Manufacturing Today Issue 184 January 2021

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BEST PRACTICES FOR INDUSTRY LEADERS

All-electric future

Issue 184 2021

today

Factory ZERO, General Motors’ $2.2 billion vision for the future of electric vehicle manufacture, is taking shape in Detroit

Chairman Andrew Schofield Managing Director Joe Woolsgrove

Editor

Editor Libbie Hammond Assistant Editor Will Daynes Staff Writer Alex McDonald Production Manager Fleur Daniels Art Editor David Howard Advertising Designer Rebecca Side Sales Director Alasdair Gamble Operations Director Philip Monument Operations Manager Natalie Griffiths Research Managers Jo-Ann Jeffery • Ben Richell Rachel Harper • Kieran Shukri Editorial Researchers Adam Blanch • Mark Cowles Tarjinder Kaur-D’Silva • Jeff Goldenberg Mark Kafourous • James Page Wendy Russell • Richard Saunders Sales Director Alasdair Gamble Advertising Sales Johanna Bailey • Alex Hartley Dave King • Theresa McDonald Ibby Mundhir Web Sales web@schofieldpublishing.com Subscriptions i.kidd@schofieldpublishing.com

Plant of the future

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elcome to the January issue of Manufacturing Today. It was such a privilege for us to be able to get an in-depth insight into General Motors’ new Factory ZERO project and work with GM on this magazine. Factory ZERO is a pivotal part of GM’s plans to get everyone into an all-electric vehicle and its ambitious vision speaks volumes about the direction the automotive sector is heading. To get the full story, take a look at page 16. I will be keeping MT readers up-to-date about the progress of Factory ZERO going forward and look forward to the first GMC HUMMER EV rolling off the production line!

We also look at the automotive sector in general in the features this month – both highlight the industry’s resilience. As 2021 continues I think we will all need to draw on our reserves of resilience – but I am confident we can make it through and come out the other side. Hopefully, we can then emerge into a ‘roaring 20s’ and get the world back on track.

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BEST PRACTICES FOR INDUSTRY LEADERS

Manufacturing Today Magazine

Issue 184 2021

today

libbie@schofieldpublishing.com

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All-electric future

Factory ZERO, General Motors’ $2.2 billion vision for the future of electric vehicle manufacture, is taking shape in Detroit

Have we Tweeted about you yet? Get in touch on Twitter or send some news over to me on email and I will be happy to share it!

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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Features 4 Automotive

Auto and industrial equipment manufacturers can no longer stick to the basics – they must adopt a new approach to manufacturing which brings together agility alongside resilience

Focus on...

16

4

General Motors

50

56

6 Automotive

Rebecca Liebert looks at how a nearly $4 trillion global automotive industry, along with its extraordinarily complex and fragile supply chains, has successfully navigated Covid-19

8 3D printing

Polymer 3D printing can be used to supplement traditional bearing manufacturing techniques, offering rapid prototyping and enhanced performance characteristics

8

Keylit

Kaiser Premier

70

72

Alicat Scientific 10 Security

The quantum threat is serious, and it’s urgent. The NSA, NIST and others are acting now - manufacturers must do the same if they want to ensure their security lasts

86

Wea

90

12 Manufacturing news Updates and announcements from the manufacturing arena

MAD Elevator Inc 2 l www.manufacturing-today.com

Chapin Man

Contents 36

Motors - Factory ZERO

42

EnviroVent Ltd

60

Keylite Roof Windows

66

Newport Wafer Fab

78

Weaving Machinery

pin Manufacturing, Inc

Koppers

R&S Machining, Inc

82

Zeus Packaging

94

BMP Europe

98

Empteezy Ltd

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Connected manufacturing

Driving resilience in the automotive and equipment industry with neural manufacturing. By Subhash Sakorikar

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he automotive industry, like all others, was thrown into an unprecedented situation at the beginning of the pandemic.

However, unlike other disruptions, it was hit both on demand and supply side simultaneously. That said, the auto industry had a unique opportunity – to utilize its shop floor operations to deliver lifesaving ventilators and medical equipment. With the initial emergence of Covid-19 – a challenge like no other – putting millions of peoples’ lives at risk and the global economy at a standstill, many of the auto and industrial manufacturers quickly rose to action by putting their resources where it mattered.

Once the dust settled, auto and equipment manufacturers were able to shift back to normal and in fact fast paced operations. While it seems simple on paper, these shifts were anything but. Industry leaders were only able to make this happen due to the agility and adaptability of the industry’s resilient infrastructure – all underpinned by each company’s willingness to invest in emerging technologies and rise to the challenges of crisis.

Resiliency in the next wave

However, with the emergence of yet another wave of Covid-19 cases across the globe, auto and industrial manufacturers must plan accordingly

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and prepare to not only manufacture more essential equipment to provide world-wide support, but to simultaneously meet their consumers’ demands and remain profitable. Post pandemic, with the increasing preference for personal mobility as a safer option over shared or public transport, the demand for automobiles is likely to be higher than pre-pandemic levels for some time, post-recovery.

To cater to the additional demand and sustain competitive advantage, auto and industrial equipment manufacturers can no longer stick to basic IT infrastructure and processes – they must adopt a new approach to manufacturing which brings together agility alongside resilience through the power of connected technologies. Dubbed ‘Neural Manufacturing,’ this new approach to manufacturing brings auto and equipment makers to a new era where they must work in an intensively networked ecosystem of partners aligned to a common purpose, using cognitive and connected capabilities like AI, machine learning, automation, IoT, and cloud. By doing so, the manufacturers can meet and succeed against unprecedented challenges by having responsive, adaptive, and lean processes.

Businesses have been partnering with organizations – even competitors – for quite some time – and the challenges onset by the pandemic have only further proven the importance of collaboration to

Automotive alongside one another to meet goals while adapting to internal and external factors through automation, machine learning, artificial intelligence, cloud, and IoT – or in this case, the brain, which underpins the entire network. And like the biological neural system that endows us with both central and autonomous decision making and functioning abilities, Neural Manufacturing would provide automakers and industrial manufacturers with centralized, agile and distributed decision-making abilities in a networked ecosystem.

Advantages and implementation for the industry

meet the dynamic demands of today. Through Neural Manufacturing, auto and industrial equipment makers are able to define their position in transformed customer centric value chains and use emerging technologies to meet both individual and group goals – whether it be to produce ventilators, launch a new line of EVs, or even develop a new standard of safety for autonomous vehicles.

The basics of Neural Manufacturing

Neural manufacturing is a way of thinking, not a distinct process or system. As automotive and industrial equipment makers continue to rely on technology in their design, manufacturing, supply chain, and distribution processes, and as demand grows from consumers and the need to develop essential equipment – there are several players involved that need to be aligned to successfully and efficiently get these products to the finish line. Essentially, neural manufacturing is boiled down to the fact that every player in the manufacturing value chain is tied an end goal, and in order to reach this goal in the most efficient way possible requires partnership through the use of connected technologies.

Similar to the biological neural system that’s able to sense, distinguish, and act autonomously, neural manufacturing is defined by a seamless value chain of partners – or the vital organs, if you will – working

The challenges industry players face today are constantly evolving and allow little to no margin for error. Autonomous connected capabilities that come with neural manufacturing help organizations engage with smart assets in real time by eliminating the friction that comes with the implementation phase, bringing efficiency and responsiveness to the entire process – both integral to bringing products to market.

Additionally, a neural network enables an entirely location-independent process, meaning no person or system is beholden to a certain location creating both safety and opportunity rather than challenges for automakers in this remote-norm world.

To implement a neural manufacturing philosophy or way of thinking, automakers must be digital-first and embed themselves in an ecosystem of partners that are aligned to their end goals. Once this is established, auto makers must then invest in, build, and strengthen technological infrastructures that support and enhance automation, machine learning, cloud, artificial intelligence, and IoT. Only when an organization has built this strong digital foundation can they adopt neural manufacturing to stay ahead and gain a competitive edge.

Over the decades, the automotive industry has continued to adapt to the ever-changing nature of the global economy – be it stringent emission norms, adapting to country specific regulations, or financial crises – and this past year has proven no different. However, all industries – including automotive – are facing a fast-changing business landscape where adaptability and agility are integral to business resiliency. And meeting this change requires industry players to take a neural approach to business processes. Many have gathered competencies through the years by adopting and investing in different technologies, but few are leading the charge on fully embedding cognitive, connected, and collaborative digital capabilities. However, doing so is no longer an option if an organization wants to be future ready.

The future lies in ecosystem play of trusted partnerships whether it’s in evolving next generation of technologies in EVs or autonomous products, or in distribution and support system, or in new business models that will govern the industry. Neural way of thinking in building the industry is becoming an imperative. v

Subhash Sakorikar Subhash Sakorikar is Director, Growth & Transformation, Automotive & Industrial Manufacturing at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). TCS is an IT services, consulting and business solutions organization that has been partnering with many of the world’s largest businesses in their transformation journeys for over 50 years. TCS offers a consulting-led, cognitive powered, integrated portfolio of business, technology and engineering services and solutions. This is delivered through its unique Location Independent AgileTM delivery model, recognized as a benchmark of excellence in software development. www.tcs.com

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Resilience

defined

Shutting down a global industry isn’t easy; powering it back up can be even harder. Auto OEMs and their key suppliers are showing how it’s done.

By Rebecca Liebert

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eadership expert Cy Wakeman has written about the necessary ‘no-ego moments’ that help business leaders and their teams overcome difficult challenges by eliminating unnecessary drama and disruptive thinking. There was no shortage of such moments for car and truck original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and suppliers in late January 2020 as the novel coronavirus erupted and began its inexorable spread worldwide. While the possibility of a Covid-type pandemic has long been widely anticipated, it is fair to assume that few industry CEOs could have foreseen, much less prepare for, what ultimately became an extended global shutdown.

With more than 2000 PPG Automotive Coatings team members in hundreds of OEM facilities worldwide, PPG was one of the many suppliers in a $4 trillion global industry to be directly impacted by the crisis. In fact, our automotive coatings plant in Wuhan put us at the very epicenter of an emergency that was growing exponentially – far faster than our ability to collect and analyze the corresponding data. At that point we, like most of our customers, suppliers and peers, made the only appropriate decisions – temporarily closing facilities, suspending travel, and putting our employees’ health and safety first.

But this isn’t about our company or even the OEMs we serve. It is about how a nearly $4 trillion global automotive industry, along with its extraordinarily complex and fragile supply chains, has successfully navigated a recovery from one of the most severe economic setbacks in modern history.

Off, and then back on

In April 1970, a crew of American astronauts were nearly stranded in space following an explosion aboard their Apollo spacecraft. The emergency, which unfolded in a matter of minutes, required an immediate, multi-day shutdown of the craft’s navigation and propulsion systems to help preserve power and protect the lives of the crew. What NASA engineers didn’t know, and had never tested, was whether they could successfully turn these systems back on.

The auto industry faced a similar concern as OEMs prepared to resume production following a two-and-a-half-month pause. Protecting employees from the virus was the most important priority of hundreds of challenges associated with the restart. For example, could the industry’s thousands of suppliers restore their own operations and supply chains?

A few suppliers proactively addressed this concern by hedging raw material and finished goods inventories prior to their shutdown. This approach, combined with effective sales, inventory and operations planning,

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enabled our company to have fully loaded totes of pretreatment chemicals, electrocoat, paint, solvent and other products available on demand when each of our customers came back online. Additionally, we were able to deploy teams of technical service representatives to each of nearly 700 customer facilities to help accelerate their return to full production. This level of supplier partnership is fueled by a commitment to know our customers’ businesses as well as they do, and to continually explore new ways to add value to these relationships.

What we’ve learned

From the earliest hours of the crisis to today, we have faced not only hundreds of ‘no-ego moments’ but also countless opportunities to learn and adapt. Back in February and March, OEMs were rightly concerned that the virus could lead to years of soft demand. We have since learned, however, that consumers can roll with a pandemic’s punches just as effectively as many of the world’s largest corporations. The latest industry data bear this out: Whereas North American car dealers typically hold 60 to 85 days of inventory, most today have fewer than 56 days of supply, particularly in the light truck and SUV categories where demand has remained strong throughout the pandemic. According to IHS, vehicle sales

Automotive

in China have increased by eight per cent year over year with a focus on premium brands and electric vehicles. The rolling lockdowns in European countries, Brexit negotiations and rounds of stimulus programs have made the recovery bounce in that region of the world. According to LMC, September was likely the best month in Europe, where the vehicle market grew by 0.1 per cent.

April was an historic month for our industry, but with the help of its suppliers, the seasonally adjusted annualized rate (SAAR) of vehicle production over the last six months in North America continues to be favorable versus prior year. But make no mistake, the coronavirus has left an indelible mark. In China, electric vehicle demand and production are at historic highs as regulatory guidelines continue to accelerate. The recovery in Europe remains uneven but the Covid shock and the prospect of increasingly stringent emissions standards have encouraged OEMs to double down on EVs. In North America, the migration of young professionals to urban centers – and the resulting popularity of shared mobility – has been slowed, if not reversed, due to concerns about personal safety. As a result, there is talk of a fast emerging ‘Covid car’ purchase trend among millennials who had previously not intended to own a vehicle. And there is anecdotal evidence

that the pandemic-fueled work-from-home movement will speed the shift to EVs among North America’s range-obsessed consumers.

I certainly cannot predict what tomorrow might bring, but among the innumerable lessons I have learned over the past year is to never underestimate the resilience of vehicle OEMs and their suppliers. This industry is built around the need to continually adapt, adjust, and move forward. Yet, when circumstances called for us to stop, listen, learn and then restart, we never lost a step. v

Rebecca Liebert Rebecca Liebert is executive vice president, PPG. She leads the company’s global industrial and automotive OEM coatings businesses and mobility initiatives. At PPG, we work every day to develop and deliver the paints, coatings and specialty materials that our customers have trusted for more than 135 years. Through dedication and creativity, we solve our customers’ biggest challenges, collaborating closely to find the right path forward. With headquarters in Pittsburgh, we operate and innovate in more than 70 countries and reported net sales of $15.1 billion in 2019. www.ppg.com

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The potential of polymer

3D printing

Chris Johnson explores the plastic bearing additive manufacturing (AM) landscape

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D printing technologies have evolved significantly over recent years, with much of the research effort placed in the materials science field. This has enabled the development of a whole range of high-performance polymers with mechanical characteristics similar to those of metal — so what does this mean for bearing design?

AM encompasses a range of technologies that create 3D objects by layering materials on top of each other. Specifically, in polymer 3D printing there are five common processes: stereolithography (SLA), fused deposition modelling (FDM), selective laser sintering (SLS), multi jet fusion (MJF) and material jetting.

Each of these processes impacts a material’s microstructure, including size, shape and orientation of the grains or crystals. This presents various challenges and opportunities.

For example, SLA offers a smooth surface finish, but components tend to be less durable than parts produced with other additive technologies.

So, let’s explore the bearing design development and production opportunities facilitated by 3D polymer printing processes.

Design flexibility for small or medium batches

3D printing gives bearing manufacturers the design flexibility to produce bearings with bespoke elements and enhanced performance. The 3D printing process is relatively simple and doesn’t require expensive tooling. This allows manufacturers and design engineers to experiment with design features that wouldn’t have been economically viable using conventional bearing manufacturing methods.

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Bearing manufacturers can use an increasingly diverse range of materials with 3D printing. For example, 3D printed reinforced polymers can match or be enhanced beyond conventional properties, which opens the door to exciting new design possibilities. Bowman International, an Oxfordshire based bearing manufacturer, used MJF technology to produce a bespoke ‘rollertrain’ retainer using PA11 nylon. The interlocking structure permits room for two-four more rollers, allowing for a 70 per cent increase in load capacity, as well as boasting greater elasticity, durability and functionality.

3D printing Another barrier to innovation is minimum order volumes. 3D printing removes this barrier, allowing manufacturers to provide a cost-effective low-volume production service — even for orders as low as ten bearing units. 3D-printed moulds save time and money compared to expensive metal bearing moulds. They also enable a more agile manufacturing approach, meaning that design engineers can test mould designs and easily modify them without incurring unfeasible production costs and high set up fees.

While 3D printed, mass-produced bearings aren’t yet commonplace, polymer 3D printing is making an impact in the rapid prototyping world.

For example, in a niche concept vehicle, 3D printing may be used to achieve fast and visually appealing prototyping. This would ensure that the smallest of mechanical elements, such as the bearings, functioned in unison with the entire system.

and fusible wax material for the support. The result demonstrated satisfactory durable life of the 3D-printed ball bearing at low loads and speeds.

Light weight designs

For low load, low speed applications, plastic bearings offer fantastic performance characteristics and are already five times lighter than their steel counterparts. This reduces the initial weight and energy needed to get them moving. In industries such as aerospace, automotive or medical technology, lightweight design can achieve better safety performance as well as vital cost savings.

Using 3D polymer printing processes, it is possible to design a component that is lighter still — by using honeycomb-like structures. This would be very difficult and time-consuming to achieve with traditional machining processes. Many industries may have historically chosen to rely on metal lightweight innovations, such as Schaeffler’s XZU conical thrust cage needle roller bearing that can be used as an articulated arm bearing in lightweight portable robots. However, 3D printed high-performance thermoplastics such as carbon-fiber and polyether ether ketone (PEEK) offer a feasible alternative to metal.

Opting for a 3D printed retainer in nylon (PA66) or another polymer material, can help to reduce the weight of the whole bearing. Carbonfiber reinforced nylon is one of the most popular combinations for nylon printed materials. It offers many of the same benefits as standard nylon including high strength and stiffness, but it produces significantly lighter components. A 3D-printed polymer cage may also reduce the wear on the rolling elements, compared to a conventional steel cage.

A 2018 feasibility study assessed the friction performance of a commercial deep-groove (6004) 3D printed ball bearing. The bearing was fabricated using the MJP process, using plastic material for the structure

Is quality standard?

Friction isn’t the only performance characteristic brought into question in the 3D printing debate. In June 2018, the Additive Manufacturing Standardization Collaborative (AMSC) published an updated version of its a standardization roadmap for additive manufacturing. Adopting standards to mitigate and control risks as well as allowing more consistent quality are important steps for the future of 3D polymer printing. This is especially important for components that are safety critical, such as bearings.

As with traditionally manufactured components, 3D printed plastic bearings must undergo the same rigorous testing procedures to make sure they are fit for purpose. Crucially, when experimenting with innovative new designs and enhanced material properties, it is essential that the final application environment is carefully considered, reaffirming the importance of bearing specialists in industry.

In the traditional manufacturing versus advanced manufacturing techniques debate, the good news is that you don’t need to pick a side.

