European Springs Web Team, Author at European Springs Ireland

Addressing the skills gap is never an easy task, but understanding it is the first step towards correcting it. In this article, we will consider what some of the biggest companies in manufacturing are doing to bring in a new generation of talented engineers.

The Dyson School of Design Engineering

This school from the Imperial College London is making dents in the skills gap by always looking to improve its course and services. This should encourage prospective pupils to take their course and follow a fulfilling career in the engineering sector. The Dyson School invests in providing better facilities and constantly striving to improve its curriculum to ensure that students will receive not only a good education, but a useful one. The founder, James Dyson, stated that:

‘our esteemed institutions are churning out many graduates with impractical degrees’.

This was said in relation to the fact that many of the children currently entering primary schools will be working in roles and jobs that we can scarcely imagine now. Engineers working on solar-powered cars, or farmers with chemistry degrees perfecting automated farms functioning on hydroponic systems – these are just the tip of the iceberg.

The Dyson School doesn’t just teach Masters and PhD courses, their curriculums also give students the knowledge they need to succeed in the real world by teaching them about commercial strategies too. This means that their talented engineers are less likely to disappear under the radar once they graduate.

What will surprise some readers is that the school is only in its fourth year of teaching, but perhaps their fresh outlook is precisely what the engineering education sector needs at this moment in time. They receive sponsorship from major players in the world of engineering, such as NASA, CERN, and even the NHS, which helps the school to continue to improve and develop its premises, as well as its students.

Some projects that the students of The Dyson School have been tackling include improving solar-powered electric racing cars, quad-rotor drones and helium balloon spaceflight systems. In other words, those who study at The Dyson School will be working on solving problems and issues that will be present in the future, making their ideas and work extremely relevant. In contrast to many institutions, their courses are more than just academic – they are practical too.

For an industry that thrives on innovation, we must ask ourselves why we are one of the sectors with the greatest resistance to change. On average, only 12.9% of the people applying to engineering courses are women, but The Dyson School of Design Engineering prides itself on an almost even split of 48% female students. This teaches the engineering industry that change is possible, and it is happening now.

One aspect that other universities and schools would currently struggle to replicate is The Dyson School’s dedication to providing its students with a debt-free experience. Students at the school are picked from the brightest and best and are subsequently awarded free tuition upon entry to the university.

European Springs & Pressings

The Dyson School of Design Engineering isn’t the only area of manufacturing that is working hard to provide a better learning experience for budding engineers. We are spring manufacturers who have always been concerned with the future of our industry and have been writing articles for years about what we can do to improve:

Advice on Securing Your Dream Job in Engineering

The Importance of National Apprenticeship Week

Is the Future of Engineering in Masterships?

How to Inspire Future Generations of Engineers?

We firmly believe that the future of manufacturing could be bright if we put the effort into fixing the skills gap now. We think that more schools like The Dyson School of Design Engineering would make the difference, alongside more teaching in schools that apprenticeships are not necessarily less respected than a university degree, and that careers such as our own could be more beneficial than the debt they will incur at university.

There are plenty of companies already supporting the next generation by providing apprenticeships. Firms such as British Gas, E.ON, Rolls Royce, Virgin Media and the Royal Navy are just a few of the possible places where the youth of the today can develop their skills and improve their CVs. Will your corporation be the next to join this list of forward-thinking engineers?

One of the latest pushes in manufacturing and engineering across the world is to develop products that are increasingly eco-friendly. Cars are one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gasses on our planet, so making the switch to electric is a massive feat of modern engineering that might genuinely change our world for the better.

In this article, we will consider the many benefits of swapping to electric, as well as how these vehicles function and some of the key thinkers behind its propulsion.

The Benefits of Going Electric

Fueling a pure electric car could cost a third of the price of traditional petrol and diesel tanks. Buying an electric vehicle (EV) is economical, but many people are still resistant to the idea of investing in one. It’s easy to understand why the public might be reluctant to make the switch currently, but hopefully, as EVs become more popular, these challenges will be easier to overcome.

For example, one of the big worries that prospective owners of electric vehicles face is the lack of electric charging points. For those who live in rural areas, the feasibility of owning an EV doesn’t make sense if there will be nowhere to charge it.

Similarly, a lot of people own cars for the sense of freedom that they afford. An EV, on the other hand, doesn’t currently offer the same sense of security. The fear of running out of charge whilst driving an electric vehicle is a real one, and it even has a name – range anxiety – but in real life situations, there are few differences to breaking down in a petrol or diesel car.

