Industry news

FOUNDATION STONE CEREMONY FOR NEW MOTOR PLANT

MENZEL ELEKTROMOTOREN HAS launched the construction of its new plant in Hennigsdorf on the outskirts of Berlin with the laying of a foundation stone on 11 June 2022. More than 200 guests and employees attended the celebrations. The new, purpose-built headquarters will be erected on a 24,000 m² plot. All administrative and production workplaces are to be relocated by January 2024. When complete, the new motor plant with an effective floor space of 8,500 m² will increase the manufacturer's production capacities, allow the expansion of the workforce and earn significant efficiency gains through an optimised floor plan. The production area of about 3,800 m² will accommodate the assembly, metal processing, fabrication and winding workshops, paint shops and three stateof-the-art test fields. In addition, there will be roomy offices, logistics zones and storage areas. The spacious property allows for future expansions and is easy to reach via public transport, motorway or the Berlin Brandenburg International Airport.

The move heralds a new era for the motor company, which was founded in 1927. Under the management of Mathis Menzel, the third generation to lead the family business, Menzel has experienced significant growth in recent years. The new building allows for a streamlined and ergonomic layout for all production processes and a higher throughput. Crane capacities will be significantly increased to meet the demand for everlarger motor systems from customers in all industries.

New test fields will also be larger to allow for future expansion of the company's testing services.

RECRUITMENT DRIVE TO SUPPORT EXPANSION

ELECTRO-WIND, WHICH HAS BEEN designing and manufacturing single and three phase transformer products for customers in the UK, Europe, and Global Markets over the past 40 years, is looking for staff to support the company’s continued expansion.

As a second-generation family owned and operated company, over the past couple of years Electro-Wind has seen exponential growth, with both standard and custom-built products proving to be in demand. A shortage of materials in the general marketplace has boosted its UK manufacturing base and the company has expanded its premises to be based over the two sites.

With an ongoing recruitment campaign in place, Electro-Wind’s director, Rachel Stanley-Cooper, commented: “We are continually looking for candidates that are passionate and committed to working in an established company with forward thinking values to sustain our growth and for succession planning and promotion.

“With a very low staff turnover, many of the long-established team members have worked for the company for over 20 years, however the business has expanded dramatically over the past few years with the addition of many new recruits.”

The most recent recruit to the business is Jeff Roberts who has joined the sales team. With a strong background in the electrical distribution and wholesale markets he has had many years direct experience within the electrical industry.

Demand for custom built, British made products seems to be higher than ever and the drive to sustain growth and invest in staff is an ongoing priority for Electro-Wind.

ERIKS APPOINTED AS CERTIFIED SKF GEARBOX REBUILDER

ERIKS, THE SPECIALISED INDUSTRIAL service provider, has been appointed by SKF as a Certified Gearbox Rebuilder.

Gearboxes are used throughout industry, with the majority of gearbox failures being caused by worn, damaged or incorrectly specified bearings and seals. The SKF Certified Gearbox Rebuilder programme has been introduced to help accredited specialists analyse and identify the root cause of faults, and then to carry out the correct level of repairs using approved procedures and parts.

Peter Townsend at ERIKS explained: “We’ve been rebuilding and refurbishing gearboxes since 1982 and have always used the most advanced and highest quality components. The new SKF certification now provides independent recognition that our engineering processes, dismantling, mounting, assembly and inspection systems, plus the skills and knowledge of our production teams comply with the highest standards.”

ERIKS’ gearbox engineering teams have received extensive training from experts at SKF. They will also routinely be reassessed and given ongoing access to SKF’s bearing applications and knowledge database. This will enable ERIKS’ engineers to ensure that new techniques for bearing failure analysis, together with the latest developments in technology can be deployed as quickly as possible to minimise gearbox downtime.

Coventry University to develop electrification skills hub

COVENTRY UNIVERSITY WILL LOOK TO play a pivotal role in driving UK electrification by developing a national skills hub to support specialist training, after winning £1 million in funding.

The national skills hub, aimed at supporting the Power Electronics, Machines and Drives (PEMD) community, is set to be led and developed by Coventry University. It will be a digital platform bringing together providers of an extensive range of training and development opportunities to upskill the UK’s workforce and deliver clean solutions such as the next generation of electric transport and energy delivery innovation.

The PEMD skills hub will connect training and education course providers with employers and learners, as well as professionals already working in PEMD who want to develop expertise in specialist areas.

The project is being supported by funding from the ‘Driving the Electric Revolution’ challenge at UK Research and Innovation

Image courtesy of Coventry City Council

(UKRI), and could provide a significant boost to goals for a net-zero carbon economy by 2050. It also builds on the city’s growing reputation for electrification solutions, such as the National Battery Industrialisation Centre near Coventry Airport, and the West Midlands Gigafactory which is planned for the airport site.

The project got underway in April 2022 and seeks collaboration and input from across the country to build the right skills hub for the community.

Tributes as industry stalwart passes

TRIBUTES HAVE BEEN PAID following the passing of Ray Brady, founder of RMB Engineering.

A GKN time served apprentice in Mechanical Engineering, Ray's career path included engineering roles at Cadbury and Butlers (a Lucas subsidiary) before setting up his own business, RMB Engineering, in 1981.

During his time as Managing Director of RMB, Ray built the company into one of the UK's leading industrial gearbox supply and repair organisations, with his success culminating in the integration of RMB into the maintenance services group Deritend Industries.

Commenting on his father's passing, Mark Brady, Managing Director of Hayley 247, said: "Many messages we have received describe my father as a legend, a pioneer within his field in which he achieved great things. But, he always remained humble, and he was proud of being a devoted husband, Dad and Grandad and a man who would have the back of anybody in his team."

EMiR software acquired by Commercial Software

EMIR SOFTWARE, THE ERP SOLUTION DESIGNED FOR electro-mechanical engineering companies, has announced its acquisition by Commercial Software Ltd (CSL).

The deal was completed on 6 May and will see ownership of the business transfer to CSL over the next two years. During this time, the next generation Software as a Service (SaaS) version of EMiR will be developed under CSL’s .Net framework. Existing EMiR users will continue to be supported with their current version of EMiR for many years to come by the teams at Solutions in IT and FHG Software.

Gary Downes, Managing Director, at EMiR Software, commented: “We have promised the next generation of EMiR on a SaaS platform to our customer base for delivery in 2024. We are delighted that the deal with CSL not only ensures that the team and resources for this new product development are available but that the established development framework and team expertise at CSL will see us deliver the next generation of EMiR.”

Geoff Perkins, Managing Director of Commercial Software Ltd, added: “We are delighted to purchase the EMiR Software brand and its associated companies. We have long searched for an established, proven software, with a loyal customer base, that we can add value to and establish as a SaaS product. We look forward to working with EMiR’s customers to ensure it continues to provide the best solution for them and provide the service and expertise they expect from such an industry-leading solution.” UK

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