Manufacturing Today Europe Issue 116 May 2015 by Finelight Media Group

BEST PRACTICES FOR INDUSTRY LEADERS

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today

Business

backbone The message is clear â&#x20AC;&#x201C; giving your business the software backbone that will enable it to compete in the global marketplace could make the difference between success and failure

Also in this issue:

Harness the benefits

The full benefits of the Internet of Things are limited only by the imagination of those businesses that seek to harness the power of connected devices

Protecting the systems

If manufacturers are connecting corporate and SCADA systems together they must ensure the union is forged securely

EUROPE

Issue 116/May

MANUFACTURING

Editor’s Comment

Chairman Andrew Schofield Group Managing Director Mike Tulloch Business Development Director David Garner

Making

progress

Editor Libbie Hammond Design/Art Editor David Howard Staff Writers Jo Cooper Andrew Dann Steve Nash Ben Clark Production Manager Fleur Daniels Production studio@schofieldpublishing.co.uk Advertising Administrator Tracy Chynoweth studio@schofieldpublishing.co.uk Head of Research Philip Monument Editorial Researchers Laura Thompson Jeff Goldenberg Mark Cowles Tarj D’Silva Emily Claxton

he latest figures are showing positive growth for UK manufacturers, and this issue of MTE contains some prime examples of British companies that are creating jobs, pursuing quality and delivering excellence.

And while the Eurozone may be experiencing difficulties, we also highlight stories from businesses from further afield that are seeing success. They prove that while the general European economy is still battling uncertainty, there are plenty of manufacturers out there who are willing to embrace innovation and think out-of-the-box in order to achieve growth and profits. It is through considering technology such as the Internet of Things and harnessing the information captured through Big Data that manufacturers can continue to streamline operations and increase productivity. So while they definitely sound like ‘buzzwords’ and therefore many not be taken seriously, don’t write them off before learning more.

Advertising Sales Joe Woolsgrove - Sales Manager Tim Eakins Dave King Darren Jolliffe Gareth Stevens Mark Cawston

BEST PRACTICES FOR INDUSTRY LEADERS

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today

EUROPE

MANUFACTURING

Issue 116/May

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libbie@schofieldpublishing.co.uk

Business

backbone The message is clear – giving your business the software backbone that will enable it to compete in the global marketplace could make the difference between success and failure

Schofield Publishing

Cringleford Business Centre, 10 Intwood Road, Cringleford, Norwich, NR4 6AU, U.K. Tel: 044 (0)1603 274130 Fax: 044 (0)1603 274131 www.manufacturingtoday-europe.com

Also in this issue:

Harness the benefits

The full benefits of the Internet of Things are limited only by the imagination of those businesses that seek to harness the power of connected devices

Protecting the systems

If manufacturers are connecting corporate and SCADA systems together they must ensure the union is forged securely

©2015 Schofield Publishing Ltd Please note: The opinions expressed by contributors and adver tisers within this publication do not necessarily coincide with those of the editor and publisher. Every reasonable effor t is made to ensure that the information published is accurate, but no legal responsibility for loss occasioned by the use of such information can be accepted by the publisher. All rights reserved. The contents of the magazine are strictly copyright, the proper ty of Schofield Publishing, and may not be copied, stored in a retrieval system, or reproduced without the prior written permission of the publisher.

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Features 6 From challenge to opportunity

4 News

10 Harness the benefits

16 Keep it safe

Updates and announcements from the manufacturing arena

The full benefits of the Internet of Things are limited only by the imagination of those businesses that seek to harness the power of connected devices

Information security continues to be on of the hottest topics in business - here are some tips on keeping IP safe

6 From challenge to opportunity

12 Business backbone

How can the UK and the rest of European manufacturing improve competitiveness and implement the structural and supply side reforms to create sustainable growth?

What can the UK automotive supply chain do to ensure it can offer world class, high technology products

8 Finding your fleet

14 Protecting the systems

How your vehicle acquisition method impacts on the financial health of your business

If we are connecting corporate and SCADA systems together we must ensure this union is forged securely

10 Harness the benefits

18 A practical solution When looking to connect with existing customers and attract new business, industry leader Colt chose Citrix GoToWebinar

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CONTENTS

Profiles 20 Swift Group

20 Swift Group

60 Carl Stahl

27 Pailton Engineering

62 Dinex

30 Jotun Paints (Europe)

64 Robertson Timber Engineering

34 Aztec Oils

66 ZGH Bolesław 68 Laerdal Medical 70 SPP Pumps 72 Revolve Technologies 74 Bene 76 Rotpunkt Küchen 78 NACCO Materials Handling Group

74 Bene 39 Brompton Bicycle

43 Märklin

43 Märklin 47 Munck Cranes 50 Hillarys Blinds 55 Mark Water Pumps 58 MSL Engineering

50 Hillarys Blinds 80 TMAT 82 HMF Group 84 City Technology 86 Prestolite Electric

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Solder material revolution? In a major materials development breakthrough that is set to change current solder paste processing performance and cost paradigms, Henkel has announced the launch of the firstever temperature stable solder paste material. The game-changing formulation, Loctite GC 10, is temperature stable at 26.5°C for one year and stable at temperatures of up to 40°C for one month, which affords exceptional performance throughout the logistics and operations chain - from shipping/receiving to printing and reflow. “Truly, this is the most exciting thing that’s happened in solder materials development in decades,” says Dr. Mark Currie, Henkel global product manager for solder materials. “A material that has temperature stability from shipping all the way through to final assembly is a remarkable achievement.” Having been trialled at numerous customers worldwide, the results of the material’s performance indicate future commercial success with widespread integration into electronics manufacturing operations worldwide. “The improved performance, higher yields and better profitability customers will achieve from this breakthrough material are substantial,” explains Currie. “Loctite GC 10 sets a new standard for high-performance solder materials.”

Enhance performance and reliability Siemens and thinkstep (formerly PE International) have released new, integrated material management software solution to manage the material lifecycle and streamline material driven product design. The new solution, developed by thinkstep and Siemens’ product lifecycle management (PLM) software business, will help manufacturers worldwide improve product performance and reliability by connecting design, engineering, analysis, compliance and manufacturing to a single source of material information. The new offering, which is part of Siemens’ Teamcenter portfolio, will help reduce errors, rework and recalls that result from the use of inaccurate material data. It will also assist in the re-use of market-tested materials for new products, which is critical in a wide variety of industries. Siemens and thinkstep expanded their existing partnership agreement to develop this new solution. “Through our expanded relationship with thinkstep, we’re delivering a competitive advantage to all of our customers through true material management intelligence,” said Eric Sterling, senior vice president, Lifecycle Collaboration Software, Siemens PLM Software.

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Big trucks

The largest forklift trucks in Doosan Industrial Vehicle’s 7-Series range have started rolling off the production line, bringing to market ten tonne to the mighty 16 tonne trucks. Built at the company’s state-of-the-art production facility in South Korea, the D100S-7 to D160S-7 models are ideally suited to demanding industrial environments including heavy manufacturing, mining, construction and the metals and timber industries. The trucks boast a strong and rigid chassis frame, a more metal than plastic design for added durability, and the new tilting Zeus Cabin, which provides a superb all round 360-degree view and excellent ease-of-access and comfort for the operator. The entire 7-Series range is also fitted with Doosan’s award-winning G2 engine, which meets stringent new EU emissions standards without using a costly diesel particulate filter (DPF). The engines dramatically reduce maintenance downtime as well as setting a new benchmark for fuel consumption at a time of increasing costs for forklift users. Tim Waples, director of DIV UK, comments: “Following the launch of our 2.0t to 5.5t models in 2014 and the 6.0 to 9.0t models in January of this year, these larger models mean customers seeking a forklift for every application can benefit from the technological excellence our 7-Series range delivers.”

Asset track & manage Savi, a pioneer in sensor technology and sensor analytics solutions that create operational intelligence from the Internet of Things, has launched Savi Now, a mobile app that takes advantage of the advanced sensor-based features of iOS and Android smartphones to deepen visibility into the location, status and risk profile of high-consequence goods. Savi Now allows global commercial and government organisations to tap into the full set of features available on smartphones to better track and manage assets through the supply chain, mitigate risk and optimise performance. With Savi Now, users can track the precise, real-time location of assets anywhere in the world, and receive exception-based notifications and alerts, including arrival, departure, dwell-time and speeding events. The app uses the smartphone’s embedded hardware to scan barcodes and store photos of the assets and track assets via the smartphone’s internal GPS. This new approach to tracking enhances security, accountability and predictability in the supply chain, by leveraging a device that many already carry in their pocket. “With analysts predicting the number of smartphones to eclipse the two billion mark in 2015, we saw a significant opportunity to improve supply chain visibility,” said Brian Moran, senior director of product development at Savi. “Smartphones are a driving force behind the Internet of Things and are only going to get more advanced in the years to come and Savi is well-positioned to take advantage of new capabilities.”

MANUFACTURING NEWS

New solution A new manufacturing production system that saves users time and money is being launched by software application and engineering company Red Ledge. ‘Red Ledge Manufacturer’ uses pre-designed, pre-defined and packaged production processes that can be dragged and dropped as onscreen objects and that automatically communicate with other processes. They cover all areas of production, from raw materials to finished goods and allow faster, more cost-effective deployment for any manufacturer, claim the company. Red Ledge Manufacturer tracks and manages every stage of production and includes KPI reporting for manufacturing targets. System choices include RFID or barcode information capture with full traceability, plus the option to add client-specific custom production processes, and warehouse management (WMS) to the mix. Red Ledge Manufacturer can be integrated with all mainstream ERP systems. In the case of Red Ledge Manufacturer using RFID, ‘choke-point’ portal readers are used to seamlessly track every stage of production and warehousing, capturing and reporting data in real time from RFIDtagged assets, with near-100 per cent accuracy. “Manufacturing production systems can be expensive and time-consuming to install. This one is neither, as it can be deployed very rapidly,” says Red Ledge technical director Alan Wilcockson.

Quick and easy Bosch Rexroth has announced that developments in its Linear Motion Designer 2.1 will make it easier to quickly and effectively design tailored assembly and production lines. One of the key developments in the free to use programme, is that it’s now much easier to design profiled rail systems and screw drives independently. Likewise, process data such as dynamics, masses and forces, only need to be entered once, with users able to configure and compare a range of variants in order to design a solution that’s optimised for the specific application, both technically and economically. Speaking about the latest developments, Paul Edmonds, product manager linear systems from Bosch Rexroth, said: “This is our most sophisticated linear motion design tool to date. With these latest updates, we’ve made it easier and quicker than ever before to design a comprehensive linear motion system that takes into account the specific requirements of an application and can be adapted as and when needed. As well as making the tool free to use, we have a dedicated team available for on-site training.” The Linear Motion Designer 2.1 is available in German, English, French, Spanish and Chinese. In addition to detailed training courses provided by the Drive & Control Academy, Rexroth sales employees offer an on-site introduction to the programme.

Gender discrimination still prevalent Over eight in ten (81 per cent) of workers in full time manufacturing roles believe gender discrimination is still present in the work place, according to a new poll commissioned by people management experts Investors in People. As Investors in People (IIP) calls for greater diversity in the workplace, the study has revealed that 23 per cent of employees in the sector think they may have experienced discrimination in the work place due to their gender, four per cent below the UK average. Valerie Todd CBE, Director of Talent at Crossrail and Chair of IIP, comments, “The fact that so many believe gender discrimination is still so prevalent in today’s business world is very concerning. It is up to leaders to help change both perception and the reality of discrimination; an inclusive culture is fundamental to success for any organisation. For a business to outperform others it must reflect the community and market it operates in or risk being out of touch.”

Paul Devoy, Head of Investors in People, says: “The level of perceived gender discrimination our report has uncovered across all sectors is worryingly high. We need to make sure we don’t accept the status quo and 2015 is the year to make it happen. While 81 per cent of manufacturing workers believe discrimination by gender is still prevalent, only 31 per cent said that more needs to be done to remove it. Our work is key in improving diversity in the workplace, something we achieve by encouraging empowerment, diversity and leadership through our updated management Standard launching this year.”

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From challenge to

opportunity Making the most of Industry 4.0. By Simon Culshaw

espite a positive start to 2015, the UK manufacturing sector’s long-term prospects remain unclear. With the election looming, political uncertainty is in the air. Regulations are becoming more stringent; export demand has been hit by the weak Eurozone. Perhaps most significantly of all, customers are getting ever more sophisticated and demanding – increasingly requiring products and services to be developed and delivered quickly - and tailored to their specific requirements. Manufacturers are increasingly struggling to keep track of this rapidly shifting globalised market environment and to effectively manage disparate customer and supplier bases. Add to this, the continuous pressure to improve market share and operating profits, and the need for a new approach is clear. Today’s manufacturers need to concentrate on optimising their working processes and driving operational efficiencies that deliver benefits to the bottom line. Unfortunately, this often has to

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be managed with limited resources, time and money so it is imperative that manufacturers know where to place their focus and why. Optimising the way data is used to best effect is a great starting point. Most manufacturers have access to huge volumes of shop floor data but few are doing anything proactive with it and even fewer have made effective use of the plethora of external data sources they have access to – whether that be engineering service records, customer sentiment information or the latest weather reports. It is those manufacturers that can combine more intelligent data management with more effective use of IT across the business that will enjoy huge competitive advantage over the next decade. The effective integration of data across processes, machines, applications, people and plants, greatly increases manufacturing agility by ensuring consistency and providing a single and accurate view of performance across the factory floor and along the supply chain. This can produce significant gains in operational excellence,

efficiency, scalability and cost-effectiveness: all critical to manufacturing competitiveness in the 21st Century. It’s a perspective that aligns closely with the current ‘Industry 4.0’ initiative, which argues that the fourth industrial revolution, now in progress, is all about the integration of intelligent cyberphysical systems communicating with machines and humans in real time on the factory floor and out in the real world. Beyond that, however, it is also about the wider connectivity of industrialised processes into the business. Integration between business systems and processes, systems and machines on the shop floor is key to delivering visibility of work in progress and of what is actually happening on the shop floor. Industry 4.0 focuses on this and making manufacturing processes more agile and responsive to the needs of the business and the wider market. In particular, it asks the key questions: how do you make improvements to the manufacturing process and accelerate time to market; how do

Industry 4.0

driving down operational costs and improving profitability of many businesses. But the real benefits come from looking at processes holistically. Often, improvement initiatives look at operational processes in isolation when much more substantial benefits can be achieved by considering the whole process end-to-end. By taking this approach, you often uncover small changes, which cost little to implement but deliver huge business benefits. This increases confidence and helps change programmes gain momentum. Every manufacturing company is focused on the pursuit of sustainable, effective and agile operations. Over the next decade, those companies that come out on top will be those who understand the value of data and its integration across function, department, processes and people. Only integration, when used in this way, can deliver the actionable intelligence needed for enterprise-wide collaboration and only integration can help support a holistic end-to-end view that delivers the reduced time-to-market and greater flexibility required to satisfy customer demand.

you manage change to products more efficiently and how do you monitor and assess the performance of finished products? Manufacturers across both discrete and process industries are still struggling to answer these questions. Information is often still captured on paper or in spreadsheets as part of laborious and error-prone processes. There is little connectivity between systems which manage the product lifecycle, that control product design, that oversee and control shop floor processes (MES and SCADA), and with ERP and analytics solutions. Industry 4.0 may be up and running but the vision behind it is a long way from being fully realised.

Putting a new approach in place In spite of the many challenges, the path forward for manufacturing businesses is increasingly clear. The emergence of Industry 4.0 is helping to define this and the benefits of integrated cyberphysical systems are tangible and can clearly be seen in companies that have already adopted

this approach. But how do you introduce this kind of change into businesses, which have long established processes and ways of working? First, you need to build a strong business case for change and new investment based on the benefits that integrating processes, machines, applications, people and plants could bring. To pull together a business case, however you need to quantify the benefits and opportunities available through the use of manufacturing operational management, product lifecycle and advanced analytics technology and their integration with the wider business. With the deployment of our own manufacturing performance management operational intelligence systems, for example, we have seen increases in productivity on the shop floor in the order of ten to 30 per cent, much of which comes from making better, more informed decisions based on having access to the right shop floor information in real time. This is not just a future vision. The productivity gains realised by the approach are already

Simon Culshaw Simon Culshaw is head of manufacturing, Atos UK & Ireland. Atos SE is a leader in digital services with 2013 pro forma annual revenue of â&#x201A;Ź10 billion and 86,000 employees in 66 countries. Serving a global client base, the Group provides consulting & systems integration services, managed services & BPO, cloud operations, big data & security solutions, as well as transactional services through Worldline, the European leader in the payments and transactional services industry. For further information, please visit: http://uk.atos.net/en-uk/home.html.

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Finding your

fleet

How does your vehicle acquisition method impact on your business’s financial health asks Mark Batey

n my experience, when a business is faced with the task of choosing an appropriate vehicle acquisition method, the people most likely to advise on this are often the accountants. However, this task can seem daunting for both accountants and business owners, and perhaps somewhat unclear when assessing which option will benefit your business model the most. It’s important to get an expert in the vehicle industry to give you a balanced and informed opinion when looking at different options, so that you have the time to step back and take a look at the bigger picture. Different funding and acquisition methods have a variety of benefits, whether they are instant or are realised further down the line. Different vehicle acquisition methods can have effects on businesses beyond vans and cars, including matters like company liability and future financial leverage. A company’s liability can be measured by a gearing ratio, which is a term for describing a financial ratio that compares an owner’s equity to borrowed funds. Gearing is a measure of financial leverage, demonstrating the degree to which a firm’s activities are financed by the owner’s funds versus a creditor’s funds – the higher a company’s degree of leverage, the more the company is considered risky.

