make sure that the consultant has all the relevant information they will need to recognise, evaluate and control the risks to health in your workplace. This short guide has been designed to help you plan and design a valuable survey in partnership with a qualified occupational hygienist.

It also provides some guidance on the next steps you should consider following the survey. This short guide has been designed to help you plan and design a valuable survey in partnership with a qualified occupational hygienist. It also provides some guidance on the next steps you should consider following the survey.

Step 1 - Identify the Hazard(s) • Document the hazard, who has raised it and discuss with workforce, supervisors, site EHS, any other stakeholders (e.g. subcontractors, shared site tenants etc.). Include details of perceived exposures and concerns, known/suspected sources, peak exposure times and events, which shifts affected (including start and finish times), job roles affected, current controls in place including any procedures, training.

• At this stage, the stakeholder may have useful suggestions for improved controls.

• Where possible, review any relevant material safety data sheets (MSDS) and/or any previous surveys associated with this hazard for pertinent information.

• Document/record details of initial discussion and information gathering.

Step 2 – Plan and Design in Co-operation with Occupational Hygienist • Where further investigation is deemed necessary, a suitable site representative should share documents with an occupational hygienist who can assist in survey design and scope and propose an exposure monitoring regime deemed to be a good representation(s) of the activity/hazard of concern. This may also involve pre-site meeting or calls

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SOCOTEC’s Occupational Hygiene team provides expertise to prevent ill health caused by the working environment, supporting employers to understand, minimise and eliminate these risks.

• Consult the relevant stakeholders again regarding the proposed exposure monitoring survey and adjust the scope if required after discussions • Agree date(s) and times for exposure monitoring visits to be carried out.

When all in agreement that hazards can be effectively assessed, schedule an appropriate site representative to be present during the occupational hygienist’s visits (someone who has been involved in the initial planning phases and is invested in the quality of the assessments) • Individuals to be monitored can also be specified and informed at this stage • One or two days prior to agreed visit date(s), the occupational hygienist (OH) will confirm with the site contact that all measures are in place to facilitate the survey as per scoping phase. OH will provide RAMS for visit.

Step 3 – Survey Day – On Site • On arrival at site, the occupational hygienist will complete relevant inductions, permit to work (PTW) and liaise with site representatives, relevant stakeholders and any individuals to be monitored • During monitoring, OH should be

provided access to suitably observe work processes/practices and current control effectiveness. They should be allowed to record details of any discussions with operatives which may be included in report • Exclusions/deviations from planned scope will be recorded • Prior to leaving site, OH will provide summary of any immediate risks, initial findings and proposed controls. Any exclusions from monitoring scope will also be communicated.

Step 4 – Review the Report • Approx. 20 working days (this will vary per report), OH will prepare and submit report of monitoring survey to requested recipients. This will include observations of activities, comments from site operatives, results and assessment of exposure/ controls. The report will also outline recommendations for further controls.

• Recipient should review report and respond to OH if any amendments are required.

Step 5 – Discuss, Identify and Implement ACTIONS

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• The report recipient should discuss, propose and agree actions with all stakeholders at the site based on report findings, recommendations and feedback • Implement your agreed actions designed to PREVENT or CONTROL exposures.

Step 6 – EVALUATE - Was this successful?

At this stage, a lot of time, effort and potentially money has been invested into this process, but how can we demonstrate a positive outcome?

EFFECTIVENESS REVIEWS – Discuss and Record: • Has the risk been reduced to a residual level?

• Can we quantify a significant reduction in exposure and is further monitoring/ sampling required to demonstrate this?

• Do all involved parties feel risk has been sufficiently reduced and the actions/controls deemed suitable?

• Can exposure be reduced further still and is further action required?

• For a given hazard, unless it has been removed completely, it is likely that exposure to this hazard can be further reduced. The outcome of this process should directly inform the next stage.

Step 7 – Continual Improvement Continual improvement should be your aim: regularly review/audit your actions and controls and audit the stakeholder’s adoption of agreed actions or controls.