In the event that your electric car ran out of charge, you would simply be required to phone your breakdown provider and be towed to the nearest charge point. You may need to specify that your breakdown provider brings a flat-bed tow truck because a rope or lift-tow could damage an EV.

Currently, there are as many as 16,500 connectors in the UK, and the aim is to raise this to 100,000 by 2020. Currently, ASDA is one of the best stores to charge your car at with chargers featuring at 19% of their stores, but these figures need to increase before our country can make a wholehearted change to electric.

The Importance of Going Electric

Going electric is not just about the cheaper costs of fuel, maintenance, and current discounts for early buyers. It’s about saving the environment by using cars with far lower greenhouse gas emissions – EVs don’t even have exhaust pipes because they don’t generate the same nasty fuels. In fact, driving an EV could reduce your carbon emissions from driving by more than 66% in the UK. It is forecast that by 2040, more than half of all new car sales globally will be EVs, meaning that the UK is going to have to work on raising those 80,000 plus charging points.

How Electric Vehicles Work

Electric cars are much easier to understand than petrol or diesel engines. While a fossil-fuel powered vehicle needs all kinds of extra bits and pieces to keep the temperature of different parts of the vehicle in check, plus the exhaust pipe to chivvy the fumes out of the vehicle, an electric vehicle simply requires the electrical battery and a place to be charged. This could make the maintenance of electrical vehicles much cheaper in the future as fixing them will be far simpler.

Key Developers

Elon Musk is often the name that comes up during discussions about electric cars. As the head of Tesla, he’s had a lot to say about the limitations of fossil fuels that our society is currently facing. For the name of the first electric car inventor, though, you can look back as far as 1837 to the Scottish inventor, Robert Anderson, however, this car’s battery was not rechargeable and therefore not nearly as economical as the systems we can see today.

Electric car development has come a long way, quite literally – Tesla’s electric Roadster has even been launched into space, and you can watch a live stream of it from the video below:

Electrical cars are undoubtedly the future of travel – with fossil fuels continuing to decline, it is unlikely that we will have many options other than to adopt the electric car. Manufacturers of EVs still face many challenges before they can convince the public to pick up their product, but we’re confident that they can solve it. EVs decked out with solar panels to promote longer-lasting charges is just one solution that is currently being explored by engineers in this sector.

The fate of our future lies in our ability to overcome problems to provide cleaner, better and more efficient ways of living life. Luckily, innovation is at the heart of all things manufacturing, and as spring manufacturers we will continue to work on developing our springs to provide you with the best products available on the market today.

When you see the huge exterior of an aircraft, it’s easy to overlook the fact that hundreds of thousands of tiny parts make up this incredible feat of engineering. One key component you will probably not even consider whilst cruising at 38,000 feet is a mechanism that aircraft simply couldn’t operate without: the humble spring.

In this article, we will take a look at how springs are used in aircraft around the world and discuss some of the reasons why springs are the perfect component in the aerospace industry.

Why Are Springs Perfect for Aircrafts?

One of the main reasons that springs are a perfect fit for aircraft is their ability to withstand a huge amount of pressure. Resisting pressure is a key attribute of the vast majority of springs, and thanks to their durable nature, they are an ideal component to be included in any aircraft. Planes require extremely durable, and reliable parts which require very little maintenance or intervention; springs are the perfect answer to all of these requirements.

Of course, it’s absolutely vital that all parts are provided by a reliable and high-quality spring manufacturer, as this will help to ensure the longevity of any spring or wire form that is created for the aerospace industry. Any spring or wire form component which is used in an aircraft must be manufactured with extreme care and precision to ensure that the part is able to work in tandem with other components.

It’s also worth noting that, because there is plenty of scope to manufacture a spring to pretty much any requirement, this makes them an attractive component when putting together any new, innovative design ideas. A huge variety of springs such as torsion springs, tension springs and die springs are manufactured for a whole host of industries, meaning that manufacturers are able to cater to requests for minute springs, right through to long wire forms.

Complying with extremely specific industry standards is of paramount importance, as one slight mistake can result in a catastrophic accident. The springs’ ability to operate at a normal capacity, whilst withstanding the harsh conditions they will be subjected to on a daily basis must be guaranteed before installation. All components that are due to be used in aeronautics undergo rigorous testing before being fully installed into an aircraft that will carry passengers.

Where Are Springs Used in Aircrafts?

