Manufacturing Today Europe Issue 157 October 2018.

BEST PRACTICES FOR INDUSTRY LEADERS www.manufacturing-today-europe.com

Issue 157

today

Steel processing

redefined The number one independent steel processor for the automotive industry in the UK, Steel & Alloy is celebrating its 50th year with a new facility and ambitious plans

Also in this issue: • Industrial communication • Robots • Skills • Printing • Blockchain • Energy • Logistics

EUROPE

MANUFACTURING

EDITOR’S COMMENT Chairman Andrew Schofield

BEST PRACTICES FOR INDUSTRY LEADERS www.manufacturing-today-europe.com

Editor Libbie Hammond

Issue 157

Assistant Editor Will Daynes

Steel processing

Staff Writer Vladi Nikolov

redefined

Production Manager Fleur Daniels

The number one independent steel processor for the automotive industry in the UK, Steel & Alloy is celebrating its 50th year with a new facility and ambitious plans

Art Editor/Design David Howard Advertising Design Fiona Jolliffe Production studio@schofieldpublishing.co.uk Advertising Administrator Tracy Chynoweth studio@schofieldpublishing.co.uk Operations Director Philip Monument Editorial Researchers Mark Cowles Tarj D’Silva Jeff Goldenberg Ben Richell Richard Saunders Kieran Shukri Anna Davies David Tavernor Advertising Sales Mark Cawston Tim Eakins Darren Jolliffe Dave King Theresa McDonald

Web Sales Tim Eakins teakins@schofieldpublishing.co.uk Subscriptions ikidd@schofieldpublishing.co.uk Follow us at:

today

Also in this issue: s )NDUSTRIAL COMMUNICATION s 2OBOTS s 3KILLS s 0RINTING s "LOCKCHAIN s %NERGY s ,OGISTICS

Watching and

I

waiting

t’s been over two years since I started talking about Brexit in my editor’s page and sadly (and somewhat worryingly) the amount of uncertainty surrounding the UK’s withdrawal from the EU doesn’t appear to have significantly reduced.

We all continue to watch and wait, and according to Anna Leach, the CBI Head of Economic Intelligence, ‘heightened fears of a ‘no deal’ Brexit scenario have prompted some firms to move publicly from contingency planning to action.’

Commenting on the latest CBI Industrial Trends Survey, Tom Crotty, Group Director, INEOS, and Chair of the CBI Manufacturing Council, emphasised that while British manufacturers have benefitted from a healthy global economy and lower sterling exchange rate: “In the coming months, manufacturers will be looking to the Government to protect the frictionless trade with the EU that they need to thrive.

And it is important that measures to bolster competitiveness domestically – such as getting the Apprenticeship Levy fit for purpose – aren’t overlooked.”

Let’s hope the Autumn Budget gives manufacturers some good news.

@MTE_magazine

libbie@schofieldpublishing.co.uk Schofield Publishing

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

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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, and correct at time of writing, 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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EUROPE

MANUFACTURING

Managing Director Joe Woolsgrove

Features

4

4 Industrial communication Technologies like fieldbus make it easier for companies to track any issues along the line, which can then be easily addressed

6 Robots The key differences between robots and cobots and the new opportunities collaborative robots present to the assembly process

8 Skills When the UK leaves the EU it will have a major impact on manufacturers’ ability to recruit the right people

10 Printing New print technology needs to be viewed by PSPs as an opportunity to consolidate, as it offers a range of benefits

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12 Blockchain More automotive manufacturers will start to consider the benefits of blockchain technology as developers improve the solutions

14 Energy Manufacturers have to be aware of their energy costs and how they can be minimised without negative impact

16 Logistics Improvements need to be made in human-work processes, and for workers to retain their value in the new technology landscape

18 Manufacturing news

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Updates and announcements from the manufacturing arena

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CONTENTS

Profiles 22 24 28 32 35 38 41 44 47 50

Arlington Industries Group Steel & Alloy Tetrad QRL Radiator Group P&B Metal Components SPI Global Play Fracino Health Innovations Atlas Packaging Contechs

53 58 61 65 68 70 72 74 76 78 80 83

Elopak Xstrahl Cormar Carpet Company UNITED CAPS Weckerle Cosmetics Eislingen Bearmach Limited Direct Healthcare Group FACC Grenville Engineering Trakm8 Rutpen Auto-Sleepers

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35

53

72

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Industrial communication

Make the

connection

Steve Hughes explains why businesses need to keep pace with developments in the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)

Steve Hughes

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H

umans have developed numerous technologies to make communication easier, faster and, most importantly, cost effective.

For industrial automation, effective communication is the real strategic tool for improving a company’s productivity.

Traditionally, factories operated with a labyrinth of mechanical and electronic devices. Now, more and more manufacturers are adopting IoT because of the growing need to transmit copious amounts of data, in real-time, between different automation systems to control machines, as well as monitor and synchronise production lines.

As you might expect, connecting a plethora of devices, systems and machinery from across a manufacturing facility is no simple task. This becomes even more complicated when plant engineers must ensure that all equipment is able

to communicate properly, which can be difficult if systems are provided by different equipment manufacturers, each of which may use a different communication protocol or connection.

A common characteristic of the industrial sector is that much of the equipment is under pressure to operate under harsh conditions without jeopardising its connectivity. As a result, many companies incorporate a series of industrial communication methods like Ethernet and Fieldbus to ensure their products meet requirements.

According to the president of the OPC Foundation, Tom Burke, the majority of manufacturing operations segregate their communications systems this way. Burke says that manufacturers often have “their standard Ethernet devices running on commercial off-theshelf Ethernet and then their fieldbus networking

devices running on the fieldbus network, sometimes having a simple bridge or gateway between the two network connections.�

This has put significant pressure on information technology (IT) and operations technology (OT) departments to unify their processes so that manufacturers can gain the greatest value. Given that industrial protocols (IP) can be required to connect everything from wind turbines to electric grids, the easier a communications system is to integrate the more appealing it is to business managers to install.

At REO UK, we have come to see complex automated industrial systems like a manufacturer’s assembly line be commonly operated under a hierarchy of controller systems. Often, this includes communication protocols based on wired connectivity technologies such as Fieldbus, which is commonly used in emerging economies like India, Japan and China.

Fieldbus refers to a group of industrial computer network protocols meant for distributed control in real-time. Placed at the bottom of the hierarchy or the control chain, the Fieldbus links the programmable logic controllers (PLCs) to the electric motors, sensors, switches, actuators or any other components.

Having been widely adopted by the process, electronics and automotive industries, the Fieldbus protocol presents an extensive number of opportunities to increase the level of efficiency and output for manufacturers. This is because industrial communications that feature Fieldbus offer a fast and secure method of transferring data that works even over significant communication distances.

REODATA is one example of a communications system that offers a customised interface for compatibility with a range of industrial control products. This means that communication

Being able to connect different types of devices to a centralised control system is essential for realtime insights and forecasting. With the IoT trend not looking to slow down anytime soon, enhanced levels of factory automation and process information makes the integration of Fieldbus communications even more important is always possible, whether the required fieldbus technology is Profibus, CANBus or ProfiNet. In fact, to take that one step further, many manufacturers are now implementing a hybrid Fieldbus approach with Ethernet and Fieldbus networks to interconnect even more devices. This can range from assembly robots, PLCs to central operation control centres.

This type of high-performing industrial communication technology can utilise more wireless devices. This is especially important to the future of Fieldbus protocols in industrial settings.

While the Fieldbus market grows around seven per cent each year and occupies 66 per cent of the total industrial communications segment, wireless connectivity has been positioned as a potential option for reducing network costs. This is because sensor-fitted devices are becoming more easily accessible in terms of cost, but also wireless applications operate through widely used technologies like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

Although forecasters are expecting a surge of companies to apply wireless connectivity to their processes, there is a large legacy system of wellsuited Fieldbus applications. It is therefore very unlikely that this technology will be replaced, but instead will co-exist alongside wireless applications.

Profibus in application

Being able to connect different types of devices to a centralised control system is essential for realtime insights and forecasting. With the IoT trend not looking to slow down anytime soon, enhanced levels of factory automation and process information makes the integration of Fieldbus communications even more important.

Effective and reliable industrial communication is pivotal to increasing productivity and output levels.

With the ability to easily control and monitor the entire production line, industrial communications technologies like Fieldbus make it easier for companies to track any issues along the line, which can then be quickly addressed.

Fieldbus is at the centre of a more modern and efficient method of manufacturing control and it’s inevitable that businesses that fail to integrate such technologies are likely to be left behind. v

Steve Hughes

Profibus

Steve Hughes is managing director of power quality specialist REO UK. REO manufactures resistive and inductive wound components for use with static frequency converter drives in lift and HVAC applications. The company is becoming increasingly involved in renewable energy technology, where power quality is of overriding importance. REO has manufacturing operations in Germany, the US, China and India. www.reo.co.uk

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Robots

Working

Clive Sharp

together

Clive Sharp examines the key differences between robots and cobots and the new opportunities collaborative robots present to the assembly process

T

he development of collaborative robots, or ‘cobots’ as they’re commonly known, goes back almost a quarter of a century to a research project in 1994 by General Motors to find a way to make robots safe enough to work directly with people.

In comparison to today’s technology, the first cobots ensured safety by having no internal source of motive power. Instead, the motive power was provided by the operator, enabling the cobot to provide computer control of motion, by redirecting or steering a payload by collaborating with the human worker.

Although robots and humans have been interacting on the production line for years, it is

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arguable that up until now they have not been fully collaborating. This is now changing rapidly with the rise of cobots, which unlike traditional industrial robots, are not placed behind guards or in cages. Cobots are designed from the outset to work safely around people, helping to move operators away from mundane and repetitive activities into areas that demand human dexterity and decision making.

From a manufacturer’s perspective, parts 1 and 2 of the international standard ISO 10218, provide guidance on the safety requirements for industrial robots, while the Technical Standard ISO/TS 15066 details four types of collaborative features for robots: Safety Monitored Stop; Hand Guiding;

Speed & Separation Monitoring; and Power & Force Limiting.

In terms of application, the safety monitored stop feature is mostly commonly used when a cobot is working independently but a human may need to occasionally enter its designated workspace. If a worker moved into this predetermined zone, the Safety Monitored Stop feature detects this and immediately pauses activity.

As a result, cobots equipped with this technology are most efficient in applications where it is rare for a human to get close, in order to avoid lost production time when the cobot is pausing.

The hand guiding application can be used for intelligent ‘path teaching’, whereby the operator

moves the robot head by hand to educate the cobot to manoeuvre to a predefined route. Furthermore, by using hand guiding for the cobot to ‘self-learn’ manufacturers can eliminate the need for costly and time-consuming coding. As with the Techman TM5 cobot from Atlas Copco’s robotics partner HMK Automation, every pose and point in the task can be guided by hand, whilst being able to change the degree of freedom of the hand-guide function easily according to the application. The ability to self-learn and receive work instructions without coding also makes deployment and re-deployment of the cobot between tasks and workstations fast and straightforward. As cobots are typically compact and lightweight, there is often no requirement to change the production layout when switching a cobot between tasks, making their application cost-effective in the production environment.

To avoid any harm coming to human workers, the application speed of the robot is restricted in conjunction with the distance from its colleague.

This is enabled by installing an external safety device, such as a scanner, that allows the cobot to sense when its human co-workers are nearby. For example, once the cobot has sensed movement in its area, the speed it is working at will automatically decelerate, to safeguard that individual.

In general terms, collaborative robots are fundamentally intended to limit power and force to allow them to safely operate with people

in the same work space, provided that the risk assessment has been carried out correctly. The robot can detect a specified level of power or force, with the Techman TM5 cobot reaching a force limit of 150N, for example.

The opportunity to integrate cobots into the manufacturing process has also increased significantly thanks to the development of the next generation of Smart Connected Assembly technology which, for the first time, enables high torque tightening strategies to be delivered through cobot working. For example, Atlas Copco’s pioneering new range of Low Reaction handheld battery tools enables tightening forces previously only attainable using dedicated robots or hand-held DC-powered nut runners. The new Transducerised Battery Pulse tool includes a hydraulic pulse unit rather than gears and an oil-filled chamber, enabling higher torque of up to 55Nm with vibration levels below the minimum standard. Looking ahead, we anticipate our Low Reaction tools increasing to 150Nm in the near future. With a weight range of 2.3 – 3kg, the new tools also sit comfortably within the weight capacity of the majority of cobots.

The capability of Low Reaction tools to deliver high torque tightening strategies via cobots represents a new and significant step change for manufacturers, enabling them to bring robots into workstation-based tightening processes that previously relied on humans. By using an element of artificial intelligence, cobot-based tooling also has the capability to undertake actions such as

reading component scans and colour recognition to select specific components and fastener locations. In addition, data from the cobot-based tooling enables manufacturers to ensure full traceability and identify and resolve issues such as joint stress, fatigue and load cell stress to increase productivity whilst reducing costly reworking.

It is important to remember that cobots are meant to aid and assist rather than substitute workers. We believe that cobot-based solutions allow companies to retain people rather than replace them, as the introduction of robots provides opportunities to train and develop workers. As a cobot-based assembly solution provider, Atlas Copco is bringing robotics, tools and operators closer than ever before. v

Clive Sharp Clive Sharp is Business Line Manager for Atlas Copco Tools UK. Atlas Copco is a world-leading provider of sustainable productivity solutions. The Group serves customers through its innovative compressors, vacuum solutions, generators, pumps, power tools and assembly systems. Atlas Copco’s Industrial Technique business area provides industrial power tools and systems, industrial assembly solutions, quality assurance products, software and service through a global network. The business area innovates for sustainable productivity for customers in the automotive and general industries, maintenance and vehicle service. www.atlascopco.co.uk/lowreaction

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Skills

Step up to the

challenge

Bridging the skills gaps in uncertain times.

By Verity Davidge

M

anufacturers face another challenging year ahead. Following continuous months of uncertainty, they face one great certainty – that the UK will leave the EU in a few months’ time. This is going to have major impacts of manufacturers’ ability to recruit and retain the people their businesses so desperately need.

Add to that low unemployment, an ageing workforce and a changing economy, where the adoption of new digital technologies and techniques is putting even more pressure on higher level skills. You can see why then that threequarters of manufacturers say they are concerned about finding the skills their businesses’ need1.

As an industry, we continue to face a skills Everest – struggling to find a sufficient number of candidates to satisfy the demands of our sector. And some of those candidates that do apply for job roles in manufacturing lack the skills, qualifications and experiences employers are looking for.

It’s unsurprising that the number of hard to fill vacancies in manufacturing due to skills-shortages stands at 29 per cent, a figure that has barely moved in recent years2. Moreover, three-quarters of manufacturers have struggled to fill key engineering job roles in the past three years3. If they are struggling now, imagine what these stats may look like in a post-Brexit world where access to the EU talent pool may be restricted further.

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What’s driving the skills needs of today and tomorrow?

The skills required by manufacturers now continue to reflect their wider growth ambitions.

Changes to organisational structure, together with pushing forward plans to improve productivity throughout the company, has led to a surge in demand for people management and leadership skills. A continued focus on selling into new markets means demand for sales and marketing and for foreign language skills remains stable with slight increases in the former as increasing brand promotion becomes a priority area. And of course, increased investment in technology and innovation continues to drive up demand for R&D technical skills, production related skills and IT/ software and digital skills. The latter is becoming increasingly important as industry continues to adopt new digital technologies and techniques.

The question then is what skills manufacturers might need in the future. Whilst it’s difficult to predict exactly what we need we can begin to identify the factors that are likely to influence demand in the future. Future trade deals are likely to drive up demand for language skills and cultural understanding. New technologic developments, occupational effects and where companies chose to locate parts of the manufacturing process (R&D, design, manufacturer and assembly) are likely to lead to increases in demand for design engineers, (who can help reconfigurable factories to produce a range of products), computing skills and data management.

Managing the environment is a factor that could easily lead to an increase in the need for research scientists and engineers in fields such as green chemistry and bio-engineering.

degree apprenticeships, although few are being delivered and made readily available.

Managing an ageing workforce can also be challenging, and without the default retirement age, many manufacturers are struggling with succession planning due to the unknown. They are putting plans in place to upskill or re-skill their current employees, but face challenges with training budgets being consumed by the apprenticeship levy and local training provision not delivering what companies need or not offering a flexible model that workers for employers and employees alike.

And then there is the great unknown of what a post-Brexit, post-transition period migration system will look like. Employers remain in the dark, tasked with planning for a spectrum of scenarios of what could happen, what might happen, but little or no clarity as to what will happen.

What do manufacturers want to see happen in the future?

What plans are manufacturers putting in place to alleviate and mitigate the skills gap?

So, high demand in what could be a short space of time. Had manufacturers not already been taking action, both to alleviate the skills gap and mitigate the potential loss of skills post-Brexit, we would arguably be over the cliff-edge, not just approaching it.

Plans to increase the number of apprenticeships and graduate programmes within the business are all in the rise, as are plans to ensure there is a pipeline of talent coming into the industry in the future – through engagement with schools, colleges, and universities. But these won’t provide the short-term fix that is likely to be needed in the near future. These are long-term solutions to long-standing problems.

That’s why manufacturers are also taking

other steps. One in five are accelerating plans for automation to ensure they have the skills they need post-Brexit and four in ten are implementing or looking to introduce policies to retain older workers with specialist skills4.

Manufacturers are looking to reduce reliance on lower skilled labour and retain the skills of mid and highly skilled workers.

Why hasn’t this long list of actions been enough?

But why then is this action not enough?

Well, it’s never easy. For some manufacturers, plans to boost apprenticeship numbers have been hampered by the restrictive rules and complexities of the Apprenticeship Levy.

Graduate programmes may be put on the back burner, as employers attempt to navigate the Levy and make better use of it, potentially through

We must ensure that employers have access to the EU talent pool not only until the end of the post-transition period (December 2020, if agreed) but until the UK labour market is capable of supplying the skilled workers businesses need.

And to make this happen we need an education system that delivers the quality and quantity of people manufacturers need, equipped with the right technical skills that industry requires and a training and skills landscape that is easy to navigate through and responsive to the ever-changing needs of industries such as manufacturing.

This is going to be challenge but manufacturers are ready to step up to the plate. v 1 EEF (2016) An Up-skill Battle 2 DfE (2018) Employer Skills Survey 2017 3 EEF (2016) An Up-skill Battle 4 EEF (2018) Navigating Brexit: The Migration Minefield

Verity Davidge Verity Davidge is Head of Education and Skills Policy at EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation. EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation, is the voice of manufacturing in the UK, representing all aspects of the manufacturing sector. Representing some 20,000 members employing almost one million workers, EEF members operate in the UK, Europe and throughout the world in a dynamic and highly competitive environment. www.eef.org.uk

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Printing

Keep

up

Dominic Fahy believes that agility is key for the future of printing

C

onsumer needs and expectations are continually shifting and, with greater levels of insight into those requirements than ever before, brands need to respond quickly if they want to stay competitive.

The necessity of adapting to consumer needs has had a knock-on effect on the print industry, with brands changing the way they work with Print Service Providers (PSPs), to ensure their offer remains as current and in-themoment as possible. Agility has become a key requirement across all sectors, with printing being no exception.

It’s getting personal Personalisation and customisation are key trends with today’s consumers, who crave individuality and a relevant, unique experience. Whether they’re ordering high-end printed products with bespoke imagery, choosing packaging tailored to their personal tastes, or viewing marketing materials customised to their purchase history, personalisation makes consumers feel involved and engaged, and is a highly effective tactic to drive brand loyalty.

Consumers expect brands to respond quickly to their evolving demands, with a recent Salesforce survey revealing over three-quarters of consumers think companies should understand their needs and expectations. Consumers have no

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trouble switching from brands that can’t keep up; with 57 per cent reporting they stopped buying from a company because a competitor provided a better experience.

Brands respond to consumer needs The need to keep pace with changing consumer requirements is having a dramatic impact on printing practice. Historically, decisions around the design and content of printed products, packaging, and marketing materials would be made well in advance and reviewed quarterly at most, potentially even annually, with long print runs designed to keep costs low.