Questions for your reviews: • Is there adequate enforcement of implemented actions?

• Is the maintenance of controls adequate and recorded?

• Have there been any changes to process/work practices, additional activities?

• Are new staff aware/trained at induction stage?

• Is staff refresher training/required?

Keep detailed records regarding this process (steps 1-7) and use this to inform and plan any further monitoring,

evaluation of controls and continual improvement of exposure to health hazards in your workplace.

How can SOCOTEC help?

SOCOTEC’s Occupational Hygiene team provides expertise to prevent ill health caused by the working environment, supporting employers to understand, minimise and eliminate these risks. The team also offers clients the assurance and peace of mind that will enable them to remain compliant with a broad range of related legislation and regulatory guidance.

Want to find out how your rail organisation could benefit from SOCOTEC’s Occupational Hygiene services? www.socotec.co.uk

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Tools

Floyd Plays it Cool With New CrazyMill Now available from Floyd Automatic Tooling is the latest cutting tool innovation from Mikron Tool. The new CrazyMill Cool P&S square and corner radius series of end mill is an exciting new 3-flute tool with patented coolant supply ducts integrated into the shank – a feature that Mikron Tool has developed specifically for rough and finish milling of stainless steels, titanium and aluminium based superalloys and also nickelchromium based superalloys.

The versatility and geometry of the new CrazyMill Cool P&S also make it very well adapted for application on materials such as steels to 40HRc, cast iron, nonferrous metals and plastics. Based on its ability to plunge vertically to 1XD and ramp at 45-degree angles, the new CrazyMill Cool P&S becomes a ‘plunge-mill’ capable of milling and drilling applications, making it especially suitable for milling grooves, pockets, face and side milling in the smallest of spaces as well as linear ramp milling.

The new solid carbide end mills are available in diameters from 1 to 3mm in 0.1mm increments and up to 8mm with imperial dimensions also available. The impressive new series is available as a Type A and

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Type C variant. The Type A end mills are manufactured with an optimised 2.5XD geometry for robust machining of challenging materials and high material removal rates. The Type C end mills provide a 5XD geometry for reaching into cavities and machining complex profiles.

The 2.5XD end mills are supplied with a corner radius from 0.1 to 1.5mm depending upon the diameter selected and the range has a shank diameter from 4 to 12mm with an overall length from 40 to 70mm with an effective flute length from 2.5 to 20mm. In comparison, the longer 5XD variant is also offered with 0.1 to 1.5mm corner rads with shank diameters from 4 to 12mm. However, the 5XD CrazyMill Cool P&S has an overall length from 40 to 90mm with a shank neck from 5 to 40mm with an effective flute length of 2 to 16mm.

This provides exceptional rigidity and performance, even when reaching into the deepest of cavities.

The CrazyMill Cool P&S is manufactured from a micro-grain carbide that demonstrates the perfect hardness to toughness ratio. This robust platform is coated with Mikron Tool’s eXedur SNP coating technology which is a high-performance heat and wearresistant coating that also assists the chip removal process. This is complemented by a customised flute and relief angle design that combine to demonstrate an extremely stable cutting-edge angle that prevents the lateral hooking-up and edge chipping that is often caused by excess vibration. The enlarged flute channels create sufficient chip space clearance whilst maintaining tool strength and integrity to allow impressive chip evacuation. The chip evacuation is further enhanced by the patented coolant channel ducts whereby 3 to 5 ducts (depending on shank diameter) provide a constant and massive coolant stream that flushes chips from the cutting area to prevent swarf re-cutting and overheating of the cutting edges. This cooling concept is especially well adapted for pockets and slots, as chips can be flushed, even from tight spaces. The coolant ducts guarantee longer tool life and facilitate higher chip removal rates when compared to conventional types of carbide milling cutters with external coolant supply. If you would like to find out more about this exceptional new range of end mills, please contact Floyd Automatic Tooling.

Hainbuch IQ Adds Intelligence to Workholding As an industry leader in the workholding and clamping arena, Hainbuch has now taken innovation to a new level with its IQ range of chucks and mandrels.

