Category: News & Updates

Staying on top of trends is crucial for businesses in almost all sectors but is especially important for those, such as ourselves, in the manufacturing industry. There are constant changes happening all the time, and, as leading spring manufacturers, we must look at these changes and consider how we can implement them into our practices.

We understand that trends come and go, and things we thought would stick around may not have lasted more than a few months before something bigger and better came and took their place. However, others start as trends and remain staples in the industry for years to come.

So, today, we’re exploring this idea by looking into the top manufacturing trends of 2023. We’re predicting what we believe will be popular over the next twelve months, as well as what we’re taking with us and leaving behind from 2022.

Which 2022 Manufacturing Trends Will Carry Over Into 2023?

Last year, the industry welcomed a wide range of technology that we have been proud to implement into our processes here at European Springs. Here are a few of the manufacturing trends (technological and not) of 2022 that we believe will carry over into this year and become industry standard in the not-so-distant future:

• Big data. This improves efficiency, streamlines processes, and allows manufacturing companies to better their decision-making quickly.
• Smart factories. Whilst this isn’t an entirely new idea, smart factories developed in 2022, becoming more accessible for those in the industry along with a surge of new cyber-physical technology.
• Carbon neutrality. Again, this wasn’t new to 2022, but the ways in which it developed last year were impressive. Factories, warehouses, and workshops worldwide pledged to change their processes, use greener systems, and decrease their carbon footprint in line with industry standards.

Which 2022 Manufacturing Trends Will Be Left Behind?

2022 saw many significant changes to the manufacturing industry, and most of those developments were revolutionary, as discussed above. Because of this, there aren’t any stand-out trends that were found to be passing fads.

Trying and testing new practices is never a waste of time because it allows us to use an array of skills and helps us gain experience and develop ourselves and the company; however, we can’t help but feel relieved when no trends are left behind. Here at European Springs, this is always great news, as it means no time, money, or other resources were wasted in investing in trends that didn’t last longer than twelve months.

Manufacturing Trends to Look Out for in 2023

As mentioned, today we’re exploring some of the manufacturing trends we believe will significantly impact the industry in 2023. Whether it’s new technology, tech developments, or improved practices, we’re at the forefront of these changes that allow us to improve our services and products for our clients; let’s take a look.

3D Printing

3D printing has been a staple in the industry for years, but we believe that 2023 is when it will become even more popular. Recently, there have been significant advancements in 3D printing technology, with metal being used in the process in place of plastic. This means that items, such as hinges, screws, and other metal components that need to be durable, can be manufactured using 3D printing. This significantly increases the speed and efficiency of the manufacturing process, especially for bulk orders.

Who knows, perhaps one day we will be 3D-printing our compression springs?

Increased Automation

Automation is a broad term used to describe automatic equipment, for example:

• Robotics
• AI
• Sensors
• And much more

It is designed to streamline processes and speed up manufacturing procedures which is beneficial for many reasons. For instance, we could use automation systems for our bulk orders, allowing our technicians to work on other manufacturing areas while AI or robotic technology completes the orders.

In 2023, we believe that advanced automation will be used more frequently across the industry. This is because it means skilled workers can complete more fulfilling roles while AI works on repetitive practices, such as the bulk orders mentioned above.

AI

To further explore the previous point, we believe AI will become huge in 2023. We have already seen evidence of what artificial intelligence can achieve and are excited to see it advance over the year.

With the speed at which AI is advancing, we could use the technology across our company to assist us with spring design, manufacturing, and testing. For example, instead of manufacturing physical products to test for durability, we could program AI with the materials we wish to test and use digital testing. This way, we’re not wasting materials, and, at the same time, we’re speeding up the testing process.

As mentioned, we’re always thrilled to try out new manufacturing technology and see what is trending throughout the industry to see how we could use it to our and our client’s advantage. European Springs is always at the forefront of these industry changes, and it’s exciting to see where technological advancements take us.

To stay updated, please check our blog, where we post the latest industry innovations, and, as always, get in touch with our expert manufacturers for all spring manufacturing queries.