Now printing decisions are made in near real time, driven by customer actions. Printed materials quickly become obsolete so brands opt for shorter print runs, allowing them to make regular changes with minimal waste. Short print runs enable brands to make use of versioning, regionalisation, and special editions, and negate the need to store large volumes of printed products.

The trend for personalisation is also driving brands towards digital print-on-demand services, which allow mass customisation on an international scale. As well as offering personalisation for individuals, brands can use print-on-demand to tailor printed products to particular demographics based on interests and activities, or to particular regions, ethnic groups,

family sizes, genders, or languages, so products are more targeted to the end user, and produced when required.

PSPs need the tech to keep up To facilitate their clients’ changing processes, PSPs need to find ways to provide a faster service, while still maintaining exceptional print quality and value. There are many factors that can contribute to varying print speeds, including system configuration, software quality, and ease of use, so PSPs need to review their existing technology to ensure it can meet brand expectations.

PSPs need to view print technology as an opportunity to consolidate, with newer printers taking up less space than older models, as well as being able to handle short run production for a wide range of products, often able to replace two or three existing machines. While capital and courage is inevitably required to upgrade printing equipment, newer technologies have lower operating costs and require fewer resources, generating cost savings in the long term.

Agility is key to the future of the print industry.

With evolving consumer needs causing brands to embrace real-time print strategies, short print runs, and digital print-on-demand services, PSPs must ensure their technology is up to the task, delivering the necessary speed, quality, and value to satisfy their brand customers and provide a competitive service. v

Dominic Fahy Dominic Fahy is Head of Architecture, Engineering, Construction & Manufacturing, at Canon UK. Canon (UK) Ltd is the UK & Ireland marketing and sales operation for Canon Inc., employing around 2000 people. Founded in 1937 with the specific goal of making the best quality camera available to customers, Canon’s tireless passion for the Power of Image has since extended its technology into many other markets and has established it as a world leader in both consumer and business imaging solutions. www.canon.co.uk/business/

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Blockchain

New tech on the

block

How can blockchain transform manufacturing within the automotive industry? Asks Ben Riley

B

lockchain has built its reputation as a distributed ledger platform which provides an infrastructure for securely using and trading cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin. But its potential and existing use cases extend way beyond financial services.

The functions of blockchain could cater to other sectors to create more transparency and deliver greater efficiencies. One such sector is automotive manufacturing, where it could speed

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up and improve the accuracy of processes, as well as enable participants on a macro and micro level to access and edit relevant information related to vehicles and their parts. Industry-wide initiatives, such as the MOBI (Mobility Open Blockchain Initiative) show a growing interest in the concept, as well as smaller projects including ShareRing and Porsche’s collaboration with XAIN on implementing blockchain.

But how much can blockchain impact the automotive industry? And is it too premature or optimistic to talk of revolutionising the industry?

Here are a few ways that blockchain has already

shown its capacity to transform processes before, during, and after manufacturing.

Before manufacturing: preparing the supply chain Blockchain is capable of bringing supply chain information exchange and transactions to the next level. It can facilitate real time, up-to-date data access for different parties, such as global manufacturing companies and their subcontractors. As the production of many car parts and accessories are outsourced to more capable and specialist partners, blockchain can provide

greater transparency of available stock, quality, product specifics, shipping information or the current state of transactions.

In fact, using a blockchain platform could reduce costs when making monetary transactions by removing the need for third party intermediaries, like banks. A car manufacturer could directly access information through the platform without the need to manually put the request in to receive information and wait for access to be granted.

Even finding out which colours are available of certain car interiors or about updates to the GPS software could be streamlined to save time and preparation for the manufacturing process.

The security and pragmatic structure provided by blockchain means suppliers and clients can only access information that is relevant to their business – so even if a contractor supplies to multiple clients, they will only have access to what they need to do their work, ensuring the intellectual property (IP) of clients is protected.

Adapting the manufacturing process During the manufacture of car parts and assembly of vehicles, blockchain can streamline the process through the readily accessible information infrastructure it provides. This includes the location of items being supplied, as well as the quantity or specifications, to determine their compatibility with the vehicles being built. In addition, up-to-

date information can be stored and generated to calculate actual expenses, such as tracking how much time it takes to assemble a series of cars and how much workforce resource is being used.

This could provide report results to compare against forecasts. The real-time updates allow manufacturers to more accurately predict the completion of projects and flag early on whether delays could be expected.

Following the installation of specific parts, which are all tracked through the blockchain system, it will be automatically updated. Employees are therefore freed up to focus on monitoring the health of the manufacturing process, and other areas where their time is better spent.

The life of a vehicle after manufacturing When the vehicle’s construction is completed and it is ready to be shipped, it will typically reside in one of three places; a warehouse, a car dealership, or with its owner.

Regardless of its location, the information built into the car through blockchain software could add to the continuously growing, decentralised database. The manufacturer could access records about the condition of each car, length of time it has been used and information about which parts (including exchanged parts) it is fitted with.

This information is essential during the rare cases where a product recall is necessary. Not only could information be flagged through the blockchain system, but the relevant parts can be tracked down. In the scenario that car parts have proven to be faulty, the manufacturer could identify and recall just those cars that they were fitted into. The benefits include a faster and more accurate recall which saves time and money, and also, avoiding recalling cars that weren’t affected in the first place, something that is currently impossible as the parts are not tracked in this way.

However, blockchain is not a panacea. There are many aspects that still need to be developed and specified for the automotive industry.

Additionally, human and organisational factors should be considered. When adapting this system, the question of who will have access to what data must be addressed, as well as how it will be implemented. And when applied to a supply chain environment, it must be determined how all parties will adapt to the new platform.

The technology can be applied to multiple aspects of the manufacturing process, whether it’s bureaucratic, legal or stock-related. The transformation potential it has for the automotive industry could be a key factor in improving productivity and quality of services. The future of blockchain is unlikely to be limited to financial services, as more automotive manufacturers will consider the benefits of this technology for future operations. v

Ben Riley Ben Riley is Principal Consultant at CA Technologies.

CA Technologies creates software that fuels transformation for companies and enables them to seize the opportunities of the application economy.

From planning, to development, to management and security, CA is working with companies worldwide to change the way we live, transact, and communicate – across mobile, private and public cloud, distributed and mainframe environments. www.ca.com

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Energy

Consider the

options

Gas power: a route to reducing energy costs. By Ben Robinson

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anufacturers are operating in challenging times. Although the sector is experiencing a significant spike in demand, levels of confidence are uncertain. For example, the Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), a measure of business confidence, was 54.0 in July, a decline from 54.4 in June. A score of above 50 signals growth, meaning current levels are acceptable though not outstanding. In this environment, it is not surprising that businesses within the manufacturing sector are cautious to invest capital expenditure (CAPEX) to meet the current demand.

In the UK, contributing factors include uncertainty around Brexit and future exchange rates. There are also concerns about possible trade tariffs imposed by the US and other global trading nations. All of this means that finding

cost savings and ensuring efficiency can make or break a company.

Where can savings come from?

One clear area where manufacturers can look for cost savings is in their energy usage. Managing energy usage means reducing costs and shifting pressure from CAPEX to OPEX (operational expenditure). At Aggreko, for example, we have customers looking to reduce their energy bills by as much as 20 per cent and avoiding triad charges of up to ÂŁ130k.

Manufacturing is an inherently energy-intensive industry sector. Every day, manufacturers consume vast amounts of energy to power, heat and cool process equipment and machinery, factories and buildings. This means that energy typically accounts for up to 20 per cent of a manufacturer’s operational costs, which can have

option for companies looking to cut costs. Whilst average annual fuel prices for electricity have been on a general upward trend since 2005, gas prices have been more variable; average prices have fallen by 37 per cent since the peak in 2013.

Not only this, but gas can be used as part of a temporary generation solution, which affords both flexibility and lower CAPEX commitments, both of which can be a vital part of keeping a manufacturing business running smoothly and cost-effectively.

Gas power generation is in fact already used to provide 40 per cent of our national electricity requirement, but is our primary source of energy for heat both domestically and commercially.

Temporary versus permanent

a major impact on business profitability, especially when energy prices soar unexpectedly.

There are several ways in which savings can be achieved, but I want to focus on one in particular: the use of gas power.

It not only offers a cheaper alternative to electricity. It is also a more flexible approach to energy generation, which can help companies to reduce their reliance on the national grid and take control of their energy usage.

Why gas?

All manufacturers will be aware that energy prices can have a significant effect on a company’s bottom line. Operating costs can be difficult to manage, especially over the long term, when energy prices vary considerably.

The cost per kWh of gas is currently cheaper then electricity, making it the more attractive fuel

Many major manufacturers negotiate long-term, fixed-rate energy contracts to manage their costs and avoid the worry of future energy price rises. Whilst this has its advantages, it may not suit everyone. And it has some clear downsides – in particular, businesses will miss out on cost savings if energy prices drop.

In addition, fixed-cost agreements do not offer any flexibility or variation in energy use should a company’s requirements change. This could have the particular disadvantage of discouraging investment in future growth, if there is concern over the availability or cost of additional energy.

To combat a lack of flexibility, companies may want to consider generating electricity on-site, through the use of temporary gas generators.

This is increasingly becoming an efficient way to become less reliant on grid electricity, whilst also improving the security and reliability of a company’s power supply.

In addition, renting gas generation – instead of using a permanent, fixed plant – can mean that the cost benefits of cheaper gas can be obtained much quicker, avoiding the delays that go with planning, procurement, design and wait for upgrades to the grid when using fixed plant.

It also provides a cost-effective way of avoiding triad charges. Companies could be faced with triad charges if they cannot reduce electricity consumption at peak periods of demand. Renting gas generation to generate offgrid electricity and cover these periods of ‘peak lopping’ provides a cost-effective way of avoiding triad charges.

In manufacturing, hot water or steam is a common requirement in processes, and having a temporary Combined Heat & Power (CHP) plant can improve your overall energy efficiency by at least ten per cent CHP solutions enable manufacturers to generate power, heat, steam or

hot water by utilising waste heat from engines’ exhaust or high temperature coolant, delivering extra costs savings.

Finally, using temporary gas generation eliminates the need for investment in CAPEX, meaning money can be allocated elsewhere within the business. Many rental gas generation units are available with an operation and maintenance (O&M) provision as part of an agreement, further saving on the business’ O&M costs. Remote monitoring is normally included as standard, meaning that the generator’s operation is optimised and downtime minimised.

Act now to reduce costs It is more important than ever for manufacturing managers to be aware of their energy costs.

The focus is how these can be minimised, while keeping production output as high as possible at a time of relative uncertainty in the industry.

Turning to temporary gas-powered solutions could be a cost-efficient method to maintain production and reduce reliance on the grid.

The manufacturing sector is growing and is continually recognised as a global leader. We must ensure that energy costs do not hold this sector back.

By considering all options, and exploring alternatives to electricity, the benefits for companies are potentially huge. v

Ben Robinson Ben Robinson is Head of Sales & Marketing, Northern Europe, at Aggreko. Aggreko is the world’s leading provider of modular, mobile power, including heating and cooling. The company, founded in 1963, has more than 7300 employees, and operates from around 200 locations in 100 countries, with headquarters in Scotland. Aggreko serves all sectors, including oil and gas, petrochemical and refining, utilities, manufacturing, construction, mining and events. www.aggreko.com

www.manufacturing-today-europe.com 15

Logistics

James Woodall

People and H

Developments in automation, internet of things and robotics are having a big impact on the logistics industry. But complex and expensive technology still relies on the accuracy of human decision-making and record keeping, argues James Woodall 16 www.manufacturing-today-europe.com

paper

istory doesn’t record who first created the printed checklist, but they surely introduced one of the most widespread and intractable business processes in the world. In countless businesses across the whole spread of industries, critical business processes remain wedded to pen and paper, excel sheets, and little else.

Of course, there is elegance in simplicity. What can go wrong with a checklist? But I continue to speak to multi-million-pound companies that are investing huge sums in automation and technology, without addressing the biggest bottlenecks in their business.

List-based processes are an innate part of our daily working lives. They may take the form of checklists, health and safety documentation, inventory checks, repair schedules or picking lists.

Research suggests that the majority of businesses globally still rely on paper for many of these.

For example, the industry dedicated to aircraft maintenance and repair is estimated to be worth

$67 billion per year, and paper continues to be the most common way to track who did what repair to which aircraft. This is despite a report published a number of years ago which suggested that between 45 per cent and 60 per cent of serious aircraft maintenance issues were a result of poor documentation. Paper is easily lost and damaged, requires physical storage, and is at risk of being copied and falsified.

Today, documentation can easily be digitised, with pick lists displayed on a tablet instead of a clipboard. But that is just swapping one format for another, rather than fundamentally looking at the whole issue of data capture and the broader effect on a business.

Perhaps the biggest issue is that there is no effective way to record detailed contextual data with paper-based processes, which means businesses are losing massive amounts of invaluable data that could make their businesses more efficient, and save them money. Simply replacing paper with digital documents also

doesn’t solve this problem, as although the paper is now eliminated, the problem of recording the contextual data is still missing.

So, businesses that see technology as a route to becoming leaner, faster and more efficient should take care to ensure any shift to digital processes considers the wider implications around data capture. After all, data and intelligence is one of the most valuable commodities any business has, and even simple processes can contribute in a meaningful way is designed correctly.

Take for example the use of robots and automation in warehousing. Companies such as Ocado have developed fully autonomous warehouses, where hundreds of robot pickers located above the racks of goods can grab them, sending them along intelligently-controlled conveyor belts for the warehouse workers to pack the groceries for home delivery.

Whilst the high levels of automation have significantly increased the number of orders which can be packed and dispatched each day,

the efficiency of the whole process still relies on the skill and speed of the workers. So, in this highly-automated set-up, a lot of responsibility is placed on those workers to not become a process bottleneck. But their efficiency will always be limited by the processes they are expected to implement; if there are errors in the goods that have been picked, any technology-based time savings are immediately lost. Or, if the checklist or process they are using has not been intelligently designed, useful data that could help show up any problems or inefficiencies is not captured.

Therefore, there is an obvious opportunity to help workers reduce mistakes and contribute to the efficiency gains that automation has brought.

Shifting away from a very binary checklist or yes/ no decision tree suddenly captures the contextual data that is rarely recorded, but can be invaluable for identifying problems and bottlenecks.

Once data is being captured, then it is straightforward to build visualisation tools that turns this raw data into business intelligence. We give the businesses we work with a real-time view of their workforce, helping them to identify any issues or delays before they become critical.

We’ve even found that this approach empowers the workforce directly, allowing them to tweak existing processes or introduce new ones that are faster or simpler.

Whole swathes of industry are seeing tremendous change as new technologies disrupt and augment them. Many of these are headline grabbing and the stuff of sciencefiction movies from years past. But much as the modern workplace is evolving, business will always rely on its workforce, and we should not let the rush to innovate and invest obscure this.

There is so much that can be done to improve human-work processes, and for workers to retain their value within our new technology landscape.

And it starts with saying goodbye to all those paper checklists. v

James Woodall James Woodall is co-founder and CTO at Intoware.

Intoware is a human process improvement platform that solves workflow problems for business, no matter the industry. It has created software that allows any company - but particularly large organisations with maintenance and logistics needs - to digitise processes and workflows onto mobiles, tablets and wearables. Its product, WorkfloPlus, is device agnostic, can run from all forms of hardware, hands-free, in any environment, online or offline. The software has been developed to be simple to use, making adoption and integration quick and easy https://www.intoware.com/

www.manufacturing-today-europe.com 17

News in brief In the figures

Manufacturers’ output volumes growth slowed following a robust showing in the previous month, according to the latest CBI Industrial Trends Survey in September. The survey, of 409 firms, revealed that output growth slowed in the three months to September, but remained above the long-term average.

Output expanded in ten out of 17 sub-sectors, with growth driven predominantly by the mechanical engineering, food, drink & tobacco, plastic products, and metal products sectors.

Manufacturers expect output growth to pick up over the next three months. Anna Leach, CBI Head of Economic Intelligence, said: “Brexit uncertainty continues to cloud the outlook.

Heightened fears of a ‘no deal’ Brexit scenario have prompted some firms to move publicly from contingency planning to action.”

Built in Wales

Fluor Corporation has successfully completed the construction of a high-performance adhesives manufacturing facility for Solvay in Wrexham, Wales. The plant was officially opened on 21st September by Carmelo Lo Faro, president of Solvay’s Composite Materials Global Business Unit.

Fluor performed engineering, procurement and construction management for the new facility. It was completed on a compressed schedule to meet the needs of Solvay. Solvay is a global supplier of carbon fiber, advanced composite materials, structural adhesives and surfacing films.

Flying high

Arconic has officially opened its expanded aluminium and titanium aerospace parts facility in Bestwig, Germany. “We have significantly invested in Arconic Bestwig’s capabilities, almost doubling our titanium parts production capacity, and have added state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment as part of our efforts to better serve our customers,” said Jeremy Halford, President Arconic Engineered Structures. “Combined with our previous investments in Bestwig, this latest expansion is providing additional capacity to deliver even more of the titanium components our customers need to build aircraft at high volumes.”

The expansion is enabling increased production of large titanium structural castings up to 1.5 meters in diameter for leading commercial aircraft platforms. The expanded facility employs the latest in advanced manufacturing equipment for more efficient production.

18 www.manufacturing-today-europe.com

Make it in Middlesbrough

Greg Clark, Secretary of State for Greg Clark, Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, at the TeesAMP launch Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, was on hand at a special ceremony to mark the start of work on TeesAMP – the £55m home of advanced manufacturing in the North.

The first phase of the project will deliver 180,000 sq ft of advanced manufacturing space across 17 buildings and once completed, will be home to at least 17 advanced manufacturing companies and it is expected to generate hundreds of millions of gross value added for the Tees Valley economy.

Representatives from hydraulic engineering specialist Industrial and Marine Hydraulics Ltd (IMH) – the first company to agree tenancy terms for the £55m park – joined senior public and private sector leaders from across the region at the event, where the Cabinet Minister called on manufacturers from around the world to ‘Make it in Middlesbrough’ as he helped put the first spade in the ground.

He said: “I’m pleased to be part of the ground-breaking of the Tees Advanced Manufacturing Park which will play a hugely important role in driving forward delivery of our modern Industrial Strategy in the North East while bringing 1000 highly skilled jobs to the region.”

Guests at the launch were shown plans for the extensive development, which aims to address a national shortage of high quality buildings for the advanced manufacturing sector.

Czech it out

Jacobs Vehicle Systems has announced it will open a manufacturing facility in the city of Brno in the Czech Republic. The new plant places Jacobs closer to European customers and responds to growing demand for the company’s technical solutions.

Jacobs works in Europe with vehicle and engine manufacturers including Daimler, DAF, Deutz, Ford Otosan, and Volvo Group. In this region, as elsewhere, interest in Jacobs’ technical solutions is high because of the increased need for fuel savings and emissions reductions and because Jacobs has expanded its product portfolio through new applications of its valve actuation systems.

Starting in early 2019, Jacobs’ Brno plant will initially produce up to 100,000 engine brakes annually for manufacturers of heavy-duty commercial vehicles and engines. Future, phased development of the 2000 square-metre plant could eventually double production to 200,000 units annually. Initially, over 20 new jobs will be created with a further 30 planned as part of potential future expansion.

Dennis Gallagher, president of Jacobs Vehicle Systems, commented: “By opening a new plant in the Czech Republic, Jacobs is strengthening its presence and speed-of-response at the heart of continental Europe. This investment affirms our commitment to European-based OEMs, with whom we have a close, partnership-style of working.”

The Jacobs Machine Build team at the company’s Bloomfield, CT headquarters has built production machinery that will be shipped to the new Brno factory

manufacturing news Going 3D

GKN Aerospace has been improving production times and removing design constraints for multiple tooling applications since integrating additive manufacturing at its Filton manufacturing site in the UK. GKN serves over 90 per cent of the world’s aircraft and engine manufacturers with aerostructures, engine systems and technologies.

