European Springs Web Team, Author at European Springs Ireland

Ensuring that the manufacturing industry is completely future-proofed is an essential and ongoing task that the government and leading companies from within the sector are constantly seeking to solve and refine. The government’s recent announcement that the Materials Science Technologist (Level 6) Degree Apprenticeship has been approved, after two years of development, has spread optimism within the industry that the UK is prepared for the future.

We take a closer look at exactly what the course entails, whilst also taking a wider look at the impact this course, and others, will have on the future of the manufacturing industry.

What Is Included in The New Apprenticeship?

The Materials Science Technologist Degree Apprenticeship provides a bachelor’s degree and extensive workplace experience, which allows all apprentices who have completed the course to easily transition into a fully-fledged job within the industry. Following the national programme’s approval by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education, this course is available to all students, universities and employers in the UK.

One of the major benefits this particular apprenticeship provides to employers is that it is completely customisable and can be amended to meet the needs of any manufacturing organisation. For example, students can work with almost any materials within a manufacturing setting, from metals to rubbers and composites – this makes it perfect for almost any manufacturing business to take on students for work placements.

Industry experts have already applauded the governments decision to back this new course, with many of them stating that it is the ideal opportunity for the industry to address the ever-growing skills gap within manufacturing. Industry bosses are hopeful that the course will allow students to undertake technical on-the-job training, allowing them to be more prepared for a career within the manufacturing and engineering industry.

At present, the course is being supported by Staffordshire University, Sheffield Hallam, Queen Mary University of London, the University of Birmingham and the University of Derby. However, the number of universities offering this course is expected to rise in the coming years due to the inevitable popularity of the course.

Addressing The Skills Gap In the Manufacturing Industry

It’s no surprise that an apprenticeship such as this has been approved by the government, with cries from the sector about the lack of skilled workers exiting current university courses. There’s been no lack of coverage about the sheer lack of young skilled workers entering the manufacturing industry in the last few years; with more experienced and skilled workers coming towards retirement age recently, companies have struggled to replace those workers with young employees of a similar calibre.

The vast majority of manufacturing employers have made it clear that they were struggling to find young people coming through university with the necessary qualifications and skills that would enable them to fit into their business quickly and effectively. Whilst manufacturing bosses conceded there would be an inevitable bedding in period for any graduates coming directly from university, there was no evidence that some young workers were anywhere near ready for the fast-paced nature of the manufacturing industry.

The new course that has been introduced will give students a far more advanced look at manufacturing and the science of materials used throughout the sector. This will inevitably lead to the students going into the workplace with a far greater understanding of how materials can be best used in practice within a manufacturing setting. Beyond this, the course will place heavy emphasis on more problem solving and effective production techniques, two skills which are at the heart of any manufacturing business.

The hope is, that by best preparing young people on the course for working life within this new apprenticeship, the transferable skills they learn from within the course will help to alleviate some of the concerns manufacturing businesses have about the ever-growing skills gap within the industry. Whilst it’s fair to say that only time will tell if the new apprenticeship will have the desired effect, there is genuine optimism from those within the industry that this course could well be the start of a more effective form of apprenticeship within the industry.

At European Springs & Pressings, we understand just how important it is to consistently grow our young workforce, that’s why we have been taking on apprentices for a number of years now. Our position as one of the UK’s leading spring manufacturers allows us to take on a number of eager apprentices each year, as we look to close the skills gap within the industry by giving each of our young employees the very best education from within our business.

We will continue to refine our apprenticeship offering over the next few years, in line with new government initiatives, to continue providing the industry with capable, skilled young workers.

The nature of the manufacturing and engineering industry is extremely fast-paced and ever-changing. With that in mind, we thought it may be useful to round up some of the most interesting and important stories from the manufacturing industry, so you can keep right up to date with the very latest developments from the sector.

Read on to find out more about how Coronavirus is affecting the supply chain, among other recent news stories affecting the industry.

Coronavirus and the Supply Chain

It’s fair to say that you can’t go on any news website at the moment without seeing a news story about Coronavirus, and the deadly virus is even having an affect on supply chains from a whole host of industries. Manufacturing supply chains are facing months of disruption, as factories around the world are struggling to operate at full strength due to the outbreak.

How Does The Future of Mobility Look?

In the automotive world, there is an obvious shift in the thinking of manufacturers. With more and more emphasis being placed on the evolution of electric vehicles and phasing out diesel and petrol vehicles over the coming years. Whilst a lot has been said about the future of mobility, an article from The Engineer delves deeper into the topic, paying particular attention to the issue surrounding vehicle charging speed.