Many factors will help you make the final decision regarding finding a supplier. The task is important but challenging. Due to the continued global growth of manufacturers and the cheaper ability to import to reduce manufacturing costs, there are thousands of suppliers to choose from. Supplier and manufacturing companies need to be able to work hand in hand to offer the best of each service, but what should you consider as a retailer or supplier when choosing one to fit with your business?

As a leading manufacturer of bespoke pressings, we appreciate and understand the importance of finding the right fit for your business. We explore some of the most imperative considerations when choosing a supplier and how European Springs could answer all your wire form and pressing needs.

Expertise and Reliability

Having a well-established expert skill set is one of the main reasons many companies will favour a supplier. As a spring manufacturer with 70 years of expertise in the industry, we understand the importance of providing excellent products and services. Choosing a supplier with many years of experience will offer you the peace of mind that your supplier will deliver what you need. In addition, a well-established supplier will have worked out any kinks in their product designs and will understand the trends that come with each industry.

This extensive knowledge will serve any business well and offer the confidence that the supplier will provide satisfaction in all areas of their services. For example, at European Springs, we pride ourselves in providing our clients with the highest level of services whilst working with them to ensure they receive designs bespoke to their exact needs and requirements. This element of our services offers continuous reliability and is why many of our customers have a long-term loyalty to us for many years.

Quality and Quantity

Although many services will mass produce your desired design, consistency is key to being an excellent supplier. When considering a supplier, they must provide you with the high-quality detail you require and the capabilities to produce the quantity you need to the same standard. This fact is something we take very seriously at European springs.

As wire form manufacturers, we use the industry’s latest CNC automated spring coilers and wire forming equipment. This equipment allows us to generate generic and bespoke pieces without limitation. We produce the wire forms manually for smaller quantities, whereas, for larger orders, we will utilise our highly advanced machinery, which will autonomously make the same high-quality standard.

Knowledge of Various Industries

Unless your business is unique, offering very niche products and services, choosing a supplier with a broad scope of various industries is advantageous. This expertise will allow suppliers to help advise you on designs and strategies which may not be customary for your specific industry but may have worked well in other sectors.

A broad knowledge of various industries helps us stand out as spring suppliers. We can continuously adapt our products and services to our customer’s needs, which has been a leading attribute contributing to our 70 years of high-quality service. It has also helped us to adapt to our customers. The ability to adapt helps to grow a business, so having a supplier that can adapt with you is essential. We provide high-quality spring designs for the following range of industries.

• Electrical
• Automotive
• Agricultural
• Defence
• Medical
• Telecom

However, we also have experience with many more. We are proud to supply a range of industries and always strive to continue to grow into even more fields where we are needed.

Supplier Ethos

Considering the ethos of your supplier may not be a common factor amongst companies, but it is growing with concern. Consumers are becoming more conscientious when making their purchases, so ensuring your products are ethically sourced could be essential to success as a manufacturer. From paying more than minimum wage for their employees to investing in future improvements for their business, an ethical supplier is guaranteed to offer the best products and services. At European Springs, we are proud of our many processes that strive for a better future, including our apprenticeship schemes and strict vetting within our suppliers.

The entire manufacturing industry strives to improve its environmental impact within its supply chains. Many are choosing locally sourced recycled materials, which minimises the travel of products, reducing the carbon footprint. This can also help prevent disruptions with global issues and provide a more efficient service. For example, many manufacturers are utilising the benefits of heat pumps within their processes to help improve the sustainability of their services. This innovation is one-way manufacturers offer more environmentally friendly materials and products.

Finding the Right Spring Manufacturer

Although we have explored many elements of European Springs, which makes us a leader within our industry, there is so much more we can offer. We have complete in-house design facilities which provide the latest technologies for wire form and pressings and offer on-site powder coatings, shot peening, barrel rumbling and polishing. You can enquire online or speak to our team today about any needs, and our fantastic team will be sure to help.

We’re always looking to push the boundaries here at European Springs. From improving our company’s sustainability to investing in new machinery to enhance our manufacturing operations, we’re constantly looking at ways to surpass previous achievements.

This wouldn’t be possible without our incredible and talented team, who consistently go above and beyond to make the business successful.