According to Tim Hope, Additive Manufacturing Center Manager, at GKN Aerospace, the company decided to invest in the Stratasys F900 Production 3D Printer in a bid to cut lead times for production-line tools, and to create complex parts, impossible to make with traditional manufacturing methods. “We can now cost-effectively produce tools for our operators within three hours,” he noted. “This saves critical production time, and by printing in engineering-grade thermoplastics, we can produce 3D printed tools with repeatable, predictable quality every time. All while matching the quality of a traditionally-produced tool, and reducing the costs and concessions compared to equivalent metallic tooling.

“Since integrating the F900, we have dramatically reduced production-line downtime for certain teams and are enjoying a newfound freedom to design complex tools,” he continued.

While GKN Aerospace is using a standard thermoplastic today, it is experimenting with Stratasys’ high-strength, heat-resistant ULTEM™ 1010 Resin material for these applications.

“One of the key benefits of additive manufacturing is the creative freedom this technology affords users,” explains Hope. “The F900 offers the largest build-size of any FDM 3D printer enabling us to rapidly produce tools to meet any requirements. Most notably, complex geometries and cavities that would otherwise be problematic are now practical with the F900. We’re utilising it to design, and 3D print, previously inconceivable tools that enable us to manufacture complex parts that are uneconomical or just physically impossible by other methods.”

In addition to design freedom benefits, GKN Aerospace has also seen a 40 per cent decrease in material waste. Hope anticipates a greater move towards the use of FDM additive manufacturing to produce high-value, flight-critical, end-use composite parts.

Strategic acquisition

Sweden-based marine and industrial brake supplier Dellner Brakes has acquired German brake specialist JHS Jungblut in a move that will strengthen the company’s offering in the wind energy market, and also enable further global expansion, particularly in the Far East.

Following hot on the heels of Dellner’s acquisition of German brake manufacturer Pintsch Bubenzer in January, this is an exciting time for the Swedish company which is well on the way to realising its ambition of becoming the world’s leading supplier of brakes and related power transmission products.

Dellner Brakes CEO Marcus Aberg noted: “JHS is the perfect partner for Dellner Brakes as we share a pioneering, innovative approach to technological advancement, as well as a focus on the development of high quality products that truly meet the changing requirements of our customers and markets.”

The enlarged company will operate under the Dellner Brakes JHS GmbH brand.

Call for clarity

New research from leading European service logistics specialist, Carousel Logistics, has revealed that almost half of UK and German manufacturing businesses believe they have time to prepare their supply chains for Brexit, but they have called for clarity to allow them to do so.

In an exclusive survey of senior logistics and supply chain professionals from 80 multinational organisations in the UK and Germany, Carousel found that 46% believe they will have time to prepare for Brexit (while just 18% believe they will not), but 50% still feel in the dark about the specifics of what is required. Only one in five UK companies feel informed about the consequences of Brexit; as one respondent commented: “Until we receive more guidance on the likely outcomes of trade negotiations it’s difficult to plan anything.”

www.manufacturing-today-europe.com 19

“Intelligent approach: KRONE quality in a key role” Wolfgang Bellon, Head of Quality for the Commercial Vehicles Group

Typical KRONE: There isn't a single detail on your trailer that wasn't given our closest attention. In this way, we have already set the ball rolling with countless ideas. As a result, you get the complete trailer from one single source. And you only have one contact person for service, maintenance and repairs. Quality and durability are the top priorities during production – down to the smallest detail. This way, Krone makes sure your cost of ownership is kept low – now and for the future.

Let the infos roll!

Krone_England_LandSeaAir_210x297plus3_DU170922_Qualitaet.indd 1

22.09.2017 08:18:47

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MANUFACTURING MANUFACTURING toda y toda

Driving

innovation

By providing world-class products and services, and embracing diversity in its workforce, Arlington Industries Group delivers consistent value and innovation to its global customers

F

or UK headquartered company Arlington Industries Group, the story truly began in December 2013. It was then that the Group was formed following the acquisition of automotive business Remploy Limited and of the aerospace group AIM Engineering Limited. In the years following, Arlington Industries Group would continue to expand through a number of targeted acquisitions, including Aerotech Design Consultants Limited in 2014, DPE Automotive Ltd in 2015, and North West Precision Limited and EDV UK Ltd in 2016.

The result of these efforts is an entity that integrates supply chains across the aerospace and automotive markets to deliver efficiencies to global OEMs. It does this through its 17 sites, nine of which are in the UK, but also operations

22 www.manufacturing-today-europe.com

in France, Slovakia, Germany, Turkey, India, China and the United States, through which it employs a diverse workforce of over 1500 men and women.

Collectively, the Group today provides a vast range of products and services, such as design, manufacture, welding, pressings, coatings, assembly, metrology, maintenance and logistics.

“Since day one, we have had two fundamental goals that we have wanted to achieve, the first being to increase our customer base and the second to move towards more sophisticated assembly of parts. By successfully meeting these aims we would be able to transform ourselves into true supply chain consolidators,” begins Arlington Industries Group CEO, Mark Franckel.

“Prior to our acquisition of Remploy that business did not manufacture a single item itself, and as

has become apparent in recent years, automotive companies are more in need of supply chain integrators than ever before, what with parts becoming increasingly complex and order volumes hitting record highs. More specifically, these companies want to work with those who can both assemble said parts and ship them to line side, which is exactly what we do.”

In the meantime, the Group’s aerospace activities also continue to go from strength to strength. “What began with the making of heavy fixtures for wings has since moved into smaller, higher volume parts such as cutting tools and fasteners,” Mark continues. “We have also recently appointed a new CEO into the business to run our aerospace operations and realise our strategy for providing supply chain consolidation services

Arlington Industries Group

to the big global industry players. Having already won several major orders, we are now focusing on the continued adaptation of our business model so as to meet the requirements of our customers as much as possible.”

Today, the Group is steadily closing in on its target of having a 50/50 balance between the number of parts and products it manufacturers and assembles in-house, and those that it buys in. “One of our largest investments in recent months has been the purchase and expansion of a dedicated press shop in Newton Aycliffe,” Mark explains. “From here we will be supplying painted, welded assemblies, and to do this we have not only installed new presses themselves, as well as automated robot welders, but also spent considerable capital to raise the roof of the building and dig two new pits so that we can meet increased demand.

“This is just one example of the ways in which the Group is growing every day. It is clear to us that what our customers want is to be able to place a global order with a single, trusted supplier, where possible, and tell them where to ship it.

Ultimately, what they want is consistency, the highest level of quality, and the right component at the right price, and it is this demand that we consider our driver. Our model of module assembler with integrated manufacturing is innovative in the industry. Our vision is to establish a local module assembly in every major country in the world, to support the global OEMs.” While the Group has become known for supply chain integration, it also takes tremendous pride in its ability to integrate a diverse workforce within its ranks, one which continues the legacy created

by Remploy. “Remploy became well known for successfully integrating a high number of disabled workers into its operations, thus transforming lives through sustainable employment, and this is something we were determined to carry forward,” Mark states. “Together with ex-service men and women, who we have also focused on bringing into the business, these individuals take responsibility for the making of parts and components, often from the point when we start making them right through to the end of life, and are a vital ingredient in what makes the quality of our products so high.”

Such has been the success of its diverse workforce to date that the Group is taking its business model overseas, specifically to the new, purpose-built facility that it is constructing in Nitra, Slovakia, to support the activities of one of its core customers, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR). “JLR have committed to making cars in three places, the UK, China and Slovakia, and with our remit to manufacturer and assemble to line side it makes sense that we are following our customer in order

to have a presence beside them,” Mark enthuses.

“Our Slovakia facility will also utilise the skills of disabled workers, working alongside the latest technology. While there is an undoubted feel-good factor about what we are doing as an employer, it is important to remember that we recruit our employees for no other reason than the fact that we believe it is great business, and we believe that this will again prove the case in Slovakia.”

The evidence clearly points to the fact that Mark and his team are very much focused on their customers and where they want their parts, and based on recent developments this will continue to be something of great importance. “We have won two major global contracts, one of which will see us tasked with delivering parts to a major automotive player in the United States, so we will be spending much of the rest of 2018 working to plug the gaps we have there and establish a presence in the marketplace,” he reveals. “We are also in the process of setting up our own wholly owned manufacturing business in China, and will retain a focus on identifying further product based acquisitions in the future.

“Last, but certainly not least, one of our

major goals is to IPO the Group. We have a planned timeframe to do this in September 2019, and this will be an IPO designed to raise cash and grow, taking the business to the next level of its development, and we expect it to be something that is very attractive indeed to potential investors.”

Arlington Industries Group Services: Automotive and aerospace supply chain integration

www.arlingtonindustriesgroup.com

www.manufacturing-today-europe.com 23

Steel processing

2

redefined

018 is the year in which Steel & Alloy – the largest independent steel processor for the automotive industry in the UK – is celebrating its 50th anniversary.

A fitting present to mark the occasion was the opening of the company’s new manufacturing site in Oldbury, which was the result of a £27 million investment. This was a clear statement of intent from the organisation that it is determined to continue being at the forefront of the industry by bringing innovative practices and technologies to the marketplace – something it has done for half a century already.

Fifty years ago, David Ashwell founded the business, which has since then introduced a number of firsts into the UK automotive processing sector, becoming one of the most important players in the industry. Driven by innovation, Steel & Alloy has established a proven track record of revolutionising the steel service sector by the development of multiple inventive processes, such as multi strand blanking, coil fed blanking presses, as

24 www.manufacturing-today-europe.com

well as an ultra-high strength slitting line.

“The introduction of the press blanking has been among the most recent highlights for the company, as it has fostered the increased demand for shaped parts,” Max Coleman, Operations Director of Steel & Alloy points out.

Since the business first started processing steel in the late 1960s, it has grown substantially to now occupy a total of six sites, including the aforementioned one in Oldbury. Headquartered in West Bromwich, where it has already outgrown its 100,000 square feet factory, Steel & Alloy also owns units in Smethwick, Cannock, and Darlaston in the West Midlands, as well as in Newton Aycliffe in County Durham, the latter supporting OEM’s based in the North East. In 2012, Steel & Alloy was itself acquired

by Gonvarri Steel Services – one of the most prominent multinational names in the European steel sector.

“Over the years, we have worked closely with our customers and developed within the supply chain, and the continued strength of the

Steel & Alloy

Steel & Alloy has future-proofed its business with the opening of a new state-of-the-art steel processing facility in Oldbury that will enable the company to remain the go-to processor in the UK automotive industry

UK automotive industry has created the need to increase our capacity and capability, hence the opening of our new site in Popes Lane, Oldbury, which has allowed us to upgrade and convert two of our existing lines to be able to process aluminium,” Max explains the reasons for setting up the company’s latest factory.

In fact, the £27 million investment constitutes only the first phase of the facility’s development.

“Together with the state-of-the-art steel processing facility, we have installed a 1250-tonne blanking press with robotic stacker, as well as a wide slitting line and an automated packaging line across the 10,000-square metre warehouse space. We have already obtained planning permission and, more importantly, we have the ability to construct three new production bays on-site, which will give us a total footprint of 25,000 square metres.

“The automotive industry is making lighter and stronger cars, improving the safety of the passengers and reducing the impact on the environment. Therefore, in order to support the

supply chain, we need to be able to process lighter and stronger materials. This is why we have invested in high-strength slitting lines and flexible presses processing materials suitable for hot stamping, and have also converted lines to produce lightweight aluminium components,” Max continues, remarking that the machinery installed in the Oldbury factory has been closely aligned with the recent trends in car manufacturing.

Going into a bit more detail, he outlines the main functions of the recently-purchased equipment. “The 1250-tonne Fagor blanking press, for example, has been configured to process short pitch blanks ideally suited for hot stamping. Additionally, to ensure that the material is perfectly flat, we have also placed two leveller cassettes in the line. The impressive robot stacker, in turn, ensures that the flat blanks are perfectly stacked, while the large press bed means that we can accommodate a wide range of press tools. Last but not least, the slitting line, with its shimless tooling, gives a high-quality

www.manufacturing-today-europe.com 25

product, which can be automatically packed to the customer’s requirements and this, ultimately, grants us another competitive advantage, as we can address clients’ needs more precisely.”

As a result of the major investment in Steel & Alloy’s current production lines, the company has now expanded its capability and developed an expertise in providing its customers with aluminium rectangles, trapezoids, and slit coils.

“The additional capacity we have created, is giving us the opportunity to venture into new markets, as well. By investing £27 million in the Oldbury site, we have clearly demonstrated that we believe in the UK automotive industry and expect it to stay strong in the years to come.

We feel comfortable in our role as a leading player in the sector and embrace the responsibility to ensure that the supply chain remains robust and flexible, and have the capacity to support our customers in a reliable manner,” Max adds.

Nevertheless, he is fully aware that there is a degree of uncertainty around the market. “The situation is quite challenging presently. There is a worrisome lack of clarity regarding the long-term viability of diesel-powered vehicles and, of course, there is Brexit, which is another area of concern as nobody really knows how profoundly the business landscape will be changed when the UK leaves the EU. Despite all of this insecurity, we are not and will not be phased or slowed down. We have faith in British manufacturing, our company has always taken a long-term view, so we will continue to act in accordance with the bigger picture and apply our pioneering approach to drive the sector forward,” Max promises.

For Steel & Alloy to attain its position as the number one independent steel processor for the automotive industry in the UK, the company has had to form a very strong team of dedicated employees willing to go the extra mile in their work. “There is no doubt that our biggest strength is the vast experience our staff possess.

We are proud to have a skilled and motivated workforce, whose intelligence and expertise give us the confidence to invest in new technologies.

When you couple this with the industrial strength and knowledge of the Gonvarri group, it becomes clear that we have some very distinct advantages that help us to constantly develop as a company,” Max impassions.

A visionary and conscientious senior management team that steers the business in the right direction is another trait of Steel & Alloy, which we can highlight as one of the factors for the company’s continuous success. Every year, the organisation’s leaders carry out an annual strategic review, analysing the previous year’s performance and setting key targets for improved

26 www.manufacturing-today-europe.com

Steel & Alloy

Steel & Alloy Services: Steel processing

www.steelalloy.co.uk

results in areas such as health and safety, customer satisfaction, product quality, production efficiency, and profitability. The review is then formulated into the company’s annual business plan, whose key objectives are regarded as the cornerstone of Steel & Alloy, are communicated to all of its employees, and are monitored and reported on monthly.

Reflecting the customers’ demand for quality of the processed materials, the company is known for often exceeding these expectations.

To stay true to this commitment, it uses various business management systems compliant with the ISO 9001 and TS 16949 standards. Similarly, Steel & Alloy operates an Environmental Management System structured under the guidelines of the ISO 14001 Environmental Management Standard to reduce the environmental aspect of its actions.

Having begun to process aluminium, the business is showing unambiguous aspirations to grow its presence in the segment in the near future. “Our plans are to continue leading the market in the automotive service sector, so we have to make the most of the opportunities we have now opened up in aluminium,” Max maintains, referring to Steel & Alloy’s intentions for the next three to five years. “It is our overreaching objective to look for new ways in which we can support our customers and this is inextricably linked with making further investments in flexible equipment that will enable us to manufacture products of even higher quality,” he wraps up.

www.manufacturing-today-europe.com 27

Top: The Bowmore and below The Braemar - Harris Tweed collection

Anything else is just a

sofa

Tetrad is a veritable maverick in the upholstery industry, handcrafting each of its pieces of furniture and setting the standard in the marketplace

28 www.manufacturing-today-europe.com

A

true passion for the beautiful has driven Tetrad for half a century, during which time the company has led the way in the design of soft upholstered furniture. Observing the vigour sported by the Preston-based manufacturer, it is easy to comprehend why its Production Director, Stuart Masson labels it “50 years young”.

Tetrad’s company slogan – ‘Anything else is just a sofa’, is demonstrative of the business’ claims to being different to its industry peers, with the company taking pride in handcrafting all pieces of furniture it produces. “All Tetrad sofas, chairs, and stools are meticulously made with hardwood frames. We cut their shapes on-site using beech and birch hardwoods, which is becoming increasingly unusual in our industry, as

Tetrad

Harris Tweed Hebrides Harris Tweed Hebrides have a unique story which is intrinsically linked to the remote Hebridean community where the company is based – the island of Lewis and Harris. Harris Tweed is the only fabric in the world governed by its own Act of Parliament, the Harris Tweed Act 1993. This states that Harris Tweed must be made from 100 per cent pure virgin wool; using wool which has been dyed and spun in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland; then hand-woven at the homes of the independent weavers. The cloth must then be finished locally before it can be ‘stamped’ with the coveted Orb trademark – the oldest such trademark still in continuous use.

Working with Tetrad, we produce a woollen fabric which combines colour inspired by the land and seascape in the Hebrides with distinctive design and weave structures. Our staff are highly skilled textile professionals, working across the different manufacturing processes from dying, carding and spinning, through to warping and finishing. Alongside this we work with 140 independent handweavers who weave each metre of Harris Tweed fabric in their croft-based loom-sheds located around the island of Lewis and Harris. Harris Tweed Hebrides manufacture a special weight of fabric for Tetrad which makes a wonderful cloth for both contract and domestic upholstery use. Our cloth patterns compliment Tetrad’s furniture design, combining craftsmanship in furniture-making with our handwoven fabric - a perfect combination showcasing British manufacturing skills at its best. .

the vast majority of our competitors opt for sheet materials. Another aspect, which sets us apart, is the fact that we use noncorrected aniline leather in our products.

Moreover, we purchase handwoven fabrics, which are then handcrafted into the final piece of furniture, thus creating a really beautiful and unique product for our customers,” Stuart discusses.

“In fact, most of the upholstery that we produce, is made by one upholsterer, which can be seen as another rarity in our industry nowadays. Many other companies use production lines, which, despite ensuring a higher throughput, take away the personal touch we can add to a Tetrad unit, where one person

www.manufacturing-today-europe.com 29

Crawford – Spink & Edgar Upholstery

manufactures it from the first tiny staple to the finished and ready to dispatch product,” he continues.

With the nature of Tetrad’s business requiring an exceptionally skilled workforce, staff is understandably regarded as the organisation’s biggest asset. “We are special in that a lot of our employees have been with the business for a very long time, and a considerable percentage of these people have started their career here as apprentices and have progressed through the ranks over time. The company runs a comprehensive apprenticeship scheme, which allows us to embed skills into potential employees from an early age and build the business’s future that way. Our long-term vision projects the continuing development of home-grown talents who realise what it is like to produce not just an ordinary sofa but to produce a Tetrad,” Stuart claims, also commenting that through training its own people, the company is trying to address the much-talked-about skills shortage gap in manufacturing.

“There are two ways to address this issue and we use them both, although we certainly prefer applying the method I just discussed.

Nevertheless, we also engage what we might call ‘migrant labour’, by employing staff who have not been with us from day one of their professional path.”

Over the years, Tetrad has formed a web of cherished business collaborations with a number of like-minded businesses, which has helped the brand build its popularity in the marketplace. “For example, we collaborate with Harrison Spinks

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Tetrad Lalique – Spink & Edgar Upholstery

to create the luxurious Spink & Edgar collection and also produce furniture using Mulberry Home fabrics and Signature Ralph Lauren fabrics.

The collection that has proven historically most popular, however, is the Harris Tweed. Our Heritage range has also been especially soughtafter, attracting customers with the genuine aniline leathers we use. I am pleased to say that all of our collections perform well and generate a very diversified sales portfolio for the business. We can offer our clients highly-customisable solutions for their needs, due to our capability to manufacture furniture across the entire spectrum of design,” Stuart points out.

Even though its products are predominantly being sold in the UK, presently, the company is developing its export side intensively. “As a matter of fact, we already sell our furniture all over the world, in countries like France, Italy, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, as well as in the Middle East and the Far East,” Stuart reveals. “We are now looking to further upscale our activities, because we have identified export as a key strategic area for the business. This explains the investment we have placed and will continue to place in exhibiting at furniture shows worldwide.

By the end of the year, we will have been at exhibitions in Brussels and Singapore, which reflects our ambition to target the Far East and Europe as potential areas of expansion. Naturally, we are keeping an eye on the Americas, too.”