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In terms of attractions, there are many advantages and disadvantages within each of the main options; outright purchase, hire purchase, contract hire and flexible vehicle hire. See… It’s easy to understand why this process can often appear daunting! One of the main attractions of outright purchase is to own a vehicle fully, which seems great. The reassurance, familiarity and positive feeling that owning assets can deliver can be the reason it is the default button for many businesses. However, with ownership comes responsibility, service, maintenance, repair, tax and replacement vehicles. These are just a number of problems that fall onto the lap of a vehicle owner. Then there’s the fact that the vehicle purchase will lead to a cash outflow, which will show on your balance sheet as a depreciating asset, which can have a negative impact on your gearing ratio. Also consider what could be done with this capital that you’ve chosen to tie into your fleet – could it be better spent elsewhere to grow your business? On the plus side, with outright purchase, a business can clock-up as many miles as they like without coming across any penalties in terms of the mileage or damage, (but, the cost of repair will fall with an owner rather than an external company). Another tick in the box when choosing

outright purchase is that owners can save money in Benefit In Kind (BIK) Tax, where drivers will pay tax in conjunction with the approved CO2 emission for the vehicle. There are limitations too however, as this is only a short term saving and only benefits drivers that choose environmentally friendly cars. If owning a vehicle is high on the priority list for your company, then hire purchase is another method to consider. As with outright purchase there are some great benefits to be had and is the right choice if the business owner is looking to own the asset at the end of the agreement. Again, this method will show as a depreciating asset on your balance sheet. The company will have the responsibility for payment and interest liability for the duration of the contract, which could have a detrimental effect on gearing ratios. However, with this method, you will still benefit from main dealer servicing, reducing the burden of repairing the vehicle. To remove depreciating assets from the balance sheet, a company can choose to acquire a vehicle through a number of methods. Flexible vehicle hire is one option, which really does deliver some significant financial benefits. As it is classified as an operating lease, there is no depreciating asset because the supplier will have ownership of the

Vehicle fleet

vehicle rather than the hirer and there is no liability on the part of the hirer. They do not enter into a contract for payment and are not therefore dictated by the terms of a contract, which can result in a negative impact on a gearing ratio. In one flexible vehicle hire case I’ve worked on, we managed to erase £1.2 million in liability from a company – freeing up a gearing ratio to allow them to borrow money. However, with flexible vehicle hire you will never own the vehicle and won’t benefit from main dealer servicing, but you will be able to de-fleet in quiet periods and have a healthier, better-looking balance sheet – particularly appealing for businesses affected by seasonality. Significant savings can also be made on SMR, with no exposure to other associated costs of vehicle ownership; vehicle parts, consumables and breakdown services, for instance. Contract hire does not necessarily offer the same benefits as flexible vehicle hire, as the term and the proportion of the cost of the asset the business takes on, dictates whether or not it appears on balance sheet. Also, in some instances servicing and maintenance is limited,

resulting in additional time and money spent by the businesses owner to manage this via a third party dealer. Another aspect to be aware of are mileage penalties. I have heard countless stories of unsightly mileage penalties when businesses have gone over their planned miles. In one instance, one of my customers clocked up £2,000 in mileage penalties, meaning that they could no longer afford to run the vehicle. However, on the plus side, with fixed monthly repayments and no problems with vehicle disposals, contract hire definitely does offer some benefits. This isn’t by any means an extensive list, as we’ve simply focused on the financial impact of vehicle acquisition in this article. There are numerous operational benefits to these options too, but this should offer you a balanced view of what is out there, making your decisions around vehicle acquisition easier. Personal experience of this scenario through the businesses I have worked with means I know what a minefield it can be. All businesses really want to do is run profitably, without added hassle. When businesses do choose to come to

Northgate, many have switched 100 per cent of their fleet from purchase and contract hire, whilst others use our product to complement their existing fleet. However, those who use us for all of their vehicles all have one thing in common; a desire to save money and run an efficient and effective fleet, whilst improving their business’ financial strength.

Mark Batey Mark Batey is new business manager at Northgate Vehicle Hire, the market leader in flexible vehicle hire. The company operates over 60,000 vehicles on rental through 73 locations, which include 56 workshops and 356 mechanics operate within the direct service network. www.northgatevehiclehire.co.uk

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Harness the

benefits According to Dominic Regan, the Internet of Things will deliver a more reliable supply chain

hether it’s a bunch of flowers on Mothering Sunday or photocopier toner for the office, we’ve come to expect the items we’ve ordered to arrive at our doors on time and in one piece. Rarely, however, do we think about the intricacies of the supply chain on which these deliveries depend, and how one small problem can cause repercussions all the

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way down the line. Rather than being forgiving about the complexities of the modern supply chain, customers are likely to respond to delayed delivery with frustration, and will be less likely to order with that company in the future. It’s clear why businesses are giving more attention than ever to reducing shipping delays. According to recent research from Allianz Risk Barometer, business interruption and the supply chain are the biggest worries for UK companies

this year (1). Meanwhile online spending is leaping to new peaks every year: Black Friday sales beat estimates by over £250 million in 2014 (2), while the entire Christmas season also broke online shopping records. With the growth of online shopping showing no sign of slowing, companies are realising that they need to modernise their supply chain to ensure they bring interruptions and delays to an absolute minimum. One of key technologies for achieving this

Internet of Things

With a strong framework in place for how they will make the most of widespread sensors and analytics tools across the supply chain, businesses will be primed to bring their plans to life quickly and effectively – and make sure everyone gets their flowers or photocopier toner on time

will be the Internet of Things (IoT). Frequently described as a panacea for all sorts of business problems, we know that the IoT will bring real and immediate benefit to businesses’ supply chains. Not least of these will be the ability to implement new standards of control, efficiency, transparency and compliance – the key success metrics of a successful supply chain. Embedded sensors will collect data at an almost infinite number of nodes along the supply chain, enabling businesses to track and manage their goods and how they’re shipped in real-time. The real-time visibility that this will bring means that they will able to work more accurately and cut down the cost and risk associated that is traditionally associated with complex supply chains, and make any necessary adjustments with minimal delay, even whilst a delivery is in-flight. This goes far beyond identifying bottlenecks in the system: the IoT can also help to eliminate breakages and spoilage. When shipping items that are subject to vibration, temperature and humidity fluctuations throughout their journey, businesses can monitor environments that might

lead to degradation of the product. Similarly, in-built sensors will enable businesses to measure and record angles of inclination - the degree to which an item has shifted with respect to its axis. For delicate objects such as flowers or wine the ability to monitor and address poorly stowed items can significantly reduce spoilage. This would enable businesses to identify stages in the supply chain where items are vulnerable to being damaged, such as long waits in the depot or multiple changes of transportation modes. The rich data will help supply chain managers identify chokepoints and rethink their shipping routes accordingly. Furthermore, once universal standards for IoT data are established, seamless sharing of this information among supply chain partners will allow any shipping exceptions to be handled appropriately by the relevant party. For example, if a shipment arrives later than expected, individual parcels can be reassembled using different carriers to help distribute the load and speed up delivery. Connected devices have the potential to add value and insight throughout the supply chain,

from order fulfilment to final delivery. Businesses will be able to use the rich and detailed data to plan and model a wide variety of different scenarios, incorporating a wealth of timely, granular and accurate information that has previously been denied them. Business supply chains have always been able to generate data of some sort, but this has always lacked focus and, critically, timeliness. The result is poor planning and execution, along with other issues such as the inability to apply effective segmentation of both supply chains and customers. The full benefits of the IoT are limited only by the imagination of those businesses that seek to harness the power of connected devices. Two things, however, are already clear: first, that the impact of the IoT will be phenomenal; secondly, that this revolution is not in the far-off future, but can be realised today. Supply chain practitioners therefore need to be forming their IoT strategies now, because it’s more than likely to be on their competitors’ agenda. With a strong framework in place for how they will make the most of widespread sensors and analytics tools across the supply chain, businesses will be primed to bring their plans to life quickly and effectively – and make sure everyone gets their flowers or photocopier toner on time. http://www.agcs.allianz.com/assets/Graphics/Risk%20Barometer%20 2015/Top%20Risks%20per%20Country/UK.jpg http://www.experian.co.uk/blogs/latest-thinking/christmas-retail-results/

Dominic Regan Dominic Regan is senior director EMEA Supply Chain Applications at Oracle. Oracle provides the most comprehensive suite of integrated, global business applications that enable organisations to make better decisions, reduce costs, and increase performance. For further information visit: www.oracle.com/applications/supply-chainmanagement/index.html www.oracle.com/uk/index.html

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Business

backbone How thinking like a supermarket will transform the automotive supply chain. By Dr. Martyn Jeffries

fter years of decline, the UK vehicle manufacturing industry is undergoing a welcome resurgence. By 2017 it is expected to be turning out more than two million vehicles per year, a new record according to The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). However, turning such growth into long term revenue and jobs for the UK’s wider automotive sector will depend on the industry’s ability to source more components from within the UK. This essentially means ‘re-shoring’ much of the supplier base that has, over time, been moved overseas. According to the Automotive Council an extra £2 billion could be brought back into the economy by growing the UK supplier base; a step that could create up to 50,000 new UK jobs, according to a 2014 report by Lloyds Bank into the automotive supply chain. The majority (70 per cent) of the automotive firms surveyed for this report say they are looking to re-shore some of their operations by the end of 2016, drawn back by reduced costs and time, improving UK economic conditions and a desire to support local communities. However, this willingness is tempered by a number of concerns. Automotive manufacturers are worried not just about a lack of suitable suppliers, for example for high volume electronics systems, but about the ability of those that do exist to deliver components at the speed and volume required by the vehicle manufacturers. There is a perception that UK suppliers lack the technical or processing capability to undertake the business. What can the UK automotive supply chain do to address these concerns and ensure they can offer the kind of world class, high technology products required by these manufacturers – and offer them quickly, efficiently and cost-effectively?

Software is the key to success For many years the manufacturing sector has struggled to successfully implement Product Lifecycle Management and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software systems. Despite the fact that ERP was initially developed to help the automotive sector manage increasingly complex supply chains and process automation, many firms can find themselves wrestling with what CIO.com calls one of ‘the most expensive, time-consuming and complicated tasks an IT department can take on.’ However, in an increasingly IT-enabled, machine-to-machine, big data world, creating and delivering world-class parts and systems relies on the effective use of software at every stage. From research and development through to production, performance and distribution, and even within the parts and systems themselves, software is everywhere, embedded and critical. Software is the enabler, but when it becomes excessively complex or even fails, it becomes the barrier, halting operations and even growth in its tracks.

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Automotive supply chain Take control through testing and quality Other sectors have been here before, and have found a way to make it work. The UK retail sector is today completely reliant on complicated software systems to deliver its business goals and secure a profit from very small margins. Ask any major retailer about their supply chain history, however, and chances are they can recount an incident involving software or technology failure that had a disastrous effect on their business – and the quality assurance processes they have put in place to ensure it doesn’t happen again. Reducing risk depends on taking control of software systems. It requires applying innovation to tried-and-tested quality assurance methods in order to test and monitor how software is developed and deployed in the business. For a supermarket that can include the software embedded in products and services, in driving ERP systems, powering warehouse logistics solutions, or enabling new digital marketing platforms such as websites, or managing increasingly complex pricing and re-ordering systems. At first glance, the software needs of consumer online grocery shopping may seem a world removed from the automotive supply chain, but in fact it is not. The quality assurance and testing approach is just as valid for the manufacturing supply chain; perhaps even more so, as they are not only concerned with the shipping of finished goods but with most of the product development activities as well. For example, here at SQS we have been helping a large automotive group to boost their software performance to push ever further into new areas, from in-car communication technology through to vehicle finance solutions. Our experience has taught us that seamlessly embedding quality assurance into the way a company plans, delivers and supports their software systems is the first step towards achieving more, achieving it better, in less time and for less cost than ever before.

Looking to the future In a 2013 strategy for the growth and sustainability of the automotive sector in the UK, the Automotive Council identified six main areas for action. These include developing process excellence capability, reducing total delivered cost, strengthening supply stability, and improving supply chain flexibility and complexity management – all areas where robust and tested software systems will prove critical. The message is clear – giving your business the software backbone that will enable it to compete in the global marketplace could make the difference between success and failure. Working with an outsourced UK-based specialist can ensure software systems are delivered faster, more robustly and ultimately more suited to the business need. This independent quality assurance will ensure capable and secure solutions are available to any manufacturer, big or small. And if the automotive industry is to reach and sustain the record-breaking production levels predicted by the SMMT it must ensure that its software is ready to meet these demands.

Dr. Martyn Jeffries Dr. Martyn Jeffries is head of automotive solutions at SQS. SQS is the world’s leading specialist in software quality. This position stems from over 30 years of successful consultancy operations. SQS consultants provide solutions for all aspects of quality throughout the whole software product lifecycle driven by a standardised methodology, high offshore automation processes and deep domain knowledge in various industries. With over 7,000 completed projects under its belt, SQS has a strong client base, including half of the DAX 30, nearly a third of the STOXX 50 and 20 per cent of the FTSE 100 companies. www.sqs.com/en-group/index.php

www.manufacturingtoday-europe.com 13

Protecting the

systems

Chris Day looks at the dangers to SCADA and industrial control systems when it comes to cyber security

he beginning of 2015 saw one of the biggest cyber events ever take place. Unfortunately, it was drowned out by the news of the various divisions of Sony being hacked. At the same time, the German government quietly admitted it had suffered a sophisticated cyber attack against an industrial facility – a steel mill – which resulted in equipment damage, production downtime and which could have potentially cost lives. This event was only the second time ever a cyber attack had resulted in physical damage. Following Stuxnet, the computer worm designed to attack industrial programmable logic controllers and ruined almost a fifth on Iran’s nuclear centrifuges, this is also the second publicly disclosed cyber attack against SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) equipment which has been formally investigated and attributed to a sophisticated remote attacker. This in itself is a rare event and demonstrates the credible and increasing risk to SCADA equipment, or computer

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systems used for gathering and analysing data in real time. It is an unfortunate truth that a risk typically needs to be demonstrated in the wild repeatedly before it is addressed with the resolve appropriate to the potential impact of a successful attack. In the case of tampering with industrial equipment, it doesn’t take much imagination to realise how devastating that impact could be - from plant and machinery damage, to employee accidents and large scale outages of vital services. However, unlike Stuxnet, which featured sophisticated air-gap hopping methods to gain access, this attack is reported to have used less exotic, yet still credible spear-phishing (email spoofing fraud) and social engineering techniques. The steel mill attackers were able to infiltrate the corporate network by sending a targeted phishing email that appeared to have come from a trusted source in order to deceive the recipient employee into downloading malware to his/her computer. Once the attackers obtained a foothold on the corporate system, essentially, they were able access to the

steel mill by successively working their way into production networks to access the system’s plant equipment controls. In this particular attack on the unnamed German steel mill, attackers manipulated and disrupted control systems to such a degree that a blast furnace could not be properly shut down, resulting in ‘massive’ - albeit unspecified - damage. This event demonstrates how gaining access to and attacking SCADA systems doesn’t necessarily need to employ expensive or overly sophisticated techniques. I have personally spent many years scoping, conducting and reporting SCADA system computer security assessments. In practically all my assessments, across several different sectors, I have noticed one common theme; a reluctance to admit or lack of understanding of connectivity between corporate and SCADA systems. I believe I understand why this situation exists; it is typical to see an organisation’s IT and engineering as separate departments. Yet, to enable greater exploitation of SCADA metadata (such as manufacturing output or power

SCADA and security

consumption) and a lowering of infrastructure costs, it is increasingly common to find SCADA and corporate networks connected. In many instances, this fusion of networks is focused on maintaining the functionality of the corporate and SCADA systems by each group of specialists - the SCADA and network engineers. The discussion of the security implications of such a merger is often absent. It is at this junction, the known and unknown security issues of two networks have been combined into one, vastly increasing attackersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; chances of gaining access and having a negative effect against corporate or SCADA systems. Also, we stand no hope of effectively dealing with cyber attacks against SCADA if we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t improve our ability to share knowledge with the wider SCADA community. If organisations do not acknowledge security issues or attempt to diminish the credible, demonstrated threat for PR purposes, they are merely burying their heads deeper in the sand and perpetuating the problem. By recognising and sharing details of these attacks, we can make effective defensive

countermeasures and strategies based on experience and understanding gained from studying real life attacks. In summary, if we are connecting corporate and SCADA systems together we must ensure this union is forged securely so the networks do not share their security weaknesses with one another. These weaknesses could be in the form of vulnerable internet exposed corporate network services, remote access for SCADA maintenance engineers or outdated SCADA workstations laden with historic vulnerabilities and operating systems. To enable robust security when combining networks, we need to be aware of the latent risks in each of the networks we are combining. We also need to also investigate the technologies present in each network to understand if new security risks would be created when combining them. Without this understanding, and an appreciation of in-the-wild attacks, we will be unable to implement effective defensive strategies and measures we need to protect SCADA systems and the industrial and critical processes that exist upon them.

Chris Day Chris Day is a SCADA security researcher for MWR InfoSecurity, a research-led information security consultancy, with a client list consisting of Dow Jones, NASDAQ, FTSE 100 companies and Government agencies & departments. MWR consults with clients around the world, providing specialist advice and services on all areas of security, from mobile through to supercomputers. www.mwrinfosecurity.com

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Keep it

safe

Six tips to protect against intellectual property theft. By Salo Fajer

nformation security continues to be one of the hottest topics in business with every day seemingly bringing news of another high profile leak or cyber attack at the moment. While it is the likes of Sony, Amazon and Google grabbing the global headlines, the increasing threat to data should be a concern for everyone. All organisations have sensitive data that must be protected, whether it’s new product designs or company payroll information, and suffering a data breach could quickly lead to disastrous consequences. For manufacturers with complex supply chains, the data of most value is their intellectual proper ty (IP); data on patents, designs and formulas. Protecting this IP can be key to the company’s long-term survival, so it is critical to ensure appropriate steps are taken. Below are

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six tips that will help manufacturers keep their most valuable asset safe:

1. Put intellectual property and trade secret protection at the top of the list This may seem like a no-brainer, but despite all of the chatter in the C-Suite about cyber security, few companies have meaningful data protection programs in place. They often cite the need to preserve the free flow of information and to not impede worker productivity. But the truth is, there are solutions and approaches that balance the need to protect data with the need to drive rapid innovation. IP and trade secret protection has to be an executive priority or it won’t get done.

2. Identify your most valuable data assets All too often organisations have no idea where this valuable data is stored and who has access to it. Organisations must know what their IP and trade secrets are if they want to prevent them from being stolen. Simply identifying the crown jewels can feel like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be. Start with your most critical IP — the data you know a hacker is after. For example, manufacturers would do well to start protecting engineering and R&D documents like design files. Get that identified first and then move to the next organisational function.

3. Protect those data assets This is going to sound very basic, but once sensitive data is identified… label it. Literally

Cyber security

it? Then, set to work plugging those holes. The security pros call it ‘threat modelling’ and it’s one of the most effective ways to ensure security.

5. Improve employee awareness As I mentioned earlier, the weakest link in data defence is the employee — from the C-level executive to the receptionist. Add data protection to manuals and employment agreements, and train them on your policies regarding the use of confidential data. It also helps to perform regular security awareness training and invite your contractors, vendors and partners to participate, as they should be subject to your data protection policies as well.

6. Be prepared if your IP is stolen Have an incident response plan at the ready. Even the organisations that have their data protected can still become victims of breaches. Today, cyber criminals are more nimble and financially motivated than ever before, so it pays to be prepared.

Salo Fajer mark all critical assets as ‘internal only’ or ‘confidential.’ Whether the document is digital or paper-based, this is the quickest and easiest protection method. It provides employees with a visual cue to treat the document with care, and employees are often the ones targeted by hackers. There are also additional technologies that you can employ to ensure your trade secrets stay that way. From encryption to digital rights management, from persistent document tagging to policy-driven data protection, there are numerous approaches to ensure data flows freely, but only on a need-to-know basis.

Salo Fajer is CTO at Digital Guardian. Digital Guardian is the only security solution to protect data from insider and outsider threats with a single endpoint agent. The Digital Guardian platform performs across traditional endpoints, mobile devices and cloud applications to make it easier to see and stop all threats to sensitive data. For more than ten years, it has enabled data-rich organisations to protect their most valuable assets with an on premise deployment or an outsourced managed security programme (MSP). https://digitalguardian.com

4. Think like the cyber criminals Take a look at all of your business processes to determine where data theft might occur. Assess your data from an outsider’s standpoint — what would you want to steal and how would you do

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Case study

A practical

solution When looking to connect with existing customers and attract new business, industry leader Colt chose Citrix GoToWebinar

Facts at a glance • Solution Webinars • Product GoToWebinar • Industry Manufacturing • Country UK • Website http://www.coltinfo.co.uk

About the company A global company operating in 50 countries with 900 employees worldwide and 150 in the UK, Colt provides smoke control, climate control, ventilation and solar shading expertise to businesses from original design and build through to the refurbishment of existing stock. Colt ensures that its customer’s installations continue to perform at their best over time through maintenance programmes and staff training, with an emphasis on safety and consideration of the environment.

