Category: Engineering

The 21st century has seen some incredible advancements within the manufacturing industry. We have witnessed new technology take centre stage over the last 19 years – from 3D printing to industry 4.0 –, and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down any time soon!

In this article, we will highlight some of the most significant changes, advancements and achievements in the manufacturing industry, looking at what makes these so crucial to the industry.

What is Industry 4.0?

With the recent technological advancements within the sector, the manufacturing industry has made great strides in past couples of years. With Industry 4.0 being an up and coming part of the manufacturing industry, we take a closer look at precisely what it is and why it is so vital in developing the sector in the near future.

Industry 4.0 is the 4^th generation of industrial revolutions. Ever since 1780, when the first industrial revolution started with the introduction of machines powered by water and steam, manufacturing has always been the cornerstone of modern technology. With the introduction of mainstream electricity in the 1880s, the manufacturing industry had its second industrial revolution with machines now being powered by electricity instead of water and steam. This meant that the speed of the production was greatly improved and could return businesses a higher profit than ever before. The 3^rd generation revolution happened in the 1970s with the introduction of automated machines. With machines doing a lot of the manufacturing work, humans were still needed to maintain as well as collect data.

The 4^th generation revolution has taken great strides from the 3^rd by creating a process that is connected from start to finish. This is done by all machines being connected to the internet to generate and read the machines data to work together. This gives humans a way to analyse the machines remotely and can create an easy and efficient system throughout the entire workforce. With all devices connected, they can communicate as well as learn from each other to create a more efficient process which eliminates any gaps in production times.

With an increasing reliance on machines, there will be high demand for mechanics capable of fixing any problems that occur, as well as an increase in the need for employees capable of analysing data to ensure the data that’s been taken by the machines is accurate and suitable for the manufacturing process.

3D Printing

3D Printing as a concept has been around since the 1980s when Charles Hull invented a machine called a stereolithograph, which allowed the creation of 3D models by printing the material layer by layer to create the final product. With early machines being expensive prototypes, the technology wasn’t easily accessible until the late 2000’s where the software to create the digital designs was made commercially available with the release of open source designs. With demand for 3D printing in many different industries, the price of the technology decreased significantly, making it available to businesses around the globe.

In the manufacturing industry, the importance of 3D printers cannot be understated, as it can be used to create unique one-off prototypes, as well as designs that might not be possible to create using any other method.

There are many different types of 3D printers; however, the two main types are FDM and SLA printers. FDM printers use a nozzle to dispense the material on to a board and layer the material on top of each other to create the 3D dimensions designed in the chosen software. As the equipment has been around for a while, these types of printers are widely accessible and can be purchased for as little as £300 with materials costing around £20. As FDM printers dispense the material layer by layer, SLA printers use resin and UV light to create very thin layers to create the final design. SLA printers give a more accurate print as it is working with lasers instead of just a nozzle on a crane.

Future Development

At European Springs and Pressings, we take great pride in keeping up with the very latest advancements in the industry. Just last year we invested in a brand new €1 Million spring coiling machine, which is the first of its kind in the UK. With the introduction of the Wafios FUL 166, we are sure to remain at the forefront of our industry as bespoke custom spring manufacturers.

Michael Gibbs, Managing Director at European Springs & Pressings in Cornwall, said: “Investing in this quality of machinery is testament to our dedication of being a world-class spring manufacturer. Lesjofors, our parent company, is committed to investing in the UK and has consistently recognised the forward-thinking nature of our management and the unrivalled quality of our production and lean manufacturing processes.”

As well as the Wafios FUL 166 European Springs and Pressings have invested in FactoryWiz Live, which monitors data throughout the factory and streams the live data onto screens for workers to analysis and observe.

With technological advancements occurring every day who knows what the next major change for the manufacturing industry will be. We look forward to seeing what the future has in store when it comes to manufacturing advancements and will keep you updated with the very latest news via our blog.