Stuart admits that the upholstery market is not having its greatest spell, noting that consumer confidence has been damaged in recent times, but that Tetrad is staying strong, due to keeping

Hornby – featuring Mulberry Home fabrics

itself a step ahead of the competition through continuous innovation. “To give you an example, in June 2018, we launched our collaboration with Mulberry Home, which has been very well-received for the colourful, luxuriant, and vibrant items we have manufactured. Not suffering as much as other businesses are, is a true testament to the reputation our brand holds across the industry.”

In order for Tetrad to continue navigating the challenging business climate and maintain its leadership in the market, the company has put in place ambitious plans for the future. “One of the significant investmesnts we are going to make,

will involve the purchase of new fabric cutting technologies to make our operations a bit more efficient. It is also worth mentioning that we have just launched a range of beds for our Spink & Edgar brand, combined with Harrison Spinks mattresses, which we hope to see in stores just before Christmas, or shortly after.

“The only way for us to evolve is through seeking constant improvement in every aspect of the business. We are certainly not going to stand still, as we follow our growth plan. Infrastructure development is one of our priorities and another is ongoing investment in marketing and PR activities as a means to raise brand awareness.

It also goes without saying that excelling in delivering our services is on the top of our agenda. Ultimately, we are going to continue to design and craft beautiful pieces of furniture that will push Tetrad as a force to be reckoned with in the upholstery market,” Stuart concludes.

Tetrad

Products: Handcrafted upholstered furniture

www.tetrad.co.uk

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British

heat Employing the world’s most advanced radiator manufacturing technology, QRL Radiator Group (QRL) is growing its market share at home and abroad, while advocating the continuous use of British steel in the manufacturing process

Q

RL Radiator Group is a company on a mission. As the only UK radiator manufacturer that uses 100 per cent British steel in its pressed steel panel products at its production factory, the Newport-based business possesses a strong sense of responsibility to actively promote the merits of British manufacturing, protect its legacy, and ensure its healthy future. Operating from a facility that spans 1.2million square feet, QRL has the capacity to produce a whopping four million steel panel radiators every year, as well as a further 350,000 designer radiators, ensuring its position as one of the leading radiator manufacturers in both the UK and Europe.

Tony Mullins had been the Chairman of QRL, known then as Barlo Industries, between 1987 and 2004, before Quinn Industries took

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ownership. Four years ago, Tony became Chairman again to restore the company back to its former glory.

“During the 1980s and 1990s, the Barlo brand became the leader with key independent merchants in Britain’s distribution market, which allowed it to reach 24 per cent market share.

When Quinn Industries bought the business, it effectively withdrew Barlo from the market, and when QRL returned, the share had dipped considerably. The company’s share is now 14 per cent, but the ambition for the future is to get back to 24 per cent. This is why it made perfect sense to roll out the Barlo brand across our entire portfolio in 2018, to coincide with the company’s 50th anniversary,” reveals QRL’s Managing Director, Lee Kenney.

Benefitting from the extraordinary capacity of its manufacturing site, the company produces

QRL Radiator Group

the most efficient panel radiators in today’s marketplace, which significantly outperform their peers. Our unique third-generation technology was developed by QRL experts to achieve the highest heat output currently offered on the market, whilst driving down running costs for customers,” Lee states. “Due to their narrow waterway pitch of just 25mm, QRL steel panel radiators are lighter, with a lower water content and a faster heat transfer rate – resulting in more efficient performance overall. Very simply, with QRL panels, rooms get warmer, faster.”

The unrivalled performance of QRL’s radiators has also led to a recognition from the Energy Saving Trust (EST) – an independent organisation delivering programmes and consultancy on energy efficiency to UK businesses and international companies. In 2016, QRL became the first and only radiator manufacturer in the world to be granted ‘verified’ status* by the EST – marking the creation of a brand new, dedicated radiator category for the efficiency organisation*.

A change in customer behaviour driven by the aspiration to achieve a more aestheticallypleasing look of an internal space, has been clearly demonstrated by the significant growth of the designer radiator market. “Our analysis tells us that designer radiators now account for 35 per cent of the entire market in Europe, and only five per cent in the UK, so there is a huge potential waiting to be unlocked here. Design has become a key consideration for people and they are showing earnest interest in coloured, vertical radiators that save space and can deliver on both

form and function, to offer energy efficiency and value for money. The company’s leadership in the area owes to its ability to deliver a coloured radiator from 180 different patterns in just three weeks from ordering – as opposed to around 11 weeks for most manufacturers – because QRL is the only designer radiator manufacturer based in the UK” clarifies Lee. Thanks to its bespoke nature, Merriott is another brand that has helped QRL earn its fame in the radiator industry. “It is a very significant player on the commercial side of the business,” Lee remarks. “Over the years, Merriott radiators have been installed in buildings in London, Manchester, Birmingham, all the way to Dublin, as part of high-profile projects in these locations.

“In fact, QRL is Ireland’s number one radiator manufacturer for both its Merriott and Barlo brands” he reveals, opening up on QRL’s export activities. “Roughly speaking, about 40 per cent of our production is exported, into the Irish and European market. I am proud to say that QRL has recently become an importer into China, too.”

The need for levelling the playing field in the UK radiator market has been pestering Lee’s mind for some time, as he fairly points out the compliance issues plaguing the industry, putting British manufacturers at a disadvantage. “BS EN442 is a European standard that all radiators must be manufactured to ensure they meet quality standards and fulfil their performance claims, and the UK is no different. Unfortunately, we know from having commissioned independent research that a huge number of radiators

‘‘

Roughly speaking, about 40 per cent of our production is exported, into the Irish and European market.

I am proud to say that QRL has recently become an importer into China, too

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QRL Radiator Group

imported into this country do not meet this standard, and, oddly enough, not much is being done to change that,” he expresses his disapproval. “Radiators that do not conform to this standard will ultimately be radiators that underperform – which translates to higher energy bills for the end-user.

“The challenge for our industry, represented by the Manufacturers’ Association of Radiators and Convectors (MARC), is to insist on the rigid enforcement of the EN442. This will protect British manufacturers, guarantee consumer safety and ensure that they do not pay higher bills because the authorities have overlooked the fact that an importer is overstating claims about heat outputs. We estimate fifty per cent of radiators sold in the UK are imported and it’s questionable whether these all meet the minimum compliance standard. In contrast, we source our steel from Port Talbot, only 37 miles away from our factory and plan to continue doing so in the coming years. Local sourcing not only helps significantly reduce our carbon footprint, it also highlights our ongoing commitment to supporting British manufacturing,” he concludes.

QRL Radiator Group Products: Radiators

www.qrl-radiators.com * EST verification: QRL 3rd generation radiators have the highest heat output on the market at t50 from a comparison of the main market competitors, which means they heat your rooms up quickest (Tested according to EN 442-1:2014 standard.

Correct as of June 2016). Available in the following brands: Barlo Round Top, Compact, Merriott Primo Plus and Quinn Radiators Quattro. These product claims have been Verified by the Energy Saving Trust.

34 www.manufacturing-today-europe.com

P&B Metal Components

In a league of its

B

Well-versed in manufacturing difficult parts to make contact assemblies for the switch industry, P&B Metal Components is enlarging its geographical footprint by growing its Malaysia facility

own

eing passionate about people has been imprinted in P&B Metal Components’ system of values for more than 55 years. The company’s consideration for both its own workforce and customers has run as an uninterrupted thread throughout its history, playing a huge role in the business’ successful exploits. Founded in 1961 as a one-man company by Peter Bushell, P&B specialises in the production of contacted parts for the switch industry. Today, the organisation remains family-owned and is led by Peter’s son – Paul, who is its Managing Director.

“We originally started in London, but by 1970, the company had outgrown itself and my father decided move it to Kent. This happened due to the increased volume of orders the business was receiving, driven by the exceptional customer care it had become known for,” Paul goes back in time to discuss some of the historical

milestones P&B has achieved. Having grown considerably, the company was able to acquire its main competitor in 1990, and another smaller business that specialises in a niche area of the low-volume contact assemblies market in 2017, thus broadening its expertise. As a result of its successful trading activities, P&B was presented with a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the Export category in 2012.

“Export accounts for about 80 per cent of our turnover and it is truly gratifying to know that we supply a large number of countries all over the world. This has helped us establish our name as a trusted brand across our industry, which is very important for our future activities, because we tend to specialise in taking more complex parts and manufacturing them to a very high-quality level. By doing this, we aim to give our customers much-valued consistency in their automation,” Paul explains.

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P&B’s speciality lies in the manufacturing of silver bearing parts attached to non-ferrous metal carriers and, more rarely, to steel or ferrous metal carriers. In addition, its capabilities extend to the production of in-lay and on-lay bi-metal strips, as well as contact tapes. “We have a selection of over 80 different presses where we can stamp out high-precision components and attach contacts via automatic riveting or welding,” Paul details.

“Inevitably, we also display excellent tool making capabilities to produce metal stamping tools.

What sets us apart, is the fact that not many other companies in the world can perform such a wide range of processes. We are among the few who specialise in manufacturing full electrical contact assemblies, which gives us a distinct advantage in the marketplace.”

Stressing the uniqueness of the company’s production techniques, it merits mentioning that P&B has time and again demonstrated its proclivity to improving and customising the machines it purchases from Europe, so they can suit its processes. “Streamlining the efficiency of these machines is key in maintaining high speed and volume rates, which is essential in our

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business,” Paul remarks. “Thanks to being skilled in working both quickly and accurately, we can ship approximately 70 million parts per month from our UK facilities.”

Previously operating from two sites in Sheffield and Whitstable, in 2014, the company opened its first overseas facility in Malaysia, which has enjoyed an encouraging period of high production rates since. “It is absolutely clear that our focus over

the next 12 months will be to take our Malaysia business to a good level of profitability. When we opened the unit, we took a different approach to the usual production transfer model, moving only part of our low-volume and hand-assembly tasks, instead of shutting a whole site down in the UK and taking all the manufacturing to Asia. This meant that the Malaysia facility was free to find its own revenue streams and grow accordingly. I

P&B Metal Components

am proud to say that over the last year, we have had some amazing success, launching a number of new products that contain substantial volumes of parts manufactured in our Malaysia factory,” Paul enthuses. “Our ambitions for the new unit do not end with just making it a profitable entity. Far from that, we are keen on turning it into a veritable centre of excellence for tool making and sample and prototype production, and we are confident that it possesses the agility to become an industry leader in this discipline.”

Agility has positively been cited as one of the company’s core strengths, alongside P&B’s flexibility and ability to offer comprehensive technical support. These traits appear even more prominent when placed in the context of the business’ diversified customer base. “We supply from small family-owned companies to many of the big names in our industry, such as Honeywell, Schneider, Siemens, and Rockwell Automation.

Similarly, we cover the entire spectrum of the switch industry, providing our solutions to the aviation, automotive, HVAC, and domestic appliances sectors. Another part of the business is the components we make for the standard light switches and sockets that can be found in nearly every home around the world,” Paul reviews P&B’s action zones.

Dedicated to steadily evolving its offering, the business is presently examining the viability of applying a new 3D printing technology for the production of prototype parts. “Simultaneously, we are investing in the contact tape manufacturing area of our UK factory with a view to be number one in Europe in this department. We are also expanding our rivet manufacturing capability, having just taken delivery of one new machine, with another being in consideration.”

The presence of state-of-the-art machinery is key for any business, if it wants to stay in tune with the market requirements of the day. What is often forgotten, however, is that the need for qualified people to operate these machines ably

is more urgent, especially in times when skilled labour is scant. In what could be seen as an act of future-proofing the organisation, P&B initiated its ‘Next-gen’ project two years ago, whose aim is to entice new talent to the company. Paul elaborates: “The most important thing that we have recognised, is that we have to take the initiative, be the proactive side, and turn up at schools and colleges, as well as career fairs, and talk about

what we can offer and what young people could become within our environment. At the moment, we have 14 apprentices, which represents about ten per cent of our production workforce. All of them are buddied with senior colleagues, so they can learn from them, and it certainly looks like a very successful initiative, at the moment.

Our ambition is not just to attract young people in engineering, but also retain them in the sector, because, admittedly, there are a lot of distractions along the way.

“As a family company, we have always postulated that our business is all about the people who work for it. We need good workers and we enjoy having good workers across our facilities. In P&B, nobody is a number. Everybody is part of the family and without these family members, the company could not be what it is today,” he sums up emphatically.

P&B Metal Components Products: Electrical contact assemblies

www.p-and-b.com

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FEC created in underwater theme and concept, Sweden

Never-ending

fun

SPI Global Play has continued to develop its geographical markets in 2018, delivering its playground equipment mainly into the family entertainment centre (FEC) and retail sectors

A

clear sign of SPI Global Play’s worldwide significance is that the developer and manufacturer of soft play, playground equipment, plastic play products, and custom solutions has established itself as one of the main suppliers for McDonalds in both the USA and Europe. The company has enjoyed a period of continued growth that has seen it increase its sales and develop in line with its strategic plans, protecting its position as Europe’s leading Slide in dinosaur theme

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manufacturer in the market. Chairman Stefan Johansson talks us through the most recent highlights for the business: “We have been trying to strengthen the relationships we have with our existing customers, but we have also star ted to work with some new clients during the past 18 months. We are happy to announce that we managed to increase our annual turnover by more than ten per cent, which we attribute to the earnest investment we have made in both our R&D and sales departments.

SPI Global Play Glass fiber slide with photo-realistic printing

in a plastic moulding machine in the end of 2017 to double its capacity for the production of slides and other plastic equipment. “We can now manufacture all kinds of plastic-moulded products, which has enabled us to widen our por tfolio not just for the external customers, but for our internal needs, too. Alongside the plastic moulding machine, we also purchased a welding machine in 2017. These investments are a telling example of our commitment to equip ourselves with the latest technology and ensure maximum efficiency and the highest quality,” Stefan claims.

SPI Global Play had had a fruitful working relationship for a number of years with a glass fibre products manufacturer, before it decided to acquire this very company last year.

Stefan explains: “We had been buying from this company for a long time, so we knew that they had an excellent capacity and a very strong team, which resulted in the creation of first-class products. Since the acquisition, we have invested in new equipment, training and education, and the general layout of the factory.

We view adding this company to our business as a strategic decision that aims to significantly The close collaboration we attempt to nur ture with our clients is another crucial reason for our continual success. They appreciate the fact that we offer them turnkey solutions and that is why they keep coming back to us – because we take care of the entire process, from initial concept creation to manufacturing and installation.”

Since the beginning of 2018, SPI Global Play has capitalised on the positive development of the family enter tainment centre (FEC) market, but Stefan notes with satisfaction that the company is gradually increasing its market share in the retail sector, as well – a trend that has star ted a few years ago. “There is a heightened demand for creativity and for the safe delivery of the playgrounds on our retail customers’ part. It is necessary for the retail industry to reinvent itself in the era of Internet shopping and make sure that it continues to drive traffic, keeping the act of physical shopping attractive and entertaining,” he opines. “The need to introduce enter tainment in shopping malls is evident and our job is to understand their business philosophy, in order to serve them in the best way possible. At the same time, we should be working quickly, in order not to cause any disruption to the normal operation of the malls, whilst ensuring that we do not jeopardise the quality and security of the products in any way, either.”

For it to improve its manufacturing capabilities, SPI Global Play made an investment

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SPI Global Play Adventure golf in Namco Funscape, UK

expand our capabilities and move us from producing mainly slides to manufacturing all types of fibre glass products. Naturally, this step will benefit the entire marketplace, too, as we will be able to feed it with even more attractive items.”

At this moment in time, SPI Global Play is predominantly engaged with building multileisure centres featuring a wide variety of activities, as well as themed parks. To complete such ambitious tasks, the business has had to summon all of its creative powers and put some of its latest concepts, such as that of a trampoline park, into play. “We are especially proud of the bigger total concept projects we have been working on in recent times, because they are a true testament to the quality we can provide at every stage of a project,” Stefan beams.

Putting all ingredients together, it is no wonder that the company is witnessing an escalation of sales, notably in geographical areas that have not been par ticularly strong for SPI Global Play in the past. “Asia and the Middle East are proving especially strong markets for us right now, and so is the US. We sell to more than 40 countries and have established a local presence in 14 of these, covering five continents. Given the good job we are doing in these areas, our ambition is to continue develop them and enlarge our geographical footprint fur ther, while also targeting a yearon-year growth of about 15 per cent,” Stefan concludes, sharing some of the plans for the future.

SPI Global Play

Products: Playground equipment

www.spiglobalplay.com

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Fracino The Fracino P.I.D. - coffee with control

Full steam

ahead

For 55 years and counting, coffee machine manufacturer Fracino has been a brand leader with a flair for innovation, and with continued investment in its manufacturing capabilities it is set to further expand its global reach in the years ahead

I

n business, one of the lessons you are taught is that if you stand still for too long the industry and your competitors will inevitably pass you by. This is one of the common reasons why successful companies prosper – they are constantly pushing things forward. This is certainly an ethos to which multi-award winning, family-owned business Fracino subscribes.

“I think it is fair to say that the UK market has been struggling for growth in the last 12-18 months, much of which is due to the uncertainty surrounding Brexit and what the outcome of negotiations with the European Union will be,” explains Fracino’s Managing Director, Adrian Maxwell. “Despite this, we have been working extremely hard and holding our own in the face of challenging conditions domestically, while also making positive efforts to increase our export business in some exciting new locations.”

A recognised champion of British

manufacturing, Fracino is the UK’s only manufacturer of traditional espresso machines and operates one of the world’s most advanced and efficient equipment manufacturing facilities of its kind. Singled out in the past by former Prime Minister David Cameron for its success in selling coffee machines to Italian customers, when Manufacturing Today Europe spoke with Adrian from Fracino’s Birmingham facility it was days away from welcoming BBC Breakfast News for a piece on increasing the public’s perception of British manufacturing and its place in the world.

“Contrary to some belief ’s, the UK’s manufacturing sector is comfortably ranked within the top ten biggest in the world, and the government’s message today is all about the importance of our export market, which is what we want to push home ourselves,” Adrian states.

“The Chinese bubble appears to have burst and the value of Sterling is making the UK a cheaper

place to do business than much of Europe at present, and that gives us a big competitive advantage. We recognise that much of our growth over the next 12 months will come from exports and that is why we are putting a lot of resources into our sales department as we aim to reach a target of achieving 50 per cent of our total turnover from exports by 2020.”

If you consider that prior to 2009, Fracino was exporting very little, if anything, in the way of products, this target appears highly ambitious.

However, in less than a decade the company now derives almost 30 per cent of its income from outside the UK and it is this success that it now plans to replicate elsewhere. “In certain markets such as Dubai and Australia we have a strong group of distributors that help to secure regular large orders of our machines and we want to establish similar networks in other regions,” Adrian continues. “One of these is North

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The chassis assembly line

A.T Leads & Looms With over 25 years of expertise to its name, A.T Leads & Looms is a subcontract manufacturer and supplier of electrical wiring looms, battery cables, control panels and electrical assemblies.

An independent, flexible and experienced service provider, A.T Leads & Looms is a key supplier to Fracino for its electrical wiring loom requirements. It has become so by offering quality of product, competitive prices and minimal lead times, and by being able to respond quickly to requests for technical advice or assistance.

As Fracino has grown as a business, so too has A.T Leads & Looms and it takes great pride in knowing that its electrical wiring looms can be found in Fracino’s machines across the world.

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America, where we have various machines now entering their final testing phase. This will open up a wealth of opportunities across the United States, Canada and possibly Mexico, and will mean that Fracino will cement itself as the Mobile coffee machine manufacturer to possess Gas Certification all over the world over.”

With a product portfolio of more than 60

different solutions and production capacity of over 5000 machines per year, Fracino’s easy to operate, strong, stylish and fully serviced machines have been commissioned by a host of global brands, from Subway® and Patisserie Valerie to the Living Ventures Restaurant Group and the Pathfinder chain of pubs. A recent development has also seen it secure a contract with

Fracino Toasting success with Birmingham Mayor Andy Street (2nd from right) at the offical launch of Fracino’s new showroom

brand new 2500 sq ft extension to our facility, comprising of a contemporary showroom and a visitor lounge. This new addition to our premises looks fantastic and makes an immediate impression upon those visiting our facilities.”

