Author: European Springs Web Team

With 2020 fast approaching, there are a whole host of trends that look set to take off in the coming year. In this article, we will take a closer look at some of the major trends we expect to see in manufacturing trends throughout 2020.

Women In Manufacturing

We would certainly expect to see a significant upturn in the number of women entering the manufacturing industry from 2020 and beyond. Throughout the last couple of years, there has been a huge push to increase the number of women choosing to pursue a career in the manufacturing sector, and it’s only a matter of time until we begin seeing more and more women filtering through into roles within the industry.

Only 10% of the manufacturing and engineering workforce in the UK are female, hence why there has been such emphasis placed on ensuring the sector is more inclusive of all genders. The UK has a long way to go until they are able to comfortably match other European nations, but the hope is that in the coming years, the gap may well be closed.

Industrial Wearables

According to MarketWatch, industrial wearables are set to surge in popularity between now and 2023, with the market set to grow to $2.5 billion by that date. Whilst wearables are already being used in most sectors at present, there is a surge of new technologies ready to enter the market in the next few years, with the likes of smart glasses, biometric sensors and other devices, centred around IIoP (Industrial Internet of People).

The whole idea behind industrial wearables is to make all employees jobs significantly easier, by helping to streamline processes within the workplace. Some wearables are also perfect for training purposes, with Augmented Reality goggles being used by major brands around the world to give trainees a sense of the day-to-day activities they will be required to undertake.

Young People Entering The Industry 

Each year manufacturers are warned about the ever-growing skills gap that looms over the industry, but with an influx of new and enthusiastic workers set to enter the sector this year, companies across the UK must begin working towards properly educating and training employees. With a large proportion of young people entering via apprenticeships, employers must ensure they are giving all apprentices plenty of time to develop their skills by allowing them to spend quality time with your more experienced employees.

Whether young workers are entering from traditional degrees or apprenticeships, businesses must put robust plans in place to help support all young people entering the workforce throughout 2020 and in the coming years. With the skills gap growing each year, 2020 simply needs to be the year that manufacturing businesses across the UK begin working towards closing the gap by educating younger employees with hands on experience in the workplace.

5G Technology

Now that 4G has become part and parcel of day-to-day life, you can certainly expect to see 5G being ramped up throughout 2020. 5G has already been rolled out on a smaller scale, but in the coming months and years, it is likely to become commonplace just like 4G.

Improving latency and enabling real-time communication on a scale never before seen, 5G will have a huge impact on smart manufacturing for businesses around the globe. When 5G is rolled out in the area surrounding your business, be sure to integrate it in with your existing manufacturing processes as soon as possible, as it has the potential to streamline your processes, whilst also increasing productivity and efficiency across your business.

Machine Learning and AI

In recent years machine learning and AI has dominated manufacturing trends, along with the IoT – and there is good reason for this. With the ability to increase profit margins by substantial figures, AI, machine learning and advanced analytics are becoming ever more important for manufacturing businesses not only around the UK, but around the world.

Machine learning and AI can be used across your business, from the factory floor to the supply chain and even in your customer relations, so you simply cannot afford to ignore this technology in 2020. As smart factories are becoming commonplace in the manufacturing industry, machine learning and AI technologies will become an integral part of the factories of the future.

It’s fair to say that machine learning and AI are here to stay, it’s only a matter of time until every manufacturing business around the UK has some form of the technology integrated with their existing processes. We would certainly recommend getting hold of this technology as soon as you possibly can to ensure you are working as efficiently as possible.

As expert spring manufacturers, we are excited to see what 2020 brings to the industry, and can’t wait to start implementing some of the upcoming trends into our current work practices. Be sure to check in on our blog regularly to keep up to date with the very latest news in the engineering and manufacturing industries.

For those hopeful students starting out their engineering education, or those who are well into their studies, knowing precisely what will happen post-school can be a scary thought. While engineering is increasingly desirable as a role, it’s also a competitive and challenging career to get into – especially without the right knowledge and experience. So, when it comes to improving your chances of getting an engineering role, what exactly can you do?

There are a few different ways that you can tip the scales in your favour even before you complete your education, providing you with a higher chance of success further down the line. Consider these examples when looking to give yourself an edge of the competition.

Specialise Your Education

Often, engineering students tend to go the generic route when it comes to their education. While this is very useful to learn the foundations and basics of engineering, an employer will be looking for specific skills as opposed to more general understanding. So to improve the odds, the best thing you can do is focus on your strengths. Perhaps you’re incredible at analytics out in the field, or you’re better compiling data in front of a computer. Maybe hands-on work is more your style, or larger-scale collaborative projects that require a lot of group work. Whatever you’re talented in, work on that area to become a specialised candidate.

