News & Updates Archives | Page 16 of 76

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.

We understand just how important it is to continually invest and update our spring production machinery. In order to continue providing our customers with the very best spring and wire form products, we are constantly on the lookout for the very best CNC coiling machines to optimise our existing processes.

To showcase our commitment to continually improving our offering to clients, we take a closer look at our vast array of spring machinery. In this article, we will be placing focus specifically on our products made from wire.

Process

When it comes to manufacturing compression springs, we have the production capability of manufacturing up to 400,000 units a day. This is achieved by only investing in the very best technology.

In total, we have over 20 coiling machines, including the likes of Wafios FUL and FES making up the majority of those.

Stuart McSheehy, Managing Director at European Springs & Pressings, discusses why we chose to predominantly invest in Wafios technology for our spring operations.

He said: “Wafios is widely regarded as the best of the best when it comes to spring coiling technology within the industry.

“Boasting unrivalled levels of efficiency, high-speed production and stability and reliability like no other in the industry, we have chosen to invest in this technology to consistently give our customers the very best products at all times.”

Back in 2018, European Springs & Pressings became the first company in the UK to invest in the state-of-the-art Wafios FUL166. At the time, this high-end spring coiling machine was one of only two in use in the world and helped us to expand our already vast spring portfolio.

Speaking at the time of the investment, Michael Gibbs, Managing Director of European Springs & Pressings in Cornwall, said: “Investing in this quality of machinery is testament to our dedication of being a world-class 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.”

Following production, our springs will go through a number of other steps to ensure they are ready to be shipped off to customers. With springs going through a stress-relieving procedure, then on to tunnel ovens, pre-setting, aqua grinding and then in-house powder coating. Of course, the process that each spring follows is dependent on the requirements of our client, but we do take great pride in our capability to meet any client demands when it comes to producing compression springs.

We have the capability to add a range of finishes to the springs we produce, with a large number of our springs having a powder coating of zinc phosphate, but our customers can request a wide range of finishes depending on the spring’s final application.

Wire Forming

We also have a full range of wire forming capabilities, which generally refers to the production of the torsion springs, tension springs and wire forms we manufacture at European Springs & Pressings.

Speaking of our wire forming manufacturing process, Managing Director Stuart McSheehy, said: We predominantly utilise our arsenal of industry leading Wafios FMU machines to manufacture torsion and tension springs, along with wire forms.

Thanks to its unrivalled efficiency, we are capable of producing up to 80,000 units per day within a single shift. To increase productivity, we have paired these spring coiling machines up with a number of ABB Robots to aid with the automation of our capabilities.”

As with our compression spring process, each customer’s requirements are different, so each of our springs and wire forms will receive a different finishing treatment based on the specific needs of our clients.

In late 2019 we invested in a brand Bennett Aqua Grinder at our Redruth site, which completely revolutionised the grinding capabilities for European Springs & Pressings. Coming with eight heads and a water-cooled grinder, this machine quadrupled our output by not only enhancing our large wire grinding quality but grinding overall.

Inevitably, this addition enabled European Springs & Pressings to continually grow our offering for both compression spring manufacturing alongside wire forming, as we were now capable of ensuring that our grinding processes were not only of a higher quality, but also more efficient.

At European Springs & Pressings, we take great pride in being the UK’s biggest spring manufacturer, and our commitment to each valued customer is second to none. We will take care of every aspect of the spring making process; all you need to do is let us know what you’re looking for! Once we have this information, we will cover everything from the concept and mock-up right through to production and technical support.

With thousands of customers from a huge range of industries, we are capable of meeting even the most unique of customer requirements, thanks to our in-house tooling department. Our tooling experts have years of experience dealing with everything from run of the mill orders to more bespoke projects, so no matter what you’re looking for, we have you covered. Contact us today to see how we can help with your next project.

Significant changes are coming to manufacturing in the UK. With both Brexit and the aftermath of a pandemic on the horizon for 2021, the focus for the manufacturing industry is going to be on reshoring to the UK from abroad.

The pandemic has highlighted the instability of producing goods abroad that cannot make it to UK shores in the event of a crisis. Brexit also looks set to make transporting goods from the rest of the EU more difficult and/or costly. Many manufacturers have already moved their production lines back to the UK, and many more are set to do so in the coming years.

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.

Who would have thought, that the ground breaking design and manufacture of expansion and movement control joints, enabling the world’s buildings to stand the force of earthquakes, all begins in Cornwall and Devon?

European Springs & Pressings in Penryn, Cornwall, manufactures springs for South Brent based Vexcolt, one of the world’s leading producers of expansion joints and movement control joints.