With its new infrastructure up and running, and its manufacturing space operating with a full range of the latest technology and machinery, Fracino is moving forward with a number of key projects that will take it through 2019 and beyond. “These new products will be used to bring Fracino into new markets, giving us room to grow,” Adrian adds. “By 2020, we have a goal of achieving a turnover of between £10 million and £12 million, 50 per cent of which we believe will come from exports. That is the plan and as we have shown countless times before we will ensure that we never stop working towards getting there!”

Fracino

Products: Cappuccino and espresso coffee machines

www.fracino.com PizzaExpress, following successful trials of its 2 group Contempo and 3 group Romano machines at the restaurant’s Bluewater Shopping Complex and London’s Southbank chains, respectively.

“Brand awareness is hugely important and our customers are universal in their love of the Fracino name,” Adrian adds. “We are often recognised for not only our machine sales but also the level of customer service we provide.

What our customers also quickly find out about us is that while we are manufacturers of coffee machines, we are also a factory of engineers and that means that we can create some special products. For instance, we have just created a new waffle grill for a customer in Germany and a new gas water boiler, and we have several major projects to announce in the next year which we are excited about too.”

Returning to the theme of refusing to stand still, the company’s 45,000 sq ft production floor in Birmingham has been revolutionised through a multi-million-pound investment programme. “We have always taken the approach of reinvesting the majority of what we earn back into the business and this has continued with kitting out our production floor with state-of-the-art equipment and bespoke CAD technology,” Adrian enthuses.

“Not only do we continue to regularly update our machinery, we also remain the only company in the UK to operate a fibre laser robot welder, the use of which has even been requested by several companies that work in the automotive sector under subcontracting terms.

“In the last year, we have also opened a

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Supplementing your

diet Getting ready to double its production capabilities by opening a new manufacturing plant in 2019, Health Innovations is moving steadily towards realising its goal of being one of the leading international contract manufacturer of food supplements

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O

nly six years after opening its first UK manufacturing site in Skipton, North Yorkshire, Health Innovations has already established itself as a reliable supplier of quality food supplements. Since 2012, the company has been producing solid dose vitamins and mineral food supplements with the aim of exceeding client expectations, both in terms of product quality and customer service. “We are now manufacturing bulk and finished products for a wide range of UK and international customers, including the Major Multiples, various sports brands, pharmacy chains, and discounters. Our current production capacity is over one billion tablets per year across multiple formats, such as

film-coated tablets, chewable tablets, two-piece capsules, and more recently, fast-melt tablets,” begins Health Innovations’ Managing Director, Clare Campbell.

The acquisition of Vitrition in 2015 proved critical in the business’ attempts to expand its market proposition, as the contract manufacturer specialises in the production of a range of innovative items in different compositions, including liquids, emulsions, gels, creams, sprays, drops, and powders. “Vitrition can also deliver a variety of packaging solutions, such as sachet packs, stick packs, pouches, and, of course, a range of containers and bottles,” Clare goes on to explain the benefits Health Innovations has experienced from acquiring

Health Innovations

Vitrition. “Thanks to its on-site R&D expertise, the business can also provide full formulation service, scaling up customers’ product ideas from concept to a finished product. It has developed such a versatility that it can offer from small volumes of a niche product up to higher volumes to larger customers.”

It is Health Innovations’ rich portfolio of food supplements, tablets and hard gel capsules, as well as the company’s ability to provide an endto-end service – from product concept, through to formulation, validation, regulatory compliance, manufacturing, and packing – that are seen as its biggest strengths. Clare adds: “Together with our product development expertise and complete service offering, we have also ensured that all of our manufacturing sites are accredited to the highest level of the BRC Global Food Standard.

In addition, we have been granted the status of an Approved Manufacturer to multiple retailers and pharmacy chains. On the HR side, we are also an Investor in People-accredited company, and we are proud of having established a

committed and motivated team across all areas of the business.”

Developing its manufacturing capabilities has allowed Health Innovations to create numerous complex and technically challenging branded products, some of which have also been nominated for several quality awards. “One recent example of a successful collaboration with a customer was our work with a start-up, who came to us only with an initial idea of what they wanted to do. Within six months, we were able to formulate, manufacture, test, pack, and launch their products, which are now listed in leading High Street pharmacies and the Major Multiples,” discusses Clare.

Health Innovations and Vitrition are also proud of their close links with local Academia including Bradford University and Leeds Beckett University, where a number of R&D projects and Knowledge Transfer Partnerships are underway.

Health Innovations have completed two Knowledge Transfer Partnerships and Vitrition is currently conducting a Knowledge Transfer

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Health Innovations

with Bradford University. These relationships are adding new dimensions to their respective R&D capabilities and are resulting in increased product innovation.

“This year, we also completed the construction of a new manufacturing unit, which spans 30,000 square feet and will officially

begin production in 2019. The new site is adjacent to our original manufacturing plant that will continue operating after the new facility opens,” she outlines the latest infrastructure developments undergone by Health Innovations.

“We are planning to install state-of-the-art equipment at the new premises to support

our growth plans in the VMS and Licenced manufacturing categories. This will include machinery for blending, granulation, tablet pressing, coating, and packing, as well as a range of analytical equipment for our dedicated R&D laboratory, which will allow us to offer more technical services to our customer base, whilst carrying out more advanced tests internally.

“The facility was designed to meet both the MHRA and BRC standards and it will also be GMP-accredited, thus providing an opportunity for Health Innovations to enter Licenced manufacturing and further develop the export side of our business,” Clare continues.

“We expect that the new technologies we are going to install, will help us add new product categories to our portfolio and broaden our offering. Last but not least, the opening of the facility will also result in local job generation.”

Having noticed an increase in requests for the development of new delivery formats such as sprays, shots, gels, and fast-melt tablets, Vitrition has invested in expanding its liquid filling capacity by installing and commissioning a new gelfilling machine. “We have been investing in new equipment and the new facility, because we have a clear set of goals we are aiming to achieve in the next three years,” Clare notes. “We would like to see a considerable growth in sales both in the UK and the key international market we are targeting, as we want to be seen as a leading international contract manufacturer in our area.

Furthermore, we want to acquire and develop product licences, implement new manufacturing processes at Vitrition, and regularly launch innovative products within the VMS and pharmaceutical sectors, while increasing the development of intellectual property for our processes and products,” she concludes.

As a company that takes pride in understanding customer requirements and always finding the right solution, Health Innovations seems well-positioned to make further advances in its targeted areas. With the opening of its new manufacturing facility, the business will be able to significantly extend its production capabilities, which will enable it to manufacture products in the formats desired by its clients. Simultaneously, it will continue to push its R&D department and apply its creativity in the development of innovative supplements to boost people’s health and wellbeing in both the UK and abroad.

Health Innovations

Products: Nutritional supplements

www.healthinnovations.eu

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Atlas Packaging

The wow

factor

Skilled in designing unique packaging solutions, Atlas Packaging is constantly expanding its manufacturing capabilities by upgrading its equipment with the latest machinery available

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tlas Packaging’s creed has always been based on the idea that design and innovation are the key differentiators in a competitive field like the UK packaging industry. Established in 1983, the business has made a name for itself over the years, which has resulted in it winning multiple awards that recognise its capabilities in the sphere. “Throughout our history, we have continually focused on innovation and we love nothing more than wowing our customers with our creative solutions,” begins Jason Sharman, Managing Director of Atlas Packaging. Today, Jason is one of the five key people who steer the business to ongoing success, alongside Mark Reeve (Commercial Director), Mark Leverton (Sales Director), Vincent McDermott (Manufacturing Director), and Phil Sweetland (Operations Director).

The strong management team is underpinned by a talented design department, which has been

credited for the company’s excellent performance.

“Our designers are constantly exploring ways to come up with effective solutions using the least amount of material possible, and they have proven time and time again that they are very good at

suggesting novel ways to protect and present our customers’ products,” Jason praises his colleagues, also highlighting that Atlas Packaging’s core values revolve around teamwork, innovation, integrity, and strong leadership, which all contribute to the

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Board 24 Board24 is the UK’s leading supplier of corrugated sheet board and volume cases to the trade. With three dedicated sheet feeding facilities in Coalville, Preston and Larkhall, the company is well placed to serve sheet plants throughout the UK and NI. With an extensive portfolio of single or double wall sheets, across eight flute types and 15 paper types, we endeavour to meet any challenge you set us; from bespoke recyclable corrugated cardboard solutions to custom-made three colour printed cases.

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development of a formidable offering for its clients.

Headquartered in Barnstaple, North Devon, the company’s beating heart is its state-of-theart facility, where it has integrated a vast array of modern manufacturing equipment. “Some of our main suppliers of machinery include Bobst, Emba, Cuir, Latitude, and Asahi,” Jason points out. “We

have invested heavily in acquiring the machines we need to deliver the quality our customers are looking for. Over the past few years, we have relied on Bobst to provide us with our die-press and gluing machinery, while for our HQPP Flexo, we have used the services of Cuir and Emba. On top of this, we also invest in training to ensure that we

Atlas Packaging

maximise our offerings. In October, we will take delivery of a new Bobst speciality gluer, whose cutting-edge features will allow us to provide new pack designs that will certainly prove beneficial to our customers,” he reveals.

Atlas Packaging has reached the prestigious status of being one of the nine preferred Asda suppliers within the UK, which reflects the company’s strong position in the food and beverages industry. “Inevitably, this is the fastest growing sector for the business, and, thankfully, we see plenty of work coming our way in the geographical area where we are based,” Jason comments. “We have consistently targeted likeminded companies that share our values and we are incredibly proud of having a loyal client base, which we serve with our innovations and exceptional customer service.”

As established earlier, Atlas Packaging has been the recipient of a number of industry awards.

The company’s print capabilities were recently recognised by the European Flexographic Industry Association (EFIA) with a Gold award for the use of flexo-print technology for brands/retailers (a HQPP flexo-printed gift box, which houses a 1.8kg Wookey Hole Cave Aged Cheddar for one of its long-term customers, Dorset-based Ford Farm Cheesemakers). In Jason’s opinion, the triumph is down to the exemplary teamwork showcased by the design and print teams, in combination with the installation of one of the most advanced flexo-printing machines in the world – the Rotoflexo. “In 2016, we invested £1.75 million in this bespoke machine, which is the envy of the printing world, because of its capability of printing 3D effects directly onto the corrugated substrate. Taking advantage of its properties, we were able to reach a higher level in our flexo-print proficiency, thus earning ourselves the opportunity to compete with some of the biggest names in the field,” Jason remarks.

In August, the company was shortlisted for another two major industry awards. First, it reached the final four in the UK Packaging Awards for best SME business; and then, it was also placed among the finalists in the FlexoTech International Print Awards for best Promotional Print. “I am genuinely delighted that the team are being recognised for their efforts. We like to set ourselves challenges, but even when they lead to exceptional results, we do not always get the plaudits, so when we do, it is an amazing feeling. We talk a lot about teamwork and to be included among the best companies in the sector shows what can be achieved when you have a great team working closely together,” Jason observes proudly.

During its long history, Atlas Packaging has had to address requirements of varied nature, which have posed different challenges to test the

business’ skills. One such intriguing project was the development of new corrugated packaging for the transportation of Riverford Organic Farmers’ fruit, vegetables, meat, and dairy products. Due to the fact that fresh horticulture produce is often packed in damp environments, structural integrity and stackability for transportation were key. Demonstrating impressive adaptability, Atlas Packaging’s design team devised an ideal polycoated box, knowing that it would offer the soundest protection from moisture damage during both packing and delivery/collection. For the fulfilment of the task, the organisation invested in a new bespoke machine to make the boxes and its structural designers introduced new box sizes so the contents could be easily accommodated on one pallet.

Its ambitions growing with every completed project and every happy customer, Atlas Packaging is currently implementing its five-year strategy.

“Meeting our objectives will be occupying our brains in the next couple of years, as we are looking to take the business forward. Meanwhile, we will remain focused on training our staff and nourishing integrity and teamwork across the

company, as these have been the core qualities, which have enabled our success over time,” Jason wraps up, shedding light on the course the business is maintaining in the near future.

Atlas Packaging

Products: Creative packaging solutions

www.atlaspackaging.co.uk

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The smooth

process

Well-versed in offering a wide range of services to the automotive industry, Contechs continues to expand internationally, aiming to double its turnover in the next five years

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trictly following the notion that diversity equals strength, Contechs is involved in a number of activities. Formed in 1997, the company is a leading provider of specialist design and engineering services to OEMs and Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers in the automotive industry, being able to design and engineer solutions for every area of a vehicle.

Operating as a standalone business, it also acts as an automotive recruitment agency for prestigious clients, and further specialises in the manufacturing of car interiors. Last but not least, Contechs has made strides in materials handling and logistics, facilitating the movement of automotive goods across the UK and Europe.

A true marker of the company’s success is the fact that it has grown progressively year-on-year since its inception. This year, it is expected to reach the £70 million landmark and its owner and Managing Director, Peter Jarvis expounds

the drivers of Contechs’ growth in recent times.

“I would say that right now, we are seeing a significant growth in demand for design and engineering, because of the increasing popularity of Industry 4.0 and the electrification of vehicles, propelled by the creation of innovative nextgeneration concepts. This trend requires a more versatile skillset, as almost everything that goes into the car has become more electronic embedded within modular skateboard underfloor platforms.

“The trimming side of the business is growing very promisingly, too,” Peter observes. “It is true that we have invested seriously, but we are also capitalising on combining our design and manufacturing services together to provide more added value. We are now capable of applying our design feasibility skills to the manufacturing of modular designs and the clients like that. Being able to embed more carryover parts into our

Contechs

design concept allows us to be more competitive in our industry.”

Over the last five years, Contechs has shown a keen determination to assemble a strong management team of world-class industry experts, whose combined knowledge and practical experience has been instrumental in the company building rapport with its customers.

“Admittedly, it is an expensive strategy to deploy, but it has definitely paid off, because we are now led by a team of very well-read and highlyeducated individuals, whose technical expertise assures the OEMs that we can give them the right advice when they consult us,” Peter explains.

Strategic acquisition has also been on Contechs’ agenda over the course of its history, reflecting the company’s ambition to constantly complement and upgrade its service proposition.

While the latest example of such an activity dates back to 2007, when the company bought

a German peer, in order to grow its presence in the German sector with its design and engineering, and recruitment services, more recently, Contechs has set up a new joint venture in Poland. “This was done to support the growth that companies like JLR are experiencing in Slovakia, and we too decided to strengthen our position in this geographical area, also trying to make the most of the labour rates in countries like Ukraine,” Peter reasons. “Our European expansion is one to watch, but we expect it to truly manifest itself and start bearing fruit in the second quarter of 2019, possibly around March, which, interestingly, might coincide with the time Britain officially leaves the EU. “There certainly is a lot of nervousness surrounding Brexit. Our client base has become more calculated, taking its time before making strategically important decisions that involve considerable expenditures. We are all waiting for

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To us, the training and development of young professionals is paramount and the reward we get for our endeavours in this area, are the energetic and dynamic individuals working for us, who leave their stamp on our products and service offering

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Contechs

new programmes to be rolled out, but we just have to see what will happen with Brexit. If a deal is reached, we will be busier than ever, but if we have a hard Brexit, potential complications might occur,” he opines.

Concerns notwithstanding, when we take into account Contechs’ proven emphasis on planning its strategy carefully, it quickly becomes clear that the company should be trusted to stave off any potential impediments caused by transformations in the business climate. Peter maintains: “We are trying to act in a contained and calculated manner as we reinvest our profits into the business. At this stage of our development, it probably makes sense not to overexpand, but develop plans in order to remain nimble and flexible, in order to be able to continue serving our customers within our means and without compromising on quality.”

The structured way in which the business is managed has also led to prestigious external recognition, as Contechs has picked up multiple awards as of late, including the Business Desk West Midlands and the Made in the Midlands Manufacturing Apprenticeship Award. More impressively still, the company retained its spot on the 2018 Sunday Times International Track 200, appearing on the list for a second year in a row.

“We are pleased to have been singled out for our efforts, both locally and internationally. The awards are a testament to our culture and the values we believe in. To us, the training and development of young professionals is paramount and the reward we get for our endeavours in this area, are the energetic and dynamic individuals working for us, who leave their stamp on our products and service offering,” Peter glows with pride.

For Contechs, the next major task in sight will be the expansion of the company’s manufacturing base. “We are doing everything under one roof, at the moment, and we have identified the need for a larger facility as a pressing one,” Peter notes.

“The plan is to move out of our current Warwick office, turning it into a manufacturing unit, while establishing a state-of-the-art standalone design centre for more conceptual thinking that will help us reach the next level of our design capabilities.

Ultimately, our long-term goal is to double our turnover to about £140 million and the expansion of our infrastructure, along with the growth of our European business, will be critical in meeting this objective.”

Contechs

Services: Design and engineering services for the automotive sector

www.contechs.co.uk

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Elopak

The sustainable

solution

International packaging supplier Elopak considers it its business to break new ground at every level – a belief that has seen it grow into a global corporation that is equally as passionate about sustainability

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Elopak

Westlake Chemical Westlake’s polyethylene business offers the customised attention of a niche supplier with the breadth and capacity to handle volume requirements.

• Broad portfolio of low density, low-density copolymers, linear-low density, plastomers, functionalised polymers and waxes; • Focused on flexible packaging, extrusion coating and niche markets; • Production flexibility to handle special grades and custom formulations; • Top-level expertise for sales, customer service, product development and troubleshooting needs; • Access to our Customer Solutions Center for on-site testing and evaluation: o Monolayer up through 7-Layer blower film o Co-extrusion Coating and Laminating o 3-Layer Cast film o Full-service analytical, characterisation and physical-property laboratory testing

Nippon Dynawave Packaging Nippon Dynawave Packaging, LLC has enjoyed a strong relationship with Elopak for many years.

Through collaboration and innovation, together we have delivered safe and environmentally friendly packaging solutions for the chilled beverage market in North America. With common principles rooted in trust, sustainability, food safety and product quality guiding us, we look forward to continuing this synergistic relationship well into the future.

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holly owned by one of Norway’s largest privately owned industrial groups, the Ferd Group, Elopak is an international supplier of paper based packaging solutions for liquid food. With 11 manufacturing units located throughout the world and with its products sold into more than 80 markets, Elopak’s mission is to preserve the world’s resources in a healthy, safe and sustainable manner, and to work with its customers to ensure that its packaging helps to elevate their respective brands.

The success of the business has been intrinsically linked to the success of the iconic paperboard gable top carton, which was first granted its patent by the US Patent Office in 1915 and has since become known as the gable top Pure-Pak® carton. “Over 100 years since it was patented the gable top carton remains

one of the most popular packages for milk products around the world, and Elopak has very much taken leadership of this format, delivering innovative solutions that have given the concept its staying power,” begins Elopak CEO Thomas Körmendi.

Elopak’s Pure-Pak® carton is without doubt the product line that the company has become best known for. Its lightweight, user-friendly and protective properties have helped to maintain its popularity, and its use of renewable resources and fully recyclable materials means that its scores highly when it comes to environmental sustainability. In addition to its Pure-Pak® classic design, Elopak has also brought to market the Pure-Pak® Sense carton, an original contemporary pack with improved appearance and functionality, and the uniquely shaped PurePak® Diamond carton, which is designed to provide space for a larger cap. Further products

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Toyo Ink Group Toyo Ink Group manufactures a full range of packaging-related products, from inks and laminating adhesives, to their key raw materials, pigments and resins. As a comprehensive manufacturer, we are committed to creating products that contain lower levels of petroleum solvents. Toyo Ink Group is dedicated to providing ethical packaging solutions. These solutions are designed to help food and goods manufacturers develop and distribute the ethical products required by modern consumers.

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and services offered by the company include filling machines, secondary packaging, printing, paper board solutions and material for roll fed aseptic carton filling machines.