To save you from scouring the aircraft in search of springs the next time you are flying, here’s a list of some of the most common places you’ll find springs on a plane:

Seat Backs – The most commonly used spring in seatbacks on commercial airliners is the literature spring.
Overhead Lockers – Without springs, overhead lockers would be quite dangerous. When you release the hook to open the locker, you’ll notice that the locker door releases at a slow speed; this is due to the clips and springs manufactured by companies like European Springs Ireland.
Onboard Ovens – To withstand the extreme pressure of being 38,000 feet in the air, and being subject to high temperatures, spring brackets and spring clips used in aircraft ovens are made from high spec materials such as 17/7PH stainless steel and 316S42.
Aircraft Doors – As one of the most important safety features on board any commercial airline, any materials which are included in this particular part of the aircraft need to be manufactured to the very highest quality possible.

With the commercial airline industry constantly striving to ensure their service is meeting customer demand, we can expect to see huge changes to the way in which we travel in the coming years. It will be interesting to see how springs play a role in the development of the aerospace industry, and the team here at European Springs Ireland will be sure to keep up-to-date with any developments within the industry.

The new year is well and truly underway and those all-important resolutions you made have probably been broken and completely forgotten about. Whilst it can be difficult to find motivation for personal resolutions, you should find it considerably easier to try and stick to any resolutions you made for your business. If you haven’t already come up with some resolutions for your manufacturing business, it’s still not too late to get the ball rolling.

In this article, we will discuss some of the resolutions you should consider making this year to have a genuine impact on the manufacturing industry.

Focus on Productivity

In recent years, a lot has been made about the drop in productivity across the manufacturing industry. As one of your top resolutions for 2019, you should strongly consider placing plenty of emphasis on ensuring your staff are working as productively as possible. You can do your bit to close the gap on the declining productivity of the manufacturing industry by utilising a few simple steps.

A good starting place when trying to identify areas of your business which may be unproductive is to see if there are any bottlenecks in your current process. One way to quickly identify any issues with your current process is by investing in good manufacturing management software. These programs make it extremely easy to spot any problematic areas of your business, so you can act quickly and solve any issues.

You can, of course, take the time to audit each section of your business yourself, without any help from software. This can be a time-consuming process, so be sure to set achievable goals throughout the year to ensure you are keeping on track and making progress towards achieving greater productivity within your business.

Fill the Manufacturing Skills Gap

It’s no secret that there is a huge skills shortage in the manufacturing industry, and if steps are not taken to address this, we could be faced with a genuine industry-wide crisis within the next few years. It’s absolutely vital that businesses across the UK take the time to think about ways in which they could help to fill the manufacturing skills gap. However, there are several ways that even the smallest manufacturing companies can have a profound effect on the future of the industry.

You could play your part in ensuring that skilled manufacturing jobs are filled by running an apprenticeship scheme in your business. Not only would you be playing a vital role in training the next generation of manufacturing minds, but you would also have some extra help within your business on a relatively low wage. It’s also worth considering that once the apprentices finish their course, they’ll probably be looking for full-time employment with you, so you’ll be benefiting from some guaranteed highly skilled workers in a few years’ time.

Another fantastic way of filling the manufacturing skills gap is simply allowing your employees time to train in other areas of your business which they may be interested in. Training your existing staff in roles they haven’t previously undertaken can potentially unearth a member of staff who excels in another area of your business. It’s absolutely vital that you allow your staff to upskill, through collaborative working and by funding internal and external training courses, which is, of course, beneficial to the individual and your business in the long run.

Manage Your Staff More Effectively

Our final suggestion for a resolution you should stick to as a manufacturing business owner is to manage your staff more effectively. Staff are the lifeblood of any company and without them, your business will come to a grinding halt, so it’s of paramount importance that you do everything you can to keep them as happy as possible.

Here are a few simple steps you could take to ensure you are managing your staff as effectively as possible:

Provide Incentives for Good Work – This doesn’t need to be anything too expensive or elaborate. Something as simple as an employee of the month award, or regular praise for staff members who are consistently providing work of a high standard.
Hold Regular Development Meetings – Taking a genuine interest in your employees’ future aspirations is a fantastic way to ensure they feel valued at your company. Allowing employees to make a personal development plan and enabling your staff to carry out regular training as they work towards this is a great way to boost staff morale.
Allow Staff to Make Mistakes – This may sound counterproductive, but allowing your staff to make mistakes and learn from them is a fantastic management technique. Rather than micromanaging every aspect of an employee’s work, allowing them free reign can have massive benefits, from increased morale to finding new and better ways to carry out existing processes.

As expert spring manufacturers, we take great pride in ensuring that we are consistently doing everything we can to improve our processes and operations each year. Here at European Springs Ireland, we will be keeping to all of the resolutions we made, and we hope that you will too.