Many companies, such as spring manufacturers, choose to hire engineers based on their enthusiasm, understanding and skill in specific areas. Even engineers with the same title may have different roles depending on contract and project requirements, which means that if you’re good at something, you should certainly speak up about it. As a field that has so many individual components and requirements, there’s a niche for just about every skill set.

Develop Those Soft Skills

While having expert knowledge and training is vital to becoming an engineer, soft skills also play a massive role in your ability to transfer that information from your brain to the workplace. To improve your chances in the real world, you should be able to demonstrate skills beyond the basics in areas such as critical thinking and problem solving, as well as when it comes to managing under pressure and working to tight deadlines – both of which are very common in the engineering world.

Other soft skills, like communication, leadership and even attention to detail, can all paint a picture of an engineer that’s more than worth employing. Working on those soft skills in any context, whether it’s with classmates, at a part-time job or as part of coursework, can put you light years ahead of other graduating students without those particular skills. The average engineering job is rarely completed solo, so the ability to work alongside and report to others is a vital piece of the puzzle.

Gain Some Real-World Experience

If at all possible, gaining some proper engineering experience as part of your education should be on the top of your list. This could be through a few week’s work experience, as part of an internship or even as a class activity, but having that actual real-life experience will set you up far better to find a job when you finish learning. Even better, internships and work experience can lead to job offers further down the line, so take any opportunities you can get.

Experience proves to potential employers that you can put what you’ve learned into practice and thrive in a busy environment. Engineering experience, in particular, can prepare you well for what your future career will be like, and provides a risk-free opportunity to examine several potential career paths or job types you’d be interested in. Engineering being such a broad field, there are many areas and roles to explore. Ideally, this is the time when you can narrow down what specific field of engineering you enjoy, based on real-world understanding and knowledge that you simply can’t gain in a classroom or from books.

Develop your knowledge beyond the classroom

Are you learning a particular type of software or method in the classroom? Perhaps you have to use a specific tool for coursework, or a particular technique for an exam. Going the extra mile to improve your understanding of vital tools and functionalities within the niche you’d like to work in can be invaluable. In many engineering careers, a great deal of learning is done on-the-job, whether it’s the databases you’re using or the tools you’re working with. Having prior knowledge proves you’re passionate about a particular area of engineering and can set you up for success should you put the time in.

Improving your chances of securing a coveted engineering role is all about knowing what the company is looking for. If you can prove knowledge and skills in an area that you know will be valuable to that company, then you’re already in a far better position and you can beat the competition by reducing the training and learning curve required.

Pick Your Path Early And Stick To It

Engineering is a vast field, so picking an area of expertise and learning is an excellent way to both narrow down your knowledge and home in on a specific job market. While computer engineering is ever-popular and expanding, other areas such as structural and mechanical engineering hold a lot of value, as well as more unusual and scientific careers like chemical and biological engineering. Your speciality is up to you – but knowing what you want to do can provide clarity and a goal to work towards.

For engineers considering a career in the more technical side of the field, working with spring and press technology is an excellent way to transform your qualification into meaningful, and engaging, work. To find out more about European Springs and Pressings Ireland, take a look at our platform or contact us today. We’re always happy to hear from prospective engineers or those entering the world of engineering work for the first time.

With Brexit being pushed back until 31^st January 2020, manufacturing businesses have more time to ensure they are fully prepared for Brexit when a deal is struck. While Brexit has been rumbling on for the last few years, there are still a large proportion of businesses who are not yet prepared for Brexit.

Here, we take a look at what manufacturing companies can do to best prepare for Brexit, listing some of the steps your business should consider taking to minimise the impact over the coming years.

Plan For The Short and Long Term

Whilst things are still relatively unclear when it comes to effects Brexit is likely to have on the UK; it’s important that your business does have some plans in place for the months following and longer-term plans too.

You will need to consider just what implications Brexit may have on your business on an individual scale, for example:

• Will my current workforce begin to leave the company following Brexit?
• Are there any existing trade relationships I have with companies in the EU?
• Do I need to stockpile stock, or begin selling off surplus ahead of Brexit?
• How will I communicate any changes to business operations due to Brexit to existing and potential customers?

Whilst these are just some of the questions your business needs to consider, it’s important that you spend significant time carefully considering each and every eventuality so you can be sure you have covered everything.

