Category: Engineering

At European Springs & Pressings, we have found that the automotive industry is one of the sectors where our products have the widest application. Custom springs are used frequently for building new cars, in everything from disk brakes to suspension and even in your steering wheel.

Continuing our ‘springs in industry’ series, we’d like to look at how springs and pressings are used in the automotive sector, particularly in Formula 1 cars.

Racing Cars 

Springs and pressings are one of the most important components in racing cars. Each Formula 1 car is carefully crafted to give each vehicle optimal performance. In fact, it is estimated that an F1 car consists of 16,000 parts, of which only 10 percent are carried over year on year (Formula1.com).

The build of the race car spring takes into account the speed, cornering ability, grip and downforce. All of these elements are aided and improved by experienced engineering, incredible technology and high-quality components.

Disk Brakes 

You wouldn’t necessarily associate F1 driving with braking, but disk brakes are implemented to stop the cars safely when travelling at high speeds. 

Almost every car currently in production, including commercial vehicles, uses disc brakes, and they have proven to be more effective than traditional ‘drum’ style brakes. 

In F1 cars, disc brakes are fitted with rotating discs that are attached to the wheels and then squeezed between the brake pads — this creates a force that helps to slow the car down or bring it to a complete stop.

Pull-rod and Push-rod Front Suspension

Pull-rods were first brought into F1 in the 70s running from the outer end of the upper wishbones diagonally to the lower edge of the chassis. They pull on a rocker that operates the damper spring, alleviating any harsh impacts or uneven surfaces the course may entail.

This suspension system ensures a strong mechanical grip as the pull-rods make the car’s nose lower, thus lowering the height of the centre of gravity and improving handling.

Most F1 cars now use push-rods as they are easier to install and fit nicely under the vehicle’s low nose. The push-rods flex with the wheels as they encounter any bumps, providing better aerodynamics for a more streamlined race.

The latter is more widely used by teams competing in Formula 1 today due to the vast difference in fitting; push-rods are a lot easier to install.

For both suspension methods, the spring is essential due to the absorption of shock. Energy is transferred with the help of a sound suspension system and can significantly impact the team, regardless of driver skill.

Springs in Suspension 

Torsion bars, leaf, coil and air springs are among the different types of springs used in cars.

Most modern vehicles are fitted with standard coil springs made of steel. High-quality suspension systems are created by a strong spring absorbing the shock forces while driving on uneven roads. 

To see our full range of springs used in various industries, please check out our brochure now.

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With over 70 years of experience as a spring manufacturer, we have the expertise and machinery to create a whole host of springs perfect for any application within any industry. 

If you would like any more information about any of our products or services, please contact our friendly team here at European Springs.

The first steps to ease lockdown restrictions have begun in England, with all restrictions forecast for removal by 21st June 2021.

The UK Government’s four stage roadmap to re-open the economy relies on a series of ‘tests’ for easing restrictions, such as the vaccine rollout and lower infection rates. You can view the full COVID-19 recovery strategy here. 

At European Springs & Pressings, we’ve continued to work at close to full capacity despite the challenges presented by Covid-19. We’ve worked hard to invest in the right areas of our business and now that we can see the light at the end of the tunnel, we want to discuss the impact of the pandemic on the manufacturing industry as a whole.

What Does the Roadmap Mean for Manufacturing? 

As a result of the pandemic, many factories worked reduced hours or were forced to close, which has caused unprecedented disruption to supply chains all over the world.

The Office for Budget Responsibility predicted that manufacturing, construction, retail, travel, food industries and education would experience the biggest losses. Though we now know that both sanitary and social distancing restrictions have also disrupted the services sector, which is likely to have a lasting effect. This means that the UK has become more reliant on manufacturers to lead the recovery.

We believe the main steps for recovery and moving forward are:

• A safe return to work for all employees
• Establishing future-facing practices and policies 
• Realising opportunities, such as new technologies and equipment

The Importance of Returning to Work Safely

Safety within manufacturing is a concern for all employees on their return to work and for reopening production. To return to work safely, it’s important to consider guidance, firstly from the Health and Safety Executive on operating safely, as well as providing the correct PPE and implementing practical solutions to transportation, childcare and flexible working for employees.

We must support and strengthen our manufacturing base with the intention of helping employment, whilst also ensuring that the UK can start to level up. In turn, this will warrant higher levels of reissuance and domestic capability.

Building Resilience in Post-Covid19 Manufacturing 

The vulnerability of supply chains has been highlighted as a result of the on-going pandemic. We’ve seen the consequences of an underinvested manufacturing base with limited domestic capacity to produce critical products.