Covering every continent across the globe, including buildings as iconic as Jeddah airport in Saudi Arabia to The Shard, to Jewel Changi airport in Singapore to the O2 arena, Vexcolt design and manufacture joint systems that enable buildings to absorb up to one metre of movement, when an earthquake strikes.

Arun Kingwell, Technical Specialist at Vexcolt says: “The UK is often misrepresented for its manufacturing capabilities, let alone Devon and Cornwall. However, here we are with two SME’s, working together, making a product that significantly contributes to the safety of infrastructures around the world.

We have technical sales offices in the UK, Europe, India, China and South-East Asia but we manufacture in the South West. It’s great to work with European Springs & Pressings as it enables us to not only deliver a high-end quality manufacture message but also a Made in Britain status that we’re very proud of.”

Michael Gibbs, Managing Director of European Springs & Pressings concludes: “It always surprises people how much a spring is depended on for multiple functionalities across so many diverse industries.

Vexcolt’s global influence in construction management, delivering solutions to complex building movement problems across all building types, is an engineering feat to behold. It’s an honour working with them and it puts a huge smile on the team’s faces, knowing their spring production is at the centre of safety for so many buildings across the world.”

The manufacturing industry accounts for a large proportion of the economy in the UK, so it’s fair to argue that it could well hold the key to the economic recovery of our country in the coming years. We take a look at some of the most compelling reasons behind the argument that the manufacturing industry could well hold the key to the UK’s economic recovery. We will look at data which highlights just how important the manufacturing industry is to the UK’s overall recovery, whilst also addressing some of the key things manufacturers in the UK can do to make a genuine impact.

The Facts and Surveys

With any popular argument, there are sure to be an array of stats and surveys trying to prove different sides. On the other hand, it appears that most of the information available in this case does indeed point towards the manufacturing sector as the key to the UKs recovery. Let us observe some of the data we have publicly available:

Manufacturing accounts for two thirds of R&D
Manufacturing accounts for 45% of exports
Manufacturing accounts for 15% of business investment
Manufacturing holds 2.7m high-value jobs, better paid than the economic average
The UK remains the ninth largest manufacturing nation, globally

(From Make UK and Santander)

To boot, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) suggests that the 1.4% sustained yearly growth since 1948 in the sector can be attributed to a workforce that has more skill than it used to, a shift in production to focus on more high productivity goods, and a better integrated global economy.

The Annual Manufacturing Report from 2019 has further findings to indicate the relevance of the manufacturing sector in our current ecological climate:

81% of manufacturing companies want to invest in new technology to boost productivity.
71% find that Brexit is damaging planning and business prospects
55% believe the government could do more to promote exports.
66% believe the British people at large do not understand the importance of manufacturing to the global economy.

(The Annual Manufacturing Report 2019)

Results

One thing is clear, from spring manufacturers to car creators, the manufacturing industry is, undoubtedly, key to the recovery of the UK. Making this dream become reality, however, requires a united front, innovative practice, and national support.

The question, then, is how to implement this. Most of the aims and struggles faced by the industry at large can be traced back to one key problem; that most companies believe that manufacturing is under appreciated by the British people. You might ask yourself what understanding this possibly changes, but we think that it could be integral to the improvement of the sector and the UK’s recovery.

The national lack of respect for manufacturing’s place in the global economy has repercussions. 57% of manufacturing companies believe that the education system is a disappointment for the sector. With the onset of the fourth industrial revolution, it is paramount that the industry secures passionate, talented new workers with cutting-edge ideas.

As automation becomes more and more prominent, the skills gap grows ever wider and ever ominous. Young people simply aren’t aspiring to manufacturing anymore, but this doesn’t mean that the sector can survive without the workers. No, instead of the national education system directing a healthy percentage of our youth towards the industry responsible for two thirds of R&D, the businesses themselves are having to suffer the strain of creating their own training schemes and academies to attract new workers.

European Springs

Like many other businesses in manufacturing, we also believe that the future rests on the shoulders of the younger generations. To give them the best chance to succeed, it is vital that they are trained with the skills this country needs to excel.

Apprenticeships can bring great benefits to the companies who employ them, too. Skills Training UK stated that each apprentice has the potential of bringing gains to productivity of more than £10k per year for their employer.

Not only do apprentices bring immediate gains for their employers if properly trained and taken care of, another finding of the same study revealed that 80% of customers preferred to buy from companies that support apprenticeships.

Over the years apprenticeships have been extremely important to us. We’ve been proud to support a number of upcoming engineers in the past and look forward to the days when we can return to college careers fairs to extend our visibility to the people of the future.

If you’re looking for enthusiastic, talented, and precise spring and wire form manufacturers, you should contact us of look through our stock catalogue. We also offer bespoke solutions if you have specific needs that require expert attention.

Category: News & Updates