At present, the charging speed of vehicles seems to be one of the biggest reasons for consumers looking elsewhere when shopping for a vehicle. There is good reason for this, with charging ports not only being few and far between throughout Europe, but also the fact that vehicles take a significant amount of time to fully charge.

Find out more about the future of mobility by reading the article on The Engineer!

Manufacturers Will End Investment Standstill When Brexit Uncertainty is Clear

The Independent have reported that manufacturing companies will only increase investment when the UK’s ‘direction of travel’ relating to Brexit is clear. The news came about from a survey conducted with over 330 companies in UK manufacturing by Make UK. The survey suggests that one in four companies view increasing investment allowances as the main priority for the government, with over a fifth of respondents calling for a cut in corporation tax.

You can find out more about the manufacturing survey by visiting The Independent’s recent article.

Making The Most Of Big Data In Manufacturing

With advancements in all manner of technology, from augmented reality to 3D printing, there is an added pressure to ensure that technology is integrated into existing processes as efficiently as possible from manufacturing bosses. With an ever-increasing pressure from customers, it’s imperative that your business makes the most out of big data, integrating it into each and every step of the manufacturing process to create a more streamlined approach to manufacturing products.

You can find out more about big data in manufacturing by visiting the full article on Manufacturing Management’s website. The piece takes a closer look at why data is so important in manufacturing, whilst also addressing what manufacturers need to do once they have collated and interpreted data.

How To Develop A UK Manufacturing Workforce For The Future

Much has been made about the state of the manufacturing workforce in recent years, with many older and vastly skilled employees coming to the end of their careers, there is a significant shortage of younger workers entering the industry. With that in mind, you may be wondering just how your business can develop a workforce for the future, especially if you are in a situation where many of your key employees are close to retirement.

With an estimated 80% of manufacturing companies struggling to recruit the talent that they need to compete within their field, it’s pretty clear that things need to be done. This article from PES Media gives some great recommendations on how you can succeed in developing young talent within the manufacturing workplace, so it’s well worth a read if you’re in the process of training younger members of the team.

The team here at European Springs & Pressings Ireland pride themselves on being at the very forefront of spring manufacturers in the UK. We know that it’s absolutely vital that we take the time to understand everything that is going on within the engineering and manufacturing industry, so we can best serve our customers and future proof our business operations. If you would like to keep right up to date with the very latest news coming out of the industry, be sure to check in on our blog regularly for the updates from the sector.

Technology continues to advance at a rapid pace and to create exciting opportunities for those working in manufacturing and its many sectors. As spring manufacturers, we understand just how important it is to keep on top of trends that can impact the industry – and to be aware of how technology will change it!

In this article, we’re taking a look at how technological developments are set to impact the face of manufacturing in the future.

5G Widespread Rollout

2020 will see a rollout of 5G on a larger scale, including in the manufacturing industry. 5G offers faster speeds, better coverage and more stable connections – you can have more devices connected at the same while maintaining the quality of the internet. This will help manufacturers around the world, mainly for smart manufacturing.

This fifth-generation connectivity can also facilitate industrial automation, as well as augmented reality and IoT. 5G is crucial for the digital transformation that the industry is going through. Of course, there are also some challenges associated with this rollout; some people are worried about cybersecurity and the age of the technology.

It’s estimated that there will be more machines connected by 5G than humans by the end of 2020. By improving communication between devices, facilities will see a boost in productivity and improve their capacity to meet more complex customer demands.

Early adoption may be slow, but we believe 5G will eventually become indispensable in manufacturing.

AI Investment

Many sectors make up the manufacturing industry, such as aerospace, and it can be difficult to implement processes and changes – however, with Artificial Intelligence and smarter technologies, you have the opportunity to gain a competitive edge and improve the efficiency of your facilities.

According to IFS, 40% of manufacturers intend to implement AI for inventory planning and logistics, while 36% plan to implement AI in production scheduling and customer relationship management. 60% of all respondents say they want to boost productivity with these investments.

Automation is key in manufacturing. Together with AI, you can better distribute your resources and ensure that your workers are safe from repetitive or dangerous tasks, since these can be performed by machines.

Better Cybersecurity

As technology develops, cybersecurity becomes more important – including in manufacturing. With more connected devices and an increase in automation, vulnerability to cybercrime is also a possibility. Business owners need to understand that, while technology brings with it a wealth of benefits (and the manufacturing of today wouldn’t be the same without it), there are also potential risks to keep in mind.