To move forward, it’s important to build for the future. Companies can respond to the crisis by creating mapping projects to better understand our supply chain vulnerabilities. These can include logistics and transportation, allowing your company to build resilience.

How to Improve on Economic Confidence

The effects of the pandemic have changed the manufacturing industry, including how we work and the machinery we’re working with. Adopting new technologies to counter the Covid-19 crisis should coincide with the upskilling for existing employees to use new technologies.

In our January blog, we looked at ‘The Key To Combating Pandemic Effects On Manufacturing’ and two months on, we’re still optimistic about a boom in manufacturing thanks to continued investment in the right technologies.

Make UK, The Manufacturers’ Organisation produced a report in May 2020 outlining the importance of investment in technologies. If you want to find out more then take a look at their report, Manufacturing our road to recovery – the 3 point plan.

In this report, Make UK proposes that the manufacturing industry should introduce an enhanced tax incentive to encourage automation, digitisation and export growth. This incentive could help UK firms to grow their exports once the global economy returns to a ‘new normal’.

It’s never too late to invest in automation technology. By implementing a more robust and automated element to your business, you can reduce the time spent on tasks, save money, and improve your overall safeguarding strategy.

If you’d like to find out more about the ongoing digital transformation in manufacturing then check out our blog on what the future of manufacturing looks like. 

What’s Coming up in 2021 for European Springs?

Here at European Springs & Pressings, we’re continuing our focus on stability, recovery and growth. We have invested heavily over the past two years in machinery, upskilling our employees and technology which means we are positive about bouncing back from the effects of Coronavirus.

Our team looks forward to welcoming leaders from around the globe at this year’s G7 summit, which will be held in Cornwall in June 2021.

Keep up to date with our blog page and be the first to see the latest information on the manufacturing industry, as well as expert sector insights.

For over 70 years, European Springs and Pressings have achieved and maintained the highest levels of technical expertise and innovative solutions in bespoke pressings.

Due to our expertise and experience in the spring manufacturing industry, we are an established member of The Institute of Spring Technology and the Institute of Sheet Metal Engineering, supporting our registration with BSI to ISO9001 and to ISO14001 and our commitment to sustainability.

We operate from three locations across England, with manufacturing facilities in London and Cornwall and a stocking facility in Northampton, which supplies our standard stock and gas springs.

We’re passionate about designing, developing and manufacturing quality products, which is why we’ve continued to create new solutions to meet our customers’ specific custom requirements. Our team of experts are on-hand with 24-hour support to ensure the highest levels of satisfaction for all of our clients.

What Makes Us Stand Out?

We believe our versatility across a number of industries sets us apart from other spring manufacturers. We’re proud to create bespoke pressings across many sectors, including electrical, automotive, agricultural, defence, medical and telecom industries.

We’re involved from the initial drawing board stage, which makes it easier for us to guide our customers towards choices of quality materials to optimise functionality of the production process and deliver cost-efficient and high-quality results.

Our drive to consistently develop our products and services based on our customers’ needs means that we can improve and expand on our range of springs, pressings and other wire forms. We take the time to listen and work with our customers to develop new products and best advise on how to meet their requirements.

As a part of the Lesjöfors Group, we have the ability to manufacture and distribute all forms of springs, pressings, stampings and wire forms across the world. Lesjöfors have manufacturing and sales offices across Europe, Korea, China, Thailand, Singapore, Mexico and the US. Thanks to our parent company’s international connections and our production of more than 3,000,000 components per hour, we can comfortably meet large and small orders.

Technology, Machinery and Innovative Solutions

We provide excellent solutions for pressings, wire forms and stampings. Our capability to manufacture a whole host of products, both for single and bulk orders, means we can offer the perfect solution no matter how big or small your project is.

European Springs have the capacity to make wire forms of the highest quality by using the latest CNC automated spring coilers and wire forming equipment in the industry. We cater for generic wire forms orders as well as bespoke pieces. When fulfilling smaller orders, we often manually produce our wire forms, but for larger orders, our highly-advanced machinery makes them automatically.

For large orders of pressings and stampings, we utilise the Bruderer, Mabu Zani and SMV which are among some of the most advanced pieces of equipment in the industry. We have the capacity to deal with orders of tens of millions of components thanks to the high-speed equipment we use. For smaller production runs we use Baltec and Hare Single Stroke presses, which gives us versatility in production, making us the first and only stop for our customers.

