News & Updates Archives | Page 14 of 75

At European Springs & Pressings, we are proud to manufacture springs and pressings for a wide range of industry sectors. We love working with companies of all sizes from a variety of backgrounds, helping them to create products that boast quality components.

All businesses have experienced the trials and tribulations of being an SME at some point in their history, so we firmly believe we should do what we can to help our fellow manufacturers at this stage of their business growth.

In this article, we take a closer look at some of the steps European Springs & Pressings are taking to help SME manufacturers across the UK, helping them to grow quickly and sustainably.

Our Commitment To SMEs

Throughout the pandemic, we have continued to help service SMEs who approach us with bespoke smaller orders. Despite the challenges presented to all businesses during this time, we are delighted our team have taken it in their stride, continuing to produce fantastic springs and pressings for a multitude of uses.

We’ve been able to continue manufacturing orders both big and small, and have remained completely committed to ensuring that all of our springs and pressings are of the highest-quality before being shipped off to our customers.

Our flexible approach to manufacturing springs and pressings has helped to alleviate pressures on manufacturers who rely on the supply chain to provide them with the parts they require. With issues still prevalent in the supply chain, especially those that involve overseas trips, it’s essential that manufacturers work together and help out however they can.

Here For You Every Step Of The Way

As an SME, there can be times when you’re not 100% sure on what is the best course of action for your new product. This can be daunting, especially if you’re dealing with products and components that you’re not accustomed to.

That’s why our team are on hand to give you as much assistance as you require throughout the initial consultation. So, whether you’re already clued up as to the solution that you require or need a little more assistance coming up with the right design solution for your product, we’re here to help. We have over 70 years’ experience in spring and pressing manufacturing, so you can rest assured that we will help you find the perfect solution based on your needs.

We can help you decide on the shape, size, materials used and much more when it comes to your spring or pressing. We will then take the time to design a mock-up of the product if you require, all so you can be absolutely sure that you’re getting the right solution for your business. We pride ourselves on taking the guesswork out of the manufacturing process, even for smaller orders, all so you can feel safe in the knowledge that your product will function and look exactly how you wanted it to.

Building Lasting Relationships

There are some spring manufacturers who can’t or won’t provide quotes for orders that don’t meet a minimum value. At European Springs & Pressings, we firmly believe that a long-standing relationship is far better than turning away smaller orders, that’s why we are here to serve companies that require small orders, right through to those that order thousands of pieces at a time.

We understand that SME manufacturing firms are looking to grow, and if we can play a role in that growth journey, we will do everything that we can to help our fellow manufacturers. By providing high-quality springs and pressings to smaller businesses, we believe that a long-standing relationship can be forged, allowing that same company to come back to us for years to come, as their business grows.

We will continue to provide a flexible level of service, providing parts as required to any business that need them. We firmly believe in playing a part in all manufacturers’ growth, so no matter how big or small your company is, we want to help you achieve your goals by providing key components for your products.

Want to find out more about how we can help your business? We are the premier spring manufacturer and bespoke pressings manufacturer in the UK, and take great pride in ensuring that all of our customers receive high-quality products.

Please feel free to contact our vastly experienced team today if you would like to discuss your requirements with us, we’re here to help!

The team here at European Springs & Pressings were delighted to learn that the G7 summit for 2021 is to be held in Cornwall. Our Cornwall facilities are responsible for a large amount of manufacturing output each year, and we’re delighted to be taking steps to reduce our overall carbon footprint, in line with the aims of the G7 summit.

Here, we take a closer look at what will be discussed at this year’s summit, whilst also highlighting some of the steps European Springs & Pressings have taken to ensure we are doing our bit for climate change.

What Will Be Discussed At The G7 Summit 2021?

The G7 is made up of the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the USA and the EU and is in place to bring together major nations from around the world to discuss key economic and environmental topics that affect a large proportion of the globe.

Leaders from around the world will come together on UK shores in June 2021 to discuss plans on how to tackle some of the most pressing issues facing us. With the likes of coronavirus and climate change set to be on the agenda, along with open trade agreements, technological change and scientific discovery, the summit will help world leaders set a roadmap for change.

With the coronavirus vaccine being rolled out in many countries around the globe, focus will be placed on how countries can bounce back following the effects of the virus, with real emphasis placed on how to make the world greener and more prosperous in the coming years.

This year’s summit will be held in Cornwall, Carbis Bay, though the neighbouring towns are also sure to reap the benefits of the area hosting the G7. It’s no secret that Cornwall is at the forefront of green innovation in the UK, and therefore the area provides an ideal setting for a summit that’s primary focus will be on building a greener future, post pandemic.