Challenge Employers and institutions across industries recognise the need for a structured and methodical approach to learning to retain key

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staff and develop skills and knowledge. “People are time poor, but they need knowledge and training to get the best from our services and to stay informed about industry trends so we need a practical solution to communicate with our customers, staff and distributors,” said Simon O’Hea, Director, Training and Information Management.

Solution Before Colt implemented Citrix GoToWebinar, trainers had to travel to their customers and deliver support on-site to their staff. Now trainers are able to set up a webinar without

any IT support within minutes and deliver comprehensive training by sharing presentations, white papers and blogs to deliver top level customer service. Most webinars are CPD (Continuing Professional Development) accredited, meaning people can keep up to date with vital industry topics without leaving their desks. Following the presentation, the chat feature allows people to type in questions, which the moderator answers systematically.

Benefits • Citrix GoToWebinar provides a practical alternative to on-site training, allowing Colt to stay connected with valued customers and save travel costs. • Webinars are a vital method to share knowledge efficiently throughout the industry and maintain Colt’s position as thought leaders. • Citrix GoToWebinar offers an easy to use interface and integrations with industry-leading products such as with HubSpot, the inbound marketing software. http://www.citrix.com/

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Focus on: Swift Group Pailton Engineering Jotun Paints (Europe) Aztec Oils Brompton Bicycle Märklin Munck Cranes Hillarys Blinds Mark Water Pumps MSL Engineering Carl Stahl Dinex Robertson Timber Engineering ZGH Bolesław Laerdal Medical SPP Pumps Revolve Technologies Bene Rotpunkt Küchen NACCO Materials Handling Group TMAT HMF Group City Technology Prestolite Electric

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BEST PRACTICES FOR INDUSTRY LEADERS

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MANUFACTURING MANUFACTURING toda y toda

Swift Group

The Swift Challenger Sport

Flying

high

Swift Group, which celebrated its 50th anniversary last year, has innovated and developed to achieve record sales

Swift Group Products: Leisure vehicle manufacturer Sites: Three sites in Yorkshire Employees: 900 www.swiftgroup.co.uk

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ounded in 1964 manufacturing touring caravans, Swift Group has grown to be one of the UK’s leading producers of award winning caravans, motorhomes and holiday homes. Its policy is to produce innovative products that are well designed, constructed to the highest standards and provide outstanding value for money. It achieves these by constantly developing production techniques and standards, and by responding well to the changing social and economic environment. Commitment to these three aspects has rewarded Swift with record levels of sales, with annual turnover of over £200 million, and rapid growth as the economy comes out of a recession. Manufacturing Today Europe spoke to the company’s group commercial director, Nick Page, who commented on his confidence: “Things are looking very positive for 2015 and onwards as consumer confidence continues to improve,” he confirmed. The company currently has three divisions: touring caravans, motorhomes and holiday homes. It holds a dominant market share of 40 per cent for its caravans, 21 per cent

for motorhomes and in the last 12 months achieved 20 per cent market share in the holiday home sector to become one of the three dominant manufacturers in the UK. The latter sector represents the fastest growing market for the company and Nick puts this down to the strength of the brand. “In all three divisions we cater for the vast majority of each market, ensuring that we provide products in different segments to suit most budgets,” Nick explains, and growth can be seen at all levels: “The caravans, in some respect like the supermarket sector, has seen incredible growth a the top-end of the market with Elegance and Continental ranges, and a 70 per cent increase in our entry-level range, Sprite.” Across the divisions a general breakdown consists of entry-level products, contemporary and classic designs and top-end models, yet what pervades them all is a level of quality and precision that comes as a result of Swift’s comprehensive production processes. Spread across three Yorkshire sites Swift manufactures its products utilising lean production methods, a development that as Nick emphasises: “Drives efficiencies into the manufacturing process seeing a significant

The Swift Sprite

reduction in costs.” It makes use of a £1.25 million Reichenbacker CNC machine, which ensures automation, accuracy and a more efficient production process. The reduction of costs that results can be passed down to the customer and means that Swift can meet its aim of providing excellent value for money. Swift commenced building with its new intelligent construction system SMART across the entire touring caravan range from the 2014 season. SMART is based on proven technology and provides a strong timber-less body frame with all fixing made into a ‘PURe’ material to a pre-defined depth. ‘PURe’ is totally impervious to water and has no veins, this means there is no passage for water from the outer skin to the inner wallboard. This delivers modern desirable looks and a class leading Aerodynamic shape that is highly resilient to moisture. SMART HT takes the SMART intelligent construction system to a new level with the use of hi-tech materials. This is the ultimate construction method used

Bankside Patterson

Bankside Patterson Limited supply the Fusion chassis to the Swift Holiday Home division. As the majority of holiday homes are in close proximity to the coast, the Fusion chassis in its fully galvanised form provides the highest level of corrosion protection and aesthetic performance compared with painted options. The galvanised construction ensures a virtually maintenance free solution that requires no annual painting and is provided with a 12 year anti-corrosion warranty.

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Swift Group The Swift Sterling Continental

on the flagship Swift Elegance and Sterling Continental ranges. SMART HT uses a completely timberless floor and internal body shell through the use of hi-tech materials locked together with a unique aluminium and SRIM jointing system providing an enormous amount of strength and rigidity in to the structure. Innovation within the manufacturing process does not stop with its own operations. Swift works very closely with its suppliers, and only works with those that are the best and most innovative. Nick tells Manufacturing Today Europe: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Customers buy into new ideas and new methods, and are looking for the best and most innovative leisure vehicles they can possibly buy. We constantly challenge suppliers to improve and regularly conduct supplier reviews to ensure that we are

The Swift Elegance

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Swift Group The S-Pod holiday home

Decorative Panels Group

The Decorative Panels Group is Europeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leader in the supply of decorative faced sheet materials, panel components and flat pack furniture. The group combines three divisions, Lamination, Components and Furniture. These vertically integrated companies supply the most prominent names in the furniture and allied industries sector ranging from manufacturers right through to retailers and follow a continuous investment program in infrastructure, technology and people. Decorative Panels Lamination have been at the forefront of sheet material manufacture and supply into the leisure industry for over 40 years and have been primary supply partners to the Swift Group for over 20 years.

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always ahead of the game.â&#x20AC;? This commitment to quality and innovation within the manufacturing process has translated into quite substantial sales volumes. In September last year Swift took its largest single order in history to supply a leading park operator with holiday homes. Its presence at caravan and motorhome shows at the NEC in October 2014 and February 2015 both produced record sales, and the company has already sold out of its motorhome

The S-Pod holiday home

production capacity for the current season. In shor t, Nick remarks: “All product sectors are performing remarkably well and with the market recovering it is a very positive time for Swift at the moment.” Outside of innovation within production, it can also be seen in the products Swift is developing. Most recently is the S-Pod: “It was born out of research that suggested people are looking for something different that is a step up from a ‘glamping pod’ and is ideal for shor t stays, acting as a central hub for their

activities. It offers more style and comfor t than other similar products.” The unit includes a fully integrated kitchen and washroom, and has a pull down bed that transforms it from a day space to a night space in less than 30 seconds. According to Nick the concept has received positive interest from sectors such as hotel chains, golf clubs, self-build sectors and fisheries, and has received universal industry acclaim. Holiday parks have shown par ticular interest seeing themselves benefitting from

the pod as a way to increase revenues from more regular lets. The pod is the first of several concepts that will be launched in12-18 months and represents the company’s forward thinking approach to innovation. Swift is constantly looking for innovative products that could have a large commercial footprint, Nick explains: “We always have one eye on the future, always looking at the next project that could

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Swift Group Bolero motorhome

take us into new areas and develop new market oppor tunities.” As the company looks to the future it is completely focused on continued growth and expansion. “I believe we will be a dominant player in the motorhome market with over 30 per cent market share and also a dominant player in the holiday home market. I also believe we will be conquering new markets with new products as well as bringing new people into the industry,” Nick answers when asked about the company’s five year plan. Recent changes in pension regulation also have the potential to create a ‘mini boom’ in the industry as customers with increased access to their money look to fulfil their aspirations of owning a leisure vehicle. Ultimately, Swift Group has experienced an extraordinary period of growth out of the recession and has plans to extend that position as the UK’s leading manufacturer of leisure vehicles. As long as its three-point policy is adhered to, the company looks sure to achieve the success it has earned from the last 50 years of building a strong brand.

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Big Bear Plastic Products Ltd

Big Bear Plastic Products Ltd specialise in designing, developing, prototyping and producing large and medium-sized thermoformed parts in both single and twin sheet. As a proud supplier to Swift for over ten years, Big Bear produces 6000 shower cubicles and washbasins each year. Big Bear’s engineering teams have extensive experience of moulding and assembling every conceivable cubicle - from a basic box to the most complex and luxury wet rooms for all kinds of caravans, motor and holiday homes.

Pailton Engineering

Driving

quality In the heart of the industrial midlands, Pailton Engineering today continues to steer the automotive industry with its systems

Pailton Engineering Ltd Products: Steering systems Sites: UK, India, Turkey Employees: 161 www.pailton.com

ounded in 1969, Pailton Engineering has built its reputation on a proven history of designing, manufacturing, testing and delivering world-class steering systems. Today the company occupies a global position, utilising both local manufacturing expertise, as well as production in its final markets. “We continue to represent the essence of British manufacturing, with 80 per cent of what we sell manufactured in the UK, testament our position as a family owned company that remains true to its roots,” says Ian Palmer, sales and marketing director. With offices in the UK, US, Germany and India, the business maintains a trading footprint that reaches as far south as Australia, across Singapore, the Middle East and Western Europe. “The majority of our business focuses on designs for the military, and bus, coach and truck

manufacturers,” points out Ian. Its dominance in the military market is represented by long standing relationships with both Oshkosh Defense and its daughter company Pierce Manufacturing. Furthermore, connections with firms such as Alexander Dennis and VAG Group highlight the extent of the company’s reputation across the industry, and the quality of its products, which are deemed capable of withstanding the demands of the military worldwide, supplying steering systems to the British Army for use in the Warrior and Ocelot vehicles. “It is our extensive work with the military that has led to us working in conjunction with TATA in India, designing steering systems as they work towards the development of a home grown military vehicle,” explains Ian. With its own test laboratory and 3D prototype facility housing an ever-expanding team of design engineers,

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Pailton Engineering Pailton Engineering is well versed in producing end products that are specifically designed for use in specialist vehicles. “Our real strength is in niche areas, designing specific steering systems that actually fit the vehicle and specifications of our clients. It is a different approach to the market that saves customers buying a standard product and trying to make it work in the vehicle,” says Ian. Such an approach makes Pailton Engineering a valuable business to work with; a fact that JCB construction recently homed in on, as he continues: “We have designed a complete solution for JCB, from the ground up. There is nothing standard on this product. The unique steering column allows our client to use the design in every vehicle they make, boasting unique features such as soft close, fully adjustable mechanisms. It makes the JCB vehicle far more

Henry Williams

Henry Williams of Darlington are proud to be part of the supply chain with P.E.L. in the production of high quality forgings. These are for use in safety critical applications for steering components in HGV products. The two companies have a relationship that is built on trust and understanding of the end users’ needs.

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attractive for their customers, through increased comfort. Additionally, by working closely together we have avoided increasing the price, so the vehicles are still very competitive in the market place.” The drive to keep costs down is own that is of great importance to the firm, as it faces a market where success if dependant not just on technological quality, but value too. “Here in the UK we pretty much run at full capacity, so instead of opening up new factories, we have developed a slightly different model where we work under co-operation agreements with other factories,” says Ian. Such an agreement has been ongoing in India, where the model has proved very successful. “We are able to control the quality by using our own SQA engineers, which visit regularly and audit. Through replicating that set up in Turkey we are also able to advance with manufacturing capabilities locally whilst ensuring an extremely tight approach to quality,” he continues. No stranger to working successfully in conjunction with other businesses to bring technology to the market, the company unveiled a new four-wheeled steering system in February 2015 at IDEX in Abu Dhabi, which it developed

alongside two German businesses, Tedrive Steering and RBL. “The technology has the effect of reducing the turning circle of an armoured car from nine metres down to just 4.2 metres, allowing a much greater use of the vehicle,” highlights Ian. Pushing technology forward, a similar arrangement with Tedrive has seen the business establish a remote control steering system, promoting driverless parking of buses and coaches, ultimately reducing clients land requirements for parking by 20 per cent. The business is also actively developing technologies with regards to lane changing, and driver wake up alerts on buses and coaches. “The application of sensors to the steering wheel, which detect grip and shake the steering wheel should that grip loosen, and cameras in the wing mirror that prevent the vehicle from steering across the path of an upcoming motorist or cyclist are both technologies that we are close to launching,” he announces. With governments in Western Europe starting to drive public transport as a means, more buses and coaches are being built to service new requirements. Commenting on the future market, Ian points out: “Every country in Europe is looking at park and ride facilities outside of cities so that

gives us a big opportunity. In order to continue growth, we have to expand our horizons abroad and operate in more countries. The Middle East is a high target at the moment and we will continue working with companies such as Streit Group, increasing our presence there. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Reflecting the uncertainty of many political situations, we also see a growing focus on military spending with increased potential for military vehicle requirement, as well as a growing number small manufacturers designing very specialised vehicles in low numbers, which is our ultimate target market. Being a niche player it is important that we remain competitive in cost, as well as retaining good engineers to maintain our design capabilities, and vitally recognising that quality is king. In fact, it is more king in what we do than in a volume product. There is a great focus today on

measuring parts per million (PPM), and if you are low volume manufacturer, getting one thing wrong has an over dramatic influence on the PPM measure when it is multiplied up. Ultimately quality becomes a far more important issue in a low volume, niche manufacturing situation.â&#x20AC;?

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Jotun Paints (Europe) Ltd

All areas

covered

With a long history as a leader in marine and protective coatings, Jotun Paints (Europe) Ltd sees looking after its people as essential to a bright future

Jotun Paints (Europe) Ltd Products: Manufacturer of paints and coatings Sites: Global presence Employees: 220 (UK), 9500 (Worldwide) www.jotun.com

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n 1832 Henry Clark and Sons established a small factory in Reading manufacturing marine paint. Over a number of years, steady growth, aided by prestigious accounts with the Royal Navy and Cunard Line, saw the company move premises twice, eventually ending up in Brighton in 1956. Meanwhile, Norwegian paint manufacturing firm, Jotun, saw its opportunity to gain access to the international shipping industry and obtained shares in the company in 1971, completing a merger in 1974 to create the newly named Jotun-Henry Clark Ltd. This move enabled Jotun to develop its range and become one of the largest marine coatings manufacturers in the world. In 1989 the company moved its production facilities to a brand new factory in Flixborough, North-Lincolnshire and a year later had produced ten million litres of paint with 30 employees. Today, the now named Jotun Paints (Europe) Ltd, employs around 220

people across all departments in the UK and is part of the truly global Jotun company, one of the world’s leading paint and coatings manufacturers. “In the UK, we are now market leaders in the marine segment and rapidly growing to be a key player in the protective segment,” said Marianne Terland Nilsen, MD for UK and Ireland. Whilst the global company has sales offices in 68 countries around the world, the UK division supplies its main markets in the UK, Ireland, Holland, France, Germany, Poland, Russia and Brazil. Jotun’s vision is ‘Jotun protects property’, and it achieves this across four sectors: marine, protective, decorative and powder. In marine, its coatings are aimed at protecting vessels against corrosion and fouling in the sea, but its hull performance solutions also aim to increase energy efficiencies. Protective paints are supplied to protect structures such as building, bridges and oil platforms against fire and corrosion, whilst the powder and decorative

Penguins succeed together, Vicky Haines, Emma McArthur, Matthew Curtis, Amy Brightmore

Teamwork between sales and operation

divisions provide solutions for interior and exterior protection against corrosion and environmental factors. Notable applications of Jotun paints and coatings include the Burj Khalifa, the Eiffel tower, ‘Freedom of the Seas’ cruise ship and the Queen Mary. Whilst most research and development projects happen in Norway, regional departments are also in place to create a number of solutions. Marianne explains that: “ Our colleagues in the R&D department have developed new-state-ofthe-art intumescent products. I am very proud and happy to share that these new products are produced and delivered from us in Flixborough. To make this possible we have invested in dedicated production and filling equipment.” It is clear then that the UK operations of Jotun make a significant contribution to the organic growth strategy shared across the global company developing innovative products to expand new sectors. Jotun’s strategy is to grow organically to develop new and existing markets, with a global view and a regional focus. In the UK, the company fully embraces this spirit as it continuously invests in and develops its facilities and people to achieve growth. Jotun prides itself on employee care and has created the Jotun Academies scheme, an umbrella of internal training programmes covering aspects of management, sales, finance, marketing and operation within the business. “Our employees are our main asset and we strive to give them the best opportunities for training and development,” highlights Marianne. “It is a great experience and opportunity for an employee from the UK to

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Jotun Paints (Europe) Ltd

Top left: Happy operator in the factory, Nigel Martinson Above: Paint quality control, Paul Lee and Lee White Top right: Steve Eastman in the warehouse

travel to Dubai or Shanghai for training. It also gives us the best opportunity to share knowledge between regions and sites. This is also well aligned with our corporate values: Respect, Care, Loyalty and Boldness.” Aside to this highly focused approach to employee development, the UK division also invests in improving its facilities to the benefit of its people. Marianne tells Manufacturing Today Europe: “In the last year, we have invested in our offices and admin building to make sure our people have a modern and nice working environment. In the upgrade we have tried to reflect our working processes and create a working environment that encourages and improves communication, co-operation and teamwork. It is great to feel how the atmosphere has changed – and to see a lot of happy faces.” It has also made investments into new HVAC technology within the production facilities to improve employee comfort. Other areas of investment are aimed at improving the production line. The factory in Flixborough was originally set up as a traditional paint production facility, but as time has gone by, investments in new technology have been made to increase automation. “We are now in the planning phase to

start using in-line technology to do the dispersion process more quickly and easily. This will give us great benefits by reducing our cycle times and hence increasing our flexibility to service our customers,” explains Marianne. Over the span of its long history, Jotun has established itself as a leading player in the global paints industry. Today it uses this position to

naturally induce organic growth into new and existing markets; by nurturing its employees the company is able to achieve this. Marianne adds: “We are working very hard to grow our top line and sales to develop our business, but even more important, we want to grow our people. We want to provide opportunities to learn new things every day to make sure we develop. By inspiring everybody to take part in problem solving and ensuring that we are making small improvements every day, I believe we have a bright future ahead of us.”

colep

Colep is a leading supplier of three piece tinplate cans in Europe in both General Line and Aerosols. With manufacturing sites in Spain, Poland and Portugal, Colep’s Packaging Division offers a flexible and high quality service to its customers as well as innovative solutions. Colep’s relationship with Jotun has been built over many years, starting with the Iberian subsidiary and enlarged to export business, and now we can say that Colep is an important supplier to Jotun in different geographies. Joint projects, knowledge sharing and a close co-operation have been crucial to build trust and a real partnership relation between both companies.