The Internet of Things (IoT) and smart manufacturing hold a significant amount of power when it comes to influencing how the manufacturing industry develops in the coming years. It could even be argued that these two powerhouses hold the key to the next industrial revolution, with Industry 4.0 predominantly being driven by both IoT and smart manufacturing.

In this article, we will take a deeper look into how smart manufacturing and IoT could well be driving the next industrial revolution across the globe, the challenges faced by the technology.

Rapid Growth in IoT and Smart Manufacturing

Industry research carried out by Grand View Research suggests that IoT and smart manufacturing will drive growth in the manufacturing sector over the coming years. The research shows that the manufacturing sector will triple in size between now and 2025, with IoT and smart manufacturing investment expected to reach over $395 billion.

Compare this with the $172 billion spent on IoT and smart manufacturing in 2016 and you can begin to see that there is a genuine belief from manufacturing firms around the world that IoT and smart manufacturing will revolutionise the way in which the sector operates for the better.

The globe’s largest manufacturing countries have already been seen to back IoT and smart manufacturing initiatives, with the likes of the US, Europe and China all heavily investing in their respective manufacturing processes.

How IoT Technology Can Succeed

IoT technologies have already been successfully used to improve the return on investment and productivity in businesses throughout the UK. This is mainly down to IoT’s focus on streamlining processes and ensuring any inefficiencies are identified and rectified.

It’s fair to say that collaboration between system integrators and trusted manufacturing automation businesses holds the key to how successful IoT technologies can be in the future. The specific requirements of your IoT technology will be completely dependent on your particular business, so steps must be taken to help smaller businesses tailor an IoT package which is suitable for their needs. The type of service provided will very much depend on the existing IT systems in place within a business, as IoT can be connected via a wide variety of technologies, such as WiFi and range radio, as well as LPWAN technologies.

Cyber Security Fears for IoT and Smart Manufacturing

The biggest issue IoT and smart manufacturing currently face is cyber-attacks. With internet security being a huge issue across the world, but predominantly in the UK, IoT must face cybersecurity issues head on and address them as soon as possible. The vast majority of manufacturing businesses are long standing companies, who were founded well before the internet revolution. This obviously means that many traditional facilities used by manufacturing companies were not developed to withstand any form of cyber-attacks.

With little-to-no security against hackers, cyber-attacks on manufacturing firms are common within the manufacturing industry, with some businesses having significant sums of money taken and others having substantial operational downtime.

If IoT technologies are to succeed in manufacturing firms around the world, more must be done to ensure robust protection is installed into facilities prior to the technology being implemented. This is especially prevalent when businesses begin migrating existing data to IoT technologies, as serious security risks are presented during this stage. Without genuine measures to protect information from hackers, IoT technologies could well present more issues than they solve at present.

Here at European Springs & Pressings, we know just how important industry 4.0 is to the future of manufacturing, that’s why we place such emphasis on ensuring that we invest in the latest technology to enhance our existing processes. As expert spring manufacturers, our goal is to ensure we continually improve our service offering to guarantee our customers receive the best bespoke pressings and bespoke stampings available on the market today.

We encounter springs every day, sometimes without even knowing it. Because of this, you may not have noticed that they are a vital factor in trains and their functionality. The hydraulics system makes the trains run the way they do, and, without them, the smooth and comfortable ride wouldn’t be as we experience today. All of the weight of the train is sustained by a hydraulic system, making the movement almost slide with insignificant friction and abrasion.

We have come a long way in engineering terms in the rail industry, from steam trains to spring-reliant electric systems. But how does the suspension system work?

UK Railways

In the UK, most trains use bogies to carry and guide the vehicle along the tracks. Designing a bogie suspension system is a complex matter, which has been developed and improved over the years. Early on, it was recognised that the space between the body of the train and the wheel needed a ‘cushion’ in order to reduce vibrations felt inside the carriages. This has usually consisted of a leaf steel spring mounted on the axles. Over time, this has progressed into a bogie system with a more sophisticated suspension.

Primary Suspension System

There are two main types of suspension systems used in trains, both of which are involved with springs. The primary suspension consists mainly of a normal spring damper system which supports the structural suspension of the carriage and entire train. These damper systems are present in every bogie existing between the axle box and the bogie.