Chucks and mandrels with the new IQ technology manage and monitor production to improve workflow, productivity and consistency for the end-user. By incorporating measuring intelligence, the new Hainbuch IQ reduces measurement procedure times and scrap rates whilst improving productivity and process capacity, monitoring the defined clamping parameters and documenting the results for repeat production orders.

How does the IQ system achieve all of this – by integrating sensor technology to deliver a solution that makes the transition to Industry 4.0 and digitalization a simplistic process.

The IQ system provides many different measurements and monitoring possibilities, recording data and relaying the information via contactless transmission directly to the machine controller where it is analysed. The controller executes a setpoint comparison and if any deviations are found, an output message or correction is initiated. This makes long-term process control possible by using the data obtained through condition monitoring. The data between the rotating clamping device and a stator fixed on the headstock is transmitted with a field-bus system directly to the machine controller or a gateway.

The intelligent new IQ system is available with the dead length and pullback TOPlus IQ hexagonal chucks and the SPANNTOP round IQ chucks. This caters for a clamping range from 3 to 100mm with the TOPlus and 3 to 160mm with the SPANNTOP system. The IQ technology has also been integrated into the MAXXOS and MANDO mandrel ranges to support the clamping of components from 8 to 200mm diameter across the range. This combination of

Tools ITC Introduces Next Generation In Versatile Milling Industrial Tooling Corporation (ITC) has now introduced a new solid end milling platform that offers an affordable series of cutting tools that demonstrate performance and reliability in steel, stainless steel and cast iron applications. The new WIDIA WCE solid carbide end milling platform delivers a cost-effective solution with high performance and reliability to suit small to medium machine shops.

The release of the WCE platform initial features the new WCE4, a versatile four-flute geometry that combines advanced, high-performance features with a brand new, grade that is offered at a highly competitive price. “With its new design, the WCE4 delivers the next generation of versatile end mills to help manufacturers be more productive and efficient. The WCE4 is an attractively priced tool for small-to-medium shop floors where reliability and consistent tool life are high priorities,” said Tamir Sherif, Solid End Milling Global Portfolio Manager at WIDIA. Two key features of the new series that is now available in the UK from ITC, are its asymmetrical pitch and variable helix. The asymmetrical pitch eradicates

options provides machine shops running everything from turning and milling centres through to grinding, measuring and assembly workstations, a completely new outlook on how to measure and control its clamping processes.

New Measuring Possibilities The new IQ system makes it possible to measure a multitude of parameters such as the workpiece diameter, temperature, RPM, workpiece contact and clamping force, providing the customer with complete process control.

the harmonic effect of the tool to reduce vibration, enhance swarf evacuation and prolong tool life. Likewise, the variable helix geometry further reduces vibration to permit heavy cutting whilst improving surface finishes, tool life and overall stability. The new WCE4 also introduces a new grade, the WU20PE. This versatile

The new IQ system makes it possible to measure a multitude of parameters such as the workpiece diameter, temperature, RPM, workpiece contact and clamping force, providing the customer with complete process control.

new grade provides exceptional versatility, giving the new end mills the facility to perform extremely well on steel, stainless steel and cast-iron as well as on high-temperature alloys and hardened material applications. The design features, coupled with the fourflute geometry, deliver an end mill with reliable performance and application versatility – even in demanding operations such as full slotting and heavy cutting scenarios. The new variable helix end mills are available in diameters from 3 to 20mm and are ideal for shoulder milling, slotting, helical milling, ramping, plunge milling and 3D profiling.

The WCE platform includes fourflute square-end and ball nose end mills with both straight and Weldon shanks available in both metric and imperial dimensions. To provide complete flexibility to manufacturers, the new WCE4 series is also available with corner radii and a necked shank to provide engineers additional reach when machining deep cavities, slots and complex forms. Later in 2022, ITC and Widia will be introducing the new WCE5 five-flute geometry end mills. For further details, please contact ITC.