Polymer 3D printing can be used to supplement traditional bearing manufacturing techniques, offering rapid prototyping and enhanced performance characteristics that have the potential to rival metals. While 3D printed bearings aren’t commonplace just yet, the evidence is showing that they could be in the future. v

Chris Johnson Chris Johnson is managing director of SMB Bearings. SMB Bearings originally specialized in miniature bearings, thin-section bearings and stainless steel bearings. By natural progression, the company expanded the range to include other corrosion resistant bearings such as plastic bearings, 316 stainless bearings and ceramic bearings. Remaining a specialist business, SMB Bearings provide a high level of product knowledge, providing bearing and lubrication solutions to existing or potential customers, whether individuals or large corporations. www.smbbearings.com

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Defending against the

quantum threat

Dr. Ali El Kaafarani explains why, unless action is taken today, quantum computers will be manufacturing’s Achilles’ heel

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he race is on to build the world’s first useful quantum computer. If the roadmaps published by leading players like IBM and Honeywell are to be believed, we might even get there this decade.

It’s an exciting prospect, particularly as these super-powerful machines offer transformative benefits to almost every industry, including manufacturing.

But quantum computers also pose an existential cybersecurity problem. With exponentially higher processing capability than today’s most powerful machines, they’ll be able to smash through the publickey encryption standards relied on by all industries to protect their information. That’s a huge threat to the security of all sensitive information, past, present and future.

It’s this threat that inspired the US National Security Agency (NSA) to warn, as early as 2015, that we ‘must act now’ to defuse the threat. It’s also why the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is racing to standardize new, post-quantum cryptographic solutions for widespread roll-out (algorithms which are quantum-secure, yet can be implemented using today’s technology on companies’ existing systems).

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Understanding the threat to manufacturing

No industry can ignore the quantum threat, and manufacturing is no different.

From the interdependent systems of upstream and downstream suppliers to the ageing industrial equipment within their own factories, manufacturers are already inherently vulnerable to cyberattacks.

And that’s before you introduce digital transformation into the mix.

Throw in automation, the internet of things (IoT) and increasingly digital, networked supply chains, and you introduce yet more vulnerabilities.

IP theft and cyberespionage are already an endemic problem for the manufacturing sector. Research from Symantec shows that the majority of cyber-espionage attacks seek access to manufacturers’ IP, leading to millions, if not billions, of pounds in lost R&D costs every year.

Quantum computers would leave that IP wide open to hackers - a major concern for manufacturers working in commercially-sensitive industries where billions are spent on R&D. Highly advanced industries, with specialized processes and technologies as well as high barriers to entry, are likely to be targeted first: think semiconductors, aerospace and pharmaceuticals.

Security The threat is also acute for manufacturers working in sectors relevant to national security.

Although it may take years for functional quantum computers to get into the hands of everyday hackers, nation states will have the resources - and the ambition - to put them to work much earlier.

For hostile nation states, manufacturers involved in the US and UK defense supply chains will be particularly high-value targets.

A targeted quantum attack could have a profound impact on defense manufacturers, limiting production volumes and schedules as well as having the potential to trigger a catastrophic failure of weapons systems and equipment.

Getting ahead of the threat

To stay ahead, manufacturing companies need to address the risks they can see... as well as the ones they can’t.

The good news is that NIST’s efforts to standardize postquantum encryption have been fruitful, and powerful, reliable standards should be confirmed within the next year and a half.

And manufacturers don’t need for that to happen before taking action - there’s plenty they can do to prepare for full quantum readiness.

new, quantum-ready technology, do you need to rewrite everything, or could you make some straightforward switches?

1. Begin by promoting quantum literacy within your business to ensure that executive teams understand the severity and immediacy of the quantum security threat to your business. Faced with competing priorities, leaders may otherwise struggle to understand why this issue deserves immediate attention and investment.

5. Although post-quantum encryption standards are yet to be finalized, the direction of travel is already clear. Design your security infrastructure to work with NIST’s shortlisted approaches - a good way to build resilience and flexibility into your security architecture ahead of time. This should ensure you comply with whichever standards are eventually announced, and are fully protected from the quantum threat in the meantime.

2. Identify specific risks that could materialize for you. What would a quantum attack look like, and what consequences would your business be facing if sensitive information were to be decrypted?

The quantum threat is serious, and it’s urgent. The NSA, NIST and others are acting now - manufacturers must do the same if they want to ensure their security lasts as long as the products they build. v

3. Now look at your use of cryptography. It’s likely that you have layers of protection built up over time by many decision-makers. What standards are you relying on? What data are you protecting, and where?

This cryptography audit is crucial, as it will help you to identify weak spots as well as uncovering inconsistencies that need to be ironed out.

4. Once you’ve got a full view of this, you can start planning your migration to a quantum-ready architecture. You may want to bring in a specialist consultant to help you with this, if it’s not your area of expertise. How flexible is your current security infrastructure? How easily can your existing information security system be replaced with another cryptography solution (‘crypto-agility’)? Given that multiple encryption and signature methods will be standardized by NIST with different properties (key size, ciphertext, signature size, and so on), which one is more suitable for a given use case? In order to migrate to

Ali El Kaafarani Ali El Kaafarani is CEO and founder of PQShield, a UK-based cybersecurity company specialized in post-quantum cryptography. A spin-out from the University of Oxford, PQShield is a leading contributor to NIST’s landmark project to standardize post-quantum encryption and the only cybersecurity company that can demonstrate quantum-safe cryptography on chips, in applications and in the cloud. The company’s quantum-secure cryptographic solutions work with companies’ legacy systems to protect data now and for years to come. www.pqshield.com

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News in brief US footprint change Manitou Group, a worldwide reference in handling, access platforms and earthmoving solutions, has announced that it will cease operations in Waco (Texas - USA) at the end of March, 2021 and consolidate most of the production in South Dakota - USA. The articulated loaders production will be consolidated in Yankton, one of its two factories in South Dakota, where 50 positions will be created. The forklift production will be moved to Beaupréau, France. The North American importing platform will be concentrated in Baltimore, Maryland.

Renewable power deal INEOS has agreed a long-term Power Purchase Agreement for renewable offshore wind power in Belgium with RWE. Under the terms of the ten-year deal, which begins in 2021, INEOS will purchase 56-Megawatt (198 GWh per annum) of off-shore wind power from RWE Supply &Trading, produced at the Northwester2 wind park in the Belgian North Sea. This significant deal will take ca. 25 per cent of Northwester2’s renewable electricity. It will reduce the carbon footprint of INEOS in Belgium by a further 745,000 tonnes of CO2 over the length of the contract, which is the equivalent of taking 65,000 cars off the road each year.

A new era The Digital Manufacturing Centre (DMC) has created a pioneering new partnership with worldleading high precision engineering expert Produmax. The agreement will enable the DMC to offer end-to-end component development and production for companies operating at the vanguard of aerospace, space, motorsport and automotive.

Combining the best in additive and subtractive manufacturing, alongside comprehensive engineering support and secure supply chains, the partnership is set to redefine UK manufacturing.

With AS9100 certification, Produmax brings a wealth of experience from working with leading, global aerospace companies. As part of the partnership, it will operate a satellite site at the DMC, including extensive machining and inspection services supported by engineering expertise from its UK headquarters. Capable of providing full inspection reports, including Production Part Approval Process (PPAP), it will support DMC’s extensive engineering talent and suite of leading-edge polymer and metal additive manufacturing solutions.

Kieron Salter, Chief Executive Officer at the DMC, commented: “The partnership between the Digital Manufacturing Centre and Produmax signifies the coming together of two experienced teams and industry players, both investing in disruptive technology and the future of British manufacturing.

The facility itself will be unique and a pioneer for many connected engineering and production technologies, but it is our key partnerships with highly regarded companies like Produmax that will help to fulfil the DMC’s true potential.”

Partnership renewal

Strategic partnership Daimler AG and Infosys have announced a long-term strategic partnership for a technology-driven IT infrastructure transformation. After the receipt of all regulatory approvals, Daimler AG will transform its IT operating model and infrastructure landscape across workplace services, service desk, data center, networks and SAP Basis together with Infosys. The partnership will enable the company to deepen its focus on software engineering and to establish a fully scalable on-demand digital IT infrastructure and anytimeanywhere workplace. The collaboration will empower Daimler to strengthen its IT capabilities, and Infosys, its automotive expertise.

As a part of this partnership, automotive IT infrastructure experts based out of Germany, wider Europe, the US and the APAC region will transition from Daimler AG to Infosys.

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Leading energy management, fuel supply, and sustainability company, World Kinect Energy Services, has renewed its long-term relationship with one of the world’s largest suppliers of films solutions for packaging, Klöckner Pentaplast (kp).

The new contract follows a long-term business relationship that has seen kp achieve significant operational benefits, through World Kinect Energy Services’ established knowledge of the international energy market.

World Kinect Energy Services will continue to provide the company cost reporting, cost management, procurement, and portfolio management services to 19 countries including Germany, US, and Brazil.

Richard Harradine, Group Procurement Director at kp, said: “We have a long-term, trusted and reliable relationship with the team at World Kinect Energy Services supported by a strong, stable and knowledgeable locally based Key Account Management team.

“With World Kinect Energy Services, we are provided with a monthly report of the total energy spend and forecasts across all sites, allowing us to monitor and make informed decisions with their experts on our energy management.”

Terry Cogan, vice president, World Kinect Energy Services, said: “Being able to secure and continue our established relationship with the Klöckner Pentaplast is a perfect example of our ability to deliver solutions globally for our clients. Our ethos at World Kinect Energy Services is about building long-term relationships with our clients, this allows us to deliver trusted and tailored energy advice.”

Manufacturing News Remote control solution Tele Radio has provided Panther remote control solutions for multiple functions on the Buffalo Turbine debris / leaf blower range. The concept was delivered to Springville, New York-based Buffalo Turbine, which manufactures a complete line of debris blowers; dust and odor control systems; and vector control products.

Tele Radio has been a long-time provider of remote operative concepts to Buffalo Turbine and in this instance, it met a requirement for remote changing of nozzle direction and control of the throttle on the blower’s engine. The permanently-installed system will be used on multiple products in the range and can be retrofitted to older models already in the field. One model in particular is using two nozzles that Tele Radio had to integrate controls onto in order to manipulate each separately.

Buffalo Turbine’s catalogue of blower products - tow-behind, PTO, hydraulic, front-mounted, electric, and V10 - is widely applied in settings as diverse as golf courses, poultry farms, roadsides, solar farms, and demolition sites. Highway departments, landscapers, demolition contractors, and paving firms are among those to have the manufacturer on speed-dial. All future orders will be delivered to the customer base with The blower is utilized in a myriad of end the new Tele Radio system, user markets and applications as standard.

Additive manufacturing expansion Jellypipe - the international 3D printing online ecosystem - can now offer an exciting new large scale 3D printing service through its platform.

The principle behind Jellypipe is very simple, but is made possible by some extremely complex and intricate software, which is the engine that makes using the platform so intuitive and rewarding commercially for all parts of the 3D printing ecosystem.

Users of Jellypipe can easily access a huge resource of knowledge, advice, and consultation to ensure that the correct materials, 3D printing technology, and finishing is selected, and then receive quotes from the most extensive network of 3D printing service providers based on speed of delivery or lowest cost.

Just joining the ecosystem is Plastech Additive Manufacturing (www.pi-am. co.uk) based in Norwich, UK. Plastech AM uses ‘The Box’ 3D printing equipment from Swedish vendor BLB Industries on behalf of its clients. The company uses a Box Medium system producing high-end, large-scale parts, and boasting a build envelope of 1500 x 1500 x 1500 mm.

Scott Colman, Jellypipe Sales Manager for the UK and Ireland comments: “The BLB Box technology that Plastech offers it is a first for Jellypipe as this is the first truly large scale technology that we have introduced, and by so doing the platform can cater for parts and products that would until now have been too big to manufacture via 3D printing.”

Driving innovation Volkswagen has invested in the world’s only full color, multi-material 3D printing technology from Stratasys to enhance its prototyping capabilities and open up new opportunities within automotive design.

Following the installation of two PolyJet Technology™- based Stratasys J850™ 3D Printers, the Volkswagen Pre-Series-Center is 3D printing a wide range of ultrarealistic prototypes for both interior and exterior applications.

Commenting on the deal, Peter Bartels, head of the Volkswagen Pre-Series-Center, said: “Volkswagen has always put innovation at the heart of everything it does, in order to develop vehicles that excite our customers and make them proud to own. To achieve this, it is essential we provide our design teams with the latest cutting-edge technologies to unleash their creativity and enable them to set the standard in automotive design. The recent addition of the J850 3D Printers offers us additional capabilities that strengthen our 3D printing operations and allow us to further optimize our design process.”

The J850 provides Volkswagen the unique ability to produce full-color prototypes in up to seven different materials varying in rigidity, flexibility, opaqueness, and transparency – all in a single print. This saves significant time and costs over traditional multi-step design processes such as part assembly and painting.

For vehicle interiors, the Volkswagen Pre-Series-Center team is also 3D printing parts with different textured surfaces – from fabric and leather to wood. Furthermore, the use of an advanced transparent material called VeroUltraClear allows the team to replicate the clarity of glass.

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The plant of the future

Legendary automaker General Motors (GM) has declared its dedication to electric vehicle production (EV) with its $2.2 billion Factory ZERO project

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General Motors – Factory ZERO

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General Motors – Factory ZERO

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epresenting the launch pad for its multi-brand EV strategy, and the single largest investment in a plant in GM history, Factory ZERO has been described as ‘the next battleground in the EV race and GM’s flagship assembly plant in its journey to an all-electric future’.

Entirely dedicated to building EVs, Factory ZERO is located at what was formerly known as Detroit Hamtramck Assembly and the name Factory ZERO reflects the significance of this facility in advancing GM’s ambitions for a tomorrow that features ‘zero-crashes, zeroemissions and zero-congestion’.

Factory ZERO will be one of GM’s most technologically advanced, all-electric vehicle assembly plants with contiguous battery assembly. The fully dedicated electric vehicle assembly plant is located approximately three miles from GM’s corporate headquar ters in Detroit. This par ticular site has seen a lot of developments over the course of its history,

with well recognized and successful GM marques being manufactured there in the past for Buick, Oldsmobile and Cadillac. The plant has built more than four million vehicles

since opening in 1985, and the conversion into Factory ZERO represents a new era of evolution in a town already legendary for its automotive pedigree. When construction

ATS & GM Partnership Redefines Battery Assembly GM is on its way to an all-electric future, with a commitment to deliver 30 new electric vehicles by 2025. These vehicles will be powered by GM’s proprietary Ultium batteries. ATS Industrial Automation is GM’s automation partner for all Ultium battery assembly pack and test solutions.

As GM reinvents itself as an electric vehicle manufacturer, a lot is at stake and battery assembly is critical. The technology is evolving at a breakneck pace, with design changes happening weeks before launch. With modern EV battery assembly requiring 10,000 welds, just one welding defect can impact a vehicle’s range by almost two percent. As battery costs decline, superior manufacturing processes are critical to maintaining margins.

“We have a long-standing working relationship with ATS and are proud of the work we have accomplished implementing our strategy for zero crashes, zero emissions, and zero congestion. The Factory ZERO launch marks the beginning of the pivot point in our vision to all-inclusive electrification,” David Russler, GM ME EGM for Battery & Engine Assembly.

The ATS team worked closely with GM to design an innovative assembly system inside an aggressive manufacturing schedule. ATS’s advantage is its global reach, scalability and proven project management skills to execute projects on time and budget. GM’s assembly system is based on ATS’s extensive battery knowledge with different cell types and ATS’s comprehensive product offering, leveraging the SuperTrak CONVEYANCETM platform. This leading-edge linear handling system increases throughput while reducing footprint and energy consumption.

“Such challenging projects can only succeed when there is a trusted partner, and for 15 years, ATS has partnered with GM to help drive innovation and collaboration,” says Udo Panenka, President of ATS Industrial Automation.

With ATS as a trusted partner, GM’s Factory ZERO can adapt to market demands and design evolutions, securing GM’s market position today and in the future.

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General Motors – Factory ZERO

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In the period since January 2020, we have witnessed some significant milestones, including plant demolition, construction and equipment installation in the new Paint Shop, and the demolition of the Body Shop and General Assembly area

is completed, Factory ZERO will produce vehicles like the GMC HUMMER EV and the Cruise Origin, among others.

Transforming an existing facility designed and built in the 1980s into a state-of-theart plant designed to build EVs at scale, required GM to initiate a multitude of updates to the site, including renovating and retooling the General Assembly area, creating a brand-new automated storage building addition for GM’s Ultium battery assembly, expanding the Battery Assembly area with new, contemporary tooling, modernizing and adding enhanced tooling to the Paint Shop and renewing and refurbishing the Body Shop.

Project timeline

The size of the conversion underway at Factory ZERO is astonishing, and Manufacturing Today has been given an exciting insight into this ground-breaking project by Jim Quick, Plant Director. Thrilled that this site is at the center of how GM envisions its future, Jim began with some

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details of the project, and its impressive schedule for a scheme of this scale. “In the period since January 2020, we have witnessed some significant milestones, including plant demolition, construction and equipment installation in the new Paint Shop, and the demolition of the Body Shop and General Assembly area. Construction began, the Factory ZERO sign was unveiled, and equipment installation commenced in the Body Shop.”

However, just as the project was really gaining momentum, GM was faced with the challenge of Covid-19 – for tunately Factory ZERO was able to continue to operate as a functioning construction project during the pandemic. “It was one of the leaders in the implementation of Covid-19 safety protocols such as masks, physical distancing, hand sanitization stations, and other efficiencies that helped the company work smar ter and faster,” said Jim. “Overall, the project remained on track and on target for completion.”

This brings us to the first quar ter of 2021.

Founded in 1952, Gallagher-Kaiser Corporation (GK) is a privately owned, Michigan based turn-key supplier of paint finishing systems, commercial HVAC and mechanical automotive systems. For over 69 years, leading automotive manufacturers and suppliers around the world have come to rely on GK to consistently deliver turn-key solutions to their toughest challenges.

With in-house specialists in mechanical systems, controls, conveyance, and electrical wiring, our team of experts can provide comprehensive engineering services, assisting in everything from conducting health assessments and engineering studies, to developing bid packs, to ensuring proper air balancing of systems.

GK Detroit Manufacturing Campus The skilled GK manufacturing and research & development teams operate out of the most sophisticated and efficient metal fabrication campus in North America. The sprawling 300,000 sqft campus is outfitted with industry-leading equipment.

The expansive facility supports the modular build capabilities necessary to complete large-scale projects in the safest, most cost-effective way. With the right team, the available space and investment in advanced machinery; Gallagher-Kaiser has the unique ability to set all major process equipment components on first pass steel installation.

GM Strategic Sourcing Partner GK’s proven ability to successfully complete projects of all size and scope, without ever missing a launch date, has solidified us as the world’s top paint finishing supplier.

In 2013, General Motors (GM) selected Gallagher-Kaiser as their strategic sourcing partner for all North American paint shop replacementrelated work. In the past decade, GK has completed eight new turnkey GM paint shops.

It’s this experience, combined with our sustained commitment to industry-leading innovation, that allows us to remain the partner of choice.