European Springs & Pressings Commitment To Environment

Our team of experienced spring manufacturers are committed to ensuring that we do all that we can to reduce our carbon footprint, whilst maintaining high-quality products and levels of service for our customers. In keeping with the G7 summit’s overall aims, European Springs & Pressings are proud to play a key role in ensuring our manufacturing processes are as environmentally friendly as possible.

Over the years, we have placed a lot of emphasis on ensuring we have access to cutting edge machinery that is both efficient and environmentally friendly. We have committed to continually investing in our spring and pressing machinery across both of our factories, which helps us to meet increasing customer demand, whilst also keeping our carbon footprint to an absolute minimum.

Along with this, we also play a key role in the manufacturing of various wind turbines and clean power generators – providing springs and pressings that enable these clean energy sources to operate to their maximum potential. We have a long-standing relationship with many clean energy providers, and are delighted to provide parts to any projects that play a vital role in reducing fossil fuel usage.

Made In Britain – Bringing Manufacturing Back To UK Shores

We are also proud members of Made in Britain, which means that we proudly display their mark on all of our products which are completely manufactured on UK shores. By sourcing and producing our springs, and pressing from our London and Cornwall factories, we are able to keep emissions to a minimum, whilst providing high-quality products for our customers.

You can find out more about our association with Made in Britain in our recent article or by watching the video below:

Want to find out more about our springs and pressings, or how we are committed to the environment? Feel free to contact us today and we’d be more than happy to discuss your requirements further.

What’s in a name? European Springs & Pressings (ESP), dates back to the 70s, when the UK joined Europe. If only the owners then knew what we know now!

Springs might lead the brand but it’s pressings that is the final piece in the name jigsaw and it’s this element, where the service, technology and qualifications of the experienced engineers in the Kent factory, are second to none.

With over 70 years of pressing heritage, ESPs wealth of knowledge, investment in technology and infrastructure positions the company as one of the largest metal stamping companies in the UK.

Lesjöfors, the parent company, has continually invested in facilities allowing ESP to offer the very best in bespoke stampings and pressings.

Designing and manufacturing for multiple sectors including; electronics, medical, automotive, power generation, defence and telecoms to name a few, they offer services from one off prototyping and design support to stamping high volume parts to tool making, finishing, assembly and testing.

Stuart McSheehy, Managing Director of the Kent factory says: “The phrase from ‘cradle to grave’ is my mission statement and one we’re deeply proud of and live by. Successful innovations have started here and achieved huge market success as a direct consequence of our 360 degree approach that delivers above and beyond expectation.”

What is design support? ESP’s engineers advise on design, material and the surface treatment of chosen pressings or stampings. Ensuring a product is designed and fit for function, achieving all technical and quality requirements, whilst taking into account the products working environment, the repeatability of manufacture including tolerances, product life, ease of production and the most economic route of manufacture.

Every product goes through a rigorous selection process, taking into account:

Material selection – technical requirements, price and availability
Manufacture method, identifying high-speed pressing for high volumes to single operation stamping for low volume
Capital investment for tooling
Finishing requirements – heat treatment plating, coating, packaging
Assembly requirements – automated or hand assembly
Repeatability

McSheehy continues: “In a sense, we offer an audit of every need from the pressing or stamping, determining every nuance of its purpose and therefore can offer a customer service and guarantee that delivers product confidence like no other.”

With the latest WEDM machines and in-house 3D CAD, ESP designs and manufactures progression, multi-slide, single operation and assembly tooling.

Tooling, which has a guaranteed tool life and often out last the products life, is purposefully designed to take tight tolerance requirements, capable of stamping a variety of materials from 0.05mm to 6mm thick. ESPs free tooling storage facility also adds another layer of customer simplicity and confidence to the product journey. In addition, if the customer already has tooling then ESP offers a free appraisal and transfer service.

“Our engineering and production facility is fully equipped to supply one off prototypes or low volume parts for testing”, says McSheehy.

“Our engagement with the customer on their product development journey is key to their and our success. Offering rapid prototyping and by producing a number of prototypes, several materials can be selected for testing until the perfect material and finish is proven.”

Facilities include an ever-expanding production area, fully equipped with the latest technology. From single operation presses to assembly and high-speed presses, ESP’s 130 tonne presses from Bruderer and Mabu sit alongside Finzer and Latour multi-slides, Wafios coilers, laser cutters, welding, tapping, grinding and barrelling functionalities as well as heat treatment ovens.