Putting short term measures in for the months following Brexit is important to ensure your business continues operating at close to normal levels where possible. If your business can continue to work efficiently and still distribute your products at normal levels, then the impact of Brexit on your manufacturing business should be minimal.

Once you have made it through the initial months following Brexit, you should then start thinking longer term, looking to ensure your business has a plan in place to guarantee growth in the years after the UK leaves the European Union.

Invest In New Technology and Innovation

There is a common misconception that businesses should look to cut back on investment within the business in the lead up to Brexit – however, this isn’t the case for the vast majority of companies. If you have the funds and capability available to you, then you should definitely keep investing in the very latest technologies to enhance current internal processes.

Taking the time to properly assess any potential technologies you could implement into your company is absolutely vital, if there is the possibility of making your workflow more efficient or cheaper in the long run, don’t be afraid to invest, even with Brexit fast approaching. It’s fair to say that the new technologies and innovations made in your company could be extremely beneficial if overall productivity drops following Brexit.

Recruit and Retain The Right People

Ensuring that you have the right staff in place in the lead up to, and after Brexit is essential to the success of your business. If there is an opportunity to hire a new member of staff who is able to carry out an important role within your business, it’s vital that you do your best to hire them. It’s well documented that highly skilled workers are few and far between in the manufacturing industry at present, so any opportunities that present themselves simply must be taken.

When it comes to retaining talent, it’s important that your business has a well thought out strategy ahead of Brexit to ensure there are measures put in place that will guarantee your current workforce want to stay with your business. Laying out plans for upskilling within the business, potential pay rises, and bonuses are a great way to ensure your workforce stays motivated throughout the year, especially when Brexit does hit.

It’s also worth noting that there is a good chance that if you do employ any EU Nationals in your workforce that they will probably be affected by Brexit in some way, so it’s important to plan for any eventuality. Also, don’t forget to offer support to any EU Nationals who are working within your business throughout the process, they will likely be extremely worried about what will happen in the future. Taking the time to offer additional support to these employees is vital and will raise morale among other workers too.

As expert spring manufacturers, we are taking precautions to ensure that our business and valued customers are not affected by Brexit. We hope that you found our advice helpful, and hopefully you can begin using some of the tips to guarantee the future of your business post Brexit.

Manufacturing businesses across the world face a number of challenges on a day to day basis, so it’s important that anyone who works within the sector is extremely flexible and adaptable. Whilst there are some more obvious challenges faced by manufacturers in the UK, such as the impact of Brexit on the sector and addressing the ever-increasing skills gap, there are a whole host of other challenges that are not as well documented.

In this article, we take a look at some of the biggest challenges facing the manufacturing industry in 2020, delving deeper into the issues and what can be done to remedy them.

Gender Gap

In 2017, just 15.1% of the UK engineering undergraduates were women – this figure sits significantly lower than other countries, with India having double the number of women studying engineering at university.

There are even more worrying stats when we take a look at the number of women actually working in engineering roles, with just 11% of the UK’s engineering force being female. Whilst there has been positive movement in terms of more women beginning to filter through into engineering jobs in recent years, more needs to be done by companies across the UK, along with the Government.

Whilst there is no simple way to ensure that the gender gap is filled in the short-term, it’s fair to say that more long-term initiatives must be considered to ensure that more women begin filtering into engineering-related roles. Education on engineering roles needs to be introduced at a much younger age, and whilst Governments could ensure this happens, it’s also important for manufacturing governing bodies and companies to raise awareness of the industry to all children, paying particular attention to girls.

Worker Safety

Ensuring that your workers are always safe whilst working within your business is of paramount importance. Although manufacturing businesses across the UK invest large sums of money into extensive training courses and ensuring the right types of equipment are available to employees, there are still a small number of accidents that happen each year.

Whilst there is always the danger of accidents occurring in the workplace, especially in a manufacturing setting; things can be done to minimise the risk of accidents.

By ensuring your employees are all fully trained in line with current health and safety best practices, and they have all of the latest safety equipment available to them at all times, you can rest assured that you are doing all you can to keep your workforce safe.

Skills Shortage

Much has been made of the skills shortage within the manufacturing industry over the last few years, and whilst steps have been made in trying to close the skills gap, more must be done. The Government have placed emphasis on ensuring manufacturing businesses do make use of apprenticeships to upskill young workers, which will certainly help in the long-term. Although it’s worth noting that in the short-term, there are not many quick fixes on the horizon, so it’s well worth investing in your current workforce and looking to upskill any workers who are keen to progress further within your company.