Such has been the dominance of the company in its field of expertise that in 2018 it became the first manufacturer to deliver over one billion, 100 per cent renewable cartons. “As a business, Elopak has always had a strong drive to push forward the agenda of what is possible when it comes to environmental packaging by embracing a combination of flexible, customer focused service and technology know-how,” Thomas explains. “A little less than a decade ago, we introduced an environmental strategy plan called Future Proof Packaging, which essentially outlined our sustainability ambitions. We openly shared this with our suppliers, and thanks to close co-operation with our key supply chain partners we were able to arrive at our goal.”

Also contributing to the above achievement was the launch of Elopak’s Naturally Pure-Pak® carton in September 2017. The first gable top carton made from natural brown unbleached

paperboard, it retains the natural colour of the wood fibres used and has a visible fibre structure. This creates a sustainable, authentic packaging solution that meets the growing demand for ethical, ecological and organic products. “We are extremely proud of the success to date of our Naturally Pure-Pak® carton,” Thomas adds. “We see it as a great example of the journey that the company has been on when it comes to identifying ways of making continued improvements to our environmental credentials, which generate improvements on a much larger scale.”

The company certainly has an ambitious sustainability vision, with it aiming for zero net impact on the environment when it comes to its products and its production processes.

“Since 2008, we have succeeded in reducing our emissions output by almost 70 per cent,” Thomas goes on to reveal. “Today we utilise 100 per cent renewable electricity across our various sites, use only FSC certified material in all of the board we use, and have introduced more renewable PE, and the reason behind

Elopak

For example, Elopak continues to perform extremely well in North America where we have a plant in Montreal, Canada, which is arguably the most advanced manufacturing site of its kind for gable top packaging anywhere in the world.”

Over the next 12-to-18 months the company will also be focusing on delivering operational improvements across the board, introducing new products to market, and of course putting ever-greater emphasis on its sustainability efforts. “We most definitely remain on an exciting journey of growth, and we look forward expanding into new regions and markets where we see there is room to expand, while continuing to get the most out of our existing infrastructure,” Thomas concludes.

Elopak

Products: Paper based packaging solutions

www.elopak.com this is not only the fact that it aligns with the environmentally friendly products we offer but because we really believe it is the right thing to do.”

Elopak’s various products originate from its ten paper board manufacturing sites, and its sole machine manufacturing site, located across the world from Canada, Mexico and the Dominican Republic, to Western and Eastern Europe and Saudi Arabia. “Throughout each of our facilities we have embraced the best, most relevant aspects of both TQM and LEAN practices,” Thomas continues. “We have also made it our mission to drive efficiencies through our facilities by embracing increased levels of automation and putting it to use in areas where manual work adds less value. This in turn allows us to better allocate our employees’ skills to improve productivity. Automation also provides us with a unique array of data that allows us to compare performance between our respective facilities, which ultimately means we can bring about increased performance on a more factual basis and improve the traceability of our products.”

As a group, one of the things that Elopak is currently working on is a strategy for driving growth geographically. “There are regions and parts of the world where we are currently either not present or boast only a small footprint, such as South America and Asia, which we are keen to explore in the future,” Thomas says. “At the same time, however, we also know that there are huge opportunities still in those markets where we do have a strong presence.

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Dreaming

big

Passionate about offering advanced non-invasive skin cancer treatment therapy systems, Xstrahl has developed a wide range of products that have put the company at the forefront of radiation oncology

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ur vision is to be innovators in the application of X-ray technology, which serves our ultimate purpose to help eradicate cancer,” exclaims Adrian Treverton, CEO of Xstrahl. Over the course of pursuing this noble cause, the developer and manufacturer of superficial orthovoltage medical X-ray systems used in cancers and dermatological disorders treatment, has become one of the brightest names in the radiation oncology world, with manufacturing facilities both in the UK and the USA. Furthermore, Xstrahl has developed expertise in providing accurate and specialised research solutions to life science investigators, radiobiologists, radiation oncologists, and radiation

physicists by offering a broad range of pioneering radiation-based research systems.

Traditionally, the company has directed its focus on producing machines that treat non-melanoma skin cancer, but especially in the period between 2006 and 2009, Xstrahl developed the Life Sciences side of the business intensively, through which it has introduced a variety of pre-clinical research systems. “We worked on a system that replicates human treatment on animals, following the exact pathway of directing radiation straight to the tumour in an animal model, which allowed us to explore the latest developments in radiation oncology,” Adrian recalls. “The product line really took off in the USA and we have sold about 70

Xstrahl

of these systems since 2010. Intelligibly, North America is one of our strongest markets, but we have also had the machines installed all over Europe, in Brazil, Australia, China, and Korea.”

Given the rapid advancements in radiation oncology, even in areas of the world that were previously less developed in this respect, Xstrahl is seeing multiple opportunities to promote its products in a number of markets. “Countries like the UK, Australia, and Canada, where the health system is very similar, are our core markets, because patients are often subjected to radiation treatment, which allows for the use of our systems.

At the same time, China has been investing a lot in cancer research, which enables a potential for growth for our Life Sciences products. We can also see that certain post-Soviet countries in Eastern Europe are now rolling out cancer treatment programmes, looking for alternative skin cancer treatment methods, so this region forms another geographical area where we can bring our equipment,” Adrian discusses.

Cleverly adapting in line with the ongoing field trends, Xstrahl launched its RADiant product earlier in 2018, having identified an increasing demand for smaller, mobile X-ray therapy systems.

The system was specifically designed to move around the clinic and from room to room, meaning no lengthy installations. In addition, the unit’s small footprint allows for the adaptability of a busy treatment room, while its mobility makes for better use of space within the treatment room. Its low energy and short exposure times means the treatment room requires less shielding compared to a higher energy systems, as well.

“The RADiant product is the first of a new generation of X-ray therapy systems we are working with. We have now established an R&D roadmap that looks at adapting the core technology around the patient’s needs, while also investigating the opportunities to use other new technologies to deliver even more portable variants of the system,” comments Adrian.

“There is a core technology with all of our products, which means that they are controlled, filtered, and commissioned in a very similar way to each other. What sets us apart is the expertise of our people and the skilful way in which we manage our supply chain,” he explains. “We are a manufacturing systems integrator and have formed fruitful relationships with our suppliers over many years, as we outsource various aspects of the manufacturing process. Still and all, we put a great emphasis on putting our people through a lot of training. A big part of what we do involves the implementation of our quality management system, so our employees need to be process-driven and understand what they are meant to be doing.”

Adrian happily embraces the fact that Xstrahl

‘‘

Sometimes, it is innovation in simplicity and making systems easier to use that is needed to make them successful in diverse market areas, where people have a different level of training and understanding of how they work

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Xstrahl

operates in an exciting area where the company can make an actual difference to the well-being of millions of patients around the world. “There are two main goals we would like to achieve with our Medical division,” he outlines. “First, we want to provide as many skin cancer patients as possible with an access to the systems we have developed, so they can go for this non-surgical approach. Second, we want to see that the inflammatory conditions that can be treated by our products are better understood by the public, as scientific progress now allows the patients to receive painless radiation therapy treatment. In the meantime, we will continue to innovate in the Life Sciences department and look for new ways that make the treatment more available to patients worldwide.”

Hitting certain financial targets has inevitably been a goal for Xstrahl, too. In March this year, Risk Capital Partners bought a majority stake in the company to support its future growth. “Being adaptable seems to be crucial in our aspiration to develop into new markets. We have to tweak our

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products, so that they are functional in different sectors with different requirements. Sometimes, it is innovation in simplicity and making systems easier to use that is needed to make them successful in diverse market areas, where people have a different level of training and understanding of how they work,” Adrian points out.

“We are a company, which focuses on growth and on the development of its own people, who then support the customers and help them deliver the best patient care and the most insightful research in the area. Our ambition is to stay innovative and nurture our collaboration with some of the biggest universities in the world, whilst extending our network of customers, so that we can drive our growth forward,” he wraps up.

Xstrahl

Products: X-ray systems for treating cancer and dermatological disorders

https://xstrahl.com

Cormar Carpet Company

Making a home

complete

For more than 60 years, Cormar Carpet Company has manufactured some of the finest quality carpets, which it supplies to carpet and flooring retailers across Britain and Ireland

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proud, British, family-run business, Cormar Carpet Company (Cormar) has been making carpets at its mills in Lancashire since 1956. Originally a textile supplier trading as Greenwood & Cooper Ltd, it was Neville Cormack, O.B.E., who set up the business as it is known today following the advent of the ‘tufted’ method of making carpet. One of the pioneers of this type of carpet making, Neville bought his first two machines from the United States, and in the 60-plus years the company he founded has retained a local, family feel, even as it has expanded nationally.

Today, Cormar makes and delivers its products to approximately 3000 retailers around the UK and Ireland, utilising a fleet of

more than 65 branded vehicles. During the course of its history, the company has been the proud recipient of over 50 carpet and flooring industry awards, including being voted ‘Best Carpet Manufacturer 2018’ by readers of Interiors Monthly and F1 ‘Carpet Supplier of the Year’ for the past 13 years.

Cormar’s customers are for tunate to be able to draw inspiration from a wide range of carpets to suit every occasion and environment, be it the lounge, bedroom, hallway or stairs. Amongst its award-winning collections are its cosy and luxurious Soft Deep Pile range, its naturally textured and resilient Wool Loop offering, its stain resistant, pet and family friendly Easy Clean Twist ensemble, and its natural and versatile Wool Twist assortment.

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Cormar Carpet Company

Filatura Semonte Filatura Semonte is an Italian textile company, with a familiar ownership, 120 employees and a woollen spinning mill that produces yarn for carpets for about 5000 tons per year, and is one of the most important producers in Europe when it comes to the carded yarn industry for flooring.

Thanks to careful and continuous investments, today Filatura Semonte has delivered an extension of 25,000 sq.mt. with eight complete spinning lines and five heat-set Superba machines, which give great production flexibility.

The commitment to the quality of our products together with an accurate raw material selection are our in-house basic concepts.

The presence of specialised personnel and the satisfactory relationships established with the most important carpet manufacturers such as Cormar Carpets have allowed the company to grow and develop over the years.

This year Filatura Semonte is happy to have reached its 50th anniversary.

Central to the company’s operations are its three key sites; Holme Mill and Brookhouse Mill in Lancashire, and its new, purpose-built distribution centre in Hemel Hempstead.

Holme Mill, situated in Ramsbottom, is arguably the company’s most recognisable facility. Here the finest quality yarns are stored ready for making into carpet. Before being carefully inspected, they are then sent to its nearby Backing Plant, Brookhouse Mill in Greenmount, ready for backing with woven secondary backing. From this second plant, it then cuts carpet to length, or dispatch it as full rolls to its network of retailers across the UK via regional collection points. Brookhouse Mill also serves as Cormar’s head office and retail showroom.

The most recent addition to the company’s infrastructure por tfolio, which opened its doors at the turn of April 2018, is its new Southern Regional Distribution Centre (SRDC) in Hemel Hempstead. The 130,000-square foot facility has been built to stock up to 2500 rolls of carpet, and to cut and distribute it, enabling the company to build on its already immaculate service record. The SRDC also includes two cut lengths machines and a sor tation system, nine loading bays, and parking capacity for up to

60 HGV vehicles and new reach/counter balance trucks.

Managing Director of Cormar Carpet Company, David Judge, commented at the time of the SRDC’s opening: “This project has been ongoing for the last two years. The past few months in par ticular have been really exciting times for our business, seeing the proper ty conver ted into a fully operational, modern carpet distribution facility. The growth of the company has meant that we have had to plan for future expansion and this multi-millionpound infrastructure investment demonstrates our commitment to our customers and the trade. The Hemel Hempstead area offers us perfect access across the South, allowing us to strengthen our distribution throughout the UK by servicing our existing customer base in the South from this one location. Plus, it has created more than 40 new job oppor tunities locally.”

At the same time that the company has been expanding its reach, it has also been celebrating a successful rebrand, bringing new products to the market and continued award success. Cormar Carpet Company Marketing Director, David Cormack, commented in July

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Cormar Carpet Company

2018 on how the rebrand was to emphasise the company’s focus on carpets. “The company logo has had various updates over the years, and the decision to refresh your brand is never an easy one, but we feel that the new image for the company, while reflecting the traditional Cormar ethos, carries with it new appeal to consumers, for the digital age. The integral message ‘Making your home just right’ captures the essence of the brand and its value throughout the home decoration process. While we may have a fresh image, however, we are still maintaining the company’s core values: family owned and British made, and the brand will continue to be supported with high-performing products, excellent customer service and an efficient delivery service.”

In terms of new products, the company’s aim has not only been to expand its portfolio of carpets, but also to push the boundaries when it comes to carpet style. Among the latest additions to its collections include the Apollo Comfort range, made with a softer Excellon polypropylene fibre to provide a premium feel at an affordable price, and a re-launch of its popular wool twist range, Home Counties Plains.

Both the company’s products and its successful rebranding exercise have subsequently also been recognised by the wider industry, with September 2018 seeing Cormar being presented with a further pair of accolades to add to its ever-growing list of honours, this time from leading trade magazine The Stockists.

The two ‘Gold’ awards in the Flooring Innovation Awards come in the categories of ‘Services’ and ‘Marketing’, the former recognising the company’s leading online trade portal, which allows flooring retailers to stock check, order online and manage payments, and the latter its rebrand and new consumer website.

“Once again, everyone at Cormar is to be congratulated,” said David Judge. “Awards such as these are won by a whole team of people whose efforts contribute to the quality of our offering and the efficiency of our customer service. This year we’ve made huge investments in the business that take us forward as a dynamic and leading edge player in the market so it’s great for the Cormar team to be recognised once again for the hard work and determination that they have put in.”

Cormar Carpet Company

Products: Leading carpet manufacturer and supplier

www.cormarcarpets.co.uk

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UNITED CAPS

Uncapped growth Extensive innovative capabilities and a broad portfolio of advanced standard and bespoke solutions have made UNITED CAPS the global industry reference for the design and production of high-performance plastic caps and closures for a number of renowned companies worldwide

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stablished in 1939, today the company is headquartered in Wiltz (Luxembourg), also operating manufacturing facilities in Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, and Spain.

Aspiring to be a truly global leader in its sector, UNITED CAPS is currently building two new plants – one in Malaysia that is expected to start production by the end of 2018; and another in the UK, projected to be operational in late 2019.

“In our manufacturing, we aim to maintain a mix of 50 per cent bespoke and 50 per cent standard closures,” clarifies UNITED CAPS Group CEO, Benoit Henckes. “Eighty-four per cent of our production serves the food sector,

16 per cent serves the non-food sector; with 29 per cent of our items being sold in France, 16 per cent in Benelux, 13 per cent in the UK, as well as ten per cent in Germany,” he draws upon some key figures that highlight the areas of engagement for the company.

Designed to facilitate UNITED CAPS’ strategy of keeping a fine balance between the production of bespoke and standard products, is the business’ R&D Centre, located in its French plant in Messia-sur-Sorne. “The facility’s extension, celebrated in June 2018, resulted in the creation of a more modern working environment with increased security and a restructured organisation that enables the R&D

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staff to be closer to market needs and trends, and to continue developing all products for the whole group.

“We are following what we call the ‘Close to You’ approach, part of our long-term growth strategy, to increase our market presence, deepen our business relationships, and get even closer to our customers. Traditionally, the packaging industry has been dominated by small to mid-sized family businesses. On the other hand, we often have to work with global companies in the consumer goods industry, which is propelling packaging suppliers to globalise, too, hence the application of the ‘Close to You’ strategy,” Benoit starts to unfold some of the practices UNITED CAPS has established, that outline the business’ core strengths.

Another trait of the company is its proven track record of acquisitions and mergers, courtesy of which, the manufacturer has been able to strengthen its expertise. “The latest example of that is the acquisition of Embalatap we recently finalised. This strategic move has helped us complete our portfolio with vital closures for edible oils and vinegars in the Southern and Eastern European markets, giving us the clear advantage of being a onestop shop.”

Sustainability also occupies a central position in UNITED CAPS’ considerations, as consumers demand that renewable materials are more extensively used in their caps and closures. “Our GREENCAP is made of a new polypropylene (PP), which makes it kinder to the environment, low-weight and more cost-effective, as it is less expensive than traditional PE closures; and our GREENER closures family are bio-sourced, made from sugar cane, which is a renewable alternative to traditional fossil feedstocks,” Benoit points out. “In addition to applying sustainable practices in the manufacturing of our products, we are also working hard to cut our environmental impact internally. In the past four years, we have managed to reduce our CO2 footprint by 15 per cent per one million caps produced, as well as our waste by 40 per cent per 1000 caps produced. Together with this, we recycled 90 per cent of that waste and reduced our energy consumption by 21 per cent.”

The most recent product highlight for UNITED CAPS was the design of a new closure for Nestlé’s Nescafé Gold. Benoit details: “Nestlé wanted to create a classy package for its Nescafé Gold coffee to present a premium image in line with market trends for coffee products. The company was aiming at a brushed metal look, which required something that had never been done before – to wrap a 100 per cent metallic material around the skirt of a

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UNITED CAPS Group CEO, Benoit Henckes

closure. Naturally, we accepted the challenge and created the closure, which consists of three pieces: an ‘inner’, a ‘liner’ that is a foam gasket ensuring that the coffee is isolated from the exterior, and an ‘outer’ that includes an in-mould label. This metalled in-mould label did not exist on the market and was specifically developed for this product. A specific composition was developed to comply exactly with Nestlé’s unique specifications.

“In particular, a specific surface finishing protects the metal brush look from damage during closure usage.

“Speaking of some of our products, it would be worth shedding some light on the dedicated development process we have devised that allows us to conceive, test, and manufacture new concepts in the best way possible,” he states, listing the steps UNITED CAPS takes to fulfil customers’ demands. “First, we hold a face-toface meeting with the client to understand the application for which they require a solution and their precise needs. Then, based on a rough sketch, the product is brought to life via a digital 3D model, which is then shared and discussed with the customer in a further meeting. During the pilot phase, the prototype is subject to a large number of tests. Mould performance is assessed and injection techniques are analysed in our DevCenter, using our wide range of customised testing equipment that ensures the analysis is thorough. If necessary, modifications are then made to the pilot mould. Once it has been finalised, a large number of closures are manufactured and tested within the customer’s facilities in what we call ‘the industrialisation

stage’. This usually involves the gradual increase of the quantity of the samples qualified on the line – from a few boxes to several pallets. Finally, the new closure is introduced to the customer’s operation and its performance evaluated.”

With two new manufacturing plants under construction, it is evident that UNITED CAPS’ attention in the coming months will be drawn to the successful completion of the facilities, whose operation will better position the company in key strategic areas. “The building of the Malaysian factory is moving along as expected, so we should have it opened in the next few months before the year is over. It will primarily be focused on the production of closures for infant nutrition and agrochemicals, but we are planning to expand with closures for beverages and edible oils later on. We are already supplying the Asian market and so are some global players. What they lack, however, is a ‘local approach’, and we would like to take advantage by building a plant in Kulim to stay closer to our clients there.

“Regarding the UK factory in Dinnington, it will initially span 5000 square metres with the option to expand to 20,000 square metres, if necessary, and will at first concentrate on the production of beverage and dairy closures. The project represents an estimated 20 millioneuro investment including the first phase of machinery and is expected to increase our turnover by 15 per cent in phase one. Before choosing this location, we conducted a number of market studies leading up to the selection of the Dinnington site. Our studies found that demand in the UK was highest for beverage and

dairy closures. More specifically, we will focus on the production of plastic closures for flat and medium carbonated drinks, as well as fruit juices and dairy products in PET bottles. Of course, our customers in the UK will have access to our full portfolio of caps and closures, as well as to the expert resources in our Messia R&D facility,” Benoit certifies.

Demonstrating a clear vision of where it should direct its efforts, UNITED CAPS is in the process of future-proofing its business with the building of the two new facilities that will expand its capabilities. As the company continues to perform strongly in financial terms by skilfully addressing changing market needs, its potential for growth seems to be uncapped.

UNITED CAPS

Products: Plastic caps and closures

www.unitedcaps.com

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Rediscovering naturality Weckerle Cosmetics Eislingen has continued to expand its production capabilities, as the cosmetics manufacturer is looking to take advantage of the growth in demand for natural formulations

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ecent years have borne witness to a transformation in consumers’ perception of cosmetics, whose ramifications could be so overwhelming that they might change the direction in which the industry is headed.