European Springs Smashing Goals

During this year, one of our many goals as a company has been to increase sales by becoming leading spring manufacturers within the industry. More importantly, we wanted to be a company our clients find reliable and valuable.

As part of this goal, we set our team a sales target of one million pounds each month. We’re incredibly proud to say that this challenge was repeatedly resoundingly beaten.

We decided to bring in a different food vendor each month to show our appreciation and celebrate our success as a team.

Global Food Lunch Hours

Since April, we’ve rewarded our team by bringing a different food vendor every month, allowing us all to enjoy a fantastic range of foods from around the world.

So far, we have enjoyed the following:

Gully’s Indian Curry Wraps – April

“Keep calm and Curry on” was the phrase of the week here at European Springs and was a fantastic way to celebrate this initial achievement, but little did we know that this would be just the start of a fantastic streak of success. Gully’s Indian Street Food van was brought in to provide our staff with a memorable exotic, and delicious lunch.

The Frying Squad Chippy – May

Who doesn’t love a good old fish and chip  dinner?

April proved that our initial success wasn’t some random event but one that could continue throughout the year. So, thanks to our continued success in April, we brought the classic seaside food home for our hard-working team members to enjoy.

Chop and Chip – June

This classic burger van (Chop and Chip) provided everyone with excellent choices, such as Aberdeen Angus, Halloumi, sweet chilli, and roasted plant burgers to suit all tastes.

Queen of the Crepes – July

This seemingly unbreakable chain of success was honoured in July with a delicious selection of sweet and savoury crepes from the fantastic Queen of the Crepes.

Kang Foo Noodle Van – August

Everyone at European Springs enjoyed their lunch, and we can guarantee there was no waste. The Kang Foo noodle van supplied a beautiful range of fresh noodle meals with chicken, beef and five vegetable spring rolls. A fantastic choice to help send off the summer in style.

Lil’ Watan – September

In September, we celebrated by introducing Lebanese wraps and salad boxes to our staff. Chicken, falafel, and halloumi were all enjoyed as wraps alongside tasty fattoush salads.

Key to Success

Our excellent customer service allows European Springs to stand out as the number one spring and pressing manufacturers. Good communication is essential, meaning our clients feel reassured throughout the manufacturing process.

To us, customer satisfaction is the real goal and is what makes us an industry leader.

Over many decades of experience providing torsion, extension and tension springs to companies worldwide, we have worked hard to increase our technical expertise and equipment.

As part of this business development plan, we became a proud member of the Lesjofors Group. Businesses can now enjoy the benefits of our superior selection of metal springs, pressings and wire forms wherever they are in the world. This provides us with a significant increase in international clients and contacts.

Again, we would like to thank our talented, elite team of engineers, technicians and administrators.

You can learn more about what it is like to be a part of our elite manufacturing team here

 

We are delighted to announce that we have recently on-boarded five new apprentices, Ronique Neil, Leonardo Hogan, Sami Hamanche, Racim Farhat and Matthew Bulgen. Having joined the European Springs & Pressings family, they have begun the training that will launch them on their journey to becoming qualified engineers.

Knowledge is power

We know that the greatest strength we have as a manufacturing firm is the knowledge and expertise of our engineers. There is little point in investing in cutting edge equipment and technologies if you lack the skilled staff to use them effectively.

Our engineers are problem solvers; without their specific skills and insights we would not be able to support our customer’s manufacturing processes and component requirements. When a customer approaches us with a manufacturing issue, we at European Springs & Pressings are proud to be able to provide the in-house knowledge and expertise to solve their problem.

As such, a robust, and continuing, recruitment process is essential, and we are always actively searching for exciting new engineering talent.

Apprenticeships – Earn while you learn!

An apprenticeship is a great way get a foot on the ladder within the engineering industry, while also getting paid. Combining classroom instruction and on-the-job training, an Engineering apprenticeship course offers the opportunity to gain the knowledge, skills and experience needed to achieve an industry-recognised City & Guild or BTEC qualification, and become a qualified engineer.

Apprentices and new workers are in increasingly high demand, as the manufacturing industry has been facing the largest skills shortage in over 30 years, partially