The workpiece diameter can now be clamped and measured in a single step with no additional measuring machine, attaining a measurement accuracy of +/- 0.01mm diameter, this can help to detect whether the correct diameter has been produced in upstream machining processes.

The new IQ system from Hainbuch can be integrated into most machine tools and requires very little preparation.

For further information on how the IQ range can transform your machine tool, please contact Hainbuch.

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Tools

Copley launches a new semi-automation tool for inhaled product testing A flexible, easy-to-use solution for higher productivity aerodynamic particle size distribution measurements.

Copley Scientific, the global leader in inhaled product testing equipment, has launched the new Gentle Rocker 100i, a simple, cost-effective device that boosts the productivity and repeatability of aerodynamic particle size distribution (APSD) measurements with the Next Generation Impactor (NGI). APSD is a critical quality attribute for all orally

inhaled and nasal drug products (OINDPs) and routinely measured with the NGI. The recovery of drug from each collection cup is a critical but time-consuming element of APSD measurement with the NGI. It involves dispensing a defined aliquot of solvent into each cup, followed by agitation to ensure complete drug dissolution. The Gentle Rocker 100i holds a full tray of collection cups and applies a consistent, defined agitation pattern to ensure wellcontrolled and complete drug dissolution.

Machine tool manufacturer WaldichSiegen uses VERICUT to perfect its processes Manufacturer of CNC machines since 1840, WaldrichSiegen is a prime example of sustainability due to the company’s ability to adapt to changes by investing in new, innovative technologies. Moving from the era of the steam engine to Industry 4.0 the company has maintained its core DNA. WaldrichSiegen is defined by two words: accuracy and performance. The company specializes in large machine tools and its customers are mainly manufacturers of heavy marine engines,

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crankshafts and turbine rotors – who are increasingly demanding. That’s why WaldrichSiegen has invested in future-oriented technologies such as NC simulation with VERICUT to not just meet the needs of its customers, but to surpass them.

For them, and its customers, the use of VERICUT software makes it possible to be more efficient and profitable from the start.

The largest machine in the world is built in Burbach Since 2009, the company of

It enables the application of specific, reproducible methods and easy method transfer, delivering reliable results and a lighter analytical workload.

The Gentle Rocker 100i is just one of a range of semi-automation tools that Copley provides for inhaled product testing. Together these products support a stepwise approach to the automation of test methods that remain predominantly manual in many labs. This approach minimizes risk while maximizing return on investment and maintaining the flexibility to test multiple products. Find out more about Copley’s portfolio of semiautomation tools for inhaler testing and how they can help you to achieve higher productivity and reproducibility.

The Gentle Rocker 100i holds a full tray of collection cups and applies a consistent, defined agitation pattern to ensure well-controlled and complete drug dissolution. It enables the application of specific, reproducible methods and easy method transfer, delivering reliable results and a lighter analytical workload.

350 employees, has been using VERICUT, the industry standard for CNC simulation, G-code verification and optimization. With the production simulation of the NC data, i.e. the machine code, WaldrichSiegen recreates the real machining situation with a “virtual processing machine on the desk”. And this, even before flying the first chip, because VERICUT simulates the original NC G-code after the post-processor is executed in order to detect program errors such as fastforward errors or contour violations before any actual manufacturing.

“With VERICUT, machine collisions can be avoided, complex clamping situations can be safely retracted or cycle times can be reduced while at the same time increasing tool life,” says Christian Apel, Sales Representative of CGTech Deutschland GmbH.

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Latest Product Launches Higher process reliability through signalling hook clamp A little thing that catches the eye: hook clamp with LED control display for fixture building. With this safety-relevant detail, the fixturing specialist Witte Barskamp presents another innovation within its modular fixing system concept ALUFIX. In fixture building, hook clamps are used where a workpiece is to be mounted and clamped at the same time using bores. As well as for clamping points that are so far away from the workpiece edge that they can no longer be reached with toggle clamps.

In many cases, the clamps are placed in areas deep within a fixture and difficult to access so that their operating state - ie whether open or closed - is difficult to see.