Innovation and research have long been among Britain’s most valued areas of expertise, and there is a good reason for this. Globally, British innovation has led the way in producing some of the most up-to-date machinery and digital innovation across a range of sectors in years gone by. However, our creativity and innovation have waned somewhat over the past few years, due to Britain’s uncertain economic future post-Brexit.

In this article, we take a look at just how important innovation and research are to the British economy and how Brexit may affect the UK’s ability to be a global powerhouse in these areas in the coming years.

How Brexit Will Affect UK Innovation

In 2017, the UK dropped from being one of the top three most innovative countries in the world to fifth, according to the Global Innovation Index. While the UK’s reputation for innovation and research remains mainly intact on a global scale, things could become significantly more difficult in 2019, with Brexit looming.

With the future of the UK’s relationship with the European Union still relatively uncertain, Britain’s ability to continually push new innovative machinery and digital processes will be put under immense pressure. The UK will also rely heavily on their ability to consistently innovate in order to ensure they remain competitive throughout the coming years.

There’s no denying that UK-based businesses will need to make the absolute most out of their reputation for creative innovation within manufacturing and engineering in order to compete with foreign markets.

To combat any negative effect Brexit may have on the UK’s ability to continually innovate and thrive, the government announced an increased investment in research and development to 2.4% of gross domestic product between 2018 and 2028. The investment from the government further highlights just how important innovation and research is for both businesses and universities in the UK; it also underscores the importance of innovation in helping the UK to compete on a global stage and will help to drive the economic growth of the country for years to come.

Innovation in Manufacturing

Innovation in manufacturing and engineering has led to a number of significant breakthroughs in efficiency and productivity across several industry sectors. In the 21^st century, heavy emphasis has been placed on developing computer-based technologies like IoT and AI, rather than traditional innovation in creating new pieces of machinery.

The UK boasts a whole host of technical skills and knowledge when it comes to manufacturing, along with a vast history of innovation. The UK’s adeptness at continuing to innovate derives from harnessing employees’ technical abilities and having the capability of developing lasting and meaningful partnerships for research and development purposes. Over the years, this has led to UK-based manufacturing companies holding an improved position within the market, thanks to their ability to offer consumers new products. This in turn has helped drive demand both in the UK and globally to ensure export growth.

With manufacturing playing such a key role in the UK’s economy, it’s no surprise that the industry has remained one of the most innovative in the UK.

As spring manufacturers, the team here at European Springs Ireland understand the importance of constantly looking for innovative ways to ensure our processes are the best they can be. British innovation and research will continue to thrive in years to come – and with a 2017 survey from Barclays Brand Britain suggesting that the demand for British-made goods had increased by 36% in the past 5 years, now really is the time to push innovation and research techniques that can help our industry to continually meet a growing demand for products.

As a new year approaches, we would like to wish each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas and a happy New Year! With the festive season well and truly upon us, now is probably a good time to look back on 2018.

This year has seen us embarking on new projects and continuing to help make new innovations a reality with the latest technology. We’ve also been continuously updating our blog with news from the engineering sector, which we hope has been interesting and informative for you. As spring manufacturers, it’s vitally important to us to keep our finger on the pulse of the manufacturing industry both in the UK and abroad.

We have even more fantastic content and updates planned for 2019, so make sure that you keep checking back throughout the New Year to keep up-to-date with the industry and learn all about some of the most fascinating news from Ireland and around the world.

Rounding Up 2018 With European Springs Ireland

Here’s a recap of some of the biggest engineering stories of 2018:

Although UK manufacturing has faltered somewhat this year due to the uncertainty surrounding Brexit, September saw a stronger growth within the industry than previously forecast, thanks to rebuilding inventories, efforts to clear backlogs of work and inflows of new business into UK manufacturing. This is very welcome news after the trials and tribulations that Brexit has brought with it thus far. We are confident that the industry will continue to prosper into 2019.
Industry 4.0 continues to grow in leaps and bounds, spreading throughout all sectors of the manufacturing industry, as productivity and efficiency continue to increase. This trend and its impact are only expected to accelerate in 2019, so stay tuned for more news!
China’s 55km Mega-Bridge was officially opened in October of this year, marked one of the most incredible feats in engineering in 2018. Spanning an incredible 55 Kilometres, it is the world’s longest sea-crossing bridge, connecting Hong Kong with mainland China.

Whatever your plans are for the year ahead, whether you’re looking to embark on a career in engineering or have an invention that needs springs to become a reality, make sure you keep an eye on our blog to see what news and updates we will be serving up for another 12 months.

We hope that you all have a wonderful Christmas and New Year!

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Author: European Springs Web Team