Natural cosmetics is firmly shaping up as the hot subject across the market, as users are cultivating a strong interest in the provenance of the ingredients being used for the creation of some much-needed beauty and healthcare products. “The users want to know what is in the product and demand the development of more natural formulations. This, in my opinion, will become an even bigger driver of the cosmetics industry in the next few years,” says Randolf Lehmann-Tolkmitt, General Manager of Weckerle Cosmetics Eislingen – a global player in colour cosmetics.

The company detected the trend a while ago and has been preparing ever since to adapt to new requirements. “It is clear that some big names are starting to move into this space, which means that we have to be ready

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to react to their demands when the time comes,” Randolf explains, adding that Weckerle Cosmetics has invested in new machinery and organised a dedicated team to operate in the area.

Renowned for its continual innovation exploits, the company has also set up an internal division within its R&D depar tment to generate new products. Randolf elaborates: “The team is called Open Development and

is comprised of three people who work on the new ideas we have, which, due to time constraints, we cannot dedicate too much time to in the daily routine. They take these concepts and have the creative freedom to experiment and come up with new products.

For example, we have already launched a tattoo cream with some special ingredients, which maintains the colours of the tattoo and alleviates the skin. We are on the verge of releasing a new lip care and repair product too, thus realising another of the many ideas we are working on and looking to bring to the marketplace.”

In what fellow General Manager, Bernhard Starzer calls “a pre-sales activity”, Weckerle has taken to social media on behalf of its clients, to popularise its new releases before they have officially found their place on store shelves.

Randolf continues: “It has become a common practice to contact bloggers and a host of Instagram influencers and ask them to review your product. These are people whose opinion on beauty matters is read by thousands of

Weckerle Cosmetics Eislingen

followers, and if they praise an item, chances are that it will sell well. In some cases, they even want to develop their own product line, so we embark on joint projects to help them achieve that.

“What we can see at the moment, is a lot of our customers launching sub-brands and using the same bloggers and Instagram influencers to promote them. Applying various techniques, they try different ways to present the given product. For instance, they may focus on multiple specific functions it can play and see what is attracting the users’ interest and what is not. Our customers then analyse sales results and identify if any of the sub-brands holds a strong potential and has deserved to be develop fur ther. Often, there is just one subbrand out of ten, which works really well and gets enhanced,” he expounds.

“Another strong trend from the past couple of years is the growing demand for secondary packaging from our customers,” says Bernhard.

“In fact, secondary packaging has almost evolved into a production department in its own right, as we have about 70 staff engaged in this process, serving not only our privatelabel customers, but also our clients in contract manufacturing. Secondary packaging represents a great oppor tunity for us, because the launch of more and more brands and sub-brands effectively means new products and the need for different types of packaging. Most of the tasks we under take have very tight deadlines, which is a challenge to us, but we have the operational capabilities to live up to our customers’ requirements.”

Indeed, since last year, Weckerle has proceeded to realise its intention of investing in the creation of a new filling and moulding machine – the Multi Stick 3 (MS3). “It is a very flexible machine, which we can use for producing lipsticks, mascara, lip gloss, sticks, and bottles. The MS3 has an impressive output of 60 pieces per minute and needs just one operator to run it, which adds to its efficiency.

We have just star ted working with it, as it was only installed in August, but it is already proving that it has been a very good investment,” Bernhard notes proudly.

International growth has been identified as one of the business development priorities for Weckerle in the coming years, hence the company’s attempts to extend its private-label business beyond Europe. Bernhard details: “We already have manufacturing facilities all over the world, which enables us to stay closer to local customers. We are particularly interested in growing in the USA, but we also see that we have started to attract clients from South

America, as well. At the same time, it is critical to capitalise on the rapid development of the natural cosmetics market. To this end, we have opened a new site in India, because the market there is demonstrating serious interest in this type of products.” Randolf adds: “It is also important to announce that we are trying to get a foothold in Africa, too. We will attend the 2018 Beauty Kenya expo in November to show off some of our products and get some extra exposure on the continent.”

Having taken the necessary steps to ensure its future profitability, Weckerle Cosmetics Eislingen anticipates next year to bring an evenly spread 20-per cent growth in turnover across all of its divisions. Randolf delineates his vision for the company’s future actions that will allow it to perform successfully in the long-term. “Investing in state-of-the-ar t machinery is paramount. We are also about

to install a new centralised IT system, which should optimise the way in which we operate internally. On the product development side, we will continue to monitor the trends, especially with regards to natural cosmetics.

I believe that in the next two or three years, some of our biggest customers will grow considerably in this sphere, which will send more work our way. Most importantly, though, we intend to invest strategically in the ongoing development of our people who are cer tainly the most impor tant factor to our success!”

Weckerle Cosmetics Eislingen Products: Colour cosmetics

www.weckerle-eislingen.de

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The sum of its

parts

One of the world’s largest sellers of parts and accessories for all Land Rover vehicles, Bearmach is celebrating 60 years of providing products that offer an unrivalled level of quality

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egarded as a British Icon, the Land Rover has been the most famous and recognisable four-wheel-drive vehicle range since it was first launched in 1948. In that time, the Land Rover has come to be seen as one of the most durable vehicles, with most of those ever made still on the road today, and part of that success is down to the quality of the parts and accessories that go into their construction. Since 1958, Bearmach Limited has been providing market leading parts and accessories for all models of Land Rover vehicles, delivering 330,000 parts per month, on average, to over 140 countries.

“The last 60 years have been an eventful time

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for Bearmach, with the business undergoing a great deal of change in that time,” explains Sales Director, Stuart Truckel. “The last ten years, in particular, have seen the company undergo something of a transformation, one that was partly influenced by the acquisition of Bearmach by private equity investor Grove Industries Ltd in 2007. Bringing with it immediate investment, it was they who, four years ago, brought about a restructuring of the management team and since then we have working to flip the whole business model on its head.”

Traditionally, Bearmach has specialised in the supply of parts and spares to large retailers or wholesalers, which they sell into their market, whereas now it is pursuing a model whereby it goes as far up the margin chain to work directly with end users as it possibly can in order to take greater control of profit margins. “What we have found in the past when serving our traditional

B2B channels is that while the reputation of the Bearmach brand and its commitment to quality remains as strong as ever, actual Land Rover owners were not aware of how to get hold of Bearmach parts, and this is something we have been very keen to address,” Stuart states.

A major step towards solving this problem came in January 2017, with the launch of a rebranded Bearmach website including its first e-commerce service. With this, the company is now able to serve both the B2B and B2C markets. “The growth of our B2C offering has been tremendous to date,” Stuart adds. “To put this into perspective, between January 2017 and August 2018 we experienced sales growth of almost 1000 per cent, which is fantastic, and comes at a time when our B2B sales continue to be a hugely significant part of our business!”

Growth in the company’s sales has also come as a result of continued international expansion.

“We have generated strong sales from the initiation of a franchise concept, which has

Bearmach Limited Richard Green, Operations Director, accepting the International Track 200 award

purchasing team go out and acquire them and our marketing team sets our advertising to said customers.”

Having successfully transitioned the business into one capable of servicing both B2B and B2C customers, while at the same time further enhancing its reputation for quality, reliable products, it is understandable that when asked about what the immediate future holds Stuart proclaims that it is about doing more of the same. “Our big focus revolves around brand recognition,” he says, “and every decision we make and action we take is about ensuring that when a Land Rover owner gets to the point where they need to source a replacement part that they go to their chosen garage or wholesaler and say, ‘I want a Bearmach part’!”

Bearmach Limited seen Bearmach launch franchises in Lebanon, Qatar, Jordan, Botswana and South Korea,” Stuart continues. “This concept came about because we were keen to offer exclusivity of our products in several key territories to individuals and businesses that were prepared to make a commitment to advancing the Bearmach brand and deliver our product range to Land Rover owners in their respective markets.

“In Lebanon, Qatar, Jordan and Botswana there is a noticeably high population of what one might call the ‘older’ Land Rovers, those that require quality parts to remain fully operational, and each country has sizable military operations that typical utilise Defenders so the opportunity for Bearmach in these markets is massive.

South Korea, meanwhile, is a market flush with newer models and is where we are now establishing a network of Bearmach Authorised Service Centres to not only sell parts but also carry out repairs. We are also excited to have recently established a service structure in China, where we have two people working on service contracts wholly focused on Bearmach sales and aftermarket solutions.”

Throughout the world, Bearmach’s customers find that its competitive prices ensure that they pay less for genuine, OEM and quality assured branded parts, and in 2017 the company took the unique step of offering a three-year warranty on all Bearmach branded products. “The introduction of our three-year warranty offer is something that has been received enthusiastically from our customers and Land Rover owners, who we actively engage with on a regular basis through the various Land Rover Clubs and forums that take place year-round,” Stuart says. “Such research helps us to identify how the vehicles are changing,

where there may be gaps in our range and what owners want to see improved in their vehicles.

In turn, this directs our technical people to seek out what parts we need to source, before our

Products: Quality parts and accessories for all models of Land Rover vehicles

www.bearmach.com

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Moving on up

Recognising that movement is vital to a person’s recovery and rehabilitation, Direct Healthcare Group champions a host of revolutionary products that lead to better health outcomes and easier daily living

H

uman movement is fundamental to one’s health and quality of life, and few understand the importance of this better than Direct Healthcare Group. By supporting both carers and those they provide care for, the group takes great pride in uniquely enabling the healthcare challenges associated with reduced patient movement to be anticipated, managed and resolved through the manufacture of a range of pressure care technologies, specialist seating and bariatric handling equipment.

“The business itself began in 2009, with the founding of Direct Healthcare Services as a designer and manufacturer of pressure area care solutions and award-winning products including mattresses, cushions and overlays,” explains Group Operations Director, Gerry Boyle. “What started within a small manufacturing unit based in Caerphilly, Wales, quickly became a fast-growing business, with subsequent years seeing it being awarded with the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation for its introduction of the Dyna-Form Mercury Advance hybrid mattress, and later being accredited with the Investors In People Gold Award in 2017.”

A major turning point in the evolution of the business occurred in 2016 when a partnership with private equity company NorthEdge Capital helped bring about a management buyout.This allowed for the adoption of an acquisition-based growth strategy, which has seen the group acquire a number of businesses in the last two years.

“Our overriding mantra as a business is ‘Advancing Movement and Health’ and we have looked to reflect this as we have added to our portfolio of products,” Gerry continues. “In 2016, we bought the company Nightingale, a specialist provider of bariatric solutions and services, into the group

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before then adding Kirton, a leading manufacturer of specialist seating solutions, to our family of businesses in 2017. More recently, the group has completed the acquisition of Qbitus Products, the number one supplier of bespoke, pressure relieving cushions, and the highly regarded Transflo Cushion brand from Karomed.

“One of our key focuses has always been the promoting of cutting-edge products that will help differentiate Direct Healthcare Group within the marketplace.The recent acquisitions and additions to our portfolio have definitely strengthened our position and given us a broader continuum of products.”

Another facet of the group which has evolved greatly in recent times is the size and scope of its customer base. “Originally, we dealt a lot with Tissue Viability Nurses, but we have since expanded into working with all manner of customers, from Occupational Therapists and Physiotherapists to Manual Handling Advisors, each of which we listen to closely and work in tandem with to deliver solutions that will make a real, positive difference to the end user,” Gerry says. “We are also key advocates of gathering and publishing clinical data, and this has helped to drive growth considerably, while a combination of our focus on quality, regulatory compliance and on creating efficiencies within our operational environment has also helped to give Direct Healthcare Group a strong, well-regarded reputation within the industry.”

Today, the group operates from two principle manufacturing facilities, its main, 100,000 square foot site in Caerphilly and its Yorkshire site which produces its Qbitus products, as well as five regional service centres across the UK. “In the last couple of years, we have invested well over £1 million on some of the most

Direct Healthcare Group

service and rental vehicles, we are able to deliver on our promise to provide a four-hour maximum delivery time, wherever our customers are based.”

Playing a vital supporting role in delivering the above promise is Palletways, the group’s recent appointed national palletised network supplier. “It is of great importance that we have a reliable pallet distributor to keep up with growing demand and support us in our service delivery,” Gerry details. “Our newly formed relationship with Palletways Cardiff is already reaping rewards and has really allowed Direct Healthcare Group to extend its capability to bring high quality products to its customers.”

With 2019 fast approaching, the Direct Healthcare Group family are excited about the pipeline of new product developments that it has on the horizon, as well as the organic and acquisition-based growth strategy that it intends to move forward with over the next 12 months. Meanwhile, from an internal perspective, the group remains committed to scaling up its employee base, to investing further in advanced technologies and automated equipment, and driving efficiencies across its business systems. “This is the path that we plan to travel along going forward as we look to grow further still in the coming years,” Gerry concludes.

Direct Healthcare Group

Products: Pressure care technologies, specialist seating and bariatric handling equipment

www.directhealthcaregroup.com

advanced automated equipment throughout our operations, including a suite of automated fabric cutting systems with full CAD control, CNC systems for foam conversion, and state-of-the-art high-frequency fabric welders,” Gerry states.

“At the same time, we have introduced modern ERP systems to link our front office, back office and field service functions, have adopted a GS1 compliant barcoding system to provide full traceability of all of our products, and opened the doors to our own in-house R&D technology and testing suite.”

The most recent addition to the group’s infrastructure network came in February 2018, with the opening of its first depot in Scotland. “This location, along with a number of newly established depots in London, South Wales and in the North East of England, has established complete UK-wide service coverage,” Gerry adds. “Between these facilities and our large fleet of fully kitted out

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Thinking of

tomorrow A leading Tier 1 provider, FACC is approaching a turnover of one billion euros due to its versatility and the increased market demand in the global aerospace industry

I

t is hard not to detect the enthusiasm in Andreas Perotti’s voice, while he is talking us through the major activities FACC is engaged with.

What started as a start-up of Austrian sporting goods manufacturer Fischer Ski with just 30 employees in 1989, has now grown into a global corporation providing advanced aircraft components and systems, employing over 3400 staff and operating in 13 countries worldwide.

Andreas, Marketing & Communications Director of FACC, begins: “We offer one of the broadest portfolios in the market, as we provide our technology to every area of the aircraft. Besides, we can serve all different types, be it short, medium, or long-range aircraft, business jets, or helicopters.”

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FACC is organised into three main divisions – Aerostructures, Engines and Nacelles, and Cabin Interiors – having also introduced an Aftermarket Services department this year. Andreas overviews each of the divisions, offering valuable insight into some of the key trends that are shaping the aerospace industry. “Aersostructures is currently our strongest division.

There is hardly a type of component we cannot produce. We are engaged in creating wing components, fairings, and control surfaces, examples of which can be access doors, flap ribs, winglets, flap track and pylon fairings, elevators, flaps, and rudders.

“As the name suggests, we manufacture engines and nacelle components through the self-titled division, using predominantly high-tech materials. Our marketing claim is: ‘We design the future of mobility with the materials of tomorrow’, as the sector is increasingly being defined by a strong focus on material competence. We work with materials like fibre and carbon, but also experiment with different ways of production to get more efficient and meet the expectations of our customers. It is essential to shorten production times, because, in the next 15 years, the market will need more aircraft than the industry can currently provide. We will probably need more than 36,000 new passenger aircraft in the said period of time and

FACC

someone has to build these. With the growth of wealth in countries like China and India, it is easy to see that demand is coming from Asia and its untapped potential determines the promising market environment in which we are operating,” he observes.

The Cabin Interiors division represents another area of growth for FACC. Specialised in activities including cockpit, cabin, and cargo compartment linings, the company is benefitting from the tendency followed by most operators, to retrofit the interior of the aircraft more regularly. “The average operation time for an aircraft is 20 years and, back in the day, the interior was left as it is for the entire length of the operation.

Nowadays, it is viewed as normal for a machine to be retrofitted and reequipped up to three times in its lifecycle, to keep the interior fresh and achieve higher passenger comfort,” Andreas notes.

Illustrating FACC’s successful ventures in the division are the back-toback contracts the company signed with Airbus in September 2017 and July 2018, respectively, amounting to a total of more than 730 million euros.

“The former contract encompasses our involvement in Airbus’ new cabin system for the A320 family, as we were chosen to deliver the so-called ‘Airspace XL Bins’, the biggest overhead stowage compartments in the category of short and medium-haul aircraft. Then, this summer we were awarded the follow-up contract that will see us supply the whole entrance area for the entire A320 family.”

Owing to its USP, the business’ Aftermarket Services division has managed to post a 200 per cent growth in the past two years in the US market alone. “We concentrate on repairing, refurbishing, and replacing such products that we have ourselves made, meaning that we have the knowledge and competence to offer quality support on their maintenance,” Andreas explains. “To give you an example, we have recently developed a new product innovation – the ‘Passenger Luggage Space Upgrade’. It is a bigger door for the existing overhead compartments, which can quickly be installed overnight, thus eliminating the need for any major changes to the interior. The innovation simply opens up more space for the passengers’ luggage, significantly improving the boarding process. This is yet another product we have designed off the back of an existing trend. Travellers tend to be more willing to take their luggage with them on board, instead of dropping it off at the bag drop desk, which creates the need for more space inside the aircraft.”

It has already become clear that there has to be a tangible upscale in aircraft production for the industry to meet market demands throughout the 2020s and possibly a bit beyond. The business climate offers only one part of the explanation for FACC’s 100 million-euro investment programme undertaken in 2017, the other being the cranked-up volume of contracts the business needs to serve in the coming years. “Our capacities are booked for the next seven years, which means that even if we do not secure a single contract during this time, we will still have to use 100 per cent of our capabilities. We had to make this investment to ensure that

we can continue delivering our services on-time. There is no room for problems, because if we cannot deliver, then our customers cannot deliver.

We need to be 100 per cent on point when it comes to cost, quality and delivering on time,” Andreas points out.

“As a company, we tend to write up a strategic plan for the decade ahead, which we then break down to individual yearly targets. We are now in the final phase of our 2010s programme and the ultimate target is to reach a turnover of one billion euros, so this will be our top priority in the next couple of years,” he sheds light on FACC’s future intentions. “In the meantime, we will complete our 2020-2030 strategy, taking into account the buoyancy of the market and the greater demand we are facing.

“On top of that, we entered the urban air mobility field. Together with the whole industry, we are searching for ways to use the sky for individual mobility. Cities like London, New York, and Shanghai are so overcrowded that it is becoming more and more time-consuming to get from A to B using the current means of transport. This is why we are interested in applying new technologies that will help us open the sky up for individual mobility,” Andreas concludes promisingly, touching upon the development of potentially game-changing and certainly exciting aerospace innovations.

FACC

Products: Composite components for the aviation industry

www.facc.com/en

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Grenville Engineering’s Bystronic BySprint 3015 fiber laser

The cutting

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“

edge

n the many years that we have been dealing with Grenville Engineering, we have yet to be disappointed.” That testimonial, provided by Specialist Structural and Group Repairs, is just one of many delivered from clients who have reaped the benefits of the services of the Stoke-based sheet metal fabrication, laser cutting and metal forming experts. Other titbits of praise pinpoint the company’s “superb service”, its “excellent value for money”, its “dedication to meeting one’s requirements and exceeding expectations”, and its “depths of expertise”.

Taking such comments into consideration, it is perhaps easy to see why Grenville Engineering has continue to grow in terms of activity and turnover during the last few years.

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Delivering customer centric fabrication solutions has been the name of the game for Grenville Engineering since it was established in 1984, and 34 years later it continues to cater to the needs of its vast customer base

When the company began its work back in 1984, the company had only five members of staff, but throughout the better part of threeand-a-half decades, during which time it has grown exponentially, its aim has always been to provide cutting edge fabrication with the vision of being one the UK’s leading sheet metal fabrication companies. Serving regions up and down the nation, customer centric solutions are at the heart of what Grenville Engineering is all about. With a combined experience of over 100 years, it collaborates intensely with its customers to ensure that it produces the highest quality products from carbon steel, stainless steel and aluminium to all specifications, without compromising on quality.