The new hook clamps developed

by Witte eliminate this potential weak point in process reliability. They signal their on/off operating status clearly and quickly via green or red LEDs. The light-emitting diodes are

fed independently of a mains power supply via an integrated rechargeable battery with a running time of up to four weeks in continuous operation.

In addition to the local LED display directly on the hook clamp, the signals from several units can be combined in a central information panel. In this way, all of the clamps within a complex fixture can be seen at a glance. Integration into a user’s higher-level process control system is also possible.

In a further future expansion stage, Witte plans to implement dynamic clamping force control and monitoring into the new electrified hook clamps.

The variants with red/green LED operating status display will be available from mid-2022. It is also possible to retrofit most of the ALUFIX hook clamps already in use with the new signal function.

RPI launch all new TruMotion rotary table, delivering the accuracy of the standards lab onto the shopfloor TruMotion verifies small or medium circular parts with a world class accuracy more commonly seen in the standards laboratory.

Manufacturers in the high precision and general machining industries will be able to check roundness to the required accuracy of any turned or ground parts.

TruMotion is operated manually and enables the inspection of circular components such as pinions and gears, gauges, bearings, aero engine components and optical assemblies in a production environment.

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It will be used to measure small and medium sized round parts, with dimensions of up to Ø400mm x 220mm high weighing up to 50kg. TruMotion has a radially adjustable articulated probe holder and an axial and radial bearing performance of less than 1micron.

RPI grew out of acquisitions from Optical Measuring Tools, Airmatic, Horstmannn and Eimeldingen. It is now one of the world’s largest designers and manufacturers of solution driven, highly accurate inspection systems and services that measure circular geometry and angular positioning.

Using its 75+ years of rotary expertise, RPI supplies progressive engineering industries, including the aerospace, gas turbine and dimensional metrology sectors, with exceedingly dependable, low maintenance products with a service life measured in decades, not just years.

For more information visit www.rpiuk.com

PTC launches new Windchill+ offering to help global customers accelerate SaaS journey PTC which operates in the UK from its base in Farnborough, has launched its Windchill+™ product lifecycle management (PLM) software.

Viewed by many as the next generation of the company’s market-leading Windchill® software, the new solution is delivered via a modern software-as-a-service (SaaS) architecture and leverages the benefits of SaaS to facilitate greater collaboration around product data to help product development organisations bring their products to market faster.

Analysts estimate that manufacturers invested more than $450 billion in digital transformation initiatives in 2021, with SaaS adoption accelerating due, in part, to the global pandemic.

Windchill+ combines the transformational benefits of a modern SaaS architecture with PLM speed, agility, and openness.

By embracing SaaS, customers can reduce or eliminate their on-premises legacy applications and solutions.

Clients can also move from PLM implementation to full usage with speed and simplicity, easily accelerating PLM adoption across the entire organisation.

Going forward, Windchill+ enables faster, easier, and more secure collaboration with external supply chain partners and PTC is committed to leveraging the SaaS architecture of Windchill+ to deliver new versions and PLM capabilities to UK and global customers.

For further information, please visit www.ptc.com

Latest Product Launches

ETG Introduces Large Turning Series For manufacturers looking for a heavyduty, robust and cost-efficient large bed turning centre, the Engineering Technology Group (ETG) now has the perfect solution with the arrival of its Vulcan TC800 turning centre series. The beauty of this new range from Wellesbourne based ETG is its modularity that offers a solution for every machine shop that needs to turn particularly large parts.

The TC800 offers a swing over the bed of 1100mm with a maximum turning diameter of 1020mm and a working length of 2200mm, making this machine the perfect complement to manufacturers in the power generation, oil and gas, and aerospace industry sectors. For efficiently

turning parts in this large dimensional realm, the TC800 is powered by a 37kW four stepped gearbox that generates exceptionally high levels of torque throughout the speed range up to the maximum 1500rpm.

This enables the TC800 Series to undertake remarkably heavy-duty cutting with astounding material removal rates that demonstrates the stability and power of this ‘oil country’ powerhouse.