Bogie Structure

The bogie of a train is the undercarriage and usually has four to six wheels pivoted beneath the end of the vehicle. It is like a low truck or trolley underneath the train. The bogie is the generic way in which most railway vehicles work. It is divided into the frame, the bolster, the pivot pin, the wheel assembly, roller bearing, the brake beams, brake block, brake levers and brake cylinders; all vital parts to the structure of the bogie.

Dashpot Arrangement

The primary suspension component in a bogie is through a dashpot arrangement, which comprises of a cylinder piston. The lower spring seat acts as a cylinder and the axle box guide acts as a piston. The bogie bolster, or support, is the central section of the area; this carries most of the weight of the coach. The bogie pivots around using the pin which is centred and uses parts of the secondary suspension system, typically coil springs and a spring plank.

Dashpots can also be found in door closers to prevent them from slamming shut, in shock absorbers in cars’ hydraulic cylinders, in aircraft carrier decks, in relays, in electrical switch gears and so much more.

Springs in The Bogie

Whilst passengers don’t notice the bogie, this is still a very important element of safe railway operations, as it supports the railcar body, allows the train to run smoothly both on straight and on curved tracks, ensuring a comfortable journey, amongst other things.

The primary springs link the axlebox to the bogie frame; a secondary spring system connects this frame to the train. Typically, the types of springs found in bogies are steel leaf or coil designs, and you can also find rubber and air springs. They reduce forces and vibrations and help to prevent derailment.

The primary suspension is between the axle box and the bogie and consists of springs and dampers. It is an invariable necessity for all classes of rolling stock, including wagons. Different classes of carriages are provided with different bogie designs; however, they can differ from the eight springs per bogie (classed on each bogie being a three-wheel set). They are all provided with either inner springs or balanced with inner springs along with friction dampers.

Secondary Suspension System

The secondary suspension connects the body of the car with the bogie and aids comfort of passengers by isolating the vehicle from vibrations transmitted from the track. Commonly part of secondary suspensions, the air spring works to reduce lower frequency range accelerations in the body of the train. The role of the secondary suspension is mainly to act as a pneumatic suspension and is even used in freight trains.

Bolster Support

The arrangement of this secondary suspension system is through the bolster springs. The bogie bolster or support is not structurally attached to the bogie frame; however, it is attached through the anchor link (the tubular structure with cylindrical ends). The anchor link is fixed to the bolster and the bogie frame with the assistance of brackets. Both ends of the anchor link then act as a hinge which allows movement of the bolster when the train is in action.

Lower Spring Beam

Lower spring beams support the bolster springs. This lower spring beam is a structure made up of steel plates and the location is marked by circular grooves in the centre of the support. The lower spring beam is also a free-floating structure but is attached to the bogie frame by the outside, with the assistance of a steel hanger. These are traditionally called the BSS Hanger (Bogie Secondary Suspension Hanger).

Equalising Stay Rod

The inside section of the lower spring beam is connected to the bogie bolster but gets a little help from an equalising stay rod. This rod is Y shaped and made from steel sheets and tubes. It is also hinged from both ends with the lower spring beam, along with the bogie bolster. They are all connected by a pin. The use of springs in railway and train systems are vital for both the smoothness and functionality of the train and the comfort of passengers.

As experienced spring manufacturers UK, we understand the importance of springs in all types of industries and pride ourselves on supplying the highest quality products for them. We specialise as compression spring manufacturers and tension spring manufacturers as well as other spring types. Browse our vast spring catalogue to see what we can offer you or, should you prefer, get in touch with us and we’ll create a custom spring tailored to the specific requirements of your project.

Ensuring that there are enough women applying for roles within the manufacturing industry is an issue that is currently being addressed, but is enough being done? If not, what more could we be doing? This article will look at the disparity between the numbers of men compared to women in the industry and what is currently being done to close the gap.

Where is the Problem?