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Aztec Oils

The lubrication

specialists

Aztec Oils is one of the UK’s leading specialists in high performance lubricant manufacture and distribution

Carl Stahl Products: High performance lubricants Sites: Two in the UK Employees: 57 over two sites www.aztecoils.co.uk

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s company Managing Director Mark Lord began by explaining, the company’s initial offering evolved quickly to meet the needs of customers: “We started trading in packaged lubricants in 1998 and soon realised there was a need for a bulk storage facility for the products. Soon after the bulk storage was created, we then expanded into blending, which also required a laterally run laboratory function for testing of blended products. We now manufacture approximately 95 per cent of the products we sell from our own facility in Bolsover and we are one of the largest independent oil manufacturers in the UK.” David Ashard, Operations Director, added some further details about the capabilities of

Aztec’s Bolsover site: “This facility contains several key areas, three production, one blending, one laboratory, two warehouses, one engineering and our admin block,” he said. “We are currently working towards a more lean approach to manufacturing and have installed the use of work instructions and encourage our team leaders to record and communicate methods of ensuring our continual improvement. The management team are also standardising our entire procedure portfolio ready to move into the next phase of our lean journey. “As part of our determination to form a solid foundation for our growth we invested heavily into achieving ISO accreditation for our business. We have now been running to ISO 9001, 14001 & 18001 standards for several years and are confident that our procedures and processes

are robust enough to support our future development. “ISO accreditation has become almost a standard requirement for our customers and holding and working to these standards gives our customers the confidence that the high quality products they purchase are produced in a safe and environmentally conscious setting.” The production facility receives over half a million pounds of investment each year in order to maintain its state-of-the-art approach, and furthermore, the company’s laboratory has recently received a £75,000 facelift. This investment has created, on average, ten new positions per annum at its Bolsover site. Mark pointed out the benefits the lab brings to Aztec: “Our laboratory quality checks our entire product range and also takes on a

‘‘

We now manufacture approximately 95 per cent of our sold products from our own facility in Bolsover and are one of the largest independent oil manufacturers in the UK

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Aztec Oils developmental role for customer specific requests, normally within the industrial sector. We are also currently installing the processes required to test products that customers send us for profiling.” He continued: “Investing in our production, laboratory, warehousing, site and staff has allowed us to keep up with the high demand for our products we have experienced over the last several years. We have doubled our operation and installed a more robust manufacturing and admin software suite giving our systems the flexibility to grow alongside the rest of the operation.” David added: “During the last 12 months all drivers have completed driver related NVQs, and the production and warehouse teams have also completed NVQs. Staff training is very important to us and we have seen some good results from these courses, the general understanding of the operation and their individual input to the success of the company has increased with the knowledge gained. The Operations Manager has also started an NVQ/ QFC level five leadership and management course.

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“As a company, we find investing in our team instrumental in the continued success of our business. Several of our key operational employees have progressed through the company and brought along their knowledge into their new roles, and we fully support all aspects of developing the skills our team require to continue into new roles within the company.” Further investments at Aztec include new software, social media accounts, and a new website, which is under development. “We have invested in a sophisticated software package, which helps with forecasting, planning and stock usage,” added David. “We are also increasing our tank farm storage capability, as well as purchasing new production filling machines and blending tanks. Finally we are investing in food grade blending equipment, as we are creating a new product line for 2015.” The new product David referred to is Aztec’s own range of food grade oils. “We already offered one of the largest ranges of food grade lubricants, greases and aerosols in the UK market place, and so the development of our own range of food grade oils was the

‘‘

We already offered one of the largest ranges of food grade lubricants, greases and aerosols in the UK market place, and so the development of our own range of food grade oils was the natural next stage

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Aztec Oils

natural next stage,” highlighted David. “We were delighted to have met the tough requirements to become NSF registered and achieving this certification provides our customers with the assurance that these products have been produced in compliance with the relevant regulations.” As Aztec Oils moves into 2015, it has more exciting plans in the pipeline, including a major acquisition. Mark explained: “The purchase of Oiline Ltd will strengthen our position in the West Midlands giving us better connections and improving our product expertise in the metalworking sector. Oiline have a long history of trading in the West Midlands and have organically grown a significant database of customers who have confidence in their products and quality, which is something Aztec can continue to supply in the future.” Looking longer term, Mark and David have more plans for expansion and investment, with the vision of a total redevelopment of the Bolsover site and the creation of more jobs:

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“Over the next five years we will continue to grow and develop our operation and set the foundation for a solid future in Bolsover for the company and the staff equally,” stated David, adding: “This vision includes the purchase of rented land and surrounding five acres to develop our production and warehousing operation, and further working with our new depot in Birmingham in April this year.” It is clear from talking to Mark and David at Aztec Oils that the company’s success is due to not only hard work and innovation, but also a willingness to invest and an acknowledgement of the important role played by a hard working and well trained team of staff. This latter point was recognised at the Annual Derbyshire Times Business Awards in 2014 when Aztec was nominated for employer of the Year: “We were delighted at reaching the finals of the awards,” said Mark. “All at Aztec are a vital part of our current and continued success and we recognise the importance of this in our everyday operations.”

Brompton Bicycle

Beautiful

bicycle Brompton Bicycle changes the way people live in cities

Brompton Bicycle Ltd Products: Bicycle manufacturer Sites: London Employees: 230 www.brompton.com

he Brompton was conceived as a product that increases people’s sense of independence and freedom in urban spaces, and this concept is still at the heart of everything the company does. In 1975 a chance meeting inspired Andrew Ritchie to come up with a fresh approach to the challenge of designing a folding bike. It was just one year later in 1976 that Brompton Bicycle was registered as a limited company, starting a history that would transform the future for intercity cycling. Conceived as a product that increases people’s independence and freedom, this concept is still at the heart of everything the business does; making bikes that customers can rely on wherever and whenever they use them. The Brompton sets its users free from the constraints imposed by the combustion engine, city planners, the weather, public transport administrators, bike thieves and countless other layers of complexity. “All we’ve ever done is make one bike, which has allowed us to really invest in taking cost out – to invest in tooling, machinery, and ultimately our product. Evolving that same product,

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Brompton Bicycle

provides justification of high capex investment,” says Will Butler-Adams, CEO. As a result of the efficiency generated in its process, the UK based manufacturer is able to comfortably compete with its competitors operating in Asia. Making bicycles is a very labour intensive process, and whilst the business does employ some semiautomatic processes such as CNC and CMM machinery, its products are essentially crafted by hand. “We want to offer the best value to our customer, using a combination of cost, quality and delivering a lifetime experience. Of course, we have some clever machines to help us achieve this, but the most important technique is brazing, and that is a process that is at the heart of our bikes,” points out Will. Using less heat than welding prevents distortion and weakening of the metal. As a very specialist technique, Brompton takes training its employees with the utmost importance, operating a five-year intensive apprenticeship programme to master brazier standard, and in the past 11 years has through training in growth, built the company up from 24 staff to 230. “About 40 years ago there was a real change in cycling as it moved from being a transport

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solution into a recreational activity, and this changed the way bikes were built, particularly with the material selection as steel was replaced with the lighter, but weaker aluminium and carbon alternatives. The difference for Brompton is that we are not recreational; we are about transport, with our product used every single day. The nature of steel is delightful for us; it is robust and has a fantastic fatigue life. A brand to us is not built around the marketing campaign but its practicality, and being able to demand the same from the bike every day, year after year, and we have extremely high confidence in our product. Steel ensures robustness in our design, also allowing us to use smaller tubing, which is essential in creating a compact folding frame,” Will explains. With a total 1200 parts making the complete bike, of which 70 per cent are designed in-house, Brompton is far more than just a bicycle company. “The brake calipers, brake levers, cranks, spokes, internal hub gear – there is nearly nothing on the bike that we haven’t designed. Whilst the average bicycle company looks to purchase off-the-shelf items to add to its frame, we have been fiddling around and evolving the design to produce a unique product that is completely ours. We have already made a massive compromise by putting breaks and hinges into a frame where actually rigidity would be preferred, so everything else must be designed perfectly to deliver the perfect ride,” says Will. As a true British manufacturer, Brompton

continues to source all it can from within the UK where the supply chain still exists, as Will continues: “The absolutely core activities we do ourselves. It is our intellectual property, and it is unique to us. “The second tier, which is unique to us, but not core to us, such as injection mould parts or spring design, we try to do in the UK. Our third chain, which consists of commodity, bog standard items such as tubing is sourced from Europe and Asia. Whilst we’d like to take it from the UK, the supply chain just simply isn’t here any longer. It is also the case that the speciality of our own design of hub gears means we have had to secure a specialist in Asia to manufacture those parts, as there is nowhere in Europe where that can be done.” Exporting 80 per cent of its products to 44 countries around the world, it is essential that its products suit both different shapes and sizes of people, as well as the geography in which it is used. The angle of the seat pillar is such that

EQC

EQC are one of the UK’s premiere metal finishing companies, and are proud to be the sole supplier of Electrophoretic (E Coat) and powder coating services to Brompton Bicycles. Having worked in partnership with Brompton for in excess of ten years, EQC have developed a robust and quality driven service ensuring that the products Brompton manufacture offer the very best in terms of corrosion resistance, long term durability and colour.

the higher it is set, the further away the rider is from the grips, and the unique saddle rail allows more adjustability of the riding position to accommodate a tremendous range of uses. Choices between two-speed super light to or six-speed gearing, ensures the bikes can be used to face any climb, and furthermore interactive selection on design choices from its webpage ensures a personalisation of the product and ultimately the offer of value. “Currently in London, there are 80,000 Brompton bicycles being used, which demonstrates our product is having an impact there. However, cycle usage in the capital is only four per cent, compared to 45 per cent in Copenhagen. As more people move into cities, and infrastructure continues to become overloaded, it is vital to push forward life-changing solutions. The Brompton costs the government no money, it keeps people fit, and it takes them off expensive infrastructure, so it is no coincidence that cities all over the world are beginning to invest in cycling, bike lanes, investing in getting people out of cars and public transport

and onto their bikes. Eighty per cent of the average journey made in London is less than four miles, which equates to a 15-minute bike ride. Our ambition is to change the way people live in cities all over the world. As an inspiration – if Mr Dyson was able to build a billion pound business sucking up dust from the floor, then we should be able to do the same with our folding bike. But we do have a long way to go,” concludes Will.

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Märklin

A whole new

world From its humble beginnings as a small factory creating tin toys 150 years ago, Gebr. Märklin & Cie. GmbH has since grown to become a global leader in modern model railway manufacturing

Märklin Products: Model railroads Sites: Göppingen, Germany, and Györ, Hungary Employees: 1000+ www.maerklin.com/en

Sontheim

Sontheim is a reliable system partner to numerous manufacturers and suppliers of the automation and automotive industry and has provided innovative hardware and software solutions for communication and diagnostic tasks for almost 20 years. The solutions are based on modular architectures to guarantee an easy integration into various systems and to guarantee future expansion. Sontheim is your competent partner for all questions of fieldbus-technology and supports you at all phases of your projects, starting at the development level ranging up to the serial product and beyond.

eadquartered in Göppingen, near Stuttgart, Germany, since its inception, Gebr. Märklin & Cie. GmbH (Märklin) boasts a long and illustrious history since it presented the first model railroad system in 1891. Over the years the company developed its knowledge of model-railway manufacturing and enhanced the world of model railroading as a whole with innovations such as the halving of 0 Scale to HO (half of zero), which allows for complete layouts on table top railroads, in 1935; it also added the first sound effects circuit in 1966 and presented the mini-club, the world’s smallest mass produced electric train system, in 1972. During the first decade of the new century a weighty amount of Märklin products were manufactured in China, however, over recent years the company made the strategic decision to reclaim its products and instead create almost

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Märklin

BOY-Strong Partnership

BOY has supplied the company Gebr. Märklin & Cie GmbH with its injection moulding machines for decades. This did not even change when company Märklin was in insolvency administration. Today, a number of BOY injection moulding machines with latest technologies are in plants in Göppingen (DE) and Györ (HU). These machines achieve an efficiency classification up to 9+ according to Euromap 60.1. There is a close collaboration with Märklin open house presentations and BOY exhibition appearances like Fakuma, where Märklin ICE housings were moulded on a BOY 100 E and deposited with a BOY handling on a conveyor belt.

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everything in-house, as managing director of Gebr. Märklin & Cie. GmbH Florian Sieber discusses: “Throughout 2014 we invested in the construction of a new facility in Györ, Hungary, which is next to our 20 year old production facility. We have increased our capacity a tremendous amount to ensure we have enough space to successfully relocate the production volumes from China. More than 80 per cent of our production takes place in our own production facilities currently, a percentage that was a lot lower five years ago. “As our main sales area region is central Europe, it includes a lot of German speaking countries such as Austria, Switzerland, Germany

of course, Benelux and Scandinavia; we also have strong customer markets in the UK and France. We feel it is important to be near the markets we sell to. Time to market and logistic costs are optimised. Another benefit of producing locally is that we can set reliable delivery dates that will be met. On top of this, we are now in charge of our own quality control, which is a critical issue for our clients who want optimum quality products.” Today the world leader for gauges in the model railroad market, Märklin is the only manufacturer to offer users the option of adding to existing layouts and collections over the years, thus linking generations through knowledge and technology. Elaborating on the process of creating high quality prototypes, Florian says: “It is very time consuming and complex. First of all, we have many old models that aren’t on tracks these days, so we have a documentation department that gathers all material, such as footage and data information, on these models and prepares this for the design engineers in Göppingen. Everything is done in-house, so the construction team then designs the products with the CAD

system CATIA; Every original has to be scaled down perfectly in accordance with its original measures; this is easier for modern locomotives and wagons as we can contact the train manufacturer and get the construction data that way. The next step takes places in our tooling department, where we plan and create die-cast plastic tools. “Parallel to this we have the sounds and electronics departments; our sound specialists go to locations such as museums to record all of the noises of old trains before they then put the noises in the right place in combination with the functions our models have.” Ever motivated by the opportunity to deliver charming and prototypical, true-to-life models to its customers, Märklin integrates tradition with impeccable standards and innovation to continuously fascinate and attract both dedicated

collectors and beginners to its product range. “Our main customers are men above 40 as not many kids can afford our products; nearly all our models are made of metal and are highly detailed, so you must handle them with care. However, two years ago we began to introduce two new product segments, one is Märklin My World, which targets children from three to six years. The toys are made of plastic and have a high play value due to their robustness; they also have sounds and lights and an affordable track system

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Märklin

Kitron Group

Kitron Group is an international electronics manufacturing services (EMS) company, with facilities in Norway, Sweden, Germany, Lithuania, China and the USA with approx. 1200 employees and a turnover of about 204 million euros (2014 figures). Kitron is a public listed company on the Oslo Stock Exchange and offers a complete range of contract manufacturing services for electronics that are embedded in the customers’ own product, box-built of electronic modules as well as high-level assembly (HLA) of complex electromechanical product. Kitron provides customised innovative solutions for clients operating within defence and aerospace, energy, industry, medical, offshore/marine and telecoms. Its promises are Right Quality, On Time Delivery and Best Value. In 2011 Kitron started a relationship with Märklin and in the meantime, it has evolved into its dependable supplier for PCB assembly as well as for box built assemblies (Central Station). Its business relationship is based on confidence, reliability and the common target to strengthen and develop both success and growth. Kitron is looking forward to an ongoing successful co-operation with Märklin – in which both companies benefit from each other and grow together!

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that allows customers to build a huge layout if they wish,” says Florian. He continues: “We also established Märklin Start Up in 2014, which is for children aged seven and above. The price is not as high as our regular programme but is fully compatible with it, so it provides an easy-to-use start for children in the model rail road hobby.” Notable products within Märklin My World is the ICE and Eurostar pack model, which boasts three speeds forward and reverse drive, three audio functions and three headlights. The product’s quality was commended with the 2011 Top 10 Toys award. Meanwhile, a highlight within Märklin Start Up is the Fire Department Digital Starter Set, which includes class 212 diesel locomotive, crew car, low side car and tank car prototypes, all painted and lettered with optimum accuracy. “Although we are continuing to create products for our main target group, we are putting more effort on our new client target group, children, because children that come into contact with model trains are more likely to return to us when they reach our main target group’s age; however, this can only be achieved when they have had the experience of Märklin models when young,” concludes Florian.

Munck Cranes

Wired

With quality and customer service sitting at the centre of its operations Munck Cranes is one of the main producers of crane and lifting systems in Scandinavia and it sees continual development and innovation as key to its future success

Munck Cranes AS Products: Cranes and lifting equipment Sites: Norway Employees: 150+ www.munck-cranes.no

unck Cranes AS has come a long way since Sverre Munck founded the company in Bergen back in 1924. In that time the company has been a trading company dealing in everything from light bulbs and fuses, to elevators and electric wire rope hoists and manufacturing trolley busses for the Norwegian market in 1946. Evidently, however, it was the development of its own electric wire hoists that formed the foundations for what the company looks like today as one of the main producers and suppliers of cranes and lifting systems in Scandinavia. This development sparked the full production of hoists and industrial cranes, which coupled with pioneering exporting activities to Sweden and England in 1948, enabled the company to quickly grow into one with customers all over the world. Activity in the fifties and sixties saw Munck Cranes expand into more markets as it established subsidiary companies and a network of agents, which it still works very

closely with in the present day. It now proudly boasts sales in more than 70 countries around the world and part of this successful growth can be put down to the company’s mission statement which foregrounds customer satisfaction, continuous development, quality, value and safety as its defining points. Today Munck Cranes is still based in Bergen with a production and storage facility of 8000 square metres, plus five service centres spread across Norway. The workforce is made up of professional engineers who work closely with customers to provide solutions to almost all lifting situations and provide technical assistance along the way. The company’s product line features hoists, light crane systems, industrial cranes and automatic crane systems, plus a number of special crane projects. The nature and scale of the professional workforce means that many of the products can be adapted and personalised to meet the specific operating requirements of the customer. At the heart of Munck’s product range stand a

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Munck Cranes

set of values critical to the service the company delivers to its customers. The development of wire electric and chain hoists are developed with optimum safety, durability with a limited need for services and low maintenance costs. The standard electric wire hoists can be used for loads up to 108,000kg and have been put through extensive testing to ensure safety. However, specialised solutions are available to lifting capacities up to 500,000kg whilst maintaining the same economical advantages as the standard hoist. Chain hoists are suitable for lighter loads up to 20,000kg and can either be manual or electric operated. The same safety and customisable standards are also central to Munckâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s light crane systems which includes jib cranes, Prosystem light crane systems and vacuum lifters. These systems are designed ergonomically to

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increase productivity and safety, and again are made with flexibility in mind. The Prosystem cranes are self-centring to reduce swing and are modular, providing flexibility to modify in a range of assembly, production and maintenance applications. Munck is internationally recognised for quality wire rope hoists and overhead travelling cranes, and produce industrial cranes with applications from light duty to steel mill and offshore industries. The most widely used configuration supplied by Munck is the monobeam system, which uses state-of-the-art design technology and modern fabrication techniques to result in a high quality product. Customisable options include frequency drives and travel limits for all motions, electronic weighing systems and a radio remote control system, which the company is keen to further promote and develop within the crane industry. Perhaps the greatest example of Munckâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability to offer fully customisable services to customers is the number of special projects it

can list. Individual projects include magnet cranes, telescopic masts, winding turntable and goliath cranes with which it can supply a number of industries. Other industries Munck has a proven record with are the heavy, pulp and paper, fishing, shipyard and power generating industries. The latter of which they have earned an international reputation in, winning a large contract for Bhumibol Power Station in Northern Thailand despite keen international competition. The company is also keen to promote its automatic crane systems which can be applied to a number of industries. Specific advantages to using automatic systems include increased security, low operating and maintenance costs and the ability to replace forklifts in the conveyance of hazardous materials overhead ensuring that crew on the ground are safely removed from danger. Munck believes specific industries that can benefit from automatic systems are glass processing, composting plants, galvanisation, zinc production and incinerator plants, but highlights the fact that it is possible to upgrade existing cranes therefore extending the lifetime of equipment. As part of Munck Cranes’ focus on customer service it has a comprehensive after sales and support department set up to deal with parts and components. The company keeps a complete record of every crane supplied to ensure that the correct parts are supplied to the customer when needed. Availability and competitive delivery times are given highest priority by the company ensured by good stock levels and the ability to produce additional parts and components on site enhance this. Munck Cranes’ value lays in its ability to offer a fully customisable service coupled with

high quality and competitively priced products. Notable customers who have benefited from this value are Nexans, Conoco Phillips, Aker

Egersund and V-Tab, for which Munck has been able to provide a solution for their specific needs. Its commitment to innovation and development pervades its goals for this year as it looks to upgrade and update existing client’s cranes and continue to promote and develop its radio controlled crane concept. Last year the company celebrated its 90 year anniversary providing a moment to look back at the history and development of Munck Cranes. It is clear that a continual commitment to its mission statement has been part of the company’s success and steady growth. Munck states its aim as to develop in line and in accordance with the norms and needs as called for within the industry in Norway and abroad, a realistic goal that keeps the company grounded in its commitment to its customers and which suggests a promising future.