This stability is further reinforced by the machine weight of 18,000kg and a footprint of 8.7m by 3.2m.

From a flexibility standpoint, the TC800 is also available as a TC800L (long) variant with Z-axis travel up to 5190mm and an overall weight of 32,000kg that is packed into the 11.7 by 3.2m machine footprint.

This enables ETG to offer a colossus turning centre to meet the dimensional requirements of the majority of large turned part manufacturers. Adding to the base TC800 variant is the TC800M that supports manufacturers looking to reduce secondary operations through the application of live tooling stations on

Unigloves launches new biodegradable nitrile glove Hand protection specialist Unigloves has launched a new nitrile disposable glove – BioTouch – combining chemical resistance, comfort and grip with innovative, environmentally friendly, biodegradable technology.

The result is a glove which, after its working life, will achieve 90% biodegradation in landfill after just 490 days compared to traditional nitrile gloves which can take over 100 years.

Providing the wearer with high levels of comfort, flexibility and dexterity, BioTouch is resistant to a range of chemicals and offers improved grip in wet and oily conditions thanks to its textured fingertips. It is also compatible for use with mobile, tablet

and touchscreen displays, has been tested to EN374 and EN1186 and is manufactured to medical grade standards.

Biodegradability performance is achieved thanks to an organic additive, which attracts microbes found in

The beauty of this new range from Wellesbourne based ETG is its modularity that offers a solution for every machine shop that needs to turn particularly large parts. the 12-station tool turret. Utilising a servo turret to instigate powerful high torque milling with speeds up to 3000rpm, the TC800M is suitable for flexible production that will reduce cycle times and set-ups for end users.

As the epitome of cost-effective, robust, productive and flexible turning, ETG can supply this next generation machine as the standard TC800, the TC800L, TC800M or the TC800ML with a multitude of smaller variants in the turning series also available to suit the needs of every machine shop.

The concept behind this slant bed range of machines demonstrates impressive precision and productivity credentials with the Z and X-axes mounted upon ball-type, linear or boxway guideways with axis movement directly driven by servo motors for rapid traverse rates up to 30m/min. As standard, the TC800 Series is supplied with a 6-bar coolant pump, automatic lubrication system, tool kit, work light, 3-colour beacon light, chip conveyor, manual tailstock and heat exchanger for the electrical cabinet. Of course, whatever your large turned part requirements, ETG has a solution for your business that also include a diverse range of optional extras.

landfills. The biodegradation method is strictly enzymatic, dissolving and de-polymerising the polymer chain naturally.

This biodegrading efficacy has been verified by an independent lab, using ASTM D5526 and ASTM D5511 methods, which saw BioTouch achieve 90% biodegradation in 490 days.

Crucially, BioTouch balances biodegradable technology without impacting physical performance or realtime shelf life, with study results proving that the physical property of BioTouch gloves remain unchanged for up to 3 years. They have also been proven safe for use against skin according to ISO standards, as well as with food handling according to European regulation (EU) No 10/2011, (EC) 1935/2004.

To find out more about the new BioTouch glove visit here, email enquiries@unigloves.co.uk or call Unigloves on 0800 049 6602.

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Manufacturing & Engineering Week

Keep up with the latest in manufacturing at Manufacturing Expo 2022 Get an insight into the latest technologies, trends and transformations sweeping the UK manufacturing sector at Manufacturing Expo 2022, taking place at Birmingham’s NEC from 8th9th June. Part of Manufacturing and Engineering Week, Manufacturing Expo will bring together manufacturing process and management professionals looking to discover the latest innovations, technologies, and best practice in the manufacturing sector, keep up to date on industry trends, and connect with suppliers who can help them to maintain a competitive edge and optimise manufacturing processes for the future.