We plan on continuing to invest in upskilling our experienced engineers, while also focusing on installing the very best and latest technology — allocating 10% of turnover to investment in a new plant.

One of the UK’s Most Experienced Supplier of Springs

Using automated machinery at our manufacturing plants, coupled with the hard work of our experienced design team means that we can offer a whole range of custom products and services, including bespoke pressings and bespoke stampings.

The majority of our bespoke pressings and stampings are produced from metal strip, carbon and stainless steels; copper, brass, phosphor bronze, beryllium copper, aluminium and super alloy.

Our high-speed presses of up to 130 Tones support volume component production, making us one of the leading UK manufacturers of bespoke spring pressings. We also have a dozen state of the art Wafios wire-forming machines which support our wire form production. This level of productivity allows us to host over 12,000 items in our stock catalogue at extremely competitive prices.

So, whether you’re looking for one-off prototyping and design support or need to stamp high volume parts, we can offer a full service including tool making, finishing, assembly and testing.

Our range of springs and services include compression springs, gas springs, torsion springs and tension springs, as well as on-site powder coating, shot peening, barrel rumbling and polishing.

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We’re dedicated to offering the highest level of service for unbeatable prices and with a planned expansion on our current operations, the future for European Springs and Pressings looks bright.

Take a look at our stock catalogue for more information on our range of springs and forms. Alternatively, get in touch with us directly at info.bec@oldeuropeansprings.sqsite.co.uk, we’d love to hear from you.

As experienced spring manufacturers and suppliers, it’s important for us to keep a close eye on how the engineering industry is evolving. 

Over the last ten years, there have been many changes in the engineering sector, including the introduction of new technologies. This transformation has led to young people being concerned about a career within engineering, unaware of what skills, experience, or knowledge they need on new processes and equipment in the industry.

In this blog, we’ll take a look into the skills gap that young people may face in 2021, as well as what the future of this ever-evolving sector might look like.

Studies Into Engineering Jobs of The Future

The World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Future of Jobs Report 2020 suggests that jobs associated with engineering, cloud computing, data and AI will be the most in-demand jobs of the future. The report also highlights the opportunity for development in current roles, meaning that the industry should focus on the demand for these ‘future’ skills and expertise.

A look at some key stats from the report: 

• 43% of businesses surveyed indicate that they are set to reduce their workforce due to technology integration
• 41% plan to expand their use of contractors for task-specialized work
• 34% plan to expand their workforce due to technology integration

The WEF report’s key findings highlighted that automation, in tandem with the COVID-19 recession, creates a ‘double-disruption’ scenario for workers. In addition to the current disruption from national lockdowns and economic contraction, companies’ technological adoption is forecast to transform tasks, jobs and skills by 2025. 

In the last five years especially, the recurring question, “will a robot take my job?” is starting to become a reality in some cases. However, it’s important to consider upskilling employees to work with these new technologies. By doing this sooner rather than later, you can start to strengthen and multi-skill your workforce for the future. 

In 2019, we wrote a blog on Engineering Jobs of the Future focusing on the 2019 study conducted by BAE Systems. The study drew attention to some of the issues young people face regarding future-proofing their careers, with just 18% of respondents feeling they have the skills required to ensure longevity within their job.

BAE Systems also found in 2019 that 47% of young people aged between 16-24 believe that they will one day work in a role that doesn’t yet exist. Two years since the study took place, we can already see the impact of emerging technologies like AI, robotics and VR on jobs within engineering and further afield.

The Future of Jobs and Reducing the Skills Gap 

Engineering jobs will inevitably start to demand more knowledge and experience of VR, AI and robotics, and because of this, skills gaps will always be present.

The Future of Jobs report (2020) noted that employers see skill groups as rising in prominence in the lead up to 2025, including critical thinking, analysis, problem-solving, and skills in self-management — such as active learning and resilience, stress tolerance and flexibility. 

The report suggests that, on average, companies estimate that around 40% of workers will require reskilling of six months or less, and 94% of business leaders report that they expect employees to pick up new skills on the job, a sharp uptake from 65% in 2018.

Online learning and courses are a great way to engage young people, and apprenticeships also offer invaluable experience by introducing training, new skills and technical knowledge to your company.

Investing in Skilled People and New Technologies

Here at European Springs, we’ve already implemented automation into our process in a considerable way. By using the latest CNC automated spring coilers and wire forming equipment in the industry, we can create bespoke solutions for pressings, wire forms and stampings.

We take great pride in ensuring that we keep on top of the very latest technological advancements in the engineering sector, and so we continue our investment both in upskilling our dedicated engineers and installing the best equipment.