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Hillarys Blinds

Superior

service

With one eye always on the market and an operation ready to react to any changes, Hillarys Blinds proves that bespoke, high volume manufacturing can be successful

Hillarys Blinds Ltd Products: Manufacturer of bespoke window coverings Manufacturing Sites: Nottingham and Washington Tyne and Wear Employees: 1200 (+900 self-employed agents) www.hillarys.co.uk

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n 1971, Tony Hillary started making blinds in his garage in Nottingham. As a one-man operation Tony took care of advertising, selling, manufacturing and fitting himself. Fast-forward to today, and that small operation has grown to become the UK’s leading supplier of window coverings, manufacturing made-tomeasure bespoke blinds, curtains, awnings and shutters for the UK and Ireland market. With a strong emphasis on customer service and considerable investment into child safety, the company has built up a reputable brand and operates across an omnichannel platform with online markets becoming successful in France. “Hillarys offers over two million different options, with short lead times, via a team of dedicated advisors,” explains operations director, Darren Lock. “The national network of advisors who cover every corner of the UK is the most significant advantage of us as a company.” Operating across three manufacturing sites in Nottingham and Washington Tyne and Wear, Hillarys employs over 1000 people working in operations to cope with demand. “Demand management is a key pillar to the business,” says

Darren. “Due to the size and number of options available to the consumer, the opportunity to automate processes is limited. The made-tomeasure nature of the business means that there are no finished goods in stock so lean tools and techniques are being deployed throughout operations to continuously optimise efficiencies. Given the bespoke service we offer, operator knowledge and skill is paramount in delivering a quality product every time. We have a very loyal workforce, which is a great asset and is the cornerstone of our success.” Being able to respond effectively to changes in demand is critical to Hillarys operations, particularly when it can see a 50-60 per cent increase in sales in the run up to Christmas. Whilst demand is high for Hillarys as an industry leader, growth is still very much the focus of its operations. Sales volume increased 13 per cent in 2013 with this continuing into 2014. The company has seen its strongest growth in plantation shutters, with curtains and venetian blinds also contributing significantly in what is a heavily trend focused market. As Darren highlights: “This is driven by consumers refurbishing their homes, as well as the

return of the UK housing market.” As a company providing what could be considered a luxury product to a consumer market, remaining tuned into current market conditions and economic factors is crucial to Hillarys maintaining a strong trading position. Testament to this awareness can be seen in Hillarys being awarded the ‘Nottinghamshire Company of the Year’ award in 2014. “This was awarded to us as a result of the way in which we tackled the recession head-on, by investing for the future,” notes Darren. “Despite the home improvement market suffering during the downturn, we invested heavily in a brand makeover, a new website, designs and products in order to be absolutely ready for when the market recovered.” Commenting on the award’s impact in general he said: “It has helped us to raise our profile locally, which has been a significant benefit for recruitment, since winning it the business has continued to go from strength to strength.” Looking at today Darren continues to display the company’s awareness of the market: “Consumer confidence is on the increase and the UK is ahead of Europe in terms of market

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Hillarys Blinds

recovery. The upcoming general election may cause some uncertainty in the short-term. Key issues for us will be the development of the housing market and the growth of consumers’ disposable income.” Operating within a market that is so heavily influenced by trends and changing tastes

can cause challenges for any consumer business. Hillarys ensures it keeps up to date with these through continuous innovations, which, as Darren explains: “Is essential for the company’s offering, particularly in terms of the consumer choice. The product team are continually updating the in-home presenters to offer inspirational products. This is supported by the in-house testing by technical and manufacturing teams enabling products to be brought to market very efficiently.” To support its growth strategy, Hillarys responds to trends in order to expand its product portfolio and markets. The company has recently entered into the carpet industry, which it can readily offer through its existing network of advisors via an in-home appointment. Despite only being in early days, attitude within the company about the carpet sector is positive, and it is looked upon as a real growth opportunity. In addition to growing its product range, Hillarys has expanded its market by operating as an omnichannel company. “Working in this way adds complexity from an operational

perspective, particularly with respect to distribution complexity,” expresses Darren. “The increase in the web channel has enabled the acquisition of market share, but this has required significant integration with carriers, in order to provide the business to consumer delivery.” With this also comes a sense within the business that service has to be continuously improved in order to support a growing footprint. Over the last six months Hillarys has invested significantly in raising the service bar higher. Darren points out: “The ‘Signature Service’ programme has galvanised the organisation around excellent service.” A visit to the company’s website makes it clear that this is something that already permeates throughout the business’s attitude. Where the company’s omnichannel presence has been particularly successful, specifically online, is in Western Europe. Hillarys set up Web-blinds, an e-commerce brand, to sell bespoke blinds to the internet market. So far the brand has been successful and looks set to provide further growth opportunities for the company over the next few years. Growth clearly forms a core part of the company’s strategy and looking towards the future plans are in place to facilitate this. “We plan to invest in new facilities, including a new head office and expansion of our operational space to capitalise on the growth of the market.” As a market leader in window coverings, expanding its market share is the specific goal that can be achieved by this growth.

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Mark Water Pumps

A flow of

success

Mark Water Pumps is proving that industry experience and strong branding is key to growing a business in today’s climate

Mark Water Pumps Ltd Products: Water pumps for OEM and aftermarket automotive industry Sites: Wales Employees: 20 www.mwpl.eu

riginally founded in 1948 by Sir Quinton Hazell, the Welsh company that is now known as Mark Water Pumps Ltd, has experienced a dramatic journey to get to where it is today, having been passed around under a number of different owners. 2013 saw the then owner go into administration forcing the site to shut down, but six months later, Indian company Mark Exhaust Systems bought the company, renaming it Mark Water Pumps. The site remained, as did the machinery, but all staff and customers had been lost, save the Plant Manager David Lewis. With intelligent foresight, David maintained contact with previous customers and key employees in the hope that the company would be saved. With these contacts the team at Mark Water Pumps was put back together and impor tant OEM

customers in Volvo, General Motors, Jaguar Land Rover and Aston Mar tin were quickly brought back on board. With OE sales steadily growing, the attention of the company turned towards creating an aftermarket brand. As David expresses: “That’s where we see our quickest return. It takes a lot of time and investment to get the OE side working, so we need to use the aftermarket side to get us back to this point.” All branding was discussed in-house, and the team established the ‘Proflow’ brand to take to the aftermarket industry. “The key thing was our strategy at this stage,” explains David Lewis. “We wanted to remain as a UK manufacturer so our strategy was to supply high quality parts very quickly. Where we’ve beaten a lot of our competitors is in that we can respond quickly to demand.” The brand appealed to a market

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Mark Water Pumps

‘‘

From our point-ofview one of our main successes is helping some of our customers increase their product availability. They can get it from us when they want it

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of customers who traditionally looked to low cost, international manufacturers whose quality could be poor and lead times were long. In September 2014, the company represented itself at the Automechanika exhibition in Frankfur t with the view to market ‘Proflow’ as effectively as possible. “We wanted to be different so we marketed the product on something people would remember,” recalls David. Against a backdrop of the Welsh flag and a number of traditional Welsh products, the company’s presence at the fair turned out to be a successful launch pad for Proflow, generating over 120 enquiries. Still being in the early stages of establishing the company, marketing is a crucial tool in order to grow the brand. David comments on the market conditions and challenges that the company faces when marketing the brand: “There is a good market there, but the biggest problem is pricing. Trying to get the message across that its wor th paying a little bit more for quality, that its manufactured in the

UK and that the customer can get it when they need it, is tough. Par ticularly so in the UK market where customers are driven by price.” However, by being able to provide short lead times Mark Water Pumps is able to overcome these challenges. “From our point-of-view one of our main successes is helping some of our customers increase their product availability. They can get it from us when they want it, where as their usual low cost supplier would take too much time, which could result in a loss in sales.” Par t of being able to offer this fast service to its clients is its relationship with its suppliers. “One of our local suppliers, Vixen CNC, is well aware of our ability to respond quickly to customer orders and works with us as it knows it’s key to our business. Our main supplier, Kinex, is based in Slovakia. It is very flexible when it comes to ordering and although we are far from its biggest customer it does provide us with great service. It’s this sor t of supplier relationship that helps us be ahead of the competition.” The strengths of the business also lays in its people. Despite being a very young company in official terms, Mark Water Pumps has a wealth of experience and exper tise in the industry, which allows the company to look outwards from the automotive industry for other oppor tunities. With the use of its high-pressure die-casting foundry, the firm secured its first non-automotive contract in December last year, with production of the cast

aluminium product beginning in April 2015. “A lot of the processes we have here mean we can cast a range of aluminium products, so it doesn’t really matter what they are,” explains David. The majority of people at Mark Water Pumps have been there over 20 years. “We have really experienced people,” says David. “We are like a family in that everybody knows what needs to be done. There is a real passion to get the business going again. This is where our strength lays, it’s the level of quality and passion that our people can deliver.” This passion and experience translates not only into high quality products and good customer service, but also into a powerful driving force behind the company’s growth strategy. Looking ahead, the focus for Mark Water Pumps is set on growth, both in terms of developing the Proflow brand and establishing a larger OE market. By working with the parent company in India to set up a similar oil pump facility in Asia the company is expanding its global footprint, which can enhance its international image. Careful management has

enabled the company to grow rapidly in the first couple of years trading, and continued focus on quality and brand marketing looks set to reward the Welsh firm with future success.

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MSL Engineering

Left: Large bore Carbon Steel pipework fabrication in progress in MSL’s fabrication facility Below: High spec stainless steel pipework MSL fabricated in its workshop facility and installed in a large dairy plant Bottom: Modular fabrication in progress, assisted by an overhead gantry crane, in MSL’s fabrication facility

Fully

fabricated

From within a large fabrication facility in Ireland, MSL Engineering Ltd has built upon an expertise that has seen its demand continually rise

MSL Engineering Ltd Products: Process and utility pipework fabrication and installation, platform and steelwork fabrication and installation, equipment installation Sites: One Employees: 150 www.mslengineering.ie

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he roots of MSL Engineering Ltd date back to 1979 and through its 36 years of trading experience, the company has built up gradually from an initial small scale fabrication yard to its position today as a large, multi-skilled contractor. Engaged in the mechanical engineering contracting industry it has successfully grown to emerge as one of the leading mechanical engineering contractors in Ireland in the delivery of both large mechanical construction projects and responsive maintenance support contracts. “We specialise in process and utility pipework fabrication and installation, platform and steelwork fabrication and installation and heavy equipment installation. We utilise our fabrication facilities to produce and assemble process and utility piping before site installation and testing,” said Maurice McGrath, managing director, in a previous interview with Manufacturing Today Europe’s sister magazine European Oil and Gas. With the larger portion of its work undertaken in the Cork region of Southern Ireland, in 2012 the business invested in relocating to a brand new 20,000 sq ft premises, increasing its fabrication space for all types of pipe work from carbon steel to stainless steel and chrome, amongst other materials. Its extensive, fully equipped workshop and

fabrication facilities today consists of a 17,000 sq ft carbon steel and stainless steel pipe shop with overhead gantry crane, lay down areas and storage compounds. This facility is conveniently located just off the M8/M7 Cork - Dublin Motorway. Adjoining these facilities, an additional 1,700 sq ft clean room facility is due to begin construction shortly. Following the construction of this purpose built clean room facility, workshop capacity will be increased to include high purity pipework projects for its clients in the biopharma sector. The overhead gantry crane and bespoke height clearance of the workshop (12m at apex) provides the business with the capacity to fabricate modules at its facility before transportation to various sites throughout Ireland and the UK for clients such as Henkel Ireland (now BASF), Merck Sharpe & Dohme and GlaxoSmithKline. Capable of handling module constructions weighing up to 150 tonnes and over 20 metres in length, this method ultimately reduces the number of man-hours required on site, which has many advantages from a safety perspective, with work undertaken in a controlled environment. Developing as a business, in 1990 it received recognition of its capabilities, winning a series of significant contracts that ultimately positioned it as an automatic choice on the tender list for

consultants working with multi-national clients. Having received a contract for maintenance work on the offshore production platform with Marathon Petroleum on the Kinsale Head gas field, it continued to hold that contract for five years during the peak production period, undertaking a great deal of work that relied on an unblemished record in its production process. Through establishing relationships with clients that would last decades, the business has continued to execute numerous projects in this field. Subsequent projects in the oil and gas sector include taking charge of all its clients maintenance work at the Whitegate Refinery and the Bantry Bay Terminals, as well as ad-hoc contract extensions for which its fabrication expertise is a heavily relied upon asset. Today, its client base features a combination of multi–national and indigenous companies across a spectrum of industry sectors including, pharmaceutical, chemical, oil and gas, power & utilities, transport infrastructure, food and beverage, process drainage, medical devices, data storage and recently, fire protection. Reflecting strong growth within Ireland, the majority of the company’s work is with pharmaceutical companies, power generation businesses and agriculture/dairy industries, but

has also undertaken a number of large distillery projects such as that with Irish Distillers (Pernod Ricard), fabricating and installing over 16,000 metres of pipe over an 18-month period. Working in industries that are inherently hazardous, the business has for a long time taken an uncompromised standing on safety, which has been a major element behind the company’s success, and that standing is reflected not only by the high standards and safety record but also by MSL’s Safety Management System attaining the IOSH Safe-T-Cert accreditation in 2012. “In our business quality is something that can be very easily measured, with our welding and fabrication subject to thorough monitoring and NDE (non-destructive examination). The work is also very labour intensive and the personnel that we employ and depend on have a lot of knowledge and an excellent skill set,” highlighted Maurice, before he addressed the impact of the skills shortage on the business and industry: “As many of the older generations leave the industry they need to be replaced by new entrants. This potential shortfall needs to be addressed by the continuous assessment of industry needs and the introduction of suitable, relevant training and courses.” On a

global scale, there is a great demand for people in all trades across the industry, and as such a number of skilled tradesmen have emigrated as they search lucrative opportunities. In response, MSL Engineering has an apprenticeship training programme which takes on new participants every year. The emphasis MSL places on quality is underpinned by its Quality Management System, which attained ISO 9001:2008 accreditation in 2012. The Cork region benefits from a long tradition of developing the skills required in this industry, leading to a great deal of valuable experience in the region. As a result, the ability to deliver quality, timely projects and responsive maintenance, has seen MSL regarded by its clients as an integral link in their supply chain. This reputation is vital to the company’s ongoing success as it is faced with a very competitive market in which a number of companies are operating. However, as other markets in the UK and Europe continue to expand, the resources of MSL become ever more demanded and as such the business looks set to leverage off its experience and build on opportunities in new markets. Recent mechanical projects by MSL in Geel, Belgium and Glascow, Scotland may be just the beginning.

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Carl Stahl

Head for

heights

Working high above the ground, the global enterprise of Carl Stahl offers a full range of premium quality products for safe lifting and a wide range of rope, lifting, safety and lashing equipment

Carl Stahl Products: Lifting equipment Sites: Global presence Employees: 1520 worldwide www.carlstahl.com

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n outstanding expertise in the field of rope and lifting technology has made Carl Stahl one of the world’s leading and most recognised experts. With 135 years of international experience the business provides an excellent after-sales services such as stationary and mobile inspection and repair services and a broad range of specialist courses from the Carl Stahl Academy. Carl Stahl started out in 1880 as a small rope maker specialising in agricultural products serving only local customers.Today the business has become a global enterprise as one of the world market leaders in the lifting equipment section with 1520 employees operating from 59 subsidiaries in Europe, the US, Asia and the Middle East with a turnover of 274 million euros in 2013.The divisions within the family-owned company are lifting equipment, architecture, technocables, and personal protective equipment for the prevention of falls. Its products help users to safely transport, grip, move or lift goods weighing several tonnes during manufacturing or processing. “We offer a wide range of high-quality lifting

products for the safe transport of goods such as crane systems, powered hoists, manual lifting equipment, load suspension equipment from own production, wire rope slings, chain slings, textile slings, wire ropes for many applications, hydraulic lifting and transport devices and cargo lashing, just to name a few,” says Oliver Hommel, marketing director and head of Carl Stahl advertising department. “We stock all current crane and industrial wire rope types in different diameters, available in OEM quality and high grade alternatives from leading European manufacturers, with many other items stocked and available for customers immediately. Being able to react quickly to clients needs with our experience and knowledge about all kinds of lifting problems reflect the advantages that customers enjoy when using our service. Our main catalogue ‘Carl Stahl Direct’, which was first published in 1990 is the reference for lifting equipment products, containing more than 10,000 items,” he adds. Although Carl Stahl is predominantly a wholesaler, some products are actually manufactured in-house such as its load suspension equipment, chain and wire rope slings and small diameter wire ropes. In growing that capability, the company has invested in

a new swaging press from Talurit/Sahm. Commenting on the investment, which was handed over at the WIRE show in 2014, Oliver says: “The new 4000 tonne swaging press for wire ropes up to the diameter of 90 mm was the biggest one our partner Talurit/Sahm had ever built.The press was for our subsidiary in Norway where they manufacture wire ropes in one workflow for the offshore industry according to the current standards.” As it continues to drive forward with innovative concepts, the business recently launched a new cable tie into the market incorporating an RFID-chip. ‘Chipster – the smart RFID solution’, was developed for unique product identification, possible through the use of a passive transponder (13.56 MHz) within the product.The high quality ETFE material guarantees a high flexibility, ageing resistance and a quick and simple attachment to many products outside the lifting equipment sector.The ‘Chipster’ is also resistant against vibration, UV radiation, most chemicals and temperatures up to 150° Celsius (302° F). “Even if heavily soiled the transponder remains readable,” highlights Oliver. Around the globe, the Carl Stahl Group is committed to fall protection in all industrial sectors and the most diverse work environments.This commitment requires a close co-operation with specialised suppliers, offering state-of-the-arttechnology and finding custom-made solutions for

all safety standards.The combined performance of the international Group and the co-operation with the most recognised manufacturers of safety technology results in a comprehensive range of fall protection and personal protective equipment. “Apart from the equipment and fall protection systems, we also have a ‘Personal Safety Equipment Division’, which offers technical advice, assembly of fall protection systems, expert inspections and special training,” points out Oliver. Placing a high focus on training and education of its employees ensures the permanent high quality of its technical advice, evident through its ISO9001 certification. “Through our own academy we provide seminars that focus on all topical subjects of rope and lifting equipment, delivered by either our own trainers or by trainers of our suppliers,” he adds. After many years of expansion, the businesses main focus today concentrates on serving all its customers with the full product range. “Besides the wide range of products, we are initiating a new service solution called ‘Integrated Services’.This is not just a regular test service but a comprehensive work flow, which allows customers, and us, to save time and money by simplifying many processes regarding inspections and supply chain management. By means of the Chipster, our testing staff have access to information about the products much more rapidly and quickly. In combination with a

checklist we are able to inspect every product the same way and according to all applicable regulations. These are only a few of the benefits that Carl Stahl Integrated Services can offer,” he concludes.