Game-changing innovation: the Kaiser Compact Eliminator (KCe) As a seven-time General Motors Supplier of the Year award winner, Gallagher-Kaiser has a responsibility to provide our customer with the best possible solutions.

In 2019, GK began the fabrication of the patented Kaiser Compact Eliminator (KCe). Multiple third-party emissions tests produced unmatched results; outperforming all other systems of its kind. Using the required spray guns and parameters, the results were recognized as a new benchmark for other manufacturers.

GM Detroit Factory ZERO will be the first new paint shop in the United States to utilize the Kaiser Compact Eliminator.

This industry-game changer transforms the way a spray booth system operates and clearly reflects a commitment to continuous improvement. With technology like the KCe, GK is determined to be the industry frontrunner in the practices that support a zero emissions goal.

GK Subsisdiary: Universal Piping Industries At Gallagher-Kaiser, we have leveraged our long-standing expertise in engineering, procurement and construction to offer our customers full-scale ventilation solutions. With the acquisition of Universal Piping Industries (UPI) in 2010, we have become leaders in the HVAC industry, providing complete wet and dry HVAC services across the hospitality and commercial markets.

In addition to their dedicated facility at the GK Detroit manufacturing campus, UPI operates a 35,000 sqft fabrication facility in Lexington, KY. We have carried our expertise over to other industrial processes, offering design, fabrication and installation of everything from mist collection systems for machining processes, to exhaust systems for final line assembly, to dust and fume systems and collectors.

Gallagher-Kaiser gained another unique advantage in 2019 with an investment in Wisconsin-based, air pollution control equipment manufacturer, TANN Corporation. GK’s growing portfolio provides a unique advantage in nearly all applications of air abatement. Best known for industrial scale thermal or recuperative oxidizers and concentrators, TANN brings forth an environmental expertise necessary to support the ambitious goal of reducing emissions in the air.

GK Division: Kais-AIR In 2020, GK launched a new division, Kais-AIR. The division will expand on GK’s existing expertise in designing and installing ASH units and transition to full-scale, in-house fabrication.

The new division will also work closely with GK subsidiary, Universal Piping Industries (UPI), to produce central utility complexs, chiller and boiler plants, RO systems and more. Kais-AIR fabricates and stores all modular built equipment in a 200,000 sqft facility just a few minutes from the GK Detroit manufacturing campus.

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We are the first U.S. auto plant to implement 5G technology, and our new 5G connection will transmit critical application data securely and quickly for the Factory ZERO manufacturing team

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“The Body, Paint, and General Assembly construction and equipment installation is continuing, and in Q2-Q3 this year, team members will begin to return to Factory ZERO, as the Body, Paint and General Assembly equipment installation maintains its pace,” said Jim. “Later this year, team members will come back to Factory ZERO and the first GMC HUMMER EVs will roll off the line.”

As Jim noted, the first electric vehicle to be built at Factory ZERO will be the GMC HUMMER EV pickup. The GMC HUMMER EV is a first-of-its kind super truck ‘developed to forge new paths with zero emissions’. The fully electric addition to GMC’s line-up will be driven by next-generation EV propulsion technology that enables both unprecedented off-road capability and extraordinary on-road performance. It is designed to be the ultimate off-road EV super truck, with all-new features developed to challenge tough obstacles and terrain.

As well as other GM EVs in the future, the GMC HUMMER EV will be joined by the Cruise Origin, a purpose-built, all-electric and shared self-driving vehicle. This is a total evolution from simply being an EV to an

entirely different way of moving people and goods.

GM and Cruise, the self-driving company backed by GM, wanted to reimagine transpor tation as if the car had never existed, and they removed the engine, the driver and a lot of traditional ‘car’ equipment, including steering wheel, pedals, rear-view mirrors, windshield wipers, and cramped seats. The resulting vehicle is a spacious, self-driven, allelectric transpor tation system.

Both the upcoming GMC HUMMER EV and the Cruise Origin will be built at Factory ZERO on GM’s proprietary Ultium battery platform. Ultium is flexible enough to build a wide range of EVs — cars, trucks and more — and is the hear t of GM’s future EV line-up.

The new Ultium batteries are unique in the industry because the large-format, pouch-style cells can be stacked ver tically or horizontally inside the battery pack. This allows engineers to optimize battery energy storage and layout for each vehicle design.

The company’s Ultium-powered EVs are designed for Level 2 and DC fast charging. Most will have 400-volt battery packs and up to 200 kW fast-charging

General Motors – Factory ZERO

capability while the truck platform will have 800-volt battery packs and 350 kW fast-charging capability. Furthermore, Ultium technology, supported by hundreds of granted patents and pending patent applications, is expected to bring EVs closer to price parity with gas-powered vehicles.

What also sets this remarkable battery technology apar t is that GM formed a joint venture with LG Energy Solution (named Ultium Cells LLC) to mass-produce Ultium battery cells for electric vehicles, and this includes the construction of a three millionsquare-foot battery cell manufacturing facility in Lordstown, Ohio.

GMC HUMMER EV

Looking specifically at the GMC HUMMER EV, which will not only get its energy from Ultium batteries but also power from Ultium Drive, GM’s proprietary EV drive unit, the stats speak for themselves. The 24-module Ultium battery pack and three-motor Ultium Drive system will provide this all-electric supertruck best-in-class power output.

In addition to power and range, the Ultium battery pack will contribute to the

GMC HUMMER EV’s driving dynamics and structure. The pack’s low mounting position in the chassis contributes to a low center of gravity, enhancing the vehicle’s overall feeling of control and stability. The compact construction of the Ultium battery pack also contributes to HUMMER EV’s ideal off-road proportions, including a shor t front overhang and shor t front breakover angle.

“We at Factory ZERO are looking forward to the rollout of the GMC HUMMER EV in Fall 2021,” added Jim. GMC HUMMER EV

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The visionary team behind the repurposing and retooling of a nearly 40-yearold facility have also made sure that a focus on sustainable manufacturing was at the core of their plans

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General Motors – Factory ZERO of all of the steps needed to reconfigure Detroit-Hamtramck into an all-electric vehicle assembly plant.

Technology and processes

will also be the first vehicle in GM’s line-up to feature its wireless battery management system, which maintains balance within the truck’s battery cell groups for optimal performance and battery longevity.

As the first vehicle to be produced at Factory ZERO, the manufacture of the GMC HUMMMER EV will represent the culmination

The technology and market leading capabilities that will be hallmarks of this revolutionary vehicle would not be possible without the industry-leading investments that are being introduced at Factory ZERO, and Jim revealed another first that places Factory ZERO at the very pinnacle of automotive manufacturing sophistication. “We are the first U.S. auto plant to implement 5G technology, and our new 5G connection will transmit critical application data securely and quickly for the Factory ZERO manufacturing team,” he said. 5G’s massive bandwidth offers the possibility to manage thousands of devices across Factory ZERO’s more than four million square feet of space, with ample capacity to suppor t emerging technologies.

“The benefit of having 5G at Factory ZERO is its fast, reliable bandwidth will allow all connected devices in the plant to quickly transmit data to each other. Nearly some component of all the robots, tools, machines and computers are connected,” Jim confirmed. The staff inside these facilities rely on fast and reliable communication and need to trust their tools, including digital tools.

Factory ZERO is an ideal place for this kind of innovation and as Jim went on to explain, alongside 5G, it will also feature an array of advanced manufacturing technologies.

Ghafari is a leading global architecture, engineering, and consulting firm that designs spaces where people and businesses thrive.

An innovator since 1982, Ghafari embraces an integrated design approach to deliver solutions that synergize building operations, systems, and people. This approach is made possible by the firm’s full complement of capabilities, including architecture, interior design, civil + structural engineering, MEP, ICT + security, and operations + systems engineering.

Through its 14 offices around the globe, Ghafari rises to the challenge of delivering complex projects for clients in demanding industries. Ranked among Engineering News-Record’s top five designers serving the manufacturing sector, the firm applies decades of experience to partner with clients in the automotive, aerospace, agricultural equipment, food processing, and logistics spaces.

Ghafari’s relationship with General Motors spans nearly four decades. Ghafari has worked with GM on the design of millions of square feet in new and renovated facilities for the automaker, ranging from manufacturing plants to R+D spaces to corporate offices. Together, they have collaborated on a number of groundbreaking projects – including GM’s Lansing Delta Township Assembly Complex, the first-ever LEED Gold certified automotive manufacturing plant – and advanced their respective industries in the realms of sustainability, virtual design + construction, and lean project delivery. Ghafari is immensely proud to continue this partnership through its involvement in GM’s transformative Factory ZERO project as the architect and engineer of record.

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“Factory ZERO will be one of GM’s first manufacturing facilities to use the stop-station assembly process in the general assembly area of the facility,” he said.

“Since the team members will do more work on the vehicles than they would on a traditional assembly line, they need a process that allows for flexibility. In stop-station assembly, ‘automated guided car ts’ move the vehicle body and chassis to the next location where team members take the next actions in the assembly process.”

The visionary team behind the repurposing and retooling of a nearly 40-year-old facility have also made sure that a focus on

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sustainable manufacturing was at the core of their plans. Jim explained how Factory ZERO is helping the organization move closer to its zero-emissions goal. “At GM, we are working hard to combat climate change and reduce our environmental impact, a large par t of which is manufacturing EVs. Another way we are working to reduce our emissions is through alternative sources of energy which produce no greenhouse gas emissions.

“Our commitment to renewable energy use began more than two decades ago and is expected to culminate by 2040 when we plan to source 100 per cent renewable energy to

General Motors – Factory ZERO meet GM’s global electricity needs and 100 per cent of U.S. sites by 2030.

“Factory ZERO features a 30kw solar carpor t and 516kw of ground mount PV (solar array) from DTE. In addition, as a result of GM’s investment in DTE’s MIGreenPower program, all of GM’s sites in Southeast Michigan, including Factory ZERO, will be powered by Michigan-made renewable energy by 2023.”

Alongside energy, Factory ZERO is also focused on sustainably using other resources, so for example, during the plant’s physical transition, concrete waste was repurposed to create temporary roadways, and treated storm water will be used in cooling towers and the fire suppression system. It also recycles storm water to reduce discharge costs and offset the cost of incoming por table water. “It features a 16.5-acre wildlife habitat that’s been recognized by the Wildlife Habitat Council, and is home to species such as monarchs, foxes and turkeys, too” added Jim.

JR Automation Esys is a leading full-service automation solutions provider, specializing in vehicle assembly applications in areas such as press, powertrain, plastics, body assembly, paint, sealer, final assembly, and tire & wheel. As a division of JR Automation, we are part of a fully integrated global network of cross-functional teams, giving us the capacity and depth of knowledge to handle any automation project in a wide variety of industries, including E-Commerce/Logistics, EV Battery, Digital Solutions, Consumer Goods, Healthcare, Aerospace, and more. JR Automation Esys has been a proud supplier to General Motors for over 20 years and we applaud their incredible work in bringing Factory Zero to fruition. We look forward to a long and fruitful partnership with General Motors as they continue to innovate and grow.

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People and culture

With the history of the Detroit Hamtramck Assembly Center stretching back over many decades, the facility holds a major position within the community. Once fully operational, Factory ZERO will create more than 2200 good-paying U.S. manufacturing jobs (it is also wor th noting here that the joint venture GM created with LG Energy Solution on the production of the Ultium batteries will create

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more than 1100 new jobs in Northeast Ohio.)

With Factory ZERO being a new evolution of the old Detroit Hamtramck site, the team on the shop floor, both old and new, needed to be brought up to speed on the technology they will be working on going forward. In order to facilitate this at the same time as the construction program progressed, GM utilized some very interesting IT solutions to help reskill existing workers at the plant, as Jim explained. “Factory ZERO star ted to apply vir tual training at the Global Technical Center’s pre-production facility in Warren, Michigan, to help train some employees before they return to the plant.

“Through the software, the team members learn the hands-on skills needed to assemble the vehicle and work with the machines and tools that will be in the new plant. In addition, the employees practice with the software that will be used on the plant floor and combine it with on-the-job training once production begins, which is a new feature.”

Being a significant champion for the economy of Detroit (and indeed the U.S. as a whole) is a role that GM takes seriously. Given Factory ZERO’s status as

General Motors – Factory ZERO the flagship battery and electric vehicle plant in the company, Jim noted that there are high expectations upon the facility as an employer and community contributor as well. “None other will compare to it from company performance to company culture,” he asser ted. “Factory ZERO will remain a place where first jobs are started, careers are transformed and community par tnerships are formed.”

GM’s plans for Factory ZERO are ambitious and the site is a big step forward in making its vision of an all-electric future a reality. Its joint-venture with LG Energy Solution (Ultium Cells LLC) that was mentioned previously is also a major par t of this story and construction is progressing well at the Ultium battery cell manufacturing facility in Lordstown. 2021 promises to be a big year for Ultium Cells LLC as employees star t to come aboard and make practice builds ahead of the scheduled early 2022 star t of production target. The plant, which will be about the size of 30 football fields, will have annual capacity of more than 30

gigawatt hours and room for expansion.

Alongside this facility, GM has also committed to transition two more manufacturing sites to produce electric vehicles - Spring Hill, Tennessee and Orion Assembly in Orion Township, Michigan. The company is also confirming investments in five Michigan plants, including the Lansing

Delta Township Assembly and Flint Assembly for future crossover and full-size pickup production.

Factory ZERO is being built to exemplify GM’s vision of an electric future – and it will play a huge role in achieving the company’s aim of ‘putting everyone in an electric vehicle’ as par t of the fight against climate

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change, that Chairman and CEO Mary Barra highlighted in November 2020. “We are transitioning to an all-electric por tfolio from a position of strength and we’re focused on growth. We can accelerate our EV plans because we are rapidly building a competitive advantage in batteries, software, vehicle integration, manufacturing and customer experience,” she said.

Everybody In

As recently as January 2021, the company debuted a new marketing campaign as par t of its comprehensive effor ts to accelerate the mass adoption of electric vehicles. Called ‘Everybody In’, the campaign is a call to action that has been designed to be inclusive and accessible. It sets an optimistic tone for the company’s EV future and focuses on three themes: • Exciting a new generation of buyers and accelerating EV adoption;

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General Motors – Factory ZERO • Demonstrating GM’s EV leadership, which includes the investment of $27 billion in EV and AV products through 2025 and the launches of 30 new EVs globally by the end of 2025; and • Highlighting the range, performance and flexibility of the Ultium platform “GM has the talent, technology and ambition to advance a safer world for all, help reduce emissions and accelerate toward our all-electric future,” commented Deborah Wahl, GM Global Chief Marketing Officer, at the launch of the campaign. “ ‘Everybody In’ demonstrates our intent to lead, while inviting others – policymakers, par tners, individuals – to play an active role in moving society forward, whether that’s helping to expand infrastructure, advocating for progress in their communities, or simply taking an EV for a test drive to learn about the benefits of EV ownership.”

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There are moments in history when everything changes. Inflection points. We believe such a point is upon us for the mass adoption of electric vehicles

Responding to a challenge; it’s in our fabric. From WWII plant conversion efforts to Covid ventilator manufacturing construction today, CCC’s been there for GM and the world. In the vastly competitive construction world where you have many choices for your construction project, GM again selected CCC as equipment installation supplier for the all-important Detroit Factory Zero electric vehicle program.

Since 1946 CCC has grown to become an Engineering News-Record top contractor for manufacturing plants. Our commitment to quality and customer service has led to numerous equipment installation partnerships with several different clients, including GM. Our unwavering commitment to project quality, safety, timing and budget are the keys to our success. CCC is your contractor of choice when constructing a manufacturing plant, expanding operations to support capacity increases, or relocating an entire plant to support corporate restructuring anywhere in North America.

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New brand identity

Jim Quick, Plant Director

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In another very exciting development, ‘Everybody In’ has also ushered in a new brand identity for GM, as the business undergoes a transformation of its own.

“There are moments in history when everything changes. Inflection points. We believe such a point is upon us for the mass adoption of electric vehicles,” said Deborah.

“Unlike ever before, we have the solutions, capability, technology and scale to put everyone in an EV. Our new brand identity and campaign are designed to reflect this.”

A major par t of the new identity is a new GM logo. Designed to build on a strong heritage while bringing a more modern and vibrant look to GM’s familiar blue square, the new brand identity extends to technology brands including Ultium. The team of GM designers tasked with creating the new logo considered how to balance the history and trust inherent to the existing design with GM’s vision for the future.

According to Sharon Gauci, GM Executive Director of Global Industrial Design: “This

was a project our team took so personally, not just for ourselves but for the 164,000 employees this logo represents. At every step, we wanted to be intentional and deliberate because this logo signifies creative and innovative thinking across the global General Motors family.”

Automotive history

The electric trucks and SUVs that will be built at Factory ZERO will help transform not only GM, but the automotive industry as a whole, and through this lens Factory ZERO can be viewed as not just a facility but also as a physical representation of GM’s ambitious plans to inspire more consumers to purchase EVs. As the largest American automobile manufacturer and one of the world’s largest automakers by vehicle unit sales, the name GM is steeped in automotive history, and its new evolution and clear path towards electric vehicles is a bold statement to the world about how the sector is changing.

GM is no stranger to EV innovation and it

General Motors – Factory ZERO was actually the first company (in the modern era) to release an all-electric automobile in 1990. While the EVs produced at Factory ZERO will be a long way from that early EV1, the spirit of research and development and the drive to be industry leaders and innovative inventors is still at the hear t of all its operations. The company has come a long way since it was founded

by William C. Durant on September 16, 1908, and with its new branding and new ambitious plans, General Motors is driving its customers towards a clearer, greener and safer future.

General Motors Factory ZERO

Services: Legendary automotive manufacturer www.gm.com

FANUC is honored to join GM on its next incredible journey into Electric Vehicle production with Factory Zero, and stand committed as a partner to advance GM’s vision of zero crashes, zero emissions, and zero congestion.

FANUC is grateful for the close working relationship, and decadeslong collaboration with General Motors. Together we’ve revolutionized manufacturing through automated solutions for robotic assembly, painting, welding, and many other automation technologies. As a 16-time Supplier of the Year and Innovation Award winner, FANUC is proud of our strategic relationship with General Motors.

We support their efforts to achieve a Zero-Zero-Zero future, and wish them continued success.

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A breath of fresh air With a long-standing mission to rid homes of the damaging effects of poor indoor air, condensation and mould, EnviroVent is today a leading – and rapidly growing – manufacturer and supplier of ventilation systems

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B

ased in Harrogate, North Yorkshire and employing over 200 people, for over 30 years EnviroVent Ltd (EnviroVent) has been helping households across the country and beyond to solve damp, condensation and mould issues through the application of its award-winning ventilation products. Said products, which EnviroVent designs, manufactures, installs, commissions and maintains, create year-round healthy and fresh indoor environments, and with more than one million satisfied customers to date, it is easy to see why the company

EnviroVent Ltd

considers itself an expert when it comes to advising on indoor air quality and condensation within the home.