Blockchain is a way to ensure the cybersecurity of your data, and we believe this technology will be more widely used in 2020. Blockchain is already being used by more and more businesses, so it won’t come as a surprise that the manufacturing industry will also adopt it.

From data decentralisation to secure user ID, blockchain can protect supply chains as well and offer verifiable information about any product.

Increased Focus on Wearables

Wearables don’t have to invoke a futuristic image. In fact, wearable technology is already in use, we just expect to see more of it in 2020. The main focus is on handhelds at the moment but being able to access information from a smartwatch, headset or other types of wearable tech may improve productivity and efficiency – and will ensure that the manufacturing process is even more unobtrusive.

A wearable piece of technology may be able to detect when a worker is experiencing fatigue, for example, which can help to boost employees’ wellbeing as well.

Incorporating 3D Printing

Another technology that is set to change manufacturing is 3D printing (and additive manufacturing in general). It’s estimated that the global 3D printing market will be worth around £15 billion by 2025. The ability to design increasingly complex products and to create objects from innovative materials is key for manufacturing innovation. This will lead to better customisation and, therefore, to better customer experience.

Another benefit of incorporating 3D printing in manufacturing processes is that it reduces waste. Plastic can be recycled and there is no excess of material. This allows manufacturers to cut costs and to reduce their carbon footprint at the same time.

3D printing can also be applied in a variety of industries, from medical devices to children’s toys and aircraft parts.

More Investment in the Internet of Things

We’re previously looked at how the Internet of Things can help the manufacturing industry and with good reason. IoT is transforming manufacturing and will continue to do so for many years to come. More companies and devices are becoming connected and, according to the PwC’s Internet of Things Survey 2019, a staggering 93% of manufacturers believe that the benefits of IoT far exceed its risks – and 68% intend to increase their investment in IoT in the next couple of years.

The Internet of Things can have many different applications, although it’s more popular in logistics, in the supply chain, in predictive maintenance and in the employee and customer experience.

At European Springs Ireland, we like to stay on top of the latest news and technological developments. After all, we aim to continuously improve our products and services and ensure that all our clients receive the best experience. We’re looking forward to seeing how manufacturing will develop – going by how tech is already changing it, we’re expecting a bright future.

If you’re looking for a spring manufacturer that can help you meet the demands of your project, contact us and our friendly team will be in touch.

It’s fair to say that the Internet of Things (IoT) has been revolutionising the way manufacturers work over the last few years. Smart manufacturing has already proven its ability to streamline processes within the manufacturing workplace, whilst also offering those who utilise it a whole host of benefits.

Here, we take a closer look at how IoT technology has been helping the manufacturing industry, and how it can continue to do so for years to come.

The Benefits Of Smart Manufacturing

Smart manufacturing has the ability to improve almost all areas of existing manufacturing processes by giving employees access to a whole host of real-time information on their manufacturing process. IoT technology gives managers access to a huge amount of data, that provide vital insights into things like a machine’s overall health, energy consumption and productivity.

Here are some of the major benefits that any business in manufacturing can expect to see after integrating IoT technology within their existing manufacturing process.

Predictive Maintenance & Reduced Downtime

Planning maintenance schedules based on historical information has long been an issue for many companies in the manufacturing industry. With no hard and fast rule on when equipment is likely to break down and require attention, it can be difficult to make an informed maintenance schedule that best suits the individual requirements of each machine.

With IoT technology, maintenance schedules are based on real-time information which is consistently being fed to those in charge of the equipment. Through the use of sensors, data is fed back to the human operative who can then make more informed decisions about when a machine in your production chain does, in fact, need maintenance work carrying out.

In turn, the information gathered by this technology has the ability to significantly reduce the amount of machine downtime throughout a business. This can be especially useful, as one of the main contributors for lost revenue throughout the last few years was unexpected machine downtime. The IoT technology installed into each machine within a business makes it extremely clear when a machine either needs maintenance work or potentially needs replacing altogether. Over the course of the coming years, businesses could expect to save thousands of pounds in lost revenue caused by unproductive or broken equipment.

Product Quality

Any company in the manufacturing industry will be actively looking to increase their product quality to ensure customer satisfaction, and IoT is capable of enhancing your product longevity.

Improving the quality of products is not only great for customers, but it’s also worthwhile from the manufacturer’s perspective too. Higher-quality products boasting other benefits such as reduced waste, lower overall costs, increased customer satisfaction and loyalty and inevitably, an increase in overall sales.