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Dinex

A game

Danish exhaust systems manufacturer, Dinex, has the ability to respond proactively to the increasing pressures concerning emissions and is well placed to take its systems across the globe

Dinex Products: Manufacture complete exhaust systems for mid- to heavy-duty diesel and gas engines Employees: 1300 www.dinex.dk

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changer

till a family owned business, Dinex was founded in 1982 by Jørgen Dinesen and his wife making aftermarket mufflers for heavy duty, medium sized trucks and vans. Over the years the company has grown in size and competence to now produce complete exhaust systems across 16 countries in four continents around the world. With innovation at the core of its business, the company is heavily driven by ever changing emissions standards and serves both the aftermarket and OEM industries. Well established in Europe, Dinex has now set its sights on the US and Chinese markets, both of which represent significant growth opportunities. Talking to Manufacturing Today Europe, vice president and director of operations, Poul Henrik Jørgensen, explains what makes Dinex a strong player within the industry. “A lot of people in the market will focus on one particular product, whilst our proposition is that we are a one-stop supplier, we offer the complete system. It can be a hard business because, particularly with the more complex substrate and catalyst systems where reliability is important, some customers can be

reluctant to change suppliers. However, there is a trend at the moment within the heavy-duty industry where companies are looking to reduce complexity and the number of suppliers. We are in a leading position to respond to this.” Aside to the breadth of exhaust systems the company offers is its ability to respond to the ever-increasing environmental standards imposed upon the automotive industry. Dinex has R&D facilities in Germany, Finland and Denmark where an experienced workforce, which includes PhD, are focused on innovation to drive the industry towards a more efficient adherence to environmental standards. “Due to implementations of Euro standards we have seen the engine get smaller and smaller as they utilise fuel better,” explains Poul. “At the same time, however, the exhaust system is getting bigger and heavier as we add more substrates and filters. The muffler is getting more complex as environmental standards are imposed and therefore prices are going up. We have developed a game changer. With the Eminizer, we have been able to reduce the size, weight and cost of the exhaust system, whilst still reducing emission

levels.” The development of the Eminizer puts Dinex in a strong position to respond to future Euro standards, which will push emissions levels even lower. Testament to its ability to innovate and run parallel to emissions standards is a recent contract signed with Ford. A major part of the company’s move towards the complete systems OEM market, the contract represents a significant step in the Dinex’s growth strategy. “The contract is for Ford trucks of Euro 4 and 6 emission standards,” reports Poul. “We have developed a high volume line in Turkey with Ford. They will build trucks in a plant 60km from our plant and we will supply between 12,000 and 20,000 mufflers a year, with the start of production in Summer 2015.” Another recent contract, which represents a significant step for the company, is a joint venture with Chinese manufacturer, Longda to supply Dongfeng, one of the largest truck suppliers in China. Poul express: “When you look at the numbers they supply, European numbers are next to nothing. As we succeed in the venture it can potentially bring huge volume, and build our reputation. The more substrates and mufflers that we have on the road, the more evidence we have to show that our conservative business has a product which is very quality- and cost-competitive.” The success of this venture could have subsequent benefits for the company’s business in Europe as it grows a more competitive global footprint, and Poul hopes it will provide the company with a good knowledge base to help grow the business in the US as well. In terms of innovation and market opportunities, Dinex looks well placed to

succeed as the industry drives forward. However, Poul expresses that there are other things that need to be done to support this growth. “We are currently trying to build up more relationships with our suppliers, we see that there are some synergies to be gained,” he says. “By improving these relationships we hope to create a better, more efficient supply chain, and better cost-performance, both of which we can pass on to our customers.” For the future, the company is focused on

making the most of new opportunities. “Growing with our customers and looking at new markets is where our opportunities are,” explains Poul. Pre-empting the next Euro standard, the Eminizer should be well placed to draw attention to the company, and the company hopes to get these installed into some OEM contracts to stimulate growth. The Middle East also looks to be a potential opportunity as that market opens up for Dinex. Ultimately, the strategy is to gain a stronger foothold in the US and Chinese markets. Despite being relatively smaller players at the moment, both markets represent huge opportunities and Dinex is already well placed to make the most of these, so growing profits and increasing sales is a target for both.

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Robertson Timber Engineering

The

wonders of Part of the Robertson Construction Group, Robertson Timber Engineering has been providing precision engineered timber frame solutions for more than 25 years

Robertson Timber Engineering Products: Engineered timber frame solutions Sites: One Employees: 42 www.robertson.co.uk www.timberkit.co.uk timber@robertson.co.uk

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wood

s Barry Armstrong, technical sales manager, explained, the Robertson Group is comprised of several different divisions, including construction, property, facilities management, civil engineering, mechanical and electrical, and house building, and as such offers a multi-disciplinary service to clients. Focusing on the Timber Engineering side, Barry noted that the factory was originally created to feed timber and joinery solutions into the house building division of Robertson, but it soon expanded and evolved into a specialist in providing precision-engineered timber frame solutions for clients from a variety of sectors. “We are now one of the market leaders, and have a very strong brand and name within the industry,” Barry confirmed. “We not only supply our own in-house products to our construction and house building divisions, but we also do a lot of work with external contractors, large construction companies and national house builders as well.” These blue-chip clients turn to Robertson Timber Engineering because its products offer a range of benefits, one of which is particularly topical at the moment, as Barry noted: “If you look at our competition in brick and block, there is a huge demand for materials and not enough capacity to handle it, so house builders are

looking for alternatives to bricks. A lot of builders have also been forced to go down the route of timber frame due to the lack of bricklayers and labour available, and what we are finding is that once they have used our solutions, they embrace it and wonder why they didn’t do it years ago. “These clients can also now appreciate the further benefits of timber framed solutions, such as the fact they are made off-site, under controlled factory conditions, and are therefore extremely accurate and can be erected very quickly. They offer a very low CO2 footprint, better air tightness, better insulation, and there are lesser defects on a timber frame house as well. “Our timber buildings also have the same life span of masonry buildings, but they have lower running costs over that time,” he added. “So while there is still an element of reluctance in England about timber frames, especially when you compare it to the world market where 75 per cent of all houses are timber framed, I think it is a bit of a mind set and a fear of change, and with our superior products we are starting to transform this.” As Barry highlighted, many of the benefits of Robertson’s timber solutions stem from the fact that they are created in a state-of-the-art factory. “Our facilities utilise a lot of automation, and this saves both time and increases accuracy – in fact,

our factory manager is a real stickler for quality and detail.” Robertson controls the process from sale to production, and the company is keen to partner with clients at the early design stage: “The earlier we are involved, the longer we have to plan out the job, iron out any problems and that makes everyone’s life easier,” said Barry. “Our process has been carefully created to ensure that our products are of the highest quality and our clients and installers frequently comment that they are the best in the industry.” Indeed, such has been the recent success of the products that the company is planning on extending its capacity, through the re-opening of another factory. Said Barry: “This was purposebuilt by us around four years ago, but we had to cease production for a couple of years while the construction market recovered from the recession. It was a huge investment for us at the time and it is still one of the most state-ofthe-art factories in the UK, featuring some very sophisticated equipment. It covers an area of around 40,000 sq ft and is located in a position that has excellent access to the motorway and distribution network. The re-opening of this factory will bring numerous new jobs to the north east of England, so we anticipate our workforce significantly increasing from its current level of 42.” The impetus to re-open this factory has been partially based on the success Robertson Timber Engineering has seen in the hotels sector. “Over the last year or so we have worked on 14 or 15 hotels, for a range of clients,” said Barry. “The advantage for these projects is our speed of build – for example a 100 bed hotel can be ready to accept guests in just six months from first

putting a spade in the ground using our solutions, compared to nearly double that with traditional, masonry, steel or concrete techniques. We just supply the timber frame, and work in partnership with other companies on these projects.”

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ZGH Bolesław

A high grade

company

Zinc producer ZGH Bolesław looks set to maintain its leading position by staying completely aware of the increasingly modern industry in which it operates

ZGH Bolesław Industry: Mining and smelting of high grade zinc and zinc alloys Employees: 3000 www.zghboleslaw.pl

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ounded in 1958 after the merger of Bolesław Mining plant and Bolesław smelting plant, ZGH Bolesław has grown to be one of Europe’s most modern mining and smelting companies. Dealing primarily in the production of around 155,000 tonnes a year of high quality zinc and zinc alloys, the company emphasises its focus on modernisation and commitment to service as responsible for its continued success. In recent years Bolesław has also taken large strides towards becoming a greener company in line with growing public awareness of environmental issues, this includes lowering emissions, taking part in government initiatives and developing technologies to process secondary materials left over from mining activities. The company uses a combination of smelting processes and technologies that allow it to treat a variety of materials yielding a wide range of products. Two smelting sites provide hydrometallurgy and pirometallurgy (ISP)

smelting processes, and the new Waelz Oxide Washing and Leaching Plant, commisioned in 2013, which treats secondary materials, is the first installation of its kind in the world and forms part of the company’s environmental initiative. This wide range of products lends itself to number of different industries. Zinc alloys and Wegal MOD are used in the galvanisation process of steel. Wegal MOD has earned a certification of innovation, proving that Bolesław plays a significant leading role in the industry. Electrolytic zinc is widely used in a number of industries including automotive, processing and construction. The automotive and household appliance industries both create a demand for Zamak casting alloys. Other products include lead concentrate, sulphuric acid, casting and rolled zinc anodes and bulk zinc and lead concentrate, all of which can be applied to a number of different industries. Where Bolesław really stands out as a producer of zinc is in the high degrees of quality it strives for. Commercial director, Andrzej Szary

tells Manufacturing Today Europe: “The content of impurities in zinc we produce is significantly lower than special high grade requirements. To achieve such a result we have to keep our production parameters fulfilling high quality requirements and procedures, while qualified employees working in co-operation with the specialised scientific and research units ensure continuous improvement of our products and methods of production. We understand that customers’ satisfaction is prerequisite for our company’s development and therefore we improve the quality of our products and business processes.” The certification of ISO9001 also guarantees that the company is producing the highest and stable quality of product. When Manufacturing Today Europe last featured Bolesław back in 2008, Andrzej explained that an important step for the company at that time was to become a greener and more environmentally aware company. Seven years on it is clear that steps have been made; Adrzej assures that the company complies with all applicable law with regards to pollution and emissions, and aims to decrease emissions as low as possible. He also explains that: “Bolesław’s green side of the business is mainly visible through energy purchase and consumption,” with about ten per cent of energy used by the company coming from renewable sources. Another key aspect of the company’s commitment to the environment and one that it is keen to promote is its involvement in the ‘Time for Forest’ project run by the Polish Ministry of Environment. “In May 2013, 50 trees were planted in the area,” Andrzej highlights. “It is an innovative undertaking that enables companies to participate in the global action of environment protection, including climate protection in terms of neutralisation of carbon emissions through forestation and reforestation of the whole country.” As for the future, Bolesław has a clear focus on continued modernisation, growth and maintaining its position as a leading manufacturer of zinc-related products in Eastern Europe. There is a current demand for zinc products in

the photovoltaic industry, which is connected to nano-technology, in cosmetics and sun protection applications for which nano zinc oxide powder is a key component. A new production facility for this powder is on the list of short-term major investments, as is the installation of a semiautomatic stripping machine for zinc cathodes, the construction of new power sources, plus a range of modernisation and expansion projects across the sites. Andrzej maintains: “Our facility needs to be continuously upgraded to meet market, technological and environmental requirements. We have got an investment plan which includes many operations such as: modernisation, development, upgrade and maintenance actions.”

In the long term, Andrzej explains: “The mission of the company is to expand its market share through meeting the customers’ needs and expectations, which guarantees the company’s success.” For Andrzej it is the company’s employees that carry out this mission: “It owes its brand and market position to the work and attitude of its employees, who constitute its most precious capital.” Bolesław is clear about where it wants to be, and how it is to get there. By continuing to produce high standard product with a commitment to modernisation and environmental responsibility the mining company looks set to enjoy more of the success it has earned up till now.

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Laerdal Medical

Giving

life

World leading manufacturer of medical training products and medical devices, Laerdal Medical, expands its portfolio and looks towards its manufacturing operations in order to save lives

Laerdal Medical Products: Specialist medical training and first aid equipment Sites: Four Employees: 1400 www.laerdal.no

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ounded in the 1940’s as a small Norwegian publishing house, the Stavanger based company has gone through a process of evolution to get to the leading medical supplies manufacturer it is today. In the early part of the 1950’s the company began manufacturing realistic play dolls from soft plastic, but it was a dramatic family event that prompted Laerdal to apply its experience to the medical industry. At two years old, the son of original founder Asmund Laerdal nearly drowned. This was to be an event that drew to Asmund’s attention the general lack of knowledge of resuscitation techniques. Today the son is the chairman of Laerdal Medical, a company that manufactures medical training and first response medical devices including CPR and trauma simulation mannequins, a range of birth, new born and infant simulation technologies and supporting systems. The company remains committed to expanding its portfolio through continuous innovation in order to achieve its vision that no one should die or be disabled unnecessarily during birth or from sudden illness or trauma. At present the company operates across the globe employing over 1400 people with

sales offices in 23 countries, and R&D and manufacturing at four sites. It manufactures an extensive range of products serving primarily professional health care, volunteer, first aid, education and military sectors. Undoubtedly the most famous example of Laerdal’s portfolio, and one of the first, is Resusci-Anne. The mannequin is supplied throughout the world and is based on the principle that if students of first aid were faced with a life-size and life-like mannequin, they would be more inclined to learn the lifesaving procedure. Over the years since, the mannequin has formed the basis for a range of variants from small, more portable versions to highly advanced simulators capable of replicating a number of responses. In support, all can be monitored by remote simulator systems for highly focused medical training. When Manufacturing Today Europe last featured Laerdal back in 2008, the company’s vision was to invest in new technology, worldclass methodology and operational competence. One important technological advancement, which has had a significant impact on the market, is the development of the company’s SimCenter, which was launched in 2011. The system works alongside patient simulators and provides a fully integrated simulation management platform to be used in

advanced medical training procedures. The system includes an online store, which makes a range of training scenarios available and a developer centre for software developers to create more scenarios. A management centre allows for the complete monitoring and development of individual training programmes, and a SimView platform integrates audio and visual systems to provide instantaneous monitoring increasing the effectiveness of a focused debrief. In 2012, in adherence to its focus on continuous improvement, the company followed SimCenter with SimPad, which integrates the system into tablet form. Crucially, the pad can be used alongside less advanced training systems making it much more accessible to sectors outside professional healthcare training, and also makes it easier for educators to tailor training programmes to the individual requirements of their students. The introduction of these systems not only proves the leading position Laerdal has in driving the industry forward, but also serves to illustrate the advanced state of its operational and manufacturing processes. The vast range of models and simulation tools covered by Laerdal is indicative of the rest of its portfolio. What makes the company unique is this focus on both high and low end products, catering for a broad spectrum within the market from first aid basics, right up to professional medical training and trauma management and also medical devices. However, this spectrum means that Laerdal has to operate a very streamlined manufacturing process across all facilities. By providing highly specialised equipment, alongside mainstream training devices the company experiences both low and high demand levels. By manufacturing only orders that have been sold, the company has developed a refined system of lean manufacturing techniques with the aim to produce high quality products at low volume and with short lead times. Aside to this there is also a strong focus on Strategic Sourcing, supplier development and partnerships as well as outsourcing. Due to the diverse portfolio there is a need to creating better flexibility and a more agile response and support to the demands driven by the extensive product development activities. Leveraging of the buying power through global Category Management of

selected component categories is also imperative and is a good basis for developing an even stronger supplier base. Over the last years, the company has also invested in rapid prototyping and rapid tooling systems and technology, including in house 3D printing. The manufacturing units are participating directly in the product development projects, and makes prototypes for the project teams. The prototypes are used for design assessment and reviews as well as thorough design for manufacturing assessments and planning of manufacturing set-up. In doing so products are developed quicker and design and manufacturing solutions were found more efficiently. Laerdal has got to where it is today because

it is able to identify the right needs in the global healthcare market and is able to use its streamlined and efficient design and manufacturing process to respond. Despite this world leading position, it remains aware that the market must be continuously improved in order to achieve its life saving mission. Looking forward, it focuses on two things: the continued development of manufacturing operations with a strong and streamlined supplier base, and increasing business in Emergency care and Resuscitation through focus on solution selling and products and systems to make medical training more accessible and effective across the world. By doing so the future not only looks bright for Laerdal, but also for the state of the healthcare across the globe.

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SPP Pumps

Pumped up SPP Pumps has established a reputation that reaches all corners of the globe. By focusing on service and quality the company is set to expand rapidly over the coming years

SPP Pumps Limited Products: Manufactures centrifugal pumps and associated systems Sites: Global Employees: 320 www.spppumps.com

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ow occupying a world leading position in the centrifugal pump industry, SPP Pumps has experienced a long and successful history defined by growth and expertise. Founded back in 1875, The Pulsometer Engineering Company Ltd established itself as a significant player in the UK market. After nearly a century of activity, it merged with Sigmund Pumps of Gateshead in 1961 and SPP Pumps was formed as one of the largest pump companies in Europe. Today, under the Indian Kirloskar Brothers (KBL) group, the company occupies leading positions in a number of industrial sectors including, fire protection, water, oil and gas, and energy. SPP Pumps has a main R&D, manufacturing and testing purpose built site in the UK, along with a number of local sites in all five continents. The company has a very strong presence with the oil and gas industry, in which it manufactures fire protection pumps, seawater lifting systems and other offshore processes. Its spread across the global industry is vast. With many of the major oil companies as customers, SPP has installed over 450 pumps in 70 oil fields, serving to prove its high regard within the industry. Its industrial

fire protection division has a similar reputation, serving a range of sites from high-rise buildings to warehouses. Of note, many buildings in London’s Canary Wharf complex, as well as the Shard are all protected by SPP fire pumps. The Shard represents a significant highlight for the company: “We had to come up with some innovative fire pump solutions, with a multi-stage, multi-outlet pump, to service the needs of the building in a very cost effective and space saving way,” says Bob Tichband, general sales manager for SPP Pumps. Acquisition by KBL in 2003 was a major point in SPP’s history. “It was the catalyst to propel the business to the strong position where it is today,” expressed Bob. Equal to the support provided by such a large company, however, are the many strengths within SPP’s own operations. Adherence to producing the highest quality and reliability standards in the industry is at the core of the firm’s business and with a range of bespoke systems being produced at the site, lean manufacturing processes are crucial to achieving these standards. The staff that it employs and the service that it delivers are also central: “It’s all about the people and the attitude of those people,” emphasises Bob. “That’s our biggest differentiator; we look to provide world-class service from start to finish.”