“What sets EnviroVent apart within our field is the fact that have a true understanding as to why ventilation is so important to people and for their homes,” explains the company’s Managing Director, Andy Makin. “We also understand the impact that condensation, damp and mould can have on indoor air quality, and the knock on effects these conditions can have on not only the inhabitants of a property, but also the property itself – with

added consequences in how the fabric of a building will be impacted by not dealing with such issues.

“EnviroVent is one of the only companies of its kind to have a considerable, nationwide network of ventilation specialist engineers who can deliver its services directly to its customers’ homes. Our business made its name – and continues to thrive – within the social and public housing sectors, and we have forged strong, long-standing relationships with a large number of housing associations, local authorities and housing providers in what is typically a

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Although we have succeeded in making our two existing sites work in harmony together, there are clearly a number of benefits to having our entire operation under one roof in the future, not least of all the improvement in efficiencies that we expect to see across the board www.manufacturing-today.com l 37

EnviroVent Ltd

Icon Plastics

tough, demanding industry to succeed in. The reputation for quality and service that we have built here has in turn led the company into the private sector, where we now work alongside several major housing developers and private organizations. Over the past decade, we have also added a B2C business model that allows us to work directly with individual homeowners and private landlords.�

EnviroVent is known predominantly for two key product ranges. The first is its series of Positive Input Ventilation (PIV) products, which

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is a system that works on positive pressure circulating, diluting and displacing stale air and introducing fresh filtered air in order to eliminate condensation and/or mould issues.

The second is its Filterless fan range, which operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to remove condensation and deliver high performance in controlling humidity levels in kitchens, bathrooms and utility rooms, using the lowest levels of energy consumption.

Meanwhile, its other product offering includes mechanical ventilation with heat recovery

Icon Plastics is a precision injection moulding and manufacturing business with a difference, its aim is to make the manufacture of plastic components and finished products simpler and more cost effective by providing an Integrated Manufacturing Solution.

Based in the Northeast of England, Icon Plastics has invested heavily since its formation in 2002 and continues to grow by developing manufacturing partnerships with its customers. The site has been designed to optimise processing time and minimise handling from polymer through to finished products. New equipment and automation enable Icon Plastics to meet the changing needs of its customers, whether that’s reshoring product manufacture, integrating moulding and assembly processes or just offering flexible injection moulding services.

Icon Plastics has helped its customers to shorten lead times; reduce costs, stock holding and carbon footprint; optimise product and tool designs; and lessen the impact of Brexit.

Let Icon Plastics make a difference to your business.

Website: www.iconplastics.co.uk Telephone: (+44)1642 786520 Email: sales@iconplastics.co.uk

Left: Managing Director, Andy Makin Right: Artist’s impression of the new EnviroVent building due to be operational in the first quarter of 2022

(MVHR) and mechanical extract ventilation (MEV) systems.

As of December 2020, EnviroVent operates out of two sites located on Hornbeam Business Park in Harrogate. “One of these sites acts as our distribution center, while our other – main – site is where we manufacture the products that fall into what we call our Lifetime Range, which encompasses our PIV and Filterless fan ranges, as well as our heat recovery systems,” Andy states.

While the aforementioned sites have certainly served the business well over the years, EnviroVent is excited to now be embarking on plans to relocate its operations to a larger single facility that will be found at the new Burley Business Park, also in Harrogate.

The new building will initially comprise of almost 17,000-square feet of office space, 13,000-square feet for product assembly, and over 30,000-square feet of storage space. The company will also possess further expansion capability, which would ultimately take the building up to 70,000-square feet.

“Although we have succeeded in making our two existing sites work in harmony together, there are clearly a number of benefits to having our entire operation under one roof in the future, not least of all the improvement in efficiencies that we expect to see across the board. The new site will also help to facilitate our own expansion plans moving forward, which was a major driver behind our desire to relocate,” Andy adds. “Builders will begin work on site around March 2021, and if all goes to plan, we should be in a position to move into the facility during the first quarter of 2022!”

The expansion plans that Andy speaks of come as a result of the company’s continued growth in recent years, which he attributes to several factors. “One of the major reasons for our growth is the fact that, while as a country the UK has all manner of different building

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EnviroVent Ltd

regulations in place, ventilation regulations were only really introduced on a mass scale in the 1990s. This means that today we still have somewhere in the region of 28 million homes in the UK – both in the public and private sector – a vast majority of which currently fall outside of the requirements of the building regulations. This has created a huge, built-in market for which we can serve our customers with our products and systems,” he details. “There is also the fact that in the last several years – and indeed this year in light of the Covid-19 pandemic – there has been a much stronger focus on and awareness of the need for better indoor air quality, which is helping to drive public awareness, and as a consequence sales.”

Speaking of the pandemic and the way the business has had to respond to the challenges it has posed in 2020, Andy tells us that EnviroVent made the decision very early on that changes would be necessary in order for it to maintain its manufacturing activities, even during the first few months of lockdowns and other restrictions. “While we did furlough a number of our employees during the first wave of the pandemic, we managed to maintain our manufacturing output, albeit initially at reduced levels,” he says. “The reason for doing so was that we knew that once restrictions started to be lifted and some sense of normality resumed there would we believed, be pent up demand for the supply of products such as ours, and this

indeed turned out to be the case. Ultimately, our decisions at the onset of the pandemic meant that we were in a good position to respond to increased levels of interest, especially in the summer months.”

That leads us onto what 2021 and beyond has in store for EnviroVent, and Andy is certain that the next several years will mark a very interesting time for the sector as a whole. “By the latter stages of 2021, the UK’s building regulations will have been further updated and revised, which will hopefully have a positive impact on the ventilation industry,” he points out. “We anticipate that any changes will drive an even greater focus on indoor air quality, and that will help to influence areas of our own business such as product development.

In addition to this, we will continue to have an eye on what the Government announces in the way of public spending for the public housing sector, as well as on developments within the new build market, which will no doubt be led by consumer confidence in 2021.

“For our part, we continue to hold a strong share of the market and as the requirement for our products shows no sign of diminishing our optimism for the future remain high. Indeed, moving forward with our decision to expand our footprint via a new manufacturing facility shows that we see EnviroVent as being here for the long-term, and we feel confident in our ability to grow the business over the next decade and beyond!”

EnviroVent Ltd Products: Ventilation systems for the home www.envirovent.com

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The best treatment for wood Providing a variety of treated wood products, wood treatment chemicals and carbon compounds, Koppers is a global business looking to expand through investment and recruitment in 2021

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Koppers

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oppers strives to be recognized as the world’s leading provider of wood protection and preservation technologies, through high-quality treated wood products, wood treatment chemicals, and carbon compounds. Koppers is a global business with plans to expand in 2021 through organic and strategic growth initiatives.

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Koppers Kobitex Inc. ‘Our relationship with Koppers started in 1999 with Osmose, Inc. based in Buffalo, USA. Osmose was later acquired by Koppers in 2014 and our partnership continued. Since the very beginning, Koppers has been a true and collaborative partner in Chromium products. They continue to demonstrate professionalism, openness and transparency day to day and have enabled us to serve them best, while driving significant results in their key wood preservative business. We are proud to be their partners and we will continue to give them our corporate commitment of Superior Customer Service, Consistency and Reliability in the future.’

Ovi Gulersen, President, Kobitex Inc.

While the company is headquar tered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Koppers truly has a global reach. Serving multiple markets, including the rail, chemical, residential, utility, agriculture, steel, rubber and construction sectors, Koppers has more than 2100 employees worldwide and operates across Nor th America, South America, Australasia and Europe.

Publicly traded since 2006, Koppers is divided into four business units: Railroad Products and Services manufactures railroad crossties and rail joints, and offers bridge repair services and the recovery and recycling of railroad crossties.

Utility and Industrial Products is the second-largest wood utility pole manufacturer in the Nor th American market, supplying quality poles and cross-arms to utilities in the region.

Carbon Materials and Chemicals, with facilities in the US, Denmark and Australia, distills coal tar into a variety of products, including creosote for treatment of railroad

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crossties, carbon pitch for use in aluminum smelting, and other chemicals for use in a variety of industries including the construction sectors.

Performance Chemicals develops wood preservative systems and technologies used to pressure-treat lumber for repair and remodeling, residential construction, and commercial buildings. Products treated with its well-known, market-leading, patented wood preserving products can be found at home improvement stores across the US. It also produces wood preservatives used in utility poles, heavy duty marine and agricultural use.

Jim Sullivan, Koppers’ Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, believes that the company’s diversified offering is one of the main things that sets the business apar t from its competition.

“A significant inflection point for this company came in 2014, when we successfully transformed a business built on producing carbon pitch for the aluminum industry into

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an enterprise centered on the preservation and enhancement of wood,” he begins. “It was a strategic decision based on how markets and macroeconomic conditions have shifted, and it has paid off.

“Customers want to know their supply chain is secure and that is why they turn to Koppers,” Jim continues. “Somewhere between 18 million and 23 million railroad ties get replaced in Nor th America every year and the issue of maintenance is of vital impor tance to both large and small railroads.

Our position as a reliable supplier, therefore, is critically impor tant. We have par tnerships that go back decades because customers trust us.”

In order to suppor t its broad and varied offering, Koppers runs numerous manufacturing plants and operational sites across the world, including 19 wood treatment plants, three carbon materials and chemicals plants and eight performance chemicals facilities such as the plant in Hubbell, Michigan, where copper carbonate is manufactured for use in wood treatment.

In mid-2020, Koppers announced that one of its railroad tie treatment facilities, located in Nor th Little Rock, Arkansas, would undergo a $40 million modernization in 2021.

Not only will the investment help fund new equipment and upgraded processes, but it will also result in hiring additional employees.

“The renovation at the Nor th Little Rock

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Koppers with a statement of purpose that we think sums it up nicely: ‘Protecting What Matters and Preserving The Future.’ What matters to us is our people, the environment and the communities that surround us; if we protect those, we will have a strong future.”

Koppers’ culture of care has been exemplified over the last 12 months as the company and its employees have battled against the Covid-19 pandemic. In March 2020, as many companies began making job cuts, Koppers pursued a strategy of careful but aggressive cost containment, so as to keep its facilities in operation and all of its employees working. As facilities needed to close temporarily due to cer tain stay-at-home orders overseas, or to handle Covid infections and cleaning protocols, or when specific individuals needed to remain in quarantine or be treated for the virus, Koppers continued to pay all its employees.

In addition, the company provided a bonus to its worldwide team at the end of 2020 in recognition of the many sacrifices and

facility came about after we secured a tenyear contract with a Class I railroad for more volume, but to do so, we had to commit to major upgrades of the facility,” Jim explains.

“The work is well under way and we expect to complete the final phase by the end of 2021. The site will include all-new treatment cylinders, all-new material handling equipment and updated environmental controls.

“We have also just acquired land near our Rock Hill facility in South Carolina, which is one of our Performance Chemicals plants,” Jim adds. “We will be expanding the site in the future as we implement plans that give us more manufacturing capacity. We are looking for continuous improvement across the board.”

Though the latest equipment and technology will no doubt play a key role in helping the company achieve future success, Koppers believes that the most impor tant par t of the organization is its people.

Consequently, the company regards safety as its number one priority and is united behind “Zero Harm,” an operational philosophy and set of specific behaviors focused on reducing incidents and creating a culture of safety excellence across the business.

“If you can achieve excellence in safety, you can achieve excellence in everything else,” Jim asser ts. “We care for each other and we look out for one another – that is one aspect that sets us apar t. Not long ago, we came up

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Koppers look at expanding some other facilities as well as getting cost reduction projects underway.

“In the coming years, we will be looking at two things in par ticular : Stronger growth and greater efficiency. We are mindful of the appropriate areas in which we can organically grow our business because of who we are and what we do, and we have already identified multiple new projects. In three to five years’ time, we expect to see top line growth, and at the same time, increased efficiency. We hope to be a business driving more to the bottom line, while continuing to take care of our people.”

extra effor ts required to persevere during the pandemic.

“We care greatly for our people. As an essential business during this pandemic, we have done everything we can to keep them safe,” Jim declares. “In a wider sense, I am really proud of the way the company reacted to the Covid crisis. We didn’t panic; we put our frontline people first, we didn’t cut jobs, and when things star ted to turn around when demand for residential lumber went through the roof, for example - we were able to institute a merit increase. We worked together and hung in there really well.”

Koppers’ strong performance throughout the pandemic means that the organization is well positioned to focus on growth oppor tunities for the future. Although this growth will primarily be driven by the aforementioned investment in production, Koppers will also be looking for innovation from within. Koppers Global Technology Center, an applied research facility in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and its research laboratory and pilot plant in Griffin, Georgia, work every day to drive new enhancements and offerings. Additionally, employees are also encouraged to share their ideas – both big and small – through a virtual innovation por tal called iShare. The program has yielded numerous practical solutions that have improved safety and efficiency throughout Koppers.

Corporate Social Responsibility remains another impor tant focus for the business too.

Koppers significantly advanced the company’s Sustainability strategy in 2019 and 2020 by establishing new governance structures; fostering organizational alignment; assessing and prioritizing initiatives and opportunities, risks and impacts; and working to establish new benchmarks and forward-looking goals.

In January 2020, the company announced the

election of Leslie Hyde as Koppers first Chief Sustainability Officer. In 2021, Koppers hopes to further develop its sustainability practices in line with its five-year strategy.

“We have a very robust five-year plan and we trust where that will take us,” Jim states.

“First, we will get the work at the Nor th Little Rock facility completed, then we may

Koppers

Products: Treated wood products, wood treatment chemicals and carbon compounds www.koppers.com

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In a league of its own A subsidiary of world-renowned innovator Kaiser AG, Kaiser Premier is an established provider of hydro-excavators and is the US leader in recycler technology

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ounded in May 2017, Kaiser Premier was formed when company President Dan Weber partnered with the CEO of Kaiser AG, Markus Kaiser, to purchase US firm Premier Oilfield Equipment.

The transaction was beneficial for both parties. For Kaiser AG, the investment gave the Lichtenstein-based company a local presence in the US marketplace. For Kaiser Premier, the partnership provides support from an internationally renowned parent company with over a century’s experience in the manufacture of excavators and sewer cleaning vehicles.

Located in Fort Morgan, Colorado, Kaiser

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Premier manufactures state-of-the-art recycling sewer cleaners and hydro-excavating equipment to serve a variety of markets, including the municipal utility, gas and oil, industrial and construction sectors. Proven to be effective construction and infrastructure support tools that help increase productivity and perform in the most demanding applications, Kaiser Premier products benefit from proprietary technology recognized in Europe and modified for use in the United States.

At present, Kaiser Premier’s product portfolio contains several truck mounted hydro-excavators known as the CV Series. The

Company President, Dan Weber

company also manufactures the popular and versatile AquaStar recycler, as well as offering trailer-mounted hydro-excavators. With the power and knowledge of Kaiser AG behind it, Kaiser Premier continues to introduce some of the industry’s newest, most cutting-edge equipment year on year.

“Our technology is probably the most advanced on the market,” declares Dan Weber.

“It is that technological advantage, as well as superior customer service, that separates us from our competitors.

“On the customer front, we like to look at ourselves as being in the emergency business.

When our customers’ equipment is not

Kaiser Premier

functioning properly, it is essential that we get them up and running as quickly as possible.

It’s a part of our culture,” he states. “On the technology side of things, our equipment runs in a wide variety of difficult applications and the reliability we provide is extremely important to our clients. Additionally, we are always adjusting and improving our products to suit customer requirements, which means each of our product lines offers its own key differentiators.”

The philosophy of continuous product improvement that Dan alludes to has recently yielded major updates to the firm’s CV Series of hydro excavators. Among the

improvements are a redesigned rear door and increased dumping height to expand debris offloading capabilities and facilitate more efficient unloading. Kaiser Premier’s trailer-mounted excavator, the TerraVac Xpose800 Hydro Excavation Trailer, is a new product that operates with a unique rear door locking mechanism that guarantees pressure offload capabilities without any leaking. The company has also introduced air and water into its hydro excavators, allowing customers to excavate using only air, only water, or a combination of both.

When it comes to the sewer cleaning arm of the organization, the key differentiator

‘‘

As a company, we made a decision to aggressively invest in product development over the last six or seven months and what we really did was speed up the product development cycle by converting some of our manufacturing capabilities to product development

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EXCO International LLC Having been a partner of Kaiser Premier for well over a decade, we’ve had the fortune of experiencing the evolution of their successes. Kaiser Premier’s vision of integrating technology to an industry that was set in their ways, along with creative leadership, is the reason they have become global giants within their field.

Their foresight gave us the opportunity to integrate wireless control systems and continue to adapt electronics and controls in order to keep ahead of the curve. Their growth has been a great contribution to our growth.

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is more unified; everything is built around recycling. “Recycling in this industry is an emerging technology in the US, but it is a technology that has been used for some time in Europe through Kaiser AG. A traditional sewer cleaner might jet fresh water at a

volume of up to 130 gallons a minute, so not only are you wasting water, but within 30 mins, you have to stop, break down, go to a hydrant, come back, and re-run. With recyclers, you continually use the water in the sewer, or the water you brought with you, and you never

Kaiser Premier

have to stop until the job is completed. Your efficiencies in cleaning can be up to 100 per cent greater, and there are significant fresh water savings, which is a very positive result for the environment.

“Additionally, we are able to run the recyclers with less horsepower than is normally needed to run truck-mounted sewer cleaners, but with the same output as our competition. As a result,” Dan continues, “you have fuel savings over typical sewer equipment.

We also have liquid ring vacuum pumps, which have been developed and manufactured internally, and that are uniquely suited to recycling sewer waters. This proprietary technology differentiates us from all other manufacturers in the US, Europe, or anywhere else in the world. It allows you to clean some

of the most difficult applications, like pipes full of grease and roots, without clogging up the system. Operators can continue to function all day long without having to stop to take care of clogging or maintenance issues.”

As a company that helps enable hydro excavation – a less environmentally intrusive practice than traditional, mechanical excavating – and offers sewer cleaners capable of doubling production whilst saving up to 15,000 gallons of fresh water a day, Kaiser Premier is innately in the business of sustainability. With more and more companies looking to make cost-savings, as well as environmentally positive choices, Kaiser Premier is seeing increasing demand for its services.

“Underground infrastructure in the US is quite old in many places and so significant

‘‘

We intend to add more product models to service other markets in the US and we will continue to leverage the technological expertise that our parent company brings to the table

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Commercial Metal Forming This year marks the 100th Anniversary of Commercial Metal Forming, a significant supplier of tank heads and accessories for industries including petrochemical, LPG, oil fields, construction, transportation, oil and gas separation, food processing, and filtration. CMF operates in Youngstown, Ohio, Saginaw, Texas and Orange, California. Founded in 1920, Commercial Metal Forming has expanded its offerings to meet the growing demand for new and innovative steel products for 100 years.