The lack of women in manufacturing is a worldwide issue. Very few businesses can boast having had a 50% split at any point, and even fewer can maintain it once reaching the happy equilibrium. To put things into perspective, one of the best American cities for female manufacturers was New York, as declared by IndustryWeek. The female manufacturing population of New York constitutes 38.2% of total manufacturers, which still has a way to go before it reaches balanced proportions.

What About the UK?

In comparison to New York’s interesting 38.2% of women in manufacturing, the UK had one of the lowest figures in all of Europe in 2013 and is still struggling to improve it. Five years ago, the following was alleged by Vince Cable:

“The UK has the lowest percentage of female engineering professionals in Europe, at less than 10%, while Latvia, Bulgaria and Cyprus lead the continent with nearly 30%.”

The statistic above is quoted often, but one would hope to have seen some positive change in Britain’s manufacturing figures since then; there has, indeed, been some change. Unfortunately, it is marginal, proving that more needs to be said and done to support women in manufacturing.

In 2017, the UK’s independent fact-checking charity, Full Fact, questioned a claim made in 2018 that there were less than 10% of female engineers in the UK. The conclusion was that this was an outdated repetition of Vince Cable’s 2013 facts because official statistics from the second quarter of 2017 proved that no less than 11% of engineers in the UK were women.

A rather small victory for the 48,000 female and 400,000 male engineers.

On the other hand, the same charity records that, in 2011, the number of female engineers was as low as 6%, which puts the improvement into greater perspective. Over the six years between 2011 and 2017, the number of female professional engineers has increased by almost 1% every year. If engineering for women continues to improve at this rate, we will likely see the UK on an equal footing with European leaders sometime around 2040 without needing to take further action.

For many, this is too little too late. Those supporting the 50/50 for 2020 movement that hoped to see greater diversity in leadership roles appear to be facing a defeat in the manufacturing and engineering sector.

Some believe that part of the problem in attempts to reform engineering in the UK is fixed in the lack of respect that engineers receive from the country. If engineers and manufacturers were thought of on equal grounds to lawyers, doctors and bankers, then the country as a whole might pay more attention to the engineering sector. This would mean that more people would be paying attention to the gender gap in manufacturing and putting pressure on the nation to get it fixed.

Why is This so Important?

Women in Engineering stated the importance of diversity in a study carried out by McKinsey & Company called Delivering through Diversity. This 2017 study expanded on the original data from 2014 to provide the following results:

2014: Gender diversity on executive teams were 15% more likely to experience above-average profitability than companies in the fourth quartile.

2017: Gender diversity on executive teams were 21% more likely to experience above-average profitability than companies in the fourth quartile.

Of course, it is important to give women equal opportunities, but failing to improve your gender ratio also appears to be equivalent to losing out on some fantastic business opportunities.

What Can I Do?

If you are interested in pursuing greater gender diversity in your business, you could start by encouraging attendance at the annual Diversity & Inclusion in Manufacturing summit. The next Summit will be on the 14^th November 2019 and promises to be a day filled with energy and information, sure to convince various members of your organisation that more desperately needs to be done.

One step that you can take to improve female numbers in manufacturing is to encourage young women to take part in your business. By offering equal opportunities apprenticeships, you are providing women with a chance to understand the importance of the manufacturing and engineering sector first-hand. They may even decide to pursue it as a career in later life as a result of your help.

We are spring manufacturers with a commitment to doing more to fix the gender gap; by talking about it and offering opportunities to young minds through our apprenticeship program, we are proud to celebrate our company values and successes. Our achievements in 2018 were many, but we sincerely hope that the UK is able to boast the steps it has taken to improve our nation’s gender diversity by the end of 2019.

Our 2017 Apprentices

At the beginning of last year, 2018 was touted as the ‘Year of Engineering’ due to a significant shortage of skilled workers within the sector. The idea behind this initiative was to get young people excited about working within the engineering sector to help bridge the gap between the number of skilled workers we will need in the coming years, and the amount we actually have coming through.