SPP Pumps is focused on remaining a UK manufacturer, and highly values its presence at Coleford in the Forest of Dean. Here, the company is one of the region’s largest employers and it is committed to providing support and growth to the area. However, whilst being a valued UK business, the company is a very strong exporter. As Bob explains: “Between 60 and 70 per cent of what we manufacture is exported abroad.” One example of the company’s successful export horizon is its position in South East Asia. Recently, SPP Pumps won two contracts to supply fire protection systems to a luxury resort in Bali and a manufacturing facility for Suzuki. “We have got a very strong business in this region,” highlights Bob. “Winning contracts in that area is common.” The future for SPP Pumps is all about growth and expansion, and recent developments within the company exemplify how it is gearing up to achieve this. A strong arm of the business is its aftermarket and service division. Previously it operated three separate businesses for field service, UK service centres and parts. Bob explains how this was ineffective: “They were all individual businesses and in some cases they were competing against each other. To fix it, we rationalised them under one management team – refocused and realigned them into a much more collaborative organisation. We wanted our aftermarket division to be more innovative and proactive in terms of providing solutions to our clients’ problems, whatever they may be.” It also has investment plans to expand the manufacturing facilities in the Coleford plant. Investment comes from winning part of the regional development fund last year, and is crucial to the company making sure it has the facilities to cope with its increasing growth as well as providing more opportunities for the local community. The company also looks to install a world-class research and development facility there to further establish its position as a pioneering player in the industry. Moving inside, the facilities investment will also be directed towards new machinery, hydraulic and mechanical design software and capabilities.

“Hydraulic design is something that is dying out in the UK and we’re looking to reinvigorate that,” says Bob. SPP also looks to follow in the footsteps of its parent company being one of the only pump manufacturers to use 3D printing, meaning bespoke designs and manufacturing within the plant can facilitate more innovation. SPP Pumps has a commitment to its people and to the quality it delivers to its large customer base across the globe. With a focus on rapid expansion, both in terms of facilities and export markets, the company is positioning itself to continue the success it has achieved over its vast history.

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Revolve Technologies

Resolve to

evolve

Following a management buy out in 2007, the engineering service provider, Revolve, successfully rode out the economic storm, evolving with an expertise that would benefit the entire transport industry

Revolve Technologies Ltd Products: Engineering service provider Sites: UK www.revolve.co.uk

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ur primary activity is designing various transport related solutions, working with key customers such as Ford, Jaguar, Landrover, the MoD and London Underground,” says Paul Turner, technical director. Maintaining a comprehensive portfolio of services, over the past year projects have ranged from an enhanced seating (ES) system for military vehicles, developed to protect personnel in transit, to a whole raft of reverse engineering tasks for London Undergrounds’ maintenance trains, as well as the design and development of the ‘cross-track projector’ system, seen on the tube. With roots that go back to an ownership by the Roush family of companies, it is of little surprise that the firm has also maintained a domineering influence on the world of motor sport. Through its performance division, Mountune, it continues to build highly competitive

race engines, playing a fundamentally vital role in the ongoing development and build of Ford’s ‘Eco Boost Engines’, used heavily in touring car championships. Furthermore, ongoing success in the design, development and build of an engine for use in the World & FIA Rally Cross Championships has seen the company establish an increasing level of respect in the performance sector of the automotive industry. The Mountune brand has also been promoted through the development and supply of powertrain upgrades for Ford’s ST and RS vehicles. Mountune are rhe only approved tuner for Ford and the upgrades are fully supported by the Ford Warranty. “Our success has been heavily reliant on R&D, ultimately ensuring that we are able to stay ahead of the game. Our customers come to us when they have problems that they can’t solve, either due to time, resource or knowledge. Through having a raft of R&D projects constantly on-going our engineers are fully in tune with the direction of the industry,” explains Paul, adding: “Reflecting

that importance, we invest a lot of money each year in running R&D projects, many of which are supported by Innovate UK, the governments’ technology strategy board.” Improving efficiency, lowering consumption and lowering carbon emissions are three factors that are synonymous with Revolve. Paul discusses the importance of maintaining that reputation: “Many developments that originated in the automotive sector have been transferrable into truck, rail, and off-highway applications. By carrying that status of competency in developing and integrating technologies into vehicle platforms, it has allowed us to pick up business outside of the traditional car and van applications and into the other industries.” Revolve is currently working closely on a project with Vivarail on the production of a drive system, incorporating existing electric motors, which have proven to be amongst the most reliable on the Underground. The business is responsible for the design of new underfloormounted low-emission diesel engines, equipped with the latest automotive ‘stop-start’ technology, which will power the motors. “One of our core strengths comes from not being tied to any one technology, calling upon the adaptability of our engineers to be able to pick up new products, understand how they work and interact with existing products, and to be able to develop systems that meet customers requirements,” says Paul. The contract with Vivarail is a classic example of the businesses capability to apply products together in novel applications. Since the company first entered the UK market in 1995, it has worked closely with a number of clients developing hybrid and electric drive vehicles, including Intelligent Energy, Emerald Automotive, Smith Electric Vehicles, Teva Motors, and most recently Geely. Following the acquisition of the electric car start-up firm Emerald Automotive, Geely is under a period of expansion of its electric car production that includes the development of the ‘next generation’ taxi vehicles. “In the contract with Geely, we are providing our expertise and facilities as we work together to develop a new London taxi. Our portfolio is

testament to the flexibility and ingenuity of our engineers. “To ensure the right calibre of specialism remains in the business, we have an ongoing apprenticeship drive, as well as a graduate programme, with which we are able to train individuals into the way we work,” points out Paul. Moving forward, the business is focused on its planned expansion into the rail industry, looking to further develop applications upon conclusion of the Vivarail contract. “If we can secure engagement in the ‘FutureRailway’ scheme, we expect to be able to expand these technologies into a full hybrid application, using engines, energy

storage systems and electric motors,” he adds. Whilst technology under the Vivarail contract is purely diesel-electric, with multiple diesel units it effectively has a large capacity but with variable displacement, only providing the power needed, with no wasted energy. “Through the use of these low-cost high performance diesel engines we can keep the costs down and provide a very good and efficient power source, which importantly is clean. We look to be the leading company in the de-carbonisation of transport, so being heavily engaged in both electric vehicles and hybrids, as well as hydrogen is a key part of our business strategy,” concludes Paul.

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Bene

Designing thefuture Bene sees the office as a living space and its concepts, products and services turn this vision into reality

Bene Products: Office furniture and partitions Sites: HQ in Austria Employees: More than 1000 www.bene.com

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ccupying a modest space on the horizon, the headquarters of the Bene Group is shadowed only by the large green mass of earth behind it. Responsible for some of the biggest advancements in office furniture of the modern day, the business holds a position as a major European player with a sizeable number of subsidiaries. In March 2015 Bene celebrated its 225th anniversary, extending from a history, which in 1790 saw Michael Bene establish a small carpentry workshop. As the workshop was extended more and more over the years, in 1951 interests switched from household products to industrial furniture production, and over the next nine years its specialism grew in the sector. “Since 1960 we have been solely producing office furniture and partitions, working with clients from early planning and design stages through to the installation of equipment in whole office buildings,” says Friedrich Hartner, technical director. Working with a range of materials the business has been responsible for the development of several innovative designs and concepts, using its in-house designers, as well as collaborating with famous names, such as PearsonLloyd. “Together we work on a range of different products and ideas, from standard work stations and cabinets, through

to management programmes, and technological concepts. Using a mixture of in-house, external, local and foreign designers, we have been able to develop an exciting scope within our portfolio. “We have a full understanding of what direction the market place is heading, and through our designs we are able to influence the way our clients will work in the future,” points out Friedrich. Significant changes in its market over the last 50 years that have led to designs today that would be almost unrecognisable some decades ago, and this has been driven by the way that peoples working practices have changed. “The requirement for large tables has diminished, with the majority of people working from laptops or tablets, and therefore different working environments are required. One growing trend is developing areas where staff are able to concentrate on work, but also freely able to move into communication spaces, and that means that all the rooms are becoming more and more flexible,” he adds. Collaborations with a whole range of suppliers, including organisations specialising in wall partition solutions has seen the company grow with a rich knowledge that is reflected by the wealth of successful projects that have been stimulated by its input. From adapting large rooms into smaller zones areas, and developing interactive software, each product or concept has a real and lasting impact. “Changes within media and technology

have led to us working together with an Austrian software company on the development of an innovation board,” says Friedrich, referring to Bene’s ‘Nice Wall’, a concept with cutting edge hard and software solutions for co-creation. Its uses include workshops, brainstorming, project meeting, technical co-ordination and more. “The ‘Nice Wall’ is the connection between analogue and digital work methods and promotes efficient team work. Users can illustrate, plan, present, and send documents, work together in a big group, but also communicate remotely with colleagues across the world in a professional and interactive manner,” he adds. The core of the ‘Nice Wall’ is a freely scalable, interactive wall that enables up to seven team members to work together at the same time. With the whole wall functioning as an interactive, creative space, seating and standing design areas further promote team interaction. “Popularity of this product has increased significantly, and we are selling to development and marketing departments across the world as customers drive more towards working together in a bigger room with a bigger constellation, working, writing and planning together,” points out Friedrich, continuing: “Our strength comes from the close working relationship that we share with our clients, and the time we spend studying organisations, addressing how they will work as a team, and what we can offer in the future that will make this practice more effective. “Our aim is that people are happy within the spaces we design, and that they want to work. Our products are not just chairs or tables, but the complete area, the complete room, the complete floor. By working with people together, we think about work and social influences, and clients are becoming progressively more interested in this area.” The company’s largest contract to date is currently at installation phase in Abu Dhabi, in the centre of the Middle Eastern market, a sector which for Bene has been growing for over two decades. “We have been commissioned to fit out

54 storeys with dividing walls for the head office the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) we are installing a total of 30km of partitions in glass and 70,000 m² veneered panels. From our 42,000sqm facility we worked for more than half a year on the production, preparation and assembly before delivery to site,” he adds. In the last ten years the business has become a strong player producing products at a level far above the standard quality, driven by a demand for excellence, which is at its peak in the Middle East. “With the market in mainland Europe proving

unstable, we look to the future with positivity, seeking opportunities across the global market, promoting our expertise and building on successful projects in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Australia, and influencing our clients working practices for the better,” concludes Friedrich.

KVADRAT

Kvadrat is Europe’s leading manufacturer of design textiles with deep roots in Scandinavia’s design tradition. We create high quality contemporary textiles and textile-related products for private and public spaces. Our designs reflect our dedication to pushing the aesthetic, technological and artistic boundaries of our field and are characterised by simplicity, colour and innovation. For the Bene seating furniture collection alone, the Kvadrat range offers no less than 350 colours to choose from. Exclusively for Bene, Kvadrat produces the Greenwich fabric collection which has been designed by the British designer duo PearsonLloyd.

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Rotpunkt Küchen

Bespoke

designer

The provision of high quality kitchens from the family owned company Rotpunkt, Rabe & Meyer Küchen GmbH & Co KG, helps to turn peoples’ dreams into reality

Rotpunkt Küchen Products: Kitchen Design Sites: Germany Employees: 220 www.rotpunktkuechen.de

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stablished in 1930 by Heinrich Rabe and Wilhelm Meyer in Bünde-Ahle, the company began manufacturing cigar boxes, building upon the history that Bünde holds as the cigarmaking centre of Germany. Later branching into wooden toys and sewing boxes, the business eventually, following the Second World War, digressed and cemented its position within kitchen manufacturing, and since that time has not looked back. “With the latest manufacturing technology at our main factory/headquarters and at our subsidiary plants in Löhne and Preußisch Oldendorf, we continue the tradition of specialised manufacturing processes, producing an extensive product range with reliability of quality and logistics,” says Andreas Wagner, one of two, joint managing directors. The colourful history of the business is of no surprise to others in the region, with 80 per cent of kitchen production in the area extending

from a history of similar cigar and sewing box production lines. “We are a family business, which is very important, especially for the size of the company, and the short lines of communication ensure that any decision-making can be quickly implemented, deciding together with our sales department and business team. One big advantage is that no long discussions regarding investments in fleet of vehicles, machines, new markets or other investments need take place,” points out Andreas. “We don’t manufacture just set ranges of kitchens, instead build on commission/order, designing the kitchen to whatever the customer wants. Typical delivery can be achieved within four weeks after the order date, and 80 per cent of our kitchens are delivered in this time, whilst special surface patterns and finishes can take longer,” he adds. Producing designorientated kitchens, often comes at a premium to the end user, but by using Rotpunkt’s services,

professional designs are achieved without paying the extra for the company brand. “We actually have a designer in the UK that worked with us for many years, designing kitchens for Rotpunkt Küchen,” says Andreas, highlighting the quality design. Following a very successful period of trading, the company is in the process of making substantial investment into a 6000sqm hall, divided into two parts: pre-production section with a 4800sqm extension, and a main hall extension of between 1200 to 1500sqm. The 4800sqm extension of the warehouse and sawing technique area incorporates a classic surface layer with board cutter and a direct connection to edge bending machines for LOS 1 size production. With construction due to commence in the summer of 2015, Andreas highlights how ongoing investment helps to shape the future: “For the production of our own kitchen fronts, we have invested in an edge bending machine using a new laser technique. This new technique produces a seamless edge, with the laser melting the edge and welding the plate. This was one of the major investments we made last year at our plant in Preußisch Oldendorf.” Automatic improvements are also scheduled to be made allowing for standard boards to be taken out of storage much faster than with conventional on-floor storage methods, greatly increasing the inventory turnover rate. “All sawing, edge cutting and drilling is order specific, and the extension in the assembly station will promote opportunities for lean manufacturing, instead of having a reserve warehouse further off the main production area. This will ensure work can be undertaken faster, more securely, and with a higher rate of productivity. In comparison, the main warehouse extension does not have many technical extensions, acting mainly as a replenishment of storage,” explains Andreas. By ensuring that customer service remains a priority, the business has successfully achieved the delivery of numerous complex kitchens, utilising a fleet of mobile designers throughout Europe.

Focusing on its operations across the Channel, Andreas adds: “We have been very successful in the UK, particularly with the exclusive agreements that we share with these designers. In our strategy to complete the service, we want to further build up studios that are exclusive stockists of our kitchens. It is very rare that we deliver directly to the customer. The further development of our business in UK will see us becoming more prominent in the north of England, the Midlands and Ireland.” Whilst the company continues to enjoy strong market growth in the UK, it is through the focus on service, and the motivated and experienced

field workers that it continues to build upon valuable relationships. Concluding, Andreas explains: “Our partnership agreements are very important to our success, and providing the best value for them is equally as important, ensuring our stockists can achieve the highest level of profit, and this plays a huge role in encouraging and stabilising the friendship-like relationships. Over the next 12 months we are expecting a major sales growth, with our large construction project representing a major milestone for the company, and further investment of ten million to 12 million euros over the next three years will be a pioneering phase for the company.”

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NMHG

The best in the

business

Since 1989, NACCO Materials Handling Group (NMHG) has provided the strategic leadership and global support behind Hyster and Yale lift trucks

NACCO Materials Handling Group (NMHG) Products: Lift trucks Sites: Global Employees: Approx: 600 in UK www.hyster-yale.com

ACCO Materials Handling Group (NMHG) is the operating company of Hyster-Yale Materials Handling, Inc. The primary NMHG brands include Hyster and Yale lift trucks, two of the most respected names in the materials handling industry. Together, the Hyster and Yale brands maintain one of the leading market share positions, both in the Americas and worldwide.

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NMHG’s history has been marked by innovation in the Hyster and Yale brands that have helped power the industry forward.Yale was responsible for introducing the industry’s first battery-powered, low-lift platform truck, the first fluid coupling transmission, and the first hypoid drive axle. Hyster Company’s MONOTROL pedal for speed and direction control was revolutionary when patented and introduced to the industry in 1959 and is still in production today. Today at Hyster-Yale that spirit of innovation is alive and well as NMHG works to bring new and better technologies to market. This includes the use of hydrogen fuel-cell batteries and a new generation of electric counterbalance trucks. The products created by NMHG are crafted at 12 world-class, ISO-certified manufacturing facilities located in North America, South America, Europe and Asia. Its global manufacturing network enables NMHG to remain responsive to regional and even local needs in the materials handling markets. Each NMHG manufacturing site uses stateof-the-art fabrication and testing to ensure all lift trucks exceed application requirements. The processes the utilised by the organisation to ensure world-class manufacturing include: l Certified ISO 9001 – Global Registration l Certified ISO 14001 – Environmental l Demand Flow Technology (DFT) l 100 per cent product audits l Corrective and Preventative Action Process (CAPA)

Using computer-based and physical testing, each finished lift truck must conform to a rigorous standard of excellence that checks for stability, noise and vibration, ergonomic functioning, service access, performance and much more. In addition, each lift truck is subjected to an exhaustive battery of physical and field tests designed to ensure that every component is built to last. In order to maintain a leading position in the market, NMHG appreciates that it has to ensure its products continue to meet the increasingly demanding needs of its clients. As a result, the company’s product development strategy is informed, on going and proactive. Its wide global presence, among the largest of all material handling manufacturers, enables NMHG to commit the resources necessary to ensure its lift trucks are some of the most innovative in the industry. Strategically located technology development centres in the United States, Italy, India, The Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Japan, enable NMHG to be responsive to regional product needs. NMHG’s talented and experienced design and test engineers have the industry’s most advanced design tools and processes at their fingertips. At each development centre, input from Hyster and Yale brand managers and regional industry consultants is combined with global trends and voice-of-the-customer research. From concept to launch, every new product follows a carefully structured and rigorous six-stage development

process. Each step must confirm that the product will deliver all the intended benefits to its future users. The result is a level of toughness and reliability clients can count on, from one of the most capable and innovative material handling lift truck manufacturers in the world. As a result of its dedication to innovation, the portfolio of materials handling equipment that NMHG designs, engineers, manufactures and sells is among the most comprehensive in the industry. It covers hundreds of end-user applications in more than 700 industries. The product range now includes a full range of electric and internal combustion engine lift trucks for nearly all indoor and outdoor applications. From narrow aisle warehouse trucks to the toughest cargo handling equipment, the organisation’s counterbalanced lift trucks are recognised as some of the most productive in the world. Furthermore, NMHG recognises that lift truck users don’t always have identical needs. There are hundreds of different industries and applications and different intensities with which users must operate their equipment. For that reason, NMHG offers the choice between utility, standard and premium in some of its lift truck models. Premium trucks, now offered in a number of internal combustion engine (ICE) and electricpowered lift trucks, offer performance and

durability designed for the toughest and most demanding operations. These trucks, such as the Hyster Fortis and Fortens and the Yale Veracitor, offer a wide array of special attachments and customisable features. Standard trucks, now offered in some lifting capacities of ICE trucks and electric trucks with basic battery sizes, are designed for the most typical applications and lift truck usage. Finally, NMHG began introducing UTILEV brand utility forklift trucks in 2011. These lift trucks, offered currently in limited lifting capacities of ICE trucks with pneumatic tires, offers a truck for lower intensity operating environments, particularly without the need for special attachments. Whether Hyster,Yale, or UTILEV, it is the independent dealer that is a key link between NMHG and the customers it serves. This diverse network includes independent forklift dealers throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia-Pacific, and China. Through their partnerships with NMHG, the businesses dealers have access to the most comprehensive support and services in the materials handling industry: from the most recent information regarding regional pricing and marketing, to assistance with product and service training. NMHG views the relationship with each individual dealer as vital and all parties work to ensure mutual success.