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With over 70 years of experience as one of the leading spring manufacturers in the UK, European Springs understand just how important it is to future proof our business. Our skillset includes being tension spring manufacturers, torsion spring manufacturers, and manufacturers of all types of other springs.

If you’d like to learn more about our investment in technology or even discuss the possibility of seeking our services, then please get in touch with our friendly team. We’d love to hear about your next project!

With Brexit already having an impact across all industries, many manufacturers have taken steps to move their production lines back to the UK, and many more are set to do so in the coming years.

The pandemic has highlighted the instability of producing goods abroad that cannot make it to UK shores in the event of a crisis. Brexit already looks set to make transporting goods from the rest of the EU more difficult and/or costly.

Here at European Springs & Pressings, we are proud to be a British-based manufacturer, as demonstrated by our official Made in Britain accreditation. Here’s a look at the Made in Britain organisation and what we can expect from the manufacturing industry over the next years.

What is Made in Britain?

Made in Britain is an organisation that brings the British manufacturing community together under one registered collective mark. This mark can only be used by members of Made in Britain that meet the criteria of being a British manufacturer. The mark helps consumers and buyers identify products that are made in Britain.

The Made in Britain mark is used by accredited businesses that sell goods that have been manufactured or undergone a final substantial change in Britain before going on sale. It is an internationally recognised trademark that helps to promote the very best in British manufacturing.

We are proud to be one of the thousands of manufacturers that are part of the Made in Britain organisation. The mark assures our customers that our products are British-made and that all of the labour that goes into the creation of our products is in Britain.

What are the Benefits of Reshoring?

The challenges brought by COVID19 and the concerns over Brexit has increased the importance of bolstering the UK manufacturing industry, ensuring that supply chains are ready for an uncertain future.

Manufacturers moved production to countries like China to produce their goods more competitively. Still, as the overseas price advantage dwindles, more focus is being put on local products, face-to-face personal contact, and quality assurance – and that is driving business back to the UK.

The recent crisis has illustrated how many companies struggled to get crucial components from existing supply chains when their offshore suppliers were unable to ship them out. It’s highlighted that UK manufacturers need to be more adaptable. Suppose the UK moves more towards domestic production. In that case, it will reduce the likelihood of shortages caused during a crisis, which will be necessary for the future resilience of the UK economy and the manufacturing industry.

Reshoring can also benefit delivery times, as businesses will not have to factor in waiting times for deliveries across the globe, which can be anything from a few weeks to months. Due to the small size of the UK, fast delivery times are almost guaranteed, and issues like returns can be resolved much more quickly.

Lower labour costs from offshoring was an attractive prospect to many businesses. Still, a British manufacturing survey conducted by Lloyds Bank found that 71% of companies intending to bring their operations back to the UK were doing so as they wanted to improve the quality of their goods. It’s a good indication of the high standards upheld by British manufacturers, and it has positive implications for the UK manufacturing industry and supply chains.

Reshoring can improve a company’s ability to be flexible, due to there being less order quantity limitations. There’s also more scope to develop a relationship with local suppliers, which is easier to do from the UK than with a seller overseas. Reshoring manufacturing can improve the UK economy, the job market and the overall quality of products produced.

Is Reshoring Happening Right Now?

The pandemic has highlighted just how reliant UK manufacturers are on overseas supplies, so re-establishing UK production is more critical than ever.

The Lloyds Bank survey showed that 37% of UK manufacturing firms said that they were planning to move manufacturing operations back to the UK that had previously been offshored. More and more manufacturers are joining Reshoring UK, a collaboration of industrial engineering associations that assist manufacturers with connecting to suppliers in the UK to help them transition their business operations back to British shores.

Industrial hardware specialist Albert Jagger re-shored to the UK after conducting a risk assessment of their supply chain and evaluating the financials of the process. They found that once they factored in shipping, handling and the environmental impact, the overall terms were better for the customer, and the outgoing costs would be cheaper for them. They invested in the equipment needed to manufacture in the UK and reskilled their workforce. The benefits for them moving operations back to the UK was that they could take complete control of their products from start to finish; they expect a significant increase in the number of units they produce each year and they saw a substantial rise in sales.

We can expect more manufacturers to make similar changes over the years as the instability of the pandemic and Brexit causes people to think more about the future.

Here at European Springs & Pressings, we are expert spring manufacturers offering a bespoke spring and pressing design service that is manufactured in our factories in Cornwall and Kent. Contact us today to find out why we are the largest manufacturer of springs in the UK and discover what we can do for you.