It’s also worth noting that the UK has already started to lose highly skilled workers due to Brexit and will continue to do so over the coming years, making it imperative that more is done to fill the skills gap as soon as possible.

Integrating Industry 4.0 Into Work Processes

It cannot be understated just how important Industry 4.0 is to the future of manufacturing, and for that reason manufacturers across the globe simply must begin incorporating smart technologies into their manufacturing processes as soon as possible.

Whilst some businesses simply cannot afford the initial expenditure required to properly implement Industry 4.0 technologies, there are a large number of businesses who are simply reluctant to invest.

There are a whole host of benefits that Industry 4.0 can bring to a manufacturing business, from cost reductions right through to increased efficiency and productivity throughout the workforce. To ensure the manufacturing industry takes steps to ensure its long-term future, Governments must look at finding ways to help companies who cannot afford to invest Industry 4.0 technologies to ensure the entire sector is propelled to new heights.

Brexit

Brexit has been looming over the UK for the past few years, and whilst we are still relatively in the dark as to when the UK will actually leave the European Union, there is no doubt it will have a huge effect on the manufacturing industry when we do. It remains to be seen exactly how Brexit will affect manufacturing firms, with very little solid information available at this present moment.

Whilst there isn’t a whole lot your business can do, it’s absolutely vital that your business does take steps to ensure you are as prepared for Brexit as you possibly can be. Whether that means stockpiling materials that may become difficult to purchase in the months following Brexit or ensuring that your workflow and distribution is unaffected by Brexit, be sure to put some precautions in place.

As expert spring suppliers, we always ensure we are keeping our finger on the pulse of the very latest manufacturing news. Be sure to check in on our blog regularly to receive the very latest news from the engineering and manufacturing industry.

Ensuring that the next generation of engineers and scientist are given all the tools they need to succeed in their studies is of paramount importance to not only the industry, but also the UK as a whole. Over the last few months, the UK has seen some great success stories from the next generation of engineers in both national and international competitions.

Here, we take a look at some of the recent achievements of students around the UK, whilst focusing on the successes of students from Northern Ireland.

UK Students Come Runner Up In International Competition

Three students from a school in Loughborough competed on the international stage against other young scientific and engineering minds. Grace Lord, Brendan Miralles and Aalia Sellar’s project came an impressive 2^nd place in the international competition. Over 2020 international students from 51 countries took part in the competition.

After winning the prestigious GSK UK Young Engineers of the Year title at The Big Bang UK Young Scientists & Engineers Competition, the trio headed to China to take on other students from around the globe. Their project, entitled ‘Music Splash’, came runner up in the International CASTIC (China Adolescents Science & Technology Innovation Contest) category. Whilst on the trip, the three budding scientists received interest from a Chinese business to develop their app.

The app uses machine learning to analyse music performance and provides feedback to help the user to improve and work towards grading. The students say “it guides you to instant perfection and is like a music teacher in an app.”

Northern Ireland Student Wins GSK UK Young Scientist of the Year 2019

A student from St Mary’s College in Derry/London Derry took home the GSK UK Young Scientist of the Year 2019 at The Big Bang UK Young Scientist & Engineers Competition. Maeve Stillman’s project, which was entitled, “Investigating the Effect of Activated Charcoal on the Absorptions of Medications” saw off competition from other budding scientists and engineers around the UK and focused on how activated charcoal supplements affect the absorption of everyday or common medicines.

Speaking of her award win, Maeve Stillman told The Big Bang Competition UK: “It feels so surreal to have won! This is my third year at The Big Bang Fair and every year it’s so exciting, I would definitely recommend other young people getting involved. I’m going to use the prize money and experiences that I’ve won to help further my future in STEM.”

The team here at European Springs Ireland are extremely pleased to see our up-and-coming scientists and engineers receiving the recognition they deserve.

A-Level Top Grades Rise In Northern Ireland

Following the last month’s A-Level results day, there has been a rise in the proportion of top grades awarded to pupils in Northern Ireland, with just over 30% of students awarded A* or A grades.

There are now just under 40% of all students taking at least one STEM subject as part of their A-Levels, with a steady increase in the uptake in science, technology, engineering and maths subjects continuing. Maths once again remained the most popular A-Level subject among Northern Irish students, with more than one in 10 entries.

It’s extremely encouraging to see the next generation of students coming through college with such promising results. As experienced spring manufacturers, the team here at European Springs Ireland take great pride in ensuring we continually keep our finger on the pulse of all the latest engineering related news. Be sure to regularly check in on our blog to keep up-to-date with the latest news from around the industry.