In this article, we will take a look at what was actually done throughout 2018 to address these concerns and determine if progress has been made as we enter a new year.

The Year of Engineering

The basic premise behind the ‘Year of Engineering’ campaign was to ensure that people of all ages, ethnicities and backgrounds were presented with a snapshot of what they could achieve in the engineering industry.

The campaign, which was led by Nusrat Ghani MP, a parliamentary under-secretary of state at the Department for Transport, gained significant traction throughout the year and appears to have inspired the younger generation, as well as ethnic minorities.

Throughout the year, a heavy emphasis was placed on ensuring the government worked hand in hand with professional institutions and the wider engineering industry. By forging a genuine relationship with each of these key areas, the hope was that real change could be made within the sector, which appears to be the case as we enter 2019.

Young People Are Inspired

Throughout the last twelve months, the campaign worked with over 1400 partners, as they delivered more than 1 million hands-on experiences in engineering to children. Research suggests that in the first six months of the campaign the total number of 7 to 11-year-olds who were considering a career in engineering rose by a staggering 36%. In that same age range, the number of girls who were interested in working in the industry increased by 56%.

To engage young people, the campaign worked alongside high-profile footballers, dancers, YouTubers and bloggers to help inspire both parents and their children about the advantages that working in engineering can bring. The initiative also tapped into children’s competitive side by implementing a number of challenges, competitions and projects through partners such as LEGO Education and the Royal Navy – these activities further highlighted the impact engineers have on a global scale.

Women in Engineering

One particular area the engineering industry as a whole needs to dramatically improve upon is the number of women who are taking up a career in the field. The UK has long had a significantly lower percentage of female engineering professionals than any other country in Europe, with a study released in 2017 stating that only 15.1% of our engineering undergraduates were women. To put that figure into perspective, India had double that number, with just over 30% of engineering undergraduates being female. In Europe, countries like Cyprus and Bulgaria set trends for women working in engineering roles, with the sector in each country boasting a 30% female workforce.

Whilst strides have been made in ensuring that children are inspired to pursue a career in engineering, more must be done to ensure the UK isn’t left behind when it comes to bringing through highly skilled female engineers. We simply cannot wait 10-15 years for a new batch of inspired women to come through and pursue a career in engineering; things must be done now, as it is expected that the UK will need an extra 186,000 new engineers each year until 2024 to work on an abundance of new projects throughout the country. Encouraging more women to pursue a career in engineering in the coming months could play a vital role in ensuring that a significant number of those roles are filled over the next few years.

Along with bridging the employment gap, it’s also worth noting that recent studies suggest that companies who have a diverse workforce are 15% more likely to perform better. Working within a diverse company can have some huge benefits, from increased innovation to significantly improved staff morale. Figures also suggest that 85% of talent and corporate diversity leaders concur that a diverse place of work encourages differing views and perspectives on key decisions, which in turn leads to the generation and refinement of ideas.

Whilst strides were no doubt made in 2018, the UK engineering industry still has some way to go to ensure its future as one of the very best in the world. Here at European Springs, we are proud to have contributed to addressing the skills gap by introducing our apprenticeship scheme last year, as well as continuing to invest in developing our staff in-house. Furthermore, our commitment to our customers has driven us to invest further in our operations to ensure we are in a position to continually meet our ever-growing customer demand. As a bespoke pressings and spring manufacturer, we realise the importance of keeping up-to-date with the very latest technology and work processes to guarantee an unrivalled service for our valued customers.

For those who enjoy working in a diverse environment where no two days are the same, the manufacturing industry can make the ideal career choice. This is a career that depends on having the mental strength to face new challenges head-on and the ability to solve problems.

In this article, we will highlight some of the top reasons why young people should consider a career in manufacturing.