“This anniversary is more than a milestone. It marks the birth of our second century of commitment to our people, our customers, and our community,” commented Commercial President & CEO, Bob Messaros.

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funding is going towards correcting that at the moment,” Dan reveals. “With the technology we can bring to the table, we can help businesses make these projects more efficient and save millions of gallons of fresh water in the process. There is interest in our products

throughout the country, but it is heightened in areas where water conservation is a big issue, like on the West Coast, throughout Colorado and in the South.”

To support the growing demand, Kaiser Premier operates a 100,000-square foot, fully

Kaiser Premier by introducing its customers to new advanced technologies. According to Dan, a more diverse offering, a wider client base, and further growth in sales are the core objectives for the business over the next five years.

“That’s the overall goal in a nutshell,” he asserts, “and doing it all in a culture that supports teamwork, diversity, and creativity. We intend to add more product models to service other markets in the US and we will continue to leverage the technological expertise that our parent company brings to the table.

Together with Kaiser AG, Kaiser Premier will always produce and adapt technology that, in one form or another, supports the unique needs of the US market.”

integrated manufacturing facility capable of fabrication, engineering, and assembly, including paint. Along with increasing the complexity of its manufacturing processes, Kaiser Premier has recently introduced SAP enterprise software into the firm, which is already providing Dan and his team with better control over accurate reporting, inventory and cost. A centralized tool crib has also improved efficiency on the manufacturing line, ensuring the correct materials are available for timely product assembly. Such a well-equipped, modern site has been greatly beneficial to the business in dealing with the challenges of 2020.

“Covid-19 has obviously made this a difficult year and we have had to learn how to shift our business approach, both in how we call on our clients and how we manage our personnel internally,” Dan reports. “We have successfully implemented all the precautionary steps in line with governmental guidelines to help minimize the impact of the virus on our operations, but Covid-19 has still impacted our markets, specifically the gas and oil sectors, and this has forced us to relook at our manufacturing priorities.

“As a company, we made a decision to aggressively invest in product development over the last six or seven months and what we really did was speed up the product development cycle by converting some of our manufacturing capabilities to product development. We are now launching some of those products as a result.

“Most importantly, we have stood by our employees throughout, including supporting medical coverage for those that might have been laid off for a period of time. We have now been able to rebound and continue to employ most of our workforce. Thankfully, we

are beginning to see an increase in demand, particularly in the municipal and utility markets.”

Having made it through the most difficult stretch of 2020, Kaiser Premier is now looking to increase its market reach and penetration

Kaiser Premier Products: Hydro-excavators and recycling sewer cleaners www.kaiserpremier.com

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Brightening up the market The only manufacturer of roof windows in the UK and Ireland, Keylite Roof Windows is looking to continue its journey of profitable growth in 2021

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ncreasingly viewed as an ideal solution to bring natural light and ventilation into a property, demand for roof windows is growing; and as the only manufacturer of roof windows from the UK and Ireland, Keylite is growing with it.

Founded in 2001 as part of the wider Keystone Group, Keylite was an established part of the marketplace by the mid-2000s and has been achieving large volumes of sales for over 15 years. Initially based in Cookstown, Northern Ireland, the company now manufactures its products in Poland, before shipping the items to a 40,000 square foot distribution center in Burton-Upon-Trent.

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“Most of our competitors are based in Eastern Europe or Scandinavia, and although we manufacture in Poland for a number of good reasons, our R&D, marketing, and leadership team is based in the UK, so we feel we are very close to the market and it helps us to be successful,” explains Keylite’s Managing Director, Jim Blanthorne. “We have grown quickly over the last few years and we have got a really strong, ambitious and customer-focused team with a real can-do attitude. It’s 20 years now since we started and we have just got better and better every year.”

Named as one of the London Stock Exchange’s Companies to Inspire Britain in

2020, Keylite’s fastest selling product is a center-pivot roof window, though the firm also manufactures a range of range of blinds, timber loft ladders, flashings, electric operation kits and accessories. Always looking for ways to improve its offering, Keylite collects various data on its products and continuously reinvests in research and development projects.

“The ambition is to make a product that is really easy to install, performs fantastically well and is ultimately as good as it can possibly be,” Jim says. “We’ve got nine patents granted for Keylite already and several more pending. In terms of new product launches for 2021, we have a solar window coming out.

Keylite Roof Windows “Our roof windows are either manually or electrically operable, and in the past, electrical meant running a power supply to the window, which isn’t always convenient. The solar roof window includes its own solar panel that will charge a battery and the battery will be used to operate the window, either from remote control or using our new Keylite Connect app.

We have been extensively testing the solar window with the BRE Group in London to ensure the solar performance makes for a really high quality, high reliability product, so we are excited about its release.”

Like all Keylite products, the new solar window will be manufactured in Zambrów, northeastern Poland, where the company employs a team of several hundred people to make its goods. The Zambrów facility receives continuous investment and in 2020, was the subject of a capital expenditure program to reduce costs and increase capacity, quality, reliability and safety through the extensive automation of processes.

“As part of the latest investment, we have been able to automate individual work centers in the Timber Machining Department, enabling us to join up process steps to help reduce delays and reduce our working capital,” Jim reveals. “For example, during the first stage of the timber process when we bring in raw material, we now have a planer connected to a defect scanner that photos each piece of timber, sends a signal showing any defects to an optimizing saw and then the optimizing saw removes the defects. It means we can optimize the length of the input timber to the length of the windows and maximize the quality yield you can get from that natural product. We now have similar processes across the factory.”

As we move into a brand-new year, the investment isn’t likely to stop for Keylite and the firm has a range of projects lined up that have already received CapEx approval.

Automation will remain a focus, but so will a systematic elimination of activity that does not add value.

“Since I joined the business four years ago, the task has been to grow profitably. That comes through sales and expansion, but also through reducing costs, and the best way of doing that is to streamline processes, cut down waste and things like that,” Jim comments. “At Keylite, we are big on the Five S’s of Lean and that is helping to transform the company for the better.”

The progress Keylite has made across the business throughout the last 12 months has been all the more extraordinary considering the nature of 2020 and the seemingly endless

problems created by Covid-19. Towards the beginning of the pandemic, in April 2020, sales stopped abruptly for Keylite as uncertainty reigned for the company’s main customers – builders’ merchants. While many firms were

forced to close, Keylite remained open as an essential business, operating with a skeleton crew ‘just to keep the lights on’.

“It was actually a really interesting time because it was a chance for a lot of senior

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people to get really close to the detail of the business again and we learnt an awful lot,” Jim reports. “There was a lot of praise from the market for our customer service and under difficult circumstances we maintained our usual levels of quality. Our Trustpilot ratings improved during the period and the people we kept in the business really stepped up to the plate.”

Since April 2020, Keylite has experienced a V-shaped recovery in its sales, and levels of demand are now moving above that of 2019.

As the firm continues to facilitate the phased return to work of its internal and external teams, Jim is pleased to be able to welcome back the heartbeat of the business.

“People are really key to our success at Keylite,” he asserts. “It starts with recruitment and onboarding, but our objective is to always promote from within where we can. I looked at our leadership team this morning and over half of the people have been promoted to their current positions from within.”

A strong believer in investing in its people, Keylite implements a training program called Keylite Academy. Internally devised and bristling with dedicated content developed by each of the company’s Department Managers, Keylite Academy not only offers a structured approach to staff training, but also helps new employees feel like well-informed, formally initiated members of the organization.

“We very much foster a high performing culture here,” Jim adds. “We are target driven

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Keylite Roof Windows

and we are now looking deeper into waste management and energy management. All in all, it is about gathering all those strong underpinnings for the business that ensure Keylite is fit for future growth.”

Keylite Roof Windows

Products: Roof windows, blinds, loft ladders and accessories www.keyliteroofwindows.com

and every role has quite a clear definition. We reward and recognize high performance and people know that if they work hard then there is opportunity to grow and develop within the business.

“Over the last few years we have coined the phrase ‘One Keylite’ as we try to bring all three sites closer together, whilst still empowering the individual. We take on a lot of apprentices and sponsor young, hungry staff members on university courses. That approach, and the belief we show in our people, has brought us a lot of success and we have had employees nominated for Apprentice of the Year, as well as one person that was the Builders Merchants Federation Young Achiever of the Year.”

Driven by the quality of its people and the unity of its workforce, Keylite is looking to achieve more profitable growth in 2021. After proving its robustness and resilience during the Coronavirus pandemic, the company will continue to reinvest and Jim is looking forward to the opportunities ahead.

“The UK continues to have a shortage of quality housing and roof windows fit well with people’s lifestyle ambitions. Be it a room in a roof or a kitchen extension, bright, open, well-ventilated spaces full of daylight are what people want from modern living,” Jim declares.

“The next steps for us are to work on safety excellence, quality excellence and sustainability.

The latter is a little bit newer to us, but we’ve got timber supplier accreditation from the FSC

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Newport Wafer Fab

Conducting itself the right way With over 30 years of experience in fabricating world class, high end silicon devices under its belt, Newport Wafer Fab is a vital manufacturing service provider to a vast array of important industries and markets

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ewport Wafer Fab (NWF) is the world’s first integrated silicon, and compound on silicon, waferfab, providing manufacturing services for the world’s first compound semiconductor cluster (CS Connected) and the wider global foundry market. Launched in September 2017, following the successful acquisition of its present-day Newport site from Infineon Technologies, NWF is located in an impressive high technology campus in the West of Newport South Wales. The site itself has over 35 years of experience in the design, development and manufacture of semiconductor devices.

NWF is now an open-access foundry, providing volume manufacturing services for the silicon, CS and photonics markets. The largest wafer-fab in the United Kingdom, NWF can proudly call itself a start up with 36 years of RD&I, and high-volume manufacturing experience. “NWF offers foundry services to customers with compound, photonics and power semiconductor products,” confirms its Managing Director, Paul James. “We provide a foundry service to a diverse client group, ranging from large power semiconductor silicon-based customers, to bespoke photonics and compound fabless companies. The service that we provide is also varied and includes technology transfer and enhancements to process development.”

In just three years, NWF has secured

contracts with ten customers and is currently ramping up silicon production processes to meet increasing demand, whilst developing technologies in power management, photonics and compound semiconductors. “What we do is offer a unique service as the world’s first foundry dedicated to compound semiconductor on silicon and silicon chip manufacturing,” Paul continues. “NWF is the device fab of the CS Connected, a collaborative and non-competitive organization located in South Wales. This compound eco-system brings together leading companies such as IQE, SPTS and Microchip, and HE institutions such as Cardiff and Swansea Universities, and the newly formed Compound Semiconductor Applications Catapult.

“This whole eco-system is also able to offer bespoke solutions utilizing compound semiconductor materials, with NWF providing the device RD&I, and scale up volume manufacturing services for the cluster. The scale and diversity of this growing Compound Semiconductor eco-system is attracting many worldwide customers who need to exploit the advantages of these new technologies.”

When it comes to the working culture of the business, NWF has benefitted from its rich history of working with a number of global organizations, while its leadership model is focused around ‘Customer First’ principles. “The Semiconductor environment demands high levels of skill and knowledge,” Paul explains.

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‘‘

Many of the applications of the Fourth Industrial Revolution will require compound semiconductors.

NWF is the device fab of the worlds’ first compound semiconductor cluster, and we believe the UK has a unique generational opportunity to deliver and lead many of the innovations that will be needed in a net zero, connected world

“NWF has over 400 skilled staff and has supported many through further education. This has enabled many employees to transform their lives and careers through the provision of ‘onthe-job’ development. Indeed, many of NWF’s existing managers, engineers and technicians started their careers as frontline operators. For example, we have supported over 110 staff through NVQ levels, and over 250 through Six Sigma education with local colleges. We also have an active apprentice program with six staff starting their careers in equipment engineering in 2020, and have recruited ten graduate

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engineers, four at Phd Level to support our expanding RD&I portfolio. However, we believe the critical factor is our shared values, rooted in dynamic teamwork, passion, and a collective determination to succeed.”

NWF is a 200mm SMIF Wafer-fab, with a current capacity of 32,000 wafer starts per month of 0.18µm and above, with an expansion capability within the existing envelope to 44,000 wafers starts per month. Its Newport site has developed a wide range of semiconductor technologies ranging from MOSFETs/TIGBTs using wafer thinning methods to CMOS, analog

and compound semiconductors. NWF transfers and enhances MOSFET/TIGBT processes, and develops photonic and compound processes and devices from the initial concept/design stage through production, using systems routed in automotive methodology.

Meanwhile, with the Front-end fab, NWF benefits from a large wafer thinning and wafer test cleanroom. These additional fabs provide an integrated end-to-end service, critical to things like advanced TIGBT production. NWF adopts a range of Lean operating principles, employing many of the methods developed by Toyota, such as advanced factory automation, visual controls, constraint management, and front-line empowerment through KAIZEN and GEMBA methods.

NWF has also made a number of important infrastructure investments in recent times, not least of all its installing and commissioning of a Tri-Gen Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Plant, at a cost of approximately £3 million. “We believe that this investment alone will save the

Newport Wafer Fab

Biffa Waste Services Ltd

business an estimated £1 million per annum,” Paul adds. “In addition to this, NWF has installed a next generation deep trench etch system from its cluster partner SPTS. This system has been used to develop complex photonics technologies. NWF has also used its advanced

equipment sets to develop GAN LEDs and GAN HEMTs technology in its 200mm fab for, and with, our compound customers and partners.”

Among the contracts signed by NWF in the last two years are a ten-year agreement

NWF trust our on-site team to collect, sort and process their waste materials in the most environmentally sustainable and cost-effective manner. We manage these operations, including specialist equipment to maximise the value of all material streams.

Where we encounter sensitive product not meant for market, we manage its secure destruction to protect NWF’s brand. We also take a ‘partnership’ approach to our relationship, making ourselves available to consult on any aspects of the production process that may impact on waste arisings.

At the heart of this approach is our data - our MI allows NWF to measure their ongoing improvement in performance and sustainability.

Kevin Barratt - Specialist Services Contract Manager

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with Infineon, and a seven-year contract with a second major semiconductor company.

Both contracts are focused on silicon power, with many products servicing the automotive market. NWF does, however, also have intentions on broadening its portfolio of clients in other industry sectors, such as data communications and healthcare.

“With our Fabless Photonics customer partner, NWF has embarked on a project to create a novel PIC platform,” Paul details.

“This development program will deliver next generation photonic transmission devices into the personal healthcare market, enabling wearable, connected technologies which promise to transform healthcare systems over the next decade.

“With our cluster partner, Cardiff University, we are also developing next generation RF MMIC (Monolithic Microwave IC’s) with leading radar and communication UK based companies.

Once developed, this communications and sensor project will be scaled up at NWF in bespoke cleanrooms, with further development of RF technologies being supported via the University’s new 1500-square meter RD&I wafer-fab in Central Cardiff.”

A further item of news that it would be remiss not to mention is that NWF recently won APCUK (Advanced Propulsion Centre UK) support funding to develop low carbon technologies. Through the Automotive Transformation Fund (ATF), NWF has secured

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Newport Wafer Fab

two feasibility APCUK projects to explore how NWF and its cluster partners can be scaled up to meet the UK’s ‘Net Zero 2030’ challenge.

NWF, the University of Swansea and the Compound Semiconductor Centre will study the installation of a SIC (Silicon Carbide) pilot line and a major scale up to accommodate 200mm SIC and GaN on silicon for the Power/ Electric Vehicle (EV) market. If supported, this will create a sovereign front-end supply chain, which is a critical need for low carbon technologies. For 14 years, the NWF site – when owned by International Rectifier – was one of the world’s leading MOSFET R&D centers, and at the heart of EV engines is a MOSFET built in a SiC substrate.

Turning his attention to the coming years, Paul highlights where he sees NWF heading.

“Our ambition is to expand photonics and other compound semiconductor technologies, whilst maintaining a strong power silicon business foundation. The NWF campus offers great expansion potential within our existing building, and by re-establishing cleanrooms in the original Richard Rogers building. In addition, the 200mm wafer-fab can be further expanded to the north on ground already piled for construction. The recently awarded ‘Strength in Places’ Innovate UK award of £43 million to support the CS Cluster will also help NWF

to drive the RD&I programs needed to deliver devices technologies associated with its business plan.”

In conclusion, Paul states: “Many of the applications of the Fourth Industrial Revolution will require compound semiconductors.

NWF is the device fab of the worlds’ first compound semiconductor cluster, and we believe the UK has a unique generational opportunity to deliver and lead many of the innovations that will be needed in a net zero, connected world.”

Newport Wafer Fab Products: Wafers for silicon products www.nptwf.com

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Technology & ingenuity R&S Machining, Inc specializes in 4 & 5 axis machining, creating high precision, extremely complex parts for aerospace and defense applications

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oday located in a very highly equipped, 260,000 square foot office/manufacturing facility in St Louis, Missouri, R&S Machining, Inc. was founded in 1992 by two business professionals with many years of experience in the machining industry. Taking their expertise and building upon it, over the next 23 years the founders have built a manufacturing environment targeted around the precision manufacture of aerospace components. As an aerospace supplier, R&S Machining, Inc enjoys a great partnership with many significant manufacturers, with Boeing being a fine example of the blue-chip organizations with which it works.

Featuring a group of highly skilled men and women who are committed to maintaining only the very highest of quality standards, the staff at the business include well-trained machine operators who control a wide array of equipment. They continually monitor the products are conforming to the client’s

requirements, with customer satisfaction the ultimate goal of the entire team.

Describing itself as a specialist in 4 & 5 axis machining, as you would expect R&S Machining, Inc prides itself on utilizing the best machining centers from globally recognized suppliers, with names such as Okuma, Hermle, Fadal, Makino and Haas. Furthermore, its shop floor also features lathes from manufacturers including Miyano, Okuma and Citizen, EDM Wire from AGIE and EDM RAM from Leblond Makino and AGIE, grinding tools from Okamoto and Toyoda and inspection machines from Hexagon and Leica.

This who’s who of the manufacturing machining world are supported by internationally recognized engineering software solutions such as Mastercam, Verisurf, Catia, NX Siemens, Vericut and PC-DMIS. This extensive list of equipment and technology allows R&S Machining, Inc to constantly meet and exceed customer requirements, and the variety of machines

R&S Machining, Inc Okuma MU6300

Hartwig Hartwig’s relationship with R&S Machining dates back to the early 1990s when R&S Co-Founder and President Tom Roderick was in the market for a lathe. He purchased a brand-new Okuma Cadet in 1995 from Hartwig. Some 26 years later, there are now over 40 Okuma machine tools in R&S’s state-of-the-art production facility. By providing manufacturing solutions ranging from lathes and 5-axis machining centers, and the support to match, Hartwig continues to help R&S stay at the forefront of the aerospace manufacturing and machining industry.

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enables the organization to make the same part in many different ways. It also means the business can be versatile in the array of materials that it can work with, with its experience ranging from plastics and aluminum, to hard metals.