Grenville Engineering’s range of fabrication services can be customised to suit all manner of requirements and include laser cutting, punching, sheet metal forming, welding and machining.

These services are provided to a diverse range of industries, such as automotive, earth moving, construction, materials handling, rail, security and petro chemical.

The ‘design to manufacture’ process is seen as an integral part of the company’s activities.

A customer will begin the process with an initial enquiry, which can be through a physical object that requires replicating, a sketch of the design, or even verbal instructions depending on the complexity of the part. From there, Grenville Engineering’s expert designers use the latest

Grenville Engineering

2D AutoCAD and 3D Solidworks software to convert simple drawings into 3D designs that align with specific requirements. Once a final drawing is created, and subsequently approved by the customer, data can be transferred directly to the CNC Laser machines in order to streamline the production process.

During the prototype phase a dedicated design engineer is allocated to manage individual projects from the concept stage through to approval. It is their job to ensure that the most cost effective methods of manufacturing are considered at all times, while jigs and fixtures can be created in house to guarantee that parts are made to a high standard throughout.

When we last featured Grenville Engineering within the pages of Manufacturing Today Europe during 2017, we highlighted the steady growth of the company, its programme of investment and the fact that it was making more of a concerted effort when it came to attending some of the industry’s major events and expos. In the case of the former, the growth of the company, which had stood at ten per cent per annum for the three years prior to our last conversation, has continued, as has its focus on not only its existing customers but also new target markets.

Meanwhile, in terms of investment, the company followed up its £500,000 purchase of the latest fibre laser technology in 2016 with the purchase of two CNC Press Brake machines that were installed at the turn of 2017, and the addition of further fabrication machinery.

In the time since, Grenville Engineering has also made further strides with the addition of new units, an increased despatch area and a dedicated stainless steel fabrication area. The company is also celebrating the securing of a major contract worth £400,000, the single largest contract in the company’s history, while the need to increase capacity has also seen the introduction of a twoshift system at its facilities.

Lastly, the company’s attendance at industry events has continued throughout 2018, with it making a second successful appearance at the Southern Manufacturing show, this year held in February, and more recently at June’s Subcon 2018 event at Birmingham’s NEC, the premier subcontract manufacturing show. Over the course of three days, countless businesses, OEMs and subcontract suppliers were on hand to highlight the positive outlook of the manufacturing sector, and in the months since, Grenville Engineering has secured a host of enquiries as a result of its presence, ranging from simply laser cutting services to full-scale fabrications.

Grenville Engineering has a proud record of encouraging the development of new talent through the work of its hugely successful

apprenticeship schemes, a fact that Operations Director, Dali Dong, was keen to emphasis when we spoke last year. “We are a forwardthinking company, and we are always looking for employees that have the potential and opportunity to grow with the successes of the company,” he noted.

With a well-documented skills gap present within the manufacturing industry, Grenville

Engineering can say with certainty that schemes like its apprenticeship programme are doing their part to bridge this divide and create lasting value not only for those individuals coming through the business, but also the company’s customers and the UK’s manufacturing sector as a whole.

Sales Director, Stuart Rawlinson highlighted; “We are continuing to grow year-on-year and are currently ahead of this year’s targets. With continual investment in machinery, expanding our skilled workforce and taking on additional units, the business is strong and agile. This has increased our capacity and opportunities, whilst fitting into our overall long term business plan. Having had another great year at Southern Manufacturing and Subcon we are seeing more enquiries from outside of our traditional area - so the future is looking great!”

Grenville Engineering

Services: Metal forming and cutting specialists

www.grenville-engineering.co.uk

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RH600 integrated telematics dash cam

On the right

track

Trakm8 is the UK’s largest manufacturer of telematics devices. Going beyond mere vehicle tracking, the company has innovated for nearly two decades, building a successful business engaged in diverse sectors such as intelligent mobility, connected and autonomous vehicles, and telematics insurance. As the company invests in a new production facility, Mark Watkins, Chief Operating Officer, explains how manufacturing in the UK gives Trakm8 a competitive edge

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rakm8’s recently-announced, multimillion-pound investment in a new manufacturing facility marks the latest milestone in the company’s rapid growth.

Telematics is a highly competitive sector, with scores of companies now offering vehicle tracking and related services. Yet Trakm8’s continued investment in the UK sets it apart from the competition.

“We prefer to use the term ‘telematics’ over ‘vehicle tracking’, because what we provide for our customers goes way beyond vehicle tracking,” said Mark Watkins, Chief Operating Officer for Trakm8. “We deliver a much broader and deeper set of solutions.”

The nature of these solutions depends on the type of client, with Trakm8 operating three distinct business units. At the heart of all three, however, is Trakm8’s CANbus connectivity. Whether its device is hard-wired to a vehicle, or plugged into the on-board diagnostics port (OBD), Trakm8 can extract detailed data about the vehicle and its movements.

Its Insurance division supplies the ‘plug n play’ telematics black boxes that are increasingly used by younger drivers. These discreet OBD devices – the most compact on the market – provide insurers with data on key performance indicators (KPIs) as to how the vehicle is driven. Trakm8 customers in this space include Direct Line Group and Young Marmalade.

“Globally the telematics insurance market is growing at a rate of around 20 per cent per year,” said Mark. “There is huge headroom above and beyond the growth in young driver policies. For example, our devices can enable usage-based insurance (UBI), where drivers pay per mile.”

Trakm8’s Automotive division supplies telematics solutions to plant equipment manufacturers such as Kubota and Mecalac, which are offered as factory-fitted, optional extras. It also provides a ‘white label’ telematics service for vehicle leasing brokers and companies such as the AA – the AA Car Genie product is designed,

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Installation of one of our T10 devices, which simply plugs into a vehicle’s OBD port

manufactured and supported by Trakm8.

“Our expertise in CANbus connectivity creates a range of value-add propositions for plant equipment and vehicle operators,” added Mark. “Along with the driver behaviour profiling we provide to our insurance customers, our Connectedcare solution gives clients an array of useful data that improves safety and productivity.”

This data includes service hours updates for construction and materials handling equipment; enabling plant hire companies to schedule service, maintenance and repair so that it minimises down time and increases utilisation rates. Trakm8’s devices can also read diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs), converting them into vehicle and battery health alerts which help to prevent costly breakdowns.

Through the Automotive division’s contract with Intelematics, Trakm8 is now exporting to Europe and farther afield. It has a long-established customer support centre in Prague and will open another in Australia next year.

The company’s Fleet and Optimisation business unit provides a comprehensive fleet management

A close-up of our T10 Micro device,​which plugs into a vehicle’s OBD port

solution to companies including ScottishPower, Iceland Foods, and Calor. This integrated service comprises vehicle cameras, providing evidence of culpability in road traffic collisions; telematics including driver behaviour scoring and vehicle health alerts; and fleet optimisation.

The latter uses Trakm8’s proprietary algorithms to significantly improve on manual planning of transport and delivery operations.

“Optimisation is a truly powerful tool for fleets,” added Mark. “It delivers near-instantaneous return on investment, so the business case is very attractive. One of our key selling points, however, is that we can integrate our telematics, vehicle

Trakm8

cameras and optimisation into one device, and provide all the data to fleet managers from one user-friendly dashboard.”

The algorithms within Trakm8 Optimisation are just one example of the company’s strategy of owning all its intellectual property – a strategy evident in Trakm8’s development of one of the world’s first and smallest OBD telematics device 2013. Most recently, it launched the RH600, the UK’s leading 4G integrated telematics camera.

“The RH600 is emblematic of the current trend in customer demand for single-source solutions,” said Mark. “Fleet managers don’t want the hassle associated with multiple suppliers for vehicle cameras, telematics devices and driver behaviour analytics. So, we combined them all into one piece of kit.”

Trakm8 is building on the success of the RH600 by developing a series of advanced driver assistance (ADAS) features. These include vehicle proximity alerts, lane drifting alerts, and driver distraction or micro-sleeping alerts.

The company designs and develops all its telematics devices at its production facility in Coleshill, West Midlands. Its commitment to quality is underpinned by accreditation to ISO 9001. It also holds ISO 14001 for environmental management and ISO 27001 for information security.

It is also investing in a new factory opposite its Coleshill headquarters, in preparation for the launch of a new generation of industryleading telematics devices and the expansion of its camera range. This will also increase production capacity to one million devices per annum. The new facility will include a greater degree of automation on the assembly lines, to further enhance product quality and help Trakm8 to produce higher-specification devices at a lower cost.

“Because we own all the IP, we reap all the benefits from investment in research and development. We have executed a strategy to develop the best technology on the market and will continue to do so.”

Trakm8’s cutting-edge position among UK telematics companies is reflected in its involvement in some high-profile projects. These include the REPLICATE smart cities initiative and Navigogo, Scotland’s first Mobility as a Service application. In both cases, Trakm8’s algorithms are powering journey planners which combine an array of public and private transport options to deliver an on-demand travel service. Trakm8 is also the lead partner in FreightShareLab, a pioneering freight-sharing initiative funded by Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency; several projects to encourage

more rapid adoption of ultra-low emission vehicles; and initiatives to develop better connected, autonomous vehicles.

“Being a UK manufacturer means much more to Trakm8 than having a ‘Made in Britain’ logo on our website,” said Mark. “Because of our investment in research and development, we are acknowledged as a leader in our field. This in turn leads to our involvement in more R&D projects, which help to further enhance our solutions for the benefit of our customers and long term future of our business. We are in charge of our own destiny, as we open up some incredibly exciting new growth markets.”

Trakm8’s Route to Success 2002 Trakm8 established in Shaftesbury, Dorset, as a developer of vehicle tracking solutions 2005 flotation on AIM market of the London Stock Exchange 2013 acquisition of BOX Telematics in Coleshill, West Midlands, providing Trakm8 with a UK manufacturing base; plus launch of T8 mini device, with market-leading capabilities 2014 wins a string of contracts with major clients including Kubota, Direct Line Group, the AA and Scottish Power 2015 acquisition of RoadHawk (vehicle cameras) and Route Monkey (fleet optimisation) 2016 acquisition of Roadsense (telematics) and launch of Connectedcare solution 2017 launch of RH600 4G telematics camera.

Additional contract wins with Mecalac, Calor and Intelematics; plus contract extensions with Direct Line Group and Iceland Foods. Launches Trakm8 Prime ‘plug n play’ telematics solution for smaller fleets 2018 announces expansion into new manufacturing facility in Coleshill, and extension of Intelematics contract to include Australia

www.trakm8.com Manufacturing at our HQ

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Rutpen

Growing in Offering a broad spectrum of chemical solutions, Rutpen is aiming to complete its four-year investment programme in 2019, which will extend the company’s capacity and set it up for a steady long-term growth

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C

style

ontinuity has become synonymous with Rutpen during the nearly 50 years of the company’s existence.

Having grown into one of Europe’s leading contract manufacturers of liquid, powder, and solvent blends, the business has never lost sight of its original aim of providing high-quality service to the chemical industry.

“We have multiple USPs that have enabled our growth over the years, but, first and foremost, I have to single out our exceptional engineering capabilities, without which we would not be able to stand out. We have assembled a really strong team of engineers who work very quickly, thus facilitating our fast response to

emerging market needs,” begins Managing Director, Dave Roberts.

The ability to offer a vast array of products represents another key driver of Rutpen’s success. “Unlike other contract manufacturers, we are not afraid to work with flammables or other hazardous chemicals. we can produce both liquids and powders and do not restrain ourselves to specialising in just one type of product,” Dave points out. “To give you an example of our capabilities, we have worked closely with a client on the production of Briwax – a natural wax for wood, of which we produce a million of units every year. They came to us about 12 years ago after an emergency,

looking for someone to manufacture a product, which involved dealing with the complexities of melting waxes into flammable solvents. We were able to come up with a manufacturing solution in about eight weeks, which was a really impressive outcome, given the challenging nature of the project.

“The slightly easier end of what we do is the provision of tight, just-in-time service on a B2B basis. So, for example, we can get a two days’ notice from a large manufacturer for the delivery of 28 tonnes of bespoke products, and we have organised the business in a way that allows us to address such requirements,” he explains, adding that Rutpen has even developed its own fleet of bespoke tanker vehicles. “We have realised that the price and the quality of the product have to be right, but the customer service needs to be absolutely spot-on every time.

I am convinced that this is an aspect we have always been very good at, and the confirmation to this claim is the fact that we very rarely

Narrow Aisle Flexi AC trucks provide a cost efficient solution by eliminating wasted aisle space required by traditional reach trucks. They can increase usable storage space by between 25 and 50 per cent, eliminate double handling and improve speed of operation, making warehouses significantly more efficient and dramatically reducing the overall operational cost.

Since Narrow Aisle pioneered the first Flexi articulated truck in 1990, over 8000 units have been shipped throughout the world. Over the past five years, the Flexi AC range has been developed significantly and can now lift loads weighing up to 2.5 tonnes and to heights of over 13 metres, and work in aisles down to 1.6 metres.

Flexi customers all share at least one common aim: the need to maximise efficiency within their warehousing operation. The Flexi AC range of articulated warehouse trucks dramatically improve storage, handling and customer order assembly efficiency within manufacturing, warehousing and logistics operations.

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Rutpen

lose clients, which is an incredible feat for a contract manufacturer.”

While service and quality have always been at the highest level throughout Rutpen’s history, the company has set out to market itself better and polish its outward appearance in the past five years, in order to attract potential customers’ attention more easily. “Up to this time, we were not flying our own flag very much and perhaps we did not quite understand how valuable our support actually is to our clients. This is why we have recently focused heavily on marketing activities and changing the way in which we talk to people and explain what we do. We have tried to combine the positive aspects of a small business with those of a successful SME model, and retain the right ethos all along. No company is perfect, but we have the courage to admit it if we have made a mistake and this is the kind of philosophy we

are pushing forward – it is not about the error, but about communicating it clearly to the client and putting it right,” Dave reasons.

Rutpen’s attempts to raise brand awareness have been underpinned by the implementation of an investment strategy that projects spending up to £1 million every year for a period of four years. Dave elaborates: “It was a decision we took at board level that saw us commit to pulling the business into a medium-sized position, with regards to how it looks, how it performs, and how it handles its health and safety and environmental responsibilities. We have invested both in developing our site infrastructure and hiring new people, with the idea of preparing the company to flourish without restriction for the next ten to 20 years.”

In some of its more significant investments, Rutpen bought new road tankers in 2016 to strengthen its fleet and began the construction of a new 2000-pallet warehouse this year, which is expected to be commissioned early in 2019. Additionally, the company has installed three 200,000-litre interceptors to attenuate site rainfall. “Recently, we also acquired a new business and installed production facilities for silicone grease and powdered antifoam. The move constitutes a promising opportunity for us, because it means that we can now sell finished products, instead of just tolling for other companies,” Dave comments. “We have also taken on two new graduates who joined the business in the last two years. I feel it is important to recruit youngsters, because they are always full of fresh ideas and keen on putting their mark on the company. For this reason, we have to take them and their training seriously and provide them with the space to grow and prove their value.

“Going into 2019, we hope to conclude this stage of our investment programme, which will result in a 60 per cent increase of our capacity. After that, we will concentrate on growingour sales to return the investment we will have made. I am confident that, despite the uncertainty around Brexit, new possibilities will rise for contract manufacturers like us in the coming years. We have always found change in the business environment to present opportunities for contractors, so we have to remain optimistic and use our chances to take the business to the next level,” Dave concludes.

Rutpen

Products: Liquid, powder, and solvent blends

www.rutpen.co.uk

82 www.manufacturing-today-europe.com

Auto-Sleepers

A rich

heritage

Founded in 1961, today Auto-Sleeper Motorhomes (Auto-Sleepers) is one of the best-known and loved brands in the UK

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hanks to accruing nearly six decades of experience, Auto-Sleepers is now often the first port of call for customers looking for the best in British-built motorhomes. By manufacturing its coach-built motorhomes on Peugeot and Mercedes chassis, the company is able to build upon the already established reputations of these premier marques, and offer its customers the reassurance of a solid base for their own ‘Motorhome of Excellence’.

Auto-Sleepers’ Mercedes-based motorhomes are built on the Mercedes Sprinter Chassis Cab, which comes standard with a whole raft of industry-leading safety features such as Adaptive ESP (Electronic Stability Programme), Acceleration Skid Control (ASR) and Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD). Auto-Sleepers Mercedes-based models are now available with the option of a fully automatic gearbox to provide a luxury driving experience with safety at the heart of its design.

The Peugeot range is twofold – customers can choose between Peugeot Van Conversions, or Peugeot Coachbuilt. Auto-Sleepers has worked closely with Peugeot for a number of years, and

now 16 of the models in its range are Peugeot powered, from the compact Symbol through to the stylish Nuevo, Broadways and the awardwinning Corinium range. The Peugeot range includes essential features like advanced ABS braking, cruise control and driver and passenger airbags that come as standard. All Peugeot models are available as both low profile and highline coachbuilt models with a choice of short, medium and long wheel base chassis, so there is something to suit everyone.

The range of different models and options available from the company is very impressive, and what’s more, Auto-Sleepers prides itself on a policy of continually introducing new additions to its range, with the latest, the Symbol Plus, being announced as recently as September. The Symbol Plus, which brings all the features of the Symbol (the longest-running of all Auto-Sleepers’ best-selling van-conversions) and joins them with further improvements. In fact, the Symbol Plus was created thanks to customer feedback,

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Auto-Sleepers

which indicated the combination of a Symbol model, with the longer and differently configured Stanway model, would create the best of both worlds! The result is a Symbol at the front and a Stanway at the rear, all still in the modest footprint of a long-wheelbase (just sub-six-metre) Peugeot Boxer van.

The new model is due to be officially launched at the 2018 Motorhome & Caravan Show at the NEC, Birmingham, and the company’s appearance at this show represents the culmination of a year’s worth of exhibition exposure, with Auto-Sleepers’ products regularly making an appearance at events around the UK and Europe. In September, it was present at The Caravan Salon at Düsseldorf ’s Exhibition Centre for the fifth year running. The Caravan Salon is widely regarded as the world’s leading international motorhome and caravan show, and Auto-Sleepers used this platform to display a selection of its motorhomes, including the Warwick XL, Warwick Duo and the ever so popular Kingham. This latter model gained attention as it raises the bar to new heights for luxury, with a fixed double bed that can slide back, a sophisticated kitchen and swivelling cab seats at the front.

When considering the vehicles that AutoSleepers creates today, the amazing leaps in innovation and quality that it has achieved over the years become obvious – it has come a very long way since the Trevelyan family built their own motorhome based on a Morris J2 van in 1961. And while the motorhomes themselves have changed beyond recognition, the dedication to design refinements and sheer passion for quality endures at the core of the business.

Remaining based at Willersey in the Cotswolds, Auto-Sleepers products still include handcraftsmanship, and time, care and effort underpins the creation of each motorhome, which is made evident through the high-quality furniture, fittings, and fitments of the end-product. Every cubic centimetre of interior space has is used to its best advantage, so that every Auto-Sleeper owner can rest assured their motorhome is a true home-from-home. Previous customers return time and again for the latest model, while a new generation of clients are discovering the benefits of these British-made marvels. Exports abroad are well established and on the rise, with Thailand now seeing the arrival of Auto-Sleepers, and the Chinese market on the agenda.

Customers both old and new are received with the same level of exemplary service – AutoSleepers prides itself on welcoming them to the ‘family’. The company’s dedicated Service Centre offers support for repair, servicing, maintenance or modification for Auto-Sleepers’ products, as well as caravan servicing to other models. This

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heritage of service is backed up by the company’s long list of awards and accreditations, which includes two ‘Owner Satisfaction Awards’ in 2017, and three Caravan and Motorhome Club Design Awards in 2018 among many others.

The last time that Auto-Sleepers was in the pages of MTE in 2017, Dave Williams, Sales Director at the company noted that ‘listening to our customers serves us well’. He also highlighted Auto-Sleepers desire to ‘keep raising the bar’ –

with a new concept camper underway and plans for growth on the agenda, 2019 is looking set to be a very exciting year of development for this British manufacturing success story.

Auto-Sleepers

Products: Manufacturer of motorhomes

www.auto-sleepers.com