Seminars and keynote talks Be inspired by a line-up of industry leaders and innovators who are pushing the boundaries of manufacturing

If Covid-19 taught us anything, it is how useful digital technology can be for business. and striving for excellence. Featuring case studies from a range of sectors including aerospace, automotive, food and beverage, motorsport, energy and renewables, pharmaceutical, space and FMCG, the main stage will host topical seminars and panel discussions on themes relevant to manufacturing in 2022 including:

MHA will be running a drop in clinic in a private room off the show floor covering a range of Tax, Audit and Business Advisory subjects such as How to offset the Tax burden amidst changes in legislation, How to take advantage of the current UK M&A boom, How to comply with recent VAT and Customs changes and How to structure various R&D Reliefs and future-proof claims against changes on the horizon.

Comprehensive workshops

Digital events

A range of comprehensive workshops delivered by industry experts will help you get to grips with some of the key topics affecting the manufacturing market and discover new approaches and techniques that will help shape the direction of your business and inspire growth for the future.

Examples of sessions include How to navigate trade in a post-Brexit world, Lean Manufacturing Solutions, How to Navigate the Shift to Digital, and What Achieving Net-Zero means for your Manufacturing Site.

If Covid-19 taught us anything, it is how useful digital technology can be for business. This year, supplementing the in-person elements of the event, Manufacturing and Engineering Week 2022 will offer a selection of online session on topics impacting the industry hosted by major players in the sector including Juergen Maier CBE who is Chair of the Digital Catapult, co-Chair of Made Smarter and serves on the Industrial Strategy Council which advises the UK Government on Industrial Strategy. Delegates can register for access to these webinars and watch them on-demand at a time that is convenient to them.

Exhibitions Visit stands from over 250 of the leading players in the manufacturing and engineering sector, discover their latest innovations and learn how they can benefit your business for the future. Exhibitors including Premier Farnell, ABB, Yokogawa, igus UK, RS Solutions, and 3M will be highlighting their latest technologies, covering a wide spectrum of products for industrial applications and explaining how they can be used to address the latest trends affecting the manufacturing industry.

To find out more, and to register your place free, visit www.manufacturingexpo.co.uk

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Celebrating the best in UK manufacturing and

Propelling the future of design

engineering excellence and innovation.

Incorporating 4 live co-located events NEC Birmingham 8-9 June 2022

•

Welcome address from Lord Hutton of Furness former Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform

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CPD accredited sessions covering hot topics such as net zero, skills gap, supply chain & Brexit

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200+ of the most cutting-edge products & services from Britain’s best suppliers

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Innovation Zone ft Aston Martin Simulator & the world’s first methane powered tractor

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Drinks reception, The Great Egg Race and much more all free-to-attend!

What’s on during M&E Week

7 June - Digital Events Preview 8-9 June - Live Events Programme 10 June - Digital Events Review

Find out more at www.mandeweek.co.uk Premier Partners

Innovation Zone Sponsor

5472 trees planted to make M&E a Carbon Neutral Event

Theatre Sponsors

REGISTER FREE NOW Audit, Tax & Advisory Partner

Knowledge Partner

Machining

Precision sensor manufacturer Micro-Epsilon continues the development of its optoNCDT 1900 series of laser triangulation sensors with the addition of the optoNCDT 1900-EtherCAT. This compact sensor has an integrated EtherCAT interface for direct connection to industrial controllers, eliminating the need for an external interface module, while reducing installation effort and wiring.

With the optoNCDT 1900-EtherCAT, signal conversion takes place directly in the sensor, without loss of speed and with full performance. After rebooting in

P76

EtherCAT mode, all the sensor settings are automatically applied to the TwinCAT software, which means time consuming settings made directly in TwinCAT are no longer necessary. Less experienced TwinCAT users are able therefore to quickly integrate the sensor into the EtherCAT control unit.

For very fast measurements, that would normally be limited by the PLC’s cycle time, an oversampling function can be activated in the sensor, allowing measurement data to be transferred four times faster than the cycle time of the PLC (up to a maximum of 10 kHz).

For a PLC with a 1 ms cycle time, this means a possible sensor measuring rate of 4 kHz. For this purpose, the data is temporarily stored by the sensor and only transmitted with the next query cycle.