These areas all combine with its flexibility and willingness to think out of the box, and set R&S Machining, Inc apart from the competition. Not only does the company offer multiple approaches to customers on how they can complete a project, but its extensive machine tool set-up means that it can cover individual areas or processes, or combine them, eliminating costly setups and increasing capacity.

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Having described the operations of R&S Machining, Inc in broad terms, it is worth examining the businesses machining capabilities in more depth, as it is these which truly are the foundation of its sterling reputation.

Starting with Milling, where R&S Machining, Inc describes its offering as having ‘all the bases covered!’ For less complicated parts, 3 axis machines are very efficient. The 40 & 50 taper, high torque machines give the rigidity and power required for cutting various hard metals.

The 4-axis vertical and horizontal machining centers then add in a level of efficiency through the continuous operation of more complex parts.

For the most difficult or complex parts, the

5 axis machines allow the company to machine very challenging requirements without risky setups or relocating parts. Again, this helps to increase capacity and handle the complexity of parts to ensure that the unique customer requirements are fulfilled. To take it one step further, some of these machines are equipped with turning capability. This capability increases the quality of those complex parts, where turning and milling features must be held to each other.

This brings us to Turning, where R&S Machining, Inc has extensive capability. From 2-axis big bore to multi-axis/multi-spindle live tooling machines, its CNC Lathes are automated with loaders and unloaders, allowing for 24/7 production with little operator interaction.

On the Production side, R&S Machining, Inc has added automation and cutting edge technology. Its Horizontal Machines are equipped with a Flexible Manufacturing System or FMS, an automation solution that will monitor programs, tools, and schedules, making sure the machine has everything it needs to make the part. The machines probing ability is a large part of this monitoring process.

Through this, many areas can be inspected, and if something changes, the machines are equipped to make adjustments to keep production in motion without sacrificing quality. This enables the business to predict is productivity. Currently operating with 34 pallets, R&S Machining, Inc is able to run lights out production of 34 identical or different parts.

Moving onto the Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM) and Grinding capabilities – these add a preciseness for particularly unique parts and gives customers access to R&S Machining, Inc as a one stop location for all their needs.

It is clear that any component created by R&S Machining, Inc is going to be a highly precise, and extremely high quality part, and this latter point is sustained in a number of ways. The business operates a variety of inspection equipment, and this allows it selfaudit by comparing inspection processes to ensure it has the correct one in place before starting production. This can be done via a conventional check, or through a higher tech approach using Romer arms, CMMs or lasers.

Hexagon Metrology CMMs are at the heart of the inspection department. Their accuracy surpasses all others in the industry, and this means that parts are checked to the highest standard. Furthermore, the re-engineering of an old part is simplified with its scanning

R&S Machining, Inc

chain, as well as demonstrates how R&S Machining, Inc is always prepared to go the extra mile in order to anticipate and fulfil the needs of its customer base.

There has been a dramatic growth curve for R&S Machining, Inc since the company was founded, but the management team have no intention of slowing down in 2021. There are bold investment plans on the agenda going forward, designed to further expand its manufacturing centers in St Louis, including

upgrades to current locations and additional new equipment. These plans also require the recruitment of as many as 60 new staff, with the younger generation very much one of the driving forces behind the plans to implement as much technology as possible. New sites are also on the horizon, with facilities in Texas and Seattle also a future ambition.

Thanks to the spirit of hard work and determination instilled into the business’ DNA by its founders, R&S Machining, Inc forecasts growth of $40m over the next five years. It looks set to achieving its goals, through its strategy of quality, flexibility and the constant drive to exceed the customers’ expectations time and time again.

R&S Machining, Inc Products: Aerospace components manufacturer http://randsmachine.com/

capability. It also aids in identifying problem areas in the manufacturing process.

These extremely high levels of excellence are what clients expect from a company certified to ISO 9001 and AS9100 Rev. D. In addition, R&S Machining, Inc’s accreditation

by NadCAP and its use of MBD/DPD ensure that its customers’ engineering will not be compromised, and by maintaining these quality certifications, R&S Machining, Inc is able to continuously improve its own operations.

The areas of expertise that we have already covered go a long way to highlight the various technologies and processes in place at R&S Machining, Inc, but there are two more strings to its bow. The business also offers a Kitting service, where a family of parts will remain conveniently located within one box. This eliminates shipment delays due to products coming in from various sources and streamlines the shipping and receiving process.

Clients benefit from single point of contact, which allows them better management of their supply chain.

Finally, R&S Machining, Inc is also able to perform sub-assemblies, in a unique service provided to its customers. This helps eliminate any concerns or increases in lead-time due to non-conforming products from multiple vendors. Again, this helps streamline the management of a customer’s vendor supply

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Process in focus MRO inventory management and its impact on operational efficiency. By Mathew Devitt

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n today’s increasingly competitive marketplace, inventory management has become a critical tool of both smart and lean manufacturing methodologies. While some parts of inventory management such as raw materials, work-in-progress and finished products are often closely monitored and tracked, MRO (maintenance, repair, and operations) is often overlooked. This can leave an organization scrambling to find replacement parts or quick-fix solutions in a desperate attempt to keep a process up and running when machines break or are pulled offline for routine maintenance.

Depending on industry, estimated MRO expenditures range from three to 40+ percent of overall procurement budgets, although the bulk lies between three and ten percent. While the amount of money spent on MRO may not seem significant, the impacts of failing to effectively manage MRO inventory can be. If a production line goes down and an effective MRO strategy is not in place, production lines halt, workers are idle, and precious time and resources are wasted. So, how do we facilitate an environment where MRO resources are tracked and treated with the same consideration as other procurement expenses?

The most critical step in ensuring an effective and sustainable MRO strategy is to establish MRO best practices. These practices include setting KPIs (Key Performance Indicators), establishing a centralized location for storage and a tracking database for fast distribution, educating staff on the importance of effective resource allocation, and maximizing resource versatility.

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Critical KPIs to ensure successful MRO include accurate inventory, identification of obsolete inventory, supplier roster contribution, costs of emergency purchases, and revenue lost due to production shut downs.

Numerous software packages on the market today offer reliable ways to track MRO inventory. For example, ERP systems can be used to automate reordering of supplies as items are moved out of inventory. Companies can also make inventory management easier and improve service times by focusing on deep relationships with few suppliers.

Establishing effective storage centralization and asset tracking facilitates a more accountable environment for asset management and distribution.

Companies with large, globally distributed production networks can effectively balance efficiency and tracking with rapid response times by relying on regional centers. This distribution of MRO inventories across a global warehouse network along with periodic balancing of stocks helps minimize obsolete inventory while maintaining stock on hand for maintenance and repairs.

Training staff to anticipate and identify issues early on can facilitate an environment focused around proper resource allocation through planned maintenance rather than emergency repairs. In order for this environment to be effective, the implementation staff including floor managers and maintenance must work synergistically with the procurement staff to understand and achieve common goals. This can add extra pressure to workers whose goals are focused on meeting production deadlines and ensuring quality, but this pressure can be relieved if inventory and

Alicat Scientific procurement managers work with maintenance and floor managers to understand key areas of concern, they can better meet their needs and anticipate MRO requirements more effectively.

Resource versatility helps to create a robust and functional production line where resources can be reallocated as production changes and maintenance and repair is required. This not only limits the number of resources needed, but also allows for rapid swaps in process instrumentation with minimal downtime. Consider the following real-world example of the benefits of resource versatility.

Mass flow meters and controllers are components in many manufacturing applications where gas flow needs to be measured and tightly regulated. While simple, these components are often dedicated devices applied to a single gas type, requiring recalibration prior to repurposing. However, if the device can be switched without recalibration, the single replacement unit suffices for all applications within a given flow range. This reduces the amount of stock necessary in inventory. It also increases the speed with which you can replace a broken unit and get your process running again.

When it comes to inventory management are you managing all of your inventory or just the pieces that go out the door? Efficient maintenance, repair, and operation inventory management is just as crucial to the efficient operation of a facility as your raw materials, work-inprogress, and completed products. Developing effective MRO resource management strategies such as tracking and distributing inventory effectively, training teams to work more synergistically to minimize emergency orders, and understanding how to improve resource versatility can reduce the stock required to be kept on hand creates a more efficient working environment. v

Mathew Devitt Mathew Devitt is Marketing Manager at Alicat Scientific. All Alicat mass flow instruments are interchangeable with similar devices and include a Gas Select™ feature that allows on demand switching between 130 gases in addition to custom programmed gas mixes, all with no warm-up time.

Boasting a stable measurement and control range of 0.01 – 100 per cent and an accuracy of 0.6 per cent of reading on most instruments means never having to sacrificing accuracy of measurement for speed and versatility.

With such a wide measurement and control range, in many cases Alicat units can replace multiple thermal gas flow meters or controllers. All Alicat flow instruments are backed by a lifetime warranty. www.alicat.com

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A growing business

A family business that sees the benefits in simple farming, Weaving Machinery provides the machinery and equipment that makes low disturbance farming not only possible, but highly rewarding

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ounded in 1983 by husband and wife Edward and Julia Weaving, Weaving Machinery has remained to this day a family run company, now with the involvement of their two children Simon and Sarie. Its primary aim is to offer farmers the best quality machinery at affordable prices. “When my father first established the company, he started out specializing in the buying and selling of second-hand farm

Weaving Machinery

machinery,” explains Simon Weaving, who today is Weaving Machinery’s Sales Director.

“By that time, my father had built up good relationships with a large network of farmers in the local area, meaning that he knew and understood the type of equipment that they required and where to source it from.

“As time went by, he began to dabble in purchasing new kit from countries in Europe, such as Italy, Spain and Austria, before

eventually travelling to the United States in 1995, where he learnt more about the process of direct drilling and its benefits. This resulted in the company’s first purchase and import of a no till Krause Drill, and his experience with that piece of machinery helped to spur on his ambition to provide the farming community with innovative and cost-effective machinery for all farming methods that we would manufacture ourselves.”

Continuous investment in modern design and manufacturing methods has brought the business to the point where today Weaving Machinery is responsible for building a range of drills and cultivators, as well as supplying flails, hedge cutters, grassland equipment and electric gates. “We strive to provide a service to all types of farmer, whether they are small or large-scale,” Simon continues. “All of our drills and cultivators have been designed to be

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as environmentally friendly as possible, which means they require less diesel, less horsepower to operate, and create less soil movement, which helps keep the land in better health. “Our customers deal with us direct, meaning they don’t need to go through dealerships or other third parties. As well as manufacturing machines ourselves, we deliver them to the farm, set them up, and accommodate any servicing requirements that a customer may need going forward. This is supported by our sizable parts department, where we store a wide range of components, not just for our own machines but those of other manufacturers as well. This complete service offering highlights how, for us, it is not simply about selling a product, but having the capability to back it up once in service. We believe that anyone can sell a single machine, but that it is by providing backup and spare parts, and having strong customer service that secures the second, third and fourth orders from a customer!�

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Weaving Machinery

In order to make life even easier for its customers, Weaving Machinery offers a number of financial options, including valuing existing machinery and trading it in against a new purchase, or providing finance on all machines at competitive prices. It also retains a large selection of quality used machinery in stock, which is all tested in its workshop prior to sale.

Weaving Machinery has come to be well known for its personal approach to doing business, something that is boosted by the fact that many of its employees come from farming backgrounds. “Our people have proven themselves to be extremely dedicated and loyal to not only our customers, but the company itself over the years,� Simon reveals. “A number

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of them have been with us for anywhere between 10 and 30 years now, and we always look for ways to repay their loyalty. We believe in our people and they in turn believe in us, and that helps enormously as we look to push the company forward into the next stage of its journey.”

In recent times, the company’s manufacturing facilities have expanded to the point where they cover over 60,000-square feet of space in order to meet growing production demands for its farm machinery throughout the UK and Europe.

“From our facilities, we carry out all of our own R&D work, and all of our design activities, which we conduct through CAD 3D modelling.

While we do outsource our steel fabrication, cutting and bending, we conduct all of our own fabrication from welding, assembly, painting, and finally stress testing in-house,” Simon details.

“As far as our people are concerned, we have always endeavoured to ensure that they have the very best kit available for them to do their job, whether that means manufacturing tools, spanners, tractors for demonstrating or lorries for delivering machines.”

Reflecting back on 2020, Simon reveals how Weaving Machinery navigated what was the most challenging year in recent memory for many. “For starters, we were fortunate in that manufacturing was able to continue throughout the whole of last year in order for us to deliver a vital service to farmers,” he says. “Clearly, we had to take a number of precautions in

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Weaving Machinery with the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic – evolves before pressing the green light on further expansion plans. These include opening new offices, a new stores department and a new showroom, which should be realized in the next 18 months.

“Looking further ahead, we want to see Weaving Machinery being recognized more widely as a great British brand – up there with the very best – whilst making sure that our customers, both old and new, know that we will remain there for them always through thick and thin. Farming continues to undergo dramatic changes at present, and we are changing too to accommodate that, all while providing the level of service and product quality that Weaving Machinery is known for.”

Weaving Machinery

Services: Agricultural machinery, equipment and services www.weavingmachinery.net order to make life safer for our people, and this extended to ensuring that those farmers we delivered machinery to understood that employee safety was to be made of paramount importance when carrying out their work.

Meanwhile, with 99 per cent of our parts being sourced from within the UK, we were also able to operate without suffering from any hold ups in delivery and with the ongoing support of what is a very loyal supply chain.”

Such has been the success of Weaving Machinery in recent years that it also marked 2020 by being included within the influential London Stock Exchange Group’s ‘1000 Companies to Inspire Britain 2020’ report.

“Such recognition really comes down to a combination of the efforts of our people and the service they provide, our customers and their belief in the ‘Made in the UK’ mark of quality, and the innovation that we apply to our machines in order to meet today’s farming demands,” Simon states.

In order to further the momentum that the company has built up and leverage it through 2021, an immediate area of focus for Weaving Machinery is to meet the many orders that it already has in its books for the coming months.

“From there, it is about making ourselves slicker, smarter and more efficient as an operation,” Simon adds. “We spent 2020 updating the vast majority of our in-house manufacturing equipment, and we will now be watching to see how the environment around us – what

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A better way W

ith revenues in excess of €200 million and 430 employees across a globally operating network, Zeus Packaging is one of the largest companies of its kind in the UK and Ireland. However, despite the company name, Zeus is about more than just packaging – it is a leading innovator and an expert in providing credible bespoke packaging solutions.

Zeus solved its first problem in 1998. The company was founded by Brian O’Sullivan when he identified significant demand in Ireland for the service-based supply of packaging consumables. What began with pallet wrap and

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self-adhesive tape grew into a full industrial packaging offering that now includes transit packaging and ecommerce solutions, as well as standard and bespoke corrugated packaging.

Since 1998, Zeus has further developed its packaging portfolio across the Agricultural, Food Service and Retail sectors. Around ten per cent of the firm’s current turnover is derived from agricultural packaging, where products include hay baling and straw bailing for use in the production of animal forage & bedding. Food service is worth around 50 per cent of Zeus’ turnover and includes the manufacture and distribution of coffee cups, food containers and other consumables for coffee shops, restaurants,

Always searching for a better way of doing things, Zeus Packaging is set to remain focused on innovation and continuous improvement in 2021 retail deli counters and food processing operations around the world. Lastly, Zeus’ retail offering manufactures and distributes compostable paper bags, bags for life, mailing bags and packaging consumables - the latter of which proves increasingly popular since the Covid-19 outbreak - for major retailers, including Morrisons, River Island and ASOS. Headquartered in Dublin, Zeus boasts locations in the UK, Poland, Germany & Spain, Asia, North America, Canada, New Zealand and Australia. At present, the company retains a strong market share in Ireland where it also manufacturers toilet rolls and paper toweling. Zeus has multiple manufacturing

Zeus Packaging

partnerships and technology investments across the globe with capability & capacity in the pallet wrap, food packaging and paper bag sector. The business has recently invested in CAD table capabilities and advanced design software meaning that Zeus can work in collaboration with other manufacturers to offer innovative bespoke services and solutions for its customers with extremely rapid turnaround times.

As of 2021, Zeus has over one million square feet in distribution space to its name and though it predominantly uses its own transport, the company maintains strong links with carriers in various markets. Treating each of its projects with equal care and attention, the firm continues to work on European supply contracts with customers when applicable and assesses potential local distribution channels when this is more relevant.

Zeus’ CEO Keith Ockenden joined the company in 2019. Despite its already established global footprint and the substantial capabilities

that accompany that, Keith believes that Zeus is still evolving. There is always room, Keith argues, for improvement.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to work with Zeus. In the year I joined, Zeus made six acquisitions that have now been integrated, supporting economies of scale and strengthening our capabilities in various market sectors. We plan to growth further, not only through acquisition, but also through attrition and market share growth,” Keith explains. “The business is in transition, we have invested in organisational structure and strengthened our internal capabilities in Marketing, HR and Purchasing. More investment in IT, consolidating and integrating our backoffice functions will help to drive efficiencies, leverage the economies of scale and improve overall communication and coordination across previously independent businesses.’

“We have recently installed a new board and executive leadership team, which is made up of people who have grown with the business.

Part of my responsibility is to coach better communication, a togetherness into the group, encourage standardisation and streamlining in our approach. We plan further acquisition and it is important the integration process unlocks the expected value for our business. Our future strategy will see further growth across Europe, investment in the supply chain, through manufacturing and distribution, developing our BTB and BTC capabilities.”

Keith’s words encapsulate a relentless pursuit of improvement that has always been interwoven into Zeus’ DNA. In order to expand further however, the company will be aiming to build on the key elements that have brought it success for the last two decades. Perhaps the most important of these factors is the commitment and dedication of the company’s staff, whom Keith praises for their ‘energy, drive, ambition and can-do attitude. Our staff just love competing!.

Customer service is another area for which Zeus has become renowned and upon which

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COTESI UK COTESI UK is part of the COTESI Group, a leader producer of Crop Packaging products based in Portugal and with manufacturing plants in Portugal, USA and Brazil.

Our Baler Twines, Netwraps and Stretch Films are used in agriculture baling all over the world.

Our co-operation with the ZEUS Group allows both companies to provide our customers a full service, combining the high performance of our products with the top-class logistics assured by the whole ZEUS Organization.

COTESI UK and ZEUS Group, Your Preferred Suppliers of Crop Packaging in Ireland.

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the company hopes to build in the future. By focusing on industry best practices and sourcing quality products from across the globe, Zeus continues to add value for its clients through service that Keith describes as ‘unconditional’.

Finally, Zeus has established itself as one of the industry’s most innovative organizations and Keith believes that maintaining this status will be vital to the firm’s future growth. In order for Zeus to continue finding tailored solutions

Zeus Packaging

for its customers’ specific and individual needs, innovation will be key.

“We do not wish to be another ‘me too company’. It is about truly understanding the needs of the customer. Packaging is a solution, a component part of their need,” Keith states.

“We really enjoy getting to know our clients and understanding how we can improve their processes, productivity, efficiency, and reduce damages, waste and look to see who we can improve their business through the use of innovative environmentally sustainable packaging. We are not driven by how much more pallet wrap we can sell to a customer, but rather, about understanding their real drivers and expectations, then look to innovate credible solutions that meet their needs and deliver more value.”

Over the course of its history, Zeus has developed a number of industry-defining innovations. Recently, these have included an intuitive, retro-fit, 24/7 pallet wrapping monitoring system with the ability to save businesses tens of thousands of euros in inefficient use of pallet wrap material.

Compatible with a wide variety of machinery types, the system monitors turntable speeds, load weight, the wrap cycle, as well as the % stretch through the pre-stretcher unit, the

amount of wrap being used, before calibrating the information into a bespoke software where it can be presented to an operator in real-time giving the ability to calculate, manage and optimise “Developed internally by our own engineers, the pallet wrapping monitoring system demonstrates a machine’s actual versus the optimal performance and therefore helps operators to understand the true cost of wrapping a pallet,” Keith says. “It will be launched and rolled out on a wide-scale basis later this year and will deliver huge environmental benefits to the industry alongside massive cost savings. We are already introducing this to one of our major retailers because they recognize the need to drive efficiencies.”

Though it’s been a challenging 12 months for Zeus and its industry colleagues, the company was quick to adapt and respond to the Covid-19 pandemic and is now reaping the benefits as a result. Thanks to good communication and the decisiveness of its workforce, the firm remained open and operational throughout the crisis as an essential supplier to the food service and manufacturing sectors.

“Covid-19 has led us to restructure our business around a different way of working,”

Keith declares. “I believe that this has resulted in greater productivity, more flexibility in the way our staff work and a lower cost base. The whole sector is now adapting around customer needs.

E Commerce & Food Takeaway packaging demand has risen substantially and continues to grow its overall percentage of our total sales on an annual basis.

“The speed at which the business is adapting, and will be prepared to adapt in the future, has been an important milestone for us over the last 12 months.”

Over the coming year, Zeus will remain focused on growth through acquisition and attrition, as well as streamlining and standardizing a number of its internal processes.

More investment is expected in ERP and IT systems, and innovative solutions for improvement in the area of sustainability and the environment will be at the very top of the company’s agenda.

“If we look at where we can unlock more value in our business in the future, it will be through innovation & differentiation, refining our business process to the highest standards, continuing to eliminate waste in the supply chain. If we can do that, we will improve customer satisfaction, revenues will continue to grow. As long as we keep our costs and budgets in check, we will make profit and reinvest in the whole process and go around again!” Keith predicts. “Market share growth through attrition won’t be at the expense of margin, it will be because we are reliable, trusted, innovative and focussed on the needs of the customer, we will do exactly what we say we are going to do.”

Zeus Packaging Products: Packaging solutions www.zeuspackaging.com

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BMP UK

BMP MALAYSIA

Global reach Thanks to a growth strategy of diversification, dedication to innovation, and ambitious attitude, BMP Engineering continues to go from strength-to-strength

BMP ASIA

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ounded deep in the manufacturing heartland of England in 1894, and with roots tracing back to the British Industrial Revolution, Andrew Industries is a family-owned organization based in Lancashire in the UK. Comprising three divisions - BMP Engineering, Industrial Materials, and Laundry Textiles – it remains today a privatelyowned business, with manufacturing sites across Europe, North America, Mexico, China, and Malaysia.

One of the wholly-owned subsidiaries of Andrew Industries Ltd, BMP Engineering (BMP) was created in 1974, and since that time has grown organically through the collaboration

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of local manufacturing excellence and support in Europe, North America and Asia. Since the company was founded it has focused on its core technologies of polyurethane and engineered textiles, and as the business has evolved several global OEM’s have come to rely on BMP’s Engineering Division as a source of quality, innovation, and technical excellence. Mark Booth, Sales & Marketing Director explained that as its expertise grew, so too did its portfolio of products: “BMP was initially founded to convert nonwoven textiles into cleaning products for Xerox. Over the years, however, the business has expanded within and also outside of its core printing

industry market to supply Canon, Lexmark, Xeikon, Electrolux, HP, and Bosch. We have also diversified into new market segments, into areas such as material handling, powder handling (3D Printing), offshore energy, and filtration (Dyson vacuums).”

Alongside the additional market sectors that BMP now serves, it has also expanded its global footprint. “We have set up large, efficient manufacturing facilities in China, Malaysia, and Mexico in order to support our valued customers locally,” divulged Mark.

“It is our ethos to manufacture in the same geography as our customers, to shorten the supply chain and provide the best cost model

BMP Europe BMP AMERICA

BMP EUROPE

BMP MEXICO

possible. We are always looking to utilize our capabilities to diversify into other markets and are currently developing environmentally friendly biodegradable materials as we see this as an emerging market for the future, where we can utilize our material and manufacturing expertise.”

Illustrating BMP’s move into greener solutions, Mark highlighted a recent multi-million-pound project being undertaken in 2021 that he believes will ‘lay the foundations for our strategic plan to penetrate the sustainable and environmental market segment’. “BMP have recently partnered with a company called Nexgen who have, together with BMP, developed a biodegradable tree shelter. Utilizing BMP’s manufacturing and polymer expertise coupled with Nexgen’s market knowledge, we have developed a biodegradable tree shelter that will replace the current plastic product offering therefore eliminating micro plastic contamination in our countryside.”

Other elements of BMP’s Environmental Strategy include ISO 14001 accreditation, a commitment to working closely with its customers and suppliers to identify opportunities for re-using metals, plastics and elastomeric products, as well as working with

suppliers and customers at the product design stage in order to identify environmentallyfriendly raw materials which can be easily recycled. BMP also provides specialist environmental services such as Remanufacturing and Asset Recovery initiatives to a growing portfolio of global clients.

The organization’s Environmental activities are part of its wider commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility, alongside Health and Safety, and Quality. Health and Safety is a top priority across the business, as BMP prizes its team of excellent staff and maintaining their health and wellbeing is something the business takes seriously. “Our employees are by far our

most valuable asset,” emphasized Mark. “We are a family-owned company and thus see each individual as a valued part of the BMP family.

Everyone is on first name terms and has full access to the management team at all levels.

We have an open-door policy at BMP and pride ourselves in the low turnover of staff we see with a good number of employees (myself included) working for BMP for over 30 years, working up from a temporary employee to company director.

“We strive to communicate our endeavors throughout the business at all levels, and as we move forward for the future, we are aiming to engage with our employees using social

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Shorrock Trichem Ltd Shorrock Trichem Ltd have been key suppliers of industrial wipers and specialist skincare systems for over 50 years. When asked, Ian Eckersley the Operations Director said ‘We are proud to work with some of the North-West’s leading manufacturers and understand the importance of working with our customers and understanding the challenges they face. Only then can we use our expertise and supplier relationships to provide the most effective solution. We appreciate the high demands placed on manufacturers today and we must help them by providing a high level of service and good quality products.’

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media such as Facebook where we can interact together outside of work. We use Facebook as a portal where we can run competitions and provide business information to all employees, in turn keeping them motivated and engaged in our family ethos.”

This approach extends across all of BMP’s operations, both in the UK and further afield, and Mark moved on to discussing how the business makes sure that its locations are

operating efficiently, wherever they are based.

“In the markets where BMP operate cost is key, and we proactively continue to innovate to remain competitive. It is imperative that our manufacturing facilities in Mexico, USA, Europe, Malaysia, and China continue to be proactive with regards to costs by the use of automation and best practices. Our ethos is, just because you are manufacturing in a low-cost geography does not mean you should not look to operate

BMP Europe

efficiently, reducing waste in labor and raw materials in order to maintain a competitive advantage.”

Indeed, BMP prides itself on remaining innovative in all areas, and this has been a driving force behind its new product launches and expansion into new product sectors. With regards to this latter point, Mark explained: “We are also looking to new markets such as non-lethal munitions, high speed railway rail pads, and offshore lighting systems, where we can further utilize our polymer technologies and global manufacturing capabilities. We also have a new innovative sealing technology for the appliance dryer seal market, which increases efficiency, due to launch in 2021.”

He continued: “We believe that our further continued diversification into new markets, leveraging on our global manufacturing presence and core technologies, is key to both our growth and sustainability. As the world becomes more aware of the importance of protecting the environment, BMP’s shift into this emerging and growing market segment is key to our future growth whilst playing a part in protecting the environment for future generations.”

Having successfully diversified its product offering, BMP found that when the full force of the Covid-19 pandemic hit, its resilient operations were able to balance the challenges

as they came in. “Our strategic diversification plan has really helped us during the Covid-19 pandemic,” confirmed Mark. “We have seen negative impacts in some of the markets where we operate, such as office printing consumables, as people work from home. We have, however, seen growth in other segments where we operate, such as 3D printing and respirator manufacturing.

“Overall as a business we have been negatively impacted by the pandemic but testament to our employees and management team, we have continued to operate throughout the pandemic to keep all of our customers and key workers supplied with products to aid in the pandemic effort.”

With a fighting spirit and positive attitude, BMP advances into 2021 with a plan for growth and a strategy designed to bring even

further levels of success. Having received numerous customer and supplier awards over the years, as well as three Queen’s Awards for Innovation and for International Trade, Mark and the team look set to reach further heights in the years to come. “Our mission remains to profitably grow our business, centred on our core technologies of polyurethane and engineered textiles, along with utilizing our global foot print and diverse capabilities to add value for our OEM customers. This is achieved by using our three most precious resources of people, technology, and innovation to continually provide our global customers with manufactured solutions that meet with their requirements for both cost and quality,” summed up Mark. “We are a diverse, global, family business and we remain forward-thinking, open to new challenges and well positioned both globally and technically to diversify into any market where there is an opportunity to bring innovation and value.”

BMP Europe

Services: Polyurethane and engineered textiles manufacturer www.bmpworldwide.com

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Below: Engraving operator pulling up a job list to access CNC program and instructions

Rising to the top:

How custom software was the key to success Named as one of Canada’s Fastest Growing 500 Companies for eight years in a row, MAD Elevator has innovated its way around numerous barriers to become Canada’s largest elevator fixture manufacturer, and North America’s only one-stop source for both elevator interiors and fixtures

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lthough there are many key factors behind MAD Elevator’s growth and continued success, customization, digitization, and a strong belief in the company’s culture have been instrumental. Headquartered in Mississauga, ON and founded in 2005, the company primarily serves the modernization market and has built a reputation as a high-quality manufacturer, selling its products to major elevator contractors such as KONE, Schindler, Otis and Thyssenkrupp.

When Steve Reich-Rohrwig, president of the company joined the business in 2008, MAD had only 22 employees. In 2020, the company had a workforce of over 200 and continues to find

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itself named among the best in the industry including Canada’s Best Employers for Recent Graduates and previously The Globe and Mail’s Top 400 Growing Companies. It’s been 12 years of incredible transformation for Steve.

“We started out as a small custom manufacturer designing elevator control panels for specific buildings,” Steve explains. “We lasered and formed metal, and assembled purchased buttons, electronics and wire. We weren’t a software company - we didn’t have any software engineers or experience - but we had two common constraints that forced us forward: lack of money and lack of space.”

The early shortage of funds meant

that, in order to provide the ideal level of responsiveness to MAD customers, Steve wanted to find ways to make his existing resources more efficient rather than hire more staff. It became essential to pinpoint and direct resources towards areas where the company could add more value.

“The time spent looking for information was time that didn’t add value for our customers,” states Steve. “Time spent providing information to a client, on the other hand, was adding value. In looking for a solution to this problem, MADTrack was born in search of a solution to this small program that consolidates data from multiple sources, allowing us to perform

MAD Elevator Inc Below: Operator testing using automated test

Below: Operator picking job material using a tablet that posts materials to a job in real time

dynamic searches using any number of variables in one place and using only one process. The result was that customers received answers instantly, which consequently led to happier customers and more orders.

“It was simple to have a custom application made for us like this,” Steve adds. “Of course, there have been and are now, 3rd party applications that do what MADTrack does, including our current ERP – but going custom meant we had the application work for our data and existing processes, not the other way around. It was quick, cost effective and we could always commit to a larger SAS solution at a later date if necessary.”

Inspired by the success of MADTrack, MAD embarked on an intensive digitization program that helped business to link processes, capture data for instant access and increase manufacturing efficiency. Since then what

began as a mission to quickly provide accurate information to external customers has shifted to serving internal customers, helping the workforce of MAD to make faster, better, fully informed decisions on a daily basis.

“What makes us different is the number of custom programs we’ve introduced and the way we continue to digitize our information processes,” Steve declares. “Through digitization, by accelerating and automating tasks, we are enabling our people to focus on actions that require human intelligence and drive value for our customers.

“A colleague has recently pointed out that we employ a concept used in aviation called Black Cockpit. Essentially, instead of the old analog days of flights where all information was visible for the operator to constantly monitor, today everything is black, except for the one item upon which the operator needs

to take action. That is what we applied to manufacturing. For example, think of our two buyers who order an average of 253 items per day,” Steve says. “ERPs are great at making recommendations and exception reports, but in terms of volume they take enormous effort to review and execute, meaning there is a tremendous opportunity for error.

When reviewing those 253 lines each day, is it realistic for a human to catch the two or three abnormalities per week that need to be investigated? Through our digitization and custom programming, we are able to automate the bulk of the work, freeing up our staff to easily identify those abnormalities and spend more time on supplier management, rather than processing paper.”

A few years after MADTrack was introduced, digitization at MAD was in full swing and information was fast and swiftly available.

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Below left: Serial Number and QR code to online documentation & parts, right: Plant

Nightly emails were being sent automatically to inform sales reps about the status of their orders and there was no longer need to log into a system and check a dashboard. “I read the highlights of the previous day on my phone while I was brushing my teeth in the morning!“ Steve recalls. However, the growing business was soon to encounter its next constraint – MAD was running out of office space faster than production space.

Employing lean processes, they were able to cut production time from four weeks to one week, though increasing demand meant that there was not enough room for MAD staff in the front office. Consequently, the

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company looked for ways to streamline and expedite its front office operations.

“Using our experience with MADTrack, we started making our own custom UI application to interface with our system,” Steve reveals. “As an external applications, we weren’t confined just to that ERP, so I could interface with all our

different programs via the same UI. Soon our order entry process was not only performing in half the time, but it also automatically created a project directory on the server, printing folder labels (now eliminated, we’re 90 per cent paperless), emailing sales managers and adding to the engineering queue. Today, this ensures that our Packaging Department will scan parts while they pack customer orders to ensure that what is packaged suits the order, eliminate human quality checks and allowing the work to move faster.”

Over four times larger than its original site, MAD moved into its current 80,000 square foot facility in 2017. It is a suitable location from which the company can now look to continue its irrepressible recent growth – more than 141 per cent in the last five years alone. Even, though Steve relishes the scale and freedom of MAD’s new location, he is grateful for the challenges that the company faced in its early days and the hallmark ingenuity they drew out of the business.

“In the past, there has always been an external reason driving for us to do things smarter and faster which shaped the culture we have today,” Steve remarks. “When you look at our history, we absolutely did not follow the route of an enterprise system to manage everything, which meant that we could run our business as we wanted to run it, not as our ERP wanted. Today, our ERP’s UI is only used by the finance department and occasionally for non-routine operations; everything else from order entry, BOM creation, job creation, purchasing, receiving, material picking, job completion, packaging, shipping and invoicing is highly automated and done through our custom programs. Of course, you still need an ERP for all the background operations and transactions. We use SYSPRO, which has been incredibly successful for us as it provides a

MAD Elevator Inc Below: MAD Elevator Building

large library of APIs that we can write custom software to.”

Since the release of the first elevator in-car touchscreen in 2008 through to the current portfolio of touchless solutions, MAD has earned a reputation as the most forwardthinking elevator fixture manufacturer in North America – but Steve believes the company still has room to grow. In addition to expanding its product range in 2021, MAD will be reviewing processes defined as requiring human intelligence to introduce more automation, as well as looking at the role of predictive analytics and artificial intelligence.

“Even in our black cockpit, the notifications are still reactive or near term. To get to the next level, we need to use the data we generate to influence decisions that are not

currently connected,” Steve reports. “To small manufacturers, I believe AI just sounds like a buzz word that consultants use to make their pitches sound better. However, as a small manufacturer ourselves, I do see an immediate application to our business. The next steps, like our journey up until now, will be small but fast and developed inhouse.”

At the end of 2020, MAD was ten times bigger than when Steve joined the business. The path the company has taken is certainly the path less travelled, but it is a path that Steve wishes many small businesses will consider in the future.

“Years ago, a representative of the Canadian National Research Council told me what we were doing was remarkable and how they see so many small companies struggling to break the five million CAD revenue ceiling,” Steve says in

closing. “These businesses are too small to afford and customize a comprehensive system, but they are struggling to scale without it. As part of building pride in our history, we have recently launched consulting at ‘www.theMADsoftware. com’ to help other small manufacturers by showcasing what is possible, and assisting them in optimizing their own systems. The story of MAD is important and we want to use it to give back.”

MAD Elevator Inc Products: Elevator interiors and fixtures www.madelevator.com

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A tradition of quality

Building upon its long history of manufacturing excellence, Chapin Manufacturing, Inc. aims to become a market leader in the retail and industrial sprayers and spreaders space

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hapin Manufacturing, Inc. is able to trace its roots back to the 1880s, when it started as a hardware store in Oakfield, New York. Following a move and an evolution into compressed air and hand sprayers, over the next 100+ years the company continued to grow its business, until today, where we find it as a manufacturer of backpack, hand, deck and wallpaper, pest control, industrial, construction, cleaning and degreasing, and slide pump and cart sprayers, in metal, stainless steel

and polyethylene. Furthermore, it is the only manufacturer of metal compressed air sprayers to offer a 12-step, computer-controlled Tri-PoxyÂŽ coating process, resulting in corrosion and rust inhibition on all interior seams, welds, crevices, bottoms, and walls.

As Jim Campbell, President & CEO began by detailing, progress for Chapin continues, and since it was last featured in Manufacturing Today, it has maintained organic growth at a rate of five per cent to nine per cent annually, as well as making a strategic acquisition. “This

Chapin Manufacturing, Inc.

was a custom blow molding company in Elyria, Ohio, and was part of our strategy to move into larger sprayers,” he noted.

Having mentioned the larger sprayers, Jim went onto point out that Chapin launches between five and ten new products a year, and its regular flow of innovative designs and products are what helps to keep the company winning market share. “We have a full research and development department as well as a test lab, and we often have two dozen or more projects at various stages at any time

at Chapin,” noted Jim. “One fact that people probably don’t realize is that we have a fulltime physicist on staff.

“We take what we do very seriously and customers who are looking for new and innovative products know to partner with us, because we aren’t in the business of tossing on a different brand name and changing the color of a 20-year-old product and claiming it is new and approved. We want to bring real improvements in functionality and costs.”

