ANDY CLEANS UP ON INNOVATION IN COVENTRY

British clean engineering innovation was showcased to the Mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street, on a visit to clean engineering accelerator Productiv.

This Coventry-based company aims to bridge the gap between small companies developing low carbon technology and large vehicle manufacturers, and helps accelerate innovative clean engineering technologies to market and into production.

The Mayor saw some of the company’s current projects. These included Rolley, an innovative ride-on micro electric vehicle, Zapinamo, a system for rapid electric vehicle charging and a hydrogen powered drone being developed with Intelligent Energy and Bladon who are manufacturing micro turbine generators to power mobile phone masts in remote locations worldwide.

Productiv CEO, Richard Bruges, said: “The Mayor has put the environment firmly at the top of his agenda and his Clean Growth Challenge, launched this summer, is ample demonstration of the crucial role of clean engineering in both the economy and the environment.”

Digital manufacturing centre speeds up at Silverstone

Funding has been secured for a new Digital Manufacturing Centre at Silverstone Park, forecast to generate £9 million additional economic value for the area.

The project is led by Bicester-based engineering consultancy KW Special Projects which secured funding from the South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership for the 1,657 sq metre facility.

The centre will act as a technology innovation hub, with digital manufacturing facilities including additive manufacturing. Incubation and manufacturing space for highperformance technology startups will also be available at the new facility.

The innovation centre is expected to help develop new and high-value engineering opportunities and assist more than 100 small and medium-sized enterprises.

“Coming from a motorsport background, it’s exciting to be able to help drive the latest technology projects across multiple industries at Silverstone,” said Kieron Salter, Managing Director at KW Special Projects.

National audit, tax, advisory and risk firm, Crowe UK, has helped one of the Black Country’s best-known businesses to reshore a significant part of its manufacturing process.

With the uncertainty around Brexit, Albert Jagger reviewed its supply chain in 2017 to consider bringing the manufacture of one of its signature products back to the UK.

The company, founded in 1887, began a review of operations with the Coventry-based Manufacturing Technology Centre, looking at the potential of reshoring antiluce production.

Antiluce, or dropcatch fasteners, are commonly used on trailer tailgates and sides, allowing panels to drop down and then securely fasten back up. The team at MTC remapped the shop floor looking at product flow optimisation and advised investment in CNC machinery.

The reintroduction of antiluce manufacturing, which began in June, cost more than £500,000. More than 750,000 antiluce are expected to be produced in the first year.