Glenn Wedgbrow, Business Development Manager at MicroEpsilon UK comments: “The optoNCDT 1900-EtherCAT is the only laser triangulation sensor worldwide that combines high precision and such a compact design with an integrated Industrial Ethernet interface. This results in a sensor that sets new benchmarks for advanced automation tasks.”

VCENTER

Vertical Machining Centre t. +44 (0)161 401 8880 e. info@gm-cnc.com gm-cnc.com

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Manufacturing & Production Engineering Magazine

• Axis travel 760x500x510 (opt 690) (X, Y, Z) • Rapid feeds 48/48/32 m/min • 12,000rpm (opt. 15,000rpm) spindle output 18.5 KW(S3) • Max. table load 500kg • BBT-40 / 30 tools • Roller guideways • Screw chip removers

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New laser triangulation sensor provides unique combination of high performance, compact design and integrated Industrial Ethernet interface

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Expert Insight Experts reveal how engineering and manufacturing businesses can raise capital and improve cash flow • Selling unused assets is a quick and easy way to raise capital • Auction experts share advice on raising capital to support business resilience

As the economy emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses across the UK are assessing the impact the last two years have had.

Combined with rising fuel, material and labour costs, interest rate rises, and inflation at a 30-year high, engineering and manufacturing businesses are feeling the squeeze.

1. Sell unused assets to release the capital Most businesses will have unused assets on their premises they could turn into capital, but they simply get overlooked as they’re no longer used. Just because they’re not valuable to you, don’t underestimate their value to someone else, says Henry Spencer, Sales Director at BPI Auctions, “The scarcity of newly manufactured plant, machinery and equipment during the pandemic led to a boom in the prices being secured for second-hand equipment. We saw our monthly engineering and manufacturing auctions returning approximately 31% more than pre-pandemic levels and prices are holding.”

2. Work with a Intermediary to find the right borrowing deal for your business If you don’t have any assets to sell, you might want to look at leveraging assets you have capital tied up in. This is often the case for CNC machines, lathes and milling machines but where do you start?

and used assets, including equipment, machinery and vehicles, and adverse credit isn’t usually a problem.”

3. Look at alternative channels to turn surplus stock into new revenue streams

The lending landscape for SMEs has changed beyond recognition over recent years and many businesses still don’t appreciate that there is a whole market outside the more mainstream banks.

Gemma Wright

Alex Beardsley, Joint MD of ABL Finance, says: “Asset finance is where a lender agrees to extend a loan in return for taking security over some of your company’s assets. The financing might be based on a single asset, such as a piece of machinery, or a whole series of assets, like a fleet of company vehicles.

It is suitable for a wide range of both new

Over the last two years, engineering and manufacturing businesses have been affected by multiple lockdowns, Brexit, and most recently, Russia’s agenda, disrupting global supply chains with long delays and shortages. Alongside the increase in storage costs, many SMEs have sought new channels to turn surplus stock into working capital.

4. Approach an alternative lender directly If your bank has rejected your application for any further borrowing facilities, it doesn’t mean it’s the end of the road.

Gemma Wright, Regional Managing Director at Reward Finance, says, “The lending landscape for SMEs has changed beyond recognition over recent years and many businesses still don’t appreciate that there is a whole market outside the more mainstream banks.

“Business owners need both clarity and confidence from their funders and this is where the alternative lenders set themselves apart. At Reward, we talk a lot about speed of delivery but arguably what SMEs also need, right now, is certainty of delivery. Alternative lenders like ourselves take the time to understand a business, meet the owners and talk to them about their plans and aspirations. Lending decisions are made by experienced lenders, applying common sense and innovative thinking, not computers and algorithms.”

5. Health check your business first before selling Before you sell any assets or commit to further borrowing, it’s essential to make sure it’s the right thing for you and your business moving forward. Business owners are programmed to fight for their companies, but sometimes taking on debt or releasing the capital left in assets might not be the best move.

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PETER MCGARIAN MANAGING DIRECTOR, SEEPEX UK LTD.

SEEPEX UK Ltd. | sales.uk@seepex.com | www.seepex.com