McSheehy concludes: “In a period where Covid and Brexit have added unforeseen challenges, our resolve and commitment to being the best at what we do hasn’t faltered. We pride ourselves on our ability to offer a fully finished solution from design concept to fully assembled product, delivering on our ‘cradle to grave’ mission, every time.”

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.

Here at European Springs & Pressings, we like to keep on top of everything in the engineering industry. This year, The Engineer released their Tech Trends 2021, taking a look at the next 12 months for the engineering sector, including a business confidence survey, which examines how UK engineers are feeling about the year ahead.

We will outline this survey’s findings and give our own ideas and predictions about how we feel European Springs & Pressings will fair in 2021.

First Survey of Business Confidence

This is The Engineer’s first annual business confidence survey, and it aims to reveal Engineer’s attitudes and feelings towards the next 12 months, including any concerns or expectations for what’s to come.

With 2020 proving to be an incredibly challenging year for many businesses across the entire globe, it’s no wonder that anxiety levels skyrocketed during the last 12 months. Both the pandemic and Brexit have proven extremely challenging for many, and it’s safe to say that businesses are likely to have many concerns going into 2021.

The emergence of the COVID-19 vaccine is the beginnings of newfound hope that 2021 could be the year that coronavirus is no longer the barrier it has been. But there will be lingering consequences, and the impact on the economy could be felt for many years yet.

The Results

The Engineer asked their readers from the sector about how they felt about the year ahead, what areas they expected to dominate and how their organisations will fair in 2021. There were 389 respondents from various sectors, with manufacturing being the biggest group with 121 respondents. 90% of the overall sample group were at senior engineering level or above.

Here is a breakdown of the responses from different sectors:

Manufacturing – 31%
Medical – 4%
Oil and Gas – 4%
Academia – 5%
Aerospace – 8%
Automotive – 8%
Defence and Security – 4%
Electronics – 4%
Energy – 5%
Food and drink – 4%
All others – 15%
None of these – 9%

The results found that just over 50% of respondents were feeling confident about the prospects for their business over the next year. 31.6% said they were uncertain about what was to come in 2021, and just 16% were feeling concerned about their prospects.

These confidence levels varied depending on the sector. Areas of engineering less affected by the pandemic, such as telecoms and consumer goods, were unsurprisingly, more positive about the future. This includes sectors that will be vital to the UK’s economic recovery, such as renewables and healthcare.

As can be expected, sectors with the most concerns were those hardest hit by the pandemic, such as those in the aerospace or automotive sectors.

When asked for the reasons for their views, those who felt positive cited reasons like healthy order books and continued demand for their products. For those more concerned about the future, they were still feeling the effects of COVID-19 along with fears about the impact of Brexit.

When respondents were asked to rank key trends in their industry in order of importance over the next year, digitalisation and automation were some of the main areas identified to watch out for. These fields have been observed for their growing priority for a number of years, with the goal to improve the UK’s productivity. However, undoubtedly the pandemic has further highlighted the need for these products and technologies to be adopted. In fact, 54% of the survey respondents stated that the pandemic had been a spur for innovation in their organisations.

Plans for the Future

As the UK reels from a pandemic and a huge change in the form of leaving the EU, investing in the future will be critical. When asked whether respondents would be investing in research and development (R&D) and new product development (NPD) in the next year, the response was mixed.

Just under a third of respondents were expecting to increase or reduce investment. There were significant variations according to the sector, with those with the highest confidence levels anticipating the greatest levels of investment. The biggest decline in investment came from the automotive and aerospace sectors, with 33% of respondents from the automotive sector and 40% of those from aerospace expecting to reduce their R&D over the next year.

The future challenges will require high levels of collaboration between sectors that have previously operated in isolation. This is backed by the survey’s respondents, with almost half reporting that they expect to see high levels of collaboration over the next 12 months – only 8% said they didn’t anticipate any collaboration at all.

When asked about why collaboration is becoming important, a range of factors were stated including wanting to tap into new skills, the changes in technological landscape and that, at a time of scarce resources and limited budgets, partnering with other organisations could be the way forward. However, some expressed concerns that social distancing regulations made collaboration difficult and suggested the mass adoption of remote conferencing tools.

2021 for European Springs & Pressings

The last 12 months have been a strange and challenging time for many, but here at European Springs & Pressings, we are incredibly proud of all our staff for pulling together and making it work. We have continued to operate throughout the last year, putting stringent hygiene and safety procedures in place to ensure that we could continue to manufacture and supply bespoke pressings safely and in compliance with government guidelines.

We are looking forward to 2021 and can’t wait to rise to the challenges of the year ahead, so if you’re looking for expert spring manufacturers who can provide you with springs and pressings made to your exact specifications, contact us today.