The major culprit for issues with product quality is often faulty items. Products can become faulty over time, or can be faulty from the time they are manufactured, which obviously causes issues for your company. IoT technology is capable of completely eradicating any problems during the manufacturing process, therefore ensuring that each and every product made is in complete working order.

By utilising sensors, smart manufacturing technologies are capable of identifying the smallest issues, from a temperature change that could affect product quality through to the machine not operating properly. Once an alert is raised, the human operative can stop production and work towards rectifying the issue at hand, potentially saving a manufacturing business a huge amount of money on faulty products.

Increased Energy Efficiency

It’s no secret that one of the largest expenses that most manufacturing firms run into is energy costs. Knowing exactly how much energy each of the machines in your manufacturing process is using can be difficult to determine, with energy bills stating a simple lump sum of your total energy costs; even companies that do offer services to break down the energy consumption by machine are hit and miss at best. This is where smart manufacturing technology comes in especially handy for business owners.

IoT allows manufacturing bosses to collect and understand data for individual pieces of equipment, which allows them to identify if there are any problematic devices within the business. With a constant stream of data to analyse, it’s extremely simple to identify any underperforming machines as energy consumption may outweigh its productivity.

The real-time data delivered by IoT technology allows businesses to make more informed decisions on when it is best to upgrade existing machines in the production chain. By finding any inefficient pieces of the production process, businesses stand to save a significant amount of money over the coming years.

As one of the leading spring manufacturers in the UK, we have moved quickly to integrate IoT technology into our current processes to guarantee the very best products for our customers. You can rest assured we will continually invest in the very latest technologies available to continually provide the very best levels of customer service possible.

Exhibition season will soon be in full flow and European Springs & Pressings will be flying their flag across a number of UK exhibitions this year.

Reaching audiences across a large number of sectors including agriculture, rail, electronics, mining, construction, lighting, power generation and medical technology, to name a few, European Springs & Pressings are on exhibition across the UK throughout the year.

Stuart McSheehy, Managing Director says: “We are quite unique to other UK spring makers in that we cover a whole variety of disciplines. Manufacturing tension, torsion and compression springs with diameters from 0.03mm to 65mm, pressings and multi-slides up to 130 tonnes and by having an unlimited design spectrum of wire forms, places us in a prominent position. With the stamping, coiling, multi-slide, heavy coiling, high speed stamping and assembly facilities, as well as both high and low volume production capabilities, we have a lot to be proud of, to market and shout about.

“Serving clients from across the pharmaceutical to heavy plant and equipment sector to major blue-chips to specialist niche companies, we’re active across numerous sectors and where better than to communicate our diversity than across a wide reach of exhibitions targeted at the sectors we specialise in, showcasing European Springs & Pressings as innovative, lean manufacturers with exceptional engineering expertise in the spring coiling, wire forming and pressing industries.”

European Springs & Pressings upcoming exhibitions include:

29-30 Jan, National Manufacturing & Supply Chain conference & exhibition, Dublin, Stand F04

11-13 Feb, Southern Manufacturing Show, Farnborough. Stand A135

27 Feb, Northern Ireland Manufacturing & Supply Chain conference, Belfast Stand E7

12 Mar, FAST live, British Motorcycle Museum.

20-24 Apr, MACH, NEC. Stand 6-712

28-30 Apr, CV Show, NEC. Stand 4A02.

McSheehy concludes: “These exhibitions will enhance European Springs & Pressings provenance, open up new opportunities, enable us to introduce our newly expanded sales team and add value to the sector through our quality tailored service.

“Come along and meet the team, discover our product range and explore what European Springs & Pressings can do for you.”

2020 is just around the corner, so we thought now would be the perfect opportunity to wish all of our clients a very Merry Christmas and a happy New Year. We hope to see you in the New Year, and can’t wait to support you in your upcoming projects.

It has been an exceptionally busy year for all of us here at European Springs & Pressings Ireland, with the manufacturing industry as a whole experiencing some tough times throughout 2019. Our team have pulled together to ensure that our customers have continued to experience the same high levels of service they have become accustom to over the years.

If you require a spring manufacturer in the New Year, then you should certainly consider getting in touch with the team here at European Springs & Pressings Ireland. With over 70 years’ experience in the industry, our team have the experience and expertise to ensure you receive the perfect products for your next project.

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Author: European Springs Web Team