This dedication to new product

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development has to be supported by a modern and efficient manufacturing set-up and Jim confirmed that continuous improvements are made on the shop floor as well. “We constantly accelerate our manufacturing by designing and building new and novel equipment and processes, and automating

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older, laborious processes - this is very important to our business as we stretch to reach our customers’ price points,” he added.

The wide range of products available from Chapin mean that the company’s team has to possess an extensive knowledge of various materials and techniques, in order to get the best out of resources and processes. “At the very core of what we do manufacturing wise, we are plastic processors first and foremost and secondly sheet metal manufacturers,” said Jim. “We are experts in blow and injection molding. These processes are the mainstay for most of our products and we continue to expand our capacity in these areas.”

Alongside regularly investing in new machines and support equipment in all of its facilities, Chapin is expanding its operations too. “As we continue to grow we need additional space, and we also want to make sure we have a presence in different parts of the country to better serve our customers.

In total, we now have well over one million square feet of manufacturing and warehousing space throughout the United States,” Jim explained.

One state that is seeing Chapin’s growth first hand is Kentucky, where the business has purchased the former Eagle Manufacturing factory in Mt. Vernon. “Logistically this facility meets the needs of several key customers while providing a great manufacturing location,” clarified Jim. “The Mt. Vernon site will continue to align our capabilities with our customers’ needs. We have also invested in six additional blow molders this year, the smallest being a dual eight-pound machine and the largest a dual 40-pound machine. Mt. Vernon continues to position us for growth in both lawn and garden as well as custom molding.”

Another factor that is at the top of the agenda for Chapin’s facilities is a wider remit

Chapin Manufacturing, Inc.

to care for the environment and to this end the company is ISO 14001 certified - the international standard for environmental management systems. “We are very proud of this,” Jim emphasized. “Our headquarters are located in Batavia, New York and are situated on well over 100 acres. This acreage includes wetlands, hardwood forests and open fields with a waterway running through it.

The majority of this area has been declared a wildlife management area, and we have nesting eagles, herons, fox, mink, beaver and a host of other wildlife. From the Shareholders and the Board of Directors down to the newest person hired, the environment is of great concern to all of us and we work at making it better in every way we can. We try to be the best stewards that we know how.”

Having mentioned some of its American operations, it is worth noting that Chapin’s reach extends much further than the shores of the United States – the company serves customers worldwide and now has various international activities. “We were actually the last sprayer company to go to China, but since then we have adapted to the global economy and now have joint ventures in mainland China, as well as our own facility in Batam, Indonesia,” Jim commented. This plastics plant is the newest addition to the Chapin family and was built from the ground up, partnering with a long-time colleague. “We have been able to install the latest in injection molding and robotic equipment here and we are also doing some of our electronics work on this site,” added Jim. “This operation has gone very smoothly, and we are already looking to expand this facility. Batam has

wonderful people who are eager to work and move ahead.”

This last point is especially pertinent, as when talking about his staff, Jim believes that the people side of the business is one of the most important foundations for success. “I know it’s a cliché and overused, but people truly are our most important resource.

Without good folks, you don’t have good ideas or the ability to execute them,” he stated.

“We have a lot of great people with technical expertise in manufacturing and engineering.

Those people are training the next great generation of manufacturers.

“At Chapin, we have been on a growth trajectory for the last 16 years without a miss, and success does breed success. So, we look for people who have been successful in the past and want to be part of a winning team.

I know from my previous years in sports, winning is a lot of fun!”

Having spoken both about the company’s impressive sustained growth trajectory and the importance of its team, another topic came to the fore which has implications for both of these areas. The Covid-19 pandemic of 2020 has challenged all businesses, and Jim believes that the essential nature of manufacturers hasn’t quite been acknowledged alongside the other essential industries such as healthcare providers, farmers and grocers. “During a pandemic everyone rightly recognizes those sectors, but if you look at any news article it almost always has a picture of someone spraying disinfectant. So, while that tow motor driver, packer or shipper isn’t the first person you think of, they are also essential in combating

Covid-19,” he highlighted. “For us, as with all businesses, it was a mass adjustment. We have people around the clock sanitizing the facility.

We have people working from home and minimizing all social contact where we can.

We set up the medical screening for everyone coming into the building. Nearly all of sales travel came to a stop. Having facilities in four states, means four different realities to work around. Through it all, we continued to provide essential products to our customers. We didn’t pick winners or losers, and we tried extremely hard to fill everyone’s order as best we could.”

As encouraging news of vaccines continues to hit the headlines, there is a bit of light at the end of the tunnel for today’s manufacturers, and Jim and the Chapin team can focus again on their plan to grow the organization’s market share and enter new markets. “We are on target to be twice the size we are today in 2025,” confirmed Jim. “It is a very simple formula that keeps us moving forward and it is no secret to anyone – we focus on Quality, Delivery and Cost. If you are number one in all these categories you will be number one in your industry. It is this unwavering discipline to be number one in each of these three critical areas has kept Chapin in business and growing for 135 years.”

Chapin Manufacturing, Inc. Products: Manufacturer of sprayers and spreaders https://chapinmfg.com

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Easy environmentalism Offering a variety of spill control, spill containment and spill response solutions, Empteezy is a specialist manufacturer working for the environment

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ruce Wishart was a General Manager in the recycling industry in the 1980s when the sector opted to replace its steel silos with large demountable skips. The switch led to customer complaints about how to empty waste into the new vessels and Bruce sought to develop a solution. His answer was Empteezy – a container that could be used with a forklift and from which waste could be ‘emptied easily’.

After acquiring a patent for Empteezy, Bruce began large-scale production of the product – first subcontracting out the manufacturing, before opening up his own manufacturing plant in the late 1980s. Soon, Bruce was

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adding more products to the line, expanding the fledgling company’s offering into health and safety solutions before moving into the environmental market. After almost 35 years of tremendous growth, Bruce’s company now has over 978 production lines and bears the name of his first innovation – a fitting reminder of how far the firm has come. Today, Empteezy is more than just a product; it is a company that solves problems.

“We see ourselves as more of an environmental company these days,” explains Bruce. “All the products we manufacture are tied into environmental regulations for the protection of, mainly, groundwater and water

resources. Our focus is on the industrial handling and storage of hazardous liquids and chemicals. We do a little bit on the marine side, but the main focus is the industrial slips and spills where the market is very much driven by compliance with environmental regulations.”

Operating from five manufacturing plants across Europe - two in Scotland, two in France and one in Spain - Empteezy produces a complete range of environmental protection products for the storage of hazardous and non-hazardous chemicals. Working in steel, plastic and polypropylene, the company offers everything from £10 spill trays up to

Empteezy Ltd

large-scale storage systems worth £1 million.

“Most of our products come from solving problems for customers,” Bruce says. “If a solution seems to have applications elsewhere, we will take it further and it might be introduced as part of the range.

“As of 2020, our products run into the hundreds and we have a highly diverse offering. The latest product we introduced was facemasks. We have distributors in the Far East, Russia and Australia, and we have watched how SARS and Bird Flu have affected behavior in these areas, so when Covid came along we started making masks. One of our factories that makes industrial absorbents also makes

filter material used in masks, which means we had control of the supply chain. The move has created 35 jobs and the masks have serviced the UK market as well as the export market.

Our factory in Livingston is an export hub from which we serve around 49 countries.”

Though the Covid-19 pandemic was disruptive for Empteezy in 2020, Bruce describes the impact of the virus as ‘no more than a stumble’ for the firm. After closing its doors at the very beginning of the crisis, Empteezy tweaked the layouts of its large 75,000 to 100,000 square foot facilities and was back in operation in less than three weeks.

“As it was for everybody, Covid was a shock,

‘‘

Despite the pandemic, we’ve hit historic highs in output and production in the last couple of months, in France and in the UK. We are now going into January with the biggest order book we have ever had in 40 years of business, right across all our product lines and all our factories www.manufacturing-today.com l 95

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but we got over it very quickly,” Bruce remarks.

“Despite the pandemic, we’ve hit historic highs in output and production in the last couple of months, in France and in the UK. We are now going into January with the biggest order book we have ever had in 40 years of business, right across all our product lines and all our factories.”

Empteezy’s recent success is the continuation of a five-year trend that has seen the business double in size with revenue growing by 10 per cent year-on-year. Named as one of the London Stock Exchange’s 1000 Companies to Inspire Britain, Empteezy continues to secure major projects across the world and at the beginning of 2020, fulfilled a large contract for the Nigerian Ports Authority.

“The project in Nigeria lasted eight months and was completed in February 2020,” Bruce reveals. “It involved the design, manufacture and supply of products for liquid chemical storage at a fuel docking bay.

“More recently, after the height of the Covid crisis, we worked in conjunction with Jaguar Land Rover on the design and supply of lithium battery storage for both waste batteries and batteries for production. It was another sixfigure project and it took over a year, start to finish, working to design a system that would meet Jaguar Land Rover’s requirements for electric vehicles.”

With expectations high for more expansion on a global scale, Bruce is confident that Empteezy will be able to double its turnover over the next three to four years. However, with so much business conducted in Europe, Brexit will certainly have an impact on the company’s operations going forward, but that doesn’t mean Empteezy won’t be prepared for it.

“Everything will depend on whether the UK and EU can come to terms on a deal,” claims Bruce, “but we are already taking action and have duplicated some of our production. The main French production centre will stay in France, but instead of expanding that factory, we have put a production line in the UK, which will reduce the amount of any potential tariff.

“If, at a worst-case scenario, a six per cent tariff was imposed on us, as a UK employer we tend to have an advantage when it comes to the social cost of employing somebody.

It is about 30 per cent here, compared to around 50 per cent in the rest of Europe.

My gut feeling is that, in general, Brexit won’t slow our growth. We’ve planned for it and I think we are probably better placed than a lot of companies.”

Even with the uncertainty of the year ahead,

Empteezy Ltd

Empteezy knows that it can rely upon its 250 team members across Europe to drive the business forward in the face of adversity, just as they have done in 2020. The workforce at Empteezy, Bruce indicates, is an extension of the firm’s clients and the company prides itself on fostering excellent working relationships internally and externally.

“Across the years, we have only expanded where we can find the right people to uphold our company values and do the job to the level that we require,” Bruce states. “People are the heartbeat of this business. They are what has made Empteezy possible.”

The focus on people extends to Empteezy’s social responsibility initiatives too. For a number of years, the company has supported homeless charities in Scotland, including Social Bite, a major employer of homeless people, as well as the largest provider in the UK of freshly made free food for those in need.

“I believe businesses should put back into their local communities, so we have been a big supporter of Social Bite and others for many years and regularly take part in big sleepouts and other fundraising events,” Bruce reports.

“We campaign every year and have raised well into six figures for homeless causes.”

As we move into the New Year, Empteezy has over £8 million worth of orders in progress and sits at around £48 million in total turnover. Though the Covid crisis is not over, and the next stage of the Brexit fallout is just beginning, Bruce and his team are brimming with confidence for the future of the business.

“It’s my hope that events like Covid will make governments realize that the current outsourcing of everything is short-sighted,” he comments. “On an environmental front, very few companies today factor in the carbon cost, and the life cost, of buying cheap goods from low-cost labor parts of the world. One thing that may come out of Covid is we might start to see an acceleration in the return of onshoring.

“I believe in manufacturing,” Bruce declares finally. “My kids say that if you cut me, I bleed

oil, not blood. I am a manufacturer at heart and this is very much a plea from me to bring manufacturing back.”

Empteezy Ltd Products: Environmental protection products www.empteezy.co.uk www.manufacturing-today.com l 97

Adopting a world class approach With a mind-set that remains as steadfast today as it did 125 years ago, Siddall & Hilton Products’ mission is to be recognized as a world class mesh manufacturer and a local employer of choice

I

t has been little more than a year now since Manufacturing Today last highlighted the efforts of the UK’s largest manufacturer of industrial welded mesh, Siddall & Hilton Products. At that time, we spoke in depth with Chief Executive Officer Ian Thurley about the company’s plans to branch out and grow in the wake of a management buy-out (MBO) in the summer of 2019. Now, in December 2020, Ian is able to discuss the progress made since that time, how the company has navigated the challenges of this year, and how the years ahead are shaping up.

“There has been significant consolidation in the UK mesh industry in the last few years, following a period of intense price competition due to a chronic oversupply problem in the market, resulting in a rapid race to the

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bottom,” Ian begins. “Two major UK-based competitors have closed their manufacturing operations since late 2018, and we have successfully picked up some of the business they left behind. Today the market has returned to more orderly trading and steel prices are rising sharply after an 11-year decline.”

During the course of the above-mentioned last few years, Siddall & Hilton Products has re-positioned itself and is now focused entirely on welded steel mesh production, having disposed of other ‘wire products’ operations including container handles and furniture springs. “Market consolidation within the mesh industry has been partially responsible for the growth in demand for our mesh, particularly in the industrial mesh sector,” Ian says. “That is mesh sold to steel stockholders and fabricators, as opposed to our main line

of business, which remains a broad range of general and high security fencing panels. The second factor behind the growth we’ve seen is our dedication to customer service, product quality and delivery performance.

“We, at Siddall & Hilton Products, see product quality and customer service as two areas where we are able to differentiate from our competitors. We measure our ‘On Time In Full’ delivery performance on a weekly basis and regularly exceed 97 per cent, as things stand. However, we’re not happy with this, and are working towards consistent attainment of the World Class standard, which is 98.5 per cent!

“We also believe in looking after our customers and, whilst we would prefer everything to be right first time, on those occasions when things do go wrong we

Siddall & Hilton Products Ltd

will always work closely with our customer to rectify the problem so as to minimize the disappointment and inevitable financial implications. In addition, we will conduct a full internal investigation to understand the root cause of the problem and take actions to minimize the chances of a repeat performance.

Continuous learning and development are central to this approach.”

Since the buy-out in August 2019, the company has streamlined its back-office operations and focused on improving its manufacturing efficiency, reducing process scrap to less than half the level that was acceptable just a few years ago. Siddall & Hilton Products has also significantly reduced the working capital requirements of the business through rationalizing its stockholding and by improving its cash cycle.

“In 2018, we also implemented Microsoft Nav, replacing a 20-year-old Pegasus Opera system,” Ian details. “This change placed much more accurate, real-time information at the fingertips of management, and has further helped our efforts to improve the efficiency and profit performance of the business, since we now have a better grip on our cost base and much improved insight into our wire cost and usage. As we continue to develop the system, we continue to reap further benefits.”

As Ian goes on to explain, the buy-out itself followed a detailed review of the business’ performance, which highlighted the need for a radically new approach. “The MBO marked a fundamental change in strategy towards focusing on becoming a ‘World Class’ mesh manufacturer and local employer of choice.

As part of this we have moved away from seeking to grow volume, instead focusing on the pursuit of deeper customer relationships, improved margins and generating higher value-added business. The change has also initiated a significant cultural shift within the business, involving a strategy of much greater

employee engagement and development.

“We are already seeing significant improvements, with year-on-year profitability up by almost 40 per cent, and employee satisfaction surveys have revealed that we’re making great progress towards building a much better business for our employees. The attitudes and behaviors have already changed beyond recognition, and the business is now a more vibrant and happier place to work, with the ‘one team’ ethos now becoming more firmly embedded in everything we do.”

Turning to how the business has performed in 2020, clearly no-one would have predicted back in the summer of 2019 that the world would soon be dealing with the effects of a global pandemic. As was the case for all responsible businesses, Siddall & Hilton Products’ response to the onset of Covid-19 was swift and effective. “The board took the decision to close the business and pause operations following the announcement of the first lockdown back in March,” Ian continues.

“We did this in response to employees’ concerns and also to ensure that we shut down in an orderly fashion. We furloughed the majority of our employees and decided

to top up their furlough payments to 100 per cent of normal pay for the duration, so as to minimize any financial distress caused to them and so that they could focus on family matters, including for some, their need to be involved with home schooling. Meanwhile the Board members took a substantial pay cut and, working from home, devised a plan to re-start the business in a Covid-19-secure manner.

“We re-opened in late April on a shiftby-shift basis, taking three weeks to resume our 24/5 operations, and our business has, fortunately, proven to be resilient. By June, sales levels were back to two-thirds of normal and what followed was the strongest July performance in over a decade, and the best August in four years! Since then we’ve remained very busy and are having to put on regular weekend shifts to try to keep up with demand.

“Year to date turnover is still almost 20 per cent below last year, but our profitability is well ahead of our expectations when we sat down in March to re-budget. Throughout the pandemic our supply chain, from various parts of Europe and Turkey, has remained incredibly robust, even when Italy was really

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Siddall & Hilton Products Ltd struggling with the virus during the early spring.

Meanwhile, our employees have also proved to be extremely resilient and have demonstrated a real commitment and determination to get the business back on its feet. Their positive attitude has been invaluable and our position today is in no small part down to them.”

For Siddall & Hilton Products, business has remained buoyant throughout the autumn and it has just recently seen the largest weekly order intake for many years come through in December, which is traditionally a quieter month for the business. This certainly bodes well for 2021 and beyond. “2021 will indeed be a very busy year for the company,” Ian confirms. “We have already committed to a fifth mesh welding machine, at a cost of over £2 million. This is scheduled to arrive in Brighouse in April 2021, and we plan to have it fully operational by late spring.

“The new machine is being built by our long-time machinery suppliers, EVG, based in Austria, and is an LGR102 machine, making use of the latest resistance welding technology. It is 40 per cent faster than any of our existing machines, and produces up to 70 per cent less process scrap. It will be configured to produce

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our entire industrial mesh range, enabling us to operate the site much more efficiently by facilitating longer production runs, meaning fewer changeovers, and thereby allowing other machines to focus on our fencing mesh range.

The project will create 12 new manufacturing jobs – a 25 per cent increase in our headcount – and is the first major investment we’ve made in 12 years.”

The company is clearly entering what is to be an exciting phase in its 125-year history.

“The investment in new machinery is just the start and we plan further significant investment in machinery and infrastructure in the next few years. We will also be making a big investment in people and skills as we seek to build a resilient, world class business, capable of providing sustainable employment opportunities well into the future,” Ian adds.

Bringing the conversation to a conclusion, Ian again reflects on some of the major changes he has witnessed within the company in the last 12-to-18 months. “Since the MBO, the business has embarked on a major cultural shift which, as it continues to develop, will see employees having a much greater opportunity to participate, and the business playing a much

bigger part in the local community, engaging with schools, colleges, universities, charities, and good causes. We want our business to be a showcase for a career in manufacturing and to become a place where future generations aspire to build a highly rewarding career.

“We have made significant strides forward in a short space of time, but there is much more to come. It is our fundamental belief that by putting customer satisfaction and employee fulfilment at the heart of our company we will be extremely successful. It is a poor business that focuses only on profit, therefore we must increasingly recognize our social responsibilities within the business and community from which we draw our staff, and to whom we ultimately owe the success of our business.”

Siddall & Hilton Products Ltd Services: Industrial welded mesh and perimeter fencing panels www.sandhp.com

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