In addition, when it comes to product support for forklifts, NMHG also prides itself on providing unmatched service after the sale. The aftermarket service begins with demand-flow technology, a customer-driven manufacturing process that enables NMHG to anticipate clients’ parts and service needs. Once produced, individual parts are then shipped to NMHG’s parts distribution centres, which are located in the US, Brazil, Australia, the Netherlands and Japan. This well-stocked global supply chain gives NMHG dealers and their customers virtually instant access to a worldwide inventory of aftermarket forklift parts and accessories. The organisation provides replacement parts for all makes and models of forklifts. NMHG is continually upgrading and improving the quality of its parts and the efficiency of its distribution. As a result, it is helping customers save time on forklift repair while lowering the overall cost of total ownership. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, NACCO Materials Handling Group continues to drive the industry forward. Its partnerships with experts in areas such as hydrogen fuel cell and advanced battery technologies are helping bring more sustainable and greener technologies to the market while increasing productivity and decreasing operational costs.

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TMAT

Sealing its

success

A recent acquisition has put Derbyshire based TMAT Ltd on the global map, and it is now able to serve its OEM customers in North America

TMAT Ltd Products: Manufacturer of bespoke NVH solutions for industrial vehicles Sites: Derbyshire, UK Employees: 180 www.tmatuk.com

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perating from a purpose built site in Derbyshire,TMAT UK exists to solve noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) problems for industrial vehicles. With a client list including major OEMs Caterpillar, JCB and Case New Holland, the company works closely with individual customers to design and produce chemical based products to protect vehicle operators from vehicle specific problems. Materials used include polyurethane (PU), elastomer, foams, compressed fibres and composite sandwiches.The factory has a daily capacity to produce 30,000kg of elastomer, 1.5 million litres of PU foam, and 2000kg of moulded, pressed and cut composite materials. Last year saw the company acquired by Canadian company Blachford Acoustic Group, a move that has had positive impacts for both parties, and looks to secure the future success of both. TMAT prides itself on being a solutions-based

organisation focused solely on the needs of its customers. Speaking to Manufacturing Today Europe, managing director Jason Lippitt explains: “What is genuinely unique about TMAT is that we are a bunch of chemical engineers who formulate our own systems for individual problems. When someone buys a system from us, they’re buying a formula designed specifically for them. We’re not going to sell them what they don’t need, only what the vehicle needs to have functionally.” Part of what makes the company a success, as a small-scale business, is its approach to innovation. “Being an SME we can’t afford to throw millions of pounds at R&D,” says Jason. “But innovation starts with a good idea, and good ideas are free. The skill for us is deciding which ones to pursue. We can innovate, and our processes are full of it all the time.”Testament to this commitment to innovation is the recent development of a silicone based, high-temperature visco-elastic foam, which

has been subject to academic publication as well as commercial success. Solving a problem that exists within slow moving, large engine vehicles such as tractors, the foam is used as a sealing application to help cooling performance and can withstand temperatures of up to 120 degrees Celsius. As Jason explains: “If the engine isn’t getting cooled sufficiently, the engine management system will often lower the engine’s state of operation to prevent over heating. With this seal, 100 per cent of the air is being driven through the engine allowing it to run at its optimum state.This makes the engine more economical and means the operator can get the job done a lot faster having positive effects on user productivity.” TMAT also has extensive knowledge and experience in polyurethane manufacture, which has been highly beneficial to the company’s acquisition by Blachford Acoustics Group. “The acquisition is strategically the most important thing that has happened to the company,” highlights Jason. “It was also a really easy deal to put together as we both had exactly the same business plan, so synergies were there from day one. As our customers adopt a more global purchasing strategy they are constantly looking for a global supplier with a local presence.That’s a tremendously difficult thing to do for a small business no matter how good it is, but joining with Blachford allows us to be this. Now our customers can have the confidence that they’re buying from a very robust supplier.The strength of the supply chain has become a lot greater,” continues Jason.The move also means that they have become the only supplier of complete interior acoustics to industrial vehicles in North America and Europe. TMAT can also benefit from Blachford’s gold supplier certification from Caterpillar. “This is tremendously important,” expresses Jason. “Caterpillar didn’t get to be the world leading company it is by choosing average suppliers.They only work with the best in the world, so it’s a great honour to be part of this.”TMAT brings with it the knowledge of polyurethane manufacture, which has been predominantly absent from the US market that tends to prefer natural rubber products.

“Blachford is starting to use polyurethane now as TMAT teaches them how to do it,” emphasises Jason. “Its quite important for our international customers that this can be manufactured in both places now.” As a UK company with exports forming a large part of the business, the strengthening pound has hit TMAT’s operations in Europe, and this isn’t being helped by a general decline in the agricultural vehicle market, which is down by about 20 per cent in Europe this year. Despite this Jason remains positive about the future: “It hasn’t altered my conviction that I’ve got the right strategy.

Importantly, it hasn’t lead to any fall in sales, we’re just not growing as fast as we were.” With Blachford behind TMAT however, the Derbyshire plant has been made the centre for all polyurethane developments for the group. “This means that a lot of investment has been put into furnish and equip a new laboratory,” adds Jason. “We’ve already got a couple of PhD chemists here and we’ve got some exciting blue sky projects to work on.”This makes for an exciting future for TMAT, and puts it in a strong position to achieve its vision of doubling the size of the business and becoming a world leader.

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HMF Group

Power to

lift

Representing a leading manufacturer of truck-mounted loader cranes, HMF Group has a long history for delivering both innovation and quality

HMF Group Products: Truck mounted lifting products Sites: HQ Denmark, three subsidiaries and global dealer network www.hmf.dk

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ounded in 1945 the Danish company, HMF Group A/S has seven decades of experience in the design and manufacture of truck-mounted loader cranes, dump bodies, cable lifts and truck body building.The business is presently preparing to celebrate its 70th year in operation during 2015 with some of its key partners and has reached this important milestone through an enduring tradition of innovative design, high-quality manufacturing and trusted customer service. At the heart of HMF is its range of truck-mounted lifting products, which are designed to meet the specific needs of its clients. “The company’s core product is our range of truck-mounted loader cranes, which span capacities from 0.5 tonnes through to 85 tonnes,” says CEO, Ove Trankjær. “The cranes are created using high-grade steel during production and HMF also has a design team who work to ensure that the cranes are as light as possible.The cranes must of course take up as little space as possible on the truck chassis, as there must be some accommodation for payload. Presently the market is strongest within Europe, the US and Australia.” To ensure that it meets the high demand for quality and safety relating to the operation of cranes, HMF works hard to comply with the needs of its clients as well as industry regulation. “We have always worked hard to ensure quality and comply with ISO 9001 as well as ISO/TS16949, which is a standard used in the motor industry,” Ove explains. “We work in accordance with the European machinery

committee directive EN12999, which means that we have to monitor and control the loads on the cranes. The cranes are what we call ‘lifetime calculated’, which means that we can monitor the dynamic loads acting on the cranes and determine when over time fatigue can appear. It is also necessary to ensure that there are not any overloads so we fit microprocessors to the cranes, which control the load on the crane and also the stability of the vehicle to ensure that it does not tip. Our software engineers are constantly looking for new ways to monitor the loads on the crane.” Through continuing research and development, the problem of stability for truck-mounted lifting equipment is one that HMF has long since solved. Part of its solution in this area was the introduction of its EVS stability safety system. EVS is unique in that it is the only system of its kind, as it offers continuous active stability control.The system employs calculations of the vehicle’s actual working conditions such as payload, crane extension position and movement, terrain incline and stabiliser beam extensions to optimise reach, capacity and safety of the vehicle. Where it differs from other stability systems is in its enhancement of crane movement where limits are reach, whilst other systems would automatically stop once a theoretical limit is reached. Aside from the EVS software, the company’s core competence is to bend and weld high quality steel. In order to ensure that its cranes continue to meet stringent quality and safety standards, HMF is always looking to modernise and advance its manufacturing

highlights Ove. “Last we had growth of around 30 per cent and this year we expect to continue this growth.” The future for HMF is very much defined by this continued growth.The company has a goal to increase turnover by 50 per cent over the next five years, and looks to achieve this through improving efficiencies in manufacturing and looking for new opportunities to grow. Ove concludes: “We will

develop new technologies, and look to maintain lean manufacturing in order to continue to grow in out current and new markets.” Ultimately, by keeping its focus trained carefully on the market, and therefore continuing to deliver the most up-to-date and high quality products to its customers, HMF looks set to achieve the success it aims towards.

process.The manufacturing facilities utilise bending and welding robots to ensure high degrees of consistent accuracy. “We invest in new welding robots almost every year,” notes Ove. Further investment keeps up with environmental demands. “We have a modern approach also directed towards our coatings plant where we develop our coatings,” explains Ove. “I think that we currently have one of the best coatings in the business. We call this EQC, meaning environmentally friendly quality coating.The environmental demands for factories in Denmark are perhaps some of the highest in the world. We use a powder coating, which means it is hardened, with no fluids in it there is nothing released into the air. As it is also necessary to degrease components before coating, we clean these with an alkaline, environmentally friendly detergent.” Where HMF’s success is realised is in its customer base. “Every time we develop something new we work with our clients in focus groups, where we invite our customers as the ones who use the equipment to have some input,” explains Ove. By doing this, the company ensures that it has its finger on the market’s pulse, and the customers’ expectations are met. Being tuned into the market and being able to launch the right, high quality products means that HMF has experienced a strong recovery since the economic downturn. “We see that the company is growing after the crisis in 2009,”

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City Technology

40Xll long life oxygen sensor

Detecting

success Being an industry leader doesn’t stop City Technology from striving to be better at what it does as continuous improvement is the key to its success

City Technology Ltd Products: Manufacturer of gas sensors Sites: Global presence Employees: 300 www.citytech.com

ity Technology was founded in 1977 by four scientists working at London’s City University who came up with an effective method of detecting oxygen to replace traditional methods. Over the following years, they set up a business within the university and began developing detection systems for other gases and the

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company slowly grew. In the 1990s the business had outgrown its premises at the university and moved to Portsmouth where there was an appropriate pool of skills to establish a strong workforce. In 2006, the US technology giant, Honeywell, acquired the business bringing a wealth of tools and knowledge to allow City Technology to become the leader it is today with a solid year on year growth. Talking about what strengths enable City Technology to sit at the top of the industry, site leader, Rob Love explains: “Our biggest strength is the product. We have the broadest range of products in the market; we can serve every sector with sensors that can meet all demands.” Manufacturing a range of over 300 electrochemical gas detectors for 28 different gases, the company purely supplies instrument OEMs in industrial safety, emissions monitoring, medical, domestic and automotive sectors. As a world leader in supplying life safety detectors, the company employs over 300 staff including PhD scientists and highly experienced mechanical design engineers to ensure that the best systems of gas detection are being developed. At the prestigious 2014 Best Factory Awards, the business won three awards including ‘Best Electronics and Electrical Plant,’ ‘Innovation Award’

and the coveted ‘Factory of the Year Award’. These awards are testament to the total commitment the company has to innovation and continuous improvement. Discussing the awards Rob expresses: “We don’t think we’re the best, and are a long way from where we want to be. The award says that the things we are doing are the right things, and gives us the confidence that we’re going in the right direction. Everyday we try to be better than we were yesterday, and tomorrow, better than today. We really believe in this, and I think this what came out in the awards.” As a part of Honeywell group the company employs the Honeywell Operating System in its manufacturing process. “It’s similar in concept to Toyota’s production system and is based on a six sigma foundation so its very much quality focused,” Rob highlights. “It ensures that we’ve got the right structure, and the right people with the right skills in the right place to deliver and drive us forward as a company.” From this system, everybody in the company knows what their role is and understands how it contributes to the company’s overall strategy, and this brings about a process of change and improvement on a daily basis. “Over the last 12 months we have implemented over 7000 improvement ideas to ensure that we are staying true to continuous improvement.” To accompany a strong operation process, the manufacturing facilities are also subject to continuous improvement. Innovative electronic applications such as bar code scanning are used to ensure all steps are carried out in the right order and in the right way, making sure that quality standards are met. “We have redesigned the entire shop floor over the last two years, so every line is now single piece with opportunities to adapt them,” says Rob. “We’ve also invested half a million pounds in small hole drilling applications over

Below: Group photo, 1984 and right group photo 2014

the last 12 months by employing laser and CNC drilling machines. This is a core competence to what we do as it allows us to look at the life of a sensor.” By always improving its manufacturing process, City Technology is able to continuously innovate its products. The most recent product, which won the company the ‘Innovation Award’, is the 4OxLL sensor, which, as Rob discusses: “Is the next generation of oxygen cell, with longer life and improved reliability and performance. It uses what we call VPD (Velocity Product Development),

a Honeywell trademarked process that ensures we are launching good, strong and robust products.” Under this system the company also hopes to launch a new range of next generation sensors across its portfolio. With all the focus on improvement within the factory, Rob is keen to express that its growth would not be possible without the strong relationships it has with suppliers. “To enable that we are flexible and responsive to our own customers’ needs, we need to be sure that our suppliers are able to do so too. The other critical issue is the fact that our suppliers need to have the same very high quality standards that we do. The products we make are going into life safety

applications so we need to be able to rely on the components.” City Technology has got to where it is today because it remains committed to improving both its products and the way it manufactures those products, and this is evident in the company’s plans for the future. Continuous improvement sits solidly in short-term plans, whilst a strategic vision for the long-term involves exploring new opportunities in emerging regions and applications to stimulate further expansion. Ultimately, the business is successful because it continuously strives to use its strong product and knowledge base to get better, and considering this City Technology looks set to enjoy further success in the future.

Johnson Matthey

Johnson Matthey is a speciality chemicals company and a global leader in sustainable technologies. It applies its expertise in advanced materials and technologies to innovate, improve solutions that are valued by its customers, optimise the use of natural resources and enhance the quality of people’s life. Its achievements in innovation and commitment to sustainability have seen the company gain many awards over the years, including 14 Queen’s Awards for technology, innovation, environment and export. In 2014 Johnson Matthey was voted as Britain’s Most Admired Company in Management Today magazine.

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Prestolite Electric

Taking

charge

Built on a history of engineering excellence and innovative products, Prestolite Electric is a global manufacturer and supplier of rotating electrics to the transportation, industrial and military industries

Prestolite Electric Products: Alternators, starters, electrical equipment Sites: US, UK, China and South America Employees: 120 www.prestolite.com

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“W

e are a global company, manufacturing in locations around the world, with sites in the US, China, Mexico, Brazil, and the UK,” says Steve Trulock, sales manager, speaking from the UK. The company was formed through the combination of a number of businesses whose manufacturing histories date back to the early 1900s, and operating with an international presence. Prestolite today provides customers with their application needs for products and service under the Prestolite Electric and LeeceNeville brand names. In the UK, Prestolite has been manufacturing since 1988 when Butec Electrics’ Leyland site was purchased from British Leyland. Ten years later further expansion took place when the heavy-duty electrical division of Lucas (CAV) was acquired. Specialising in the design, development, and production of alternators, starter motors and electrical systems Steve points out: “With over 40 original equipment customers in Europe alone we are original equipment suppliers to the truck, bus and coach, construction, marine, refrigeration, rail, marine, military and engines and genset

Above: Engine room

industries. In fact, we make and sell starters and alternators for almost everything except cars. In the aftermarket, our truck range of starters & alternators offers a coverage of up to 95 per cent of the European truck parc, all of these brand new units with none reconditioned and no old units to return. From a growing global footprint Prestolite products are found in almost every country of the world and through its wide global network of distributors, it facilitates product availability, service support and vehicle electrical education.” Prestolite is the leading manufacture of heavy duty starter motors and alternators in China. It holds its position as market leader with an 85 per cent market share for bus and coach alternators, and 60 per cent share of starter motors. For China-built trucks it enjoys a 38 per cent original equipment market share. In the USA, where its products are sold under the Leece-Neville brand, it has for many years been a dominant supplier to the truck and military markets, as well as heavy equipment, school bus, transit bus, off road equipment and power generation markets which use both diesel and gasoline engines. Calling upon its 100 years‘ experience in the development and manufacture of alternators, Prestolite takes a lead in know-how that is

Below: 24v600amp alternators

extremely beneficial to vehicle manufacturers and end users alike. Its product offerings are excellent examples of the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s competence and innovative ability, used across varied applications from automotive through to heavy commercial truck and bus, off-road equipment and even battle tanks. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have traditionally been a military manufacturer and our products have gone into military vehicles worldwide, including on the Challenger 2, the battle tank of the British Army, as well as other military equipment used by the Armed forces around the world today. We have recently launched a new 24 volt, 600 amp alternator, which stems from a new design, and although we have only been producing this for under two years we have seen good sales volumes and interest from around the world, including most of our existing military customers,â&#x20AC;? announces Steve. Supplying high quality alternators and starter motors to military set-ups, the business adheres strictly to tough military standards, insuring quality throughout. To remain at the forefront of all its markets, Prestolite continually strives for ways to leverage the knowledge into creating

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Prestolite Electric

Right: Lucas CAV manufacturing up to 1998 and then Prestolite moving forward

Below: Production and 600amp alternator

superior products for the commercial markets. Recognising the differences in requirements across its geographies, each division has its own R&D department, developing product lines relevant to

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their specific markets. “Vehicle manufacturers are looking for more and more powerful alternators and starters, but with the emphasis on weight reduction to save fuel the units need to be smaller. That is one of the main drives that is pushing our designs forward,” says Steve. The company’s position is testament to the quality of not only its products, but also the service it offers too, as he continues: “It is really important to maintain close relationships with customers, and continually provide good products that people want. These are two of the most important strengths of the business.” Not only do the company’s alternators boast impressive power-outputs, but also furthermore, they are highly efficient, which means improved economy and lower emissions for the end users. These are results of technical innovations to families of alternators designed for modern applications. The combination of experience and superior technology produce starters capable of withstanding the toughest environmental conditions, which has translated into being the chosen OE manufacturer of starters for commercial and industrial equipment and vehicles. As the business looks ahead, its focus is to consistently exceed the expectations of its customers, providing them with best in class technology solutions for their vehicles, and generating new business. Through continual communication with its client base, the company is able to learn from its customers, ultimately improving both its products and services, and by keeping on top of today’s and tomorrow’s technology, no matter how fast the industry moves, customers of Prestolite will always have the best products available to them.