1) A Growing Industry

Many people are referring to the manufacturing industry as being in the midst of its fourth revolution, as the sector is rapidly changing and always looking towards improvement and innovation. Here is a quick summary of the four industrial revolutions at a glance:

• The first industrial revolution occurred in the late 1700s with the introduction of factories. This improved the efficiency of how products were made by humans.
• The second revolution hinged on the creation of automobiles which provided greater transportation solutions to people around the world.
• The third industrial revolution was led by the creation of computers, which have had a direct impact on the fourth revolution.
• The fourth industrial revolution is being brought about by the invention of robots, and their introduction to factory environments.

If you’re looking to start a career in manufacturing, you will need to embrace change as the sector is constantly on the move; it’s only a matter of time until the fifth industrial revolution takes place, and who knows, you may be part of it.

2) An Exciting Sector

The potential to work alongside robots is just one of the many things that make this industry such an exciting prospect. The introduction of robotics means that there will be more high-skilled jobs opening up in this sector.

The manufacturing sector is interconnected and proud of its output. There are plenty of chances to get to know experts and leaders in the industry outside of your company by attending manufacturing orientated expos, such as the Smart Factory Expo, the UK’s biggest showcase of digital manufacturing.

3) Full of Opportunities

With the more dangerous and technical work being carried out by robots, you could be looking towards managerial positions in the future of your career. These positions control where the work goes, directing teams to push certain aspects of the company in order to achieve the final product. In the future, there will also be opportunities to work in the maintenance of the robots.

In the meantime, for those who are just starting out in their career, there are plenty of apprenticeships in manufacturing which you could consider as an alternative to university debts. While apprenticeships in the UK are reported to have fallen by 30% in the last twelve-months, European Springs are proud to be addressing this gap.

An apprenticeship with us could get you a BTEC level 3 in engineering operations and maintenance, as well as an accompanying NVQ in mechanical manufacturing engineering. If you’re prepared to work hard in your apprenticeship, you could also be looking at a full-time career at the end of your course.

Apprentices at European Springs Awarded with Certificates

4) Work with New Technology

There is plenty of new technology being implemented in the manufacturing sector, aside from robotics. 3D printing is also changing the ways in which products are crafted, and the future of the industry lies in ‘smart factories’ that make use of cutting-edge software, where robots and devices are hooked up to the ‘internet of things’.

The Internet of Things is a system which allows inanimate objects to recognise and communicate with each other and with people. It requires wi-fi, sensors and automated machines to function and works by collecting data. This data can then be interpreted by people to streamline the manufacturing process, which will have positive effects on the company’s revenue.

By starting your career in the manufacturing sector, you will be learning valuable skills that will keep you up to date with the world’s latest technology.

5) Safe

On the surface, working in manufacturing can be seen as potentially dangerous, with heavy machinery and automated machines involved in most processes. Thankfully though, the 21^st century has seen heavy emphasis placed on putting the safety of employees first. Along with the various safety precautions that have been implemented over the years, the introduction of automation into the manufacturing industry is making manufacturing safer.

Although public perception of manufacturing has been heavily stigmitised over the years due its association with out-of-date practices – dingy, grimy and unsafe workhouses – today’s warehouses and factories are more akin to laboratories.

6) Hone your Skills

There is currently a skills shortage in this sector, so if you’re ready to prove yourself, then the manufacturing industry could be your big chance to improve your current skills and learn plenty of new things along the way. Employers in manufacturing are typically looking for technically-minded people who can get stuck in and communicate well, especially when experiencing problems with high-tech equipment.

Manufacturing in the UK makes up 44% of our country’s total exports. With so much to do, there are plenty of opportunities for people to find work in this sector.

7) Wage Benefits

Because of the skills shortage, manufacturing companies are currently aspiring to keep their productive workforce, meaning that they are looking to improve their employee retention rates. If you successfully land a job in manufacturing and can deliver towards the company’s goals, then you could be looking at a stable and potentially well-paid career.

Manufacturing in the UK is a particularly lucrative business. It is speculated that if current growth trends continue, the UK could be one of the top five countries in the manufacturing industry by 2021.

If you’ve been inspired to get a job in manufacturing, European Springs may have the perfect opportunity for you. Check out our engineering vacancies page to find out if you can kick-start your future in engineering with a well-established spring manufacturer.