COVID-19 has brought many challenges to industries across the globe, and manufacturing has been hit hard in particular. With all the different working parts involved in manufacturing, as well as the often close proximity of factory and warehouse workers, a global pandemic has certainly created problems for fulfilling orders, especially for those companies that are reliant on imports from abroad.

But along with the challenges, the pandemic has also meant that many companies have entirely rethought their processes. Some of these changes could be implemented permanently even as the virus is brought under control. Here’s a look at how manufacturers have been coping with COVID-19, including what European Springs & Pressings has been doing to ensure continued and safe operations throughout.

Increased Visibility

Visibility is vital when it comes to optimising a supply chain. So when the pandemic hit, and there were disruptions throughout the industry, it was more important than ever that manufacturers could understand the cascading impact these disruptions were having on the rest of the supply chain. Visibility can also help manufacturers prepare for problems in advance, allowing them to prepare alternative supply routes to arrange raw materials for delivery.

When selling goods, manufacturers need to know the schedules of their suppliers, where they are located and when they encounter any disruptions of their own and how it might affect their own business. Manufacturers can do this by using technologies like RFID tags, GPS tracking software and fleet tracking to monitor their entire supply chain. When manufacturers have complete visibility over their operations, they can prepare for upcoming disruptions and implement solutions before they happen.

Following COVID-19, manufacturers are now aware of where the pandemic caused them the biggest headache, and have no doubt already put contingency plans in place, including increased visibility. With this extra knowledge, they should be ready to tackle any future pandemics, hopefully allowing them to continue to operate as usual.

Acceleration of 4.0 Technologies

Digital solutions are already on their way, but COVID-19 has undoubtedly accelerated this uptake with manufacturers.

As companies restore operations, the benefits of digital solutions can already be seen. Remote collaboration, digital work instructions and augmented reality are all ways that can help businesses succeed in a time when social distancing needs to be adhered to. There’s also the problem of forecasting. Traditional forecasting algorithms are relatively simplistic and rely on variables such as previous sales and future demand. With the shockwaves caused by COVID-19, it’s clear that this traditional forecasting method is no longer sufficient.

Autonomous planning uses artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms that utilise not only internal data but external datasets from suppliers, customers and broader economic indicators. Including these variables helps companies respond to changing dynamics efficiently. With this kind of technology available, manufacturers can better prepare for, and respond to the onset of, say, a new pandemic in the future.

Digital technologies also aid with social distancing by enabling remote work and collaboration. Location-tracking and mobile apps also help factory workers to maintain a safe distance on the factory floor when working from home is not possible.

Delivering finished goods also poses problems during a pandemic, as COVID-19 reduced the availability of transportation methods and introduced issues like the new requirements for safe packaging and contactless delivery. Digital solutions increased not only visibility but also the performance of these tasks. With the likes of fleet management, route optimisation and carrier analytics, transport can be optimised and increase a company’s resilience against a crisis.

Automation can be implemented into the warehouse with the likes of shuttle systems, automated retrieval systems, smart shelves and picking robots. These Industry 4.0 solutions can assist manufacturers in making picking multiple orders much easier and more effective and eliminate social distancing problems caused by the pandemic.

There are so many ways that Industry 4.0 can transform a manufacturer’s operations, and COVID-19 will likely accelerate the uptake of these technologies.

COVID-19 Procedures at European Springs & Pressings

Here at European Springs & Pressings, we have been taking precautions that are in line with government guidelines to ensure that we can continue to operate safely while providing our customers with everything they need. We have put in the following COVID-19 safety measures:

We have implemented Perspex barriers between desks onsite to help lessen the probability of staff members passing germs to each other.
Automatic hand sanitisers have been strategically placed around the premises so that employees can regularly sanitise and ensure their hands are clean, helping to prevent germs spreading.
COVID-19 safe practices have been outlined to all staff, which they adhere to. We are also continually reviewing these guidelines in line with the most recent government updates to ensure everyone is staying safe.
Employees who are in close contact with one another wear PPE in our factories.
Employees who can work from home are doing so, such as the majority of our accounts and admin team.

At European Springs & Pressings, the safety and wellbeing of our employees is very important to us, which is why we have brought in these safety measures to ensure everyone feels safe coming into work. We’ve been fortunate in that our operations haven’t been too badly affected by the pandemic, and that’s thanks to our diverse client base from a range of different industries.

If you’d like to learn more about any of our products, contact us today. We are expert spring manufacturers and wire form manufacturers, able to provide you with a bespoke design and manufacture service of custom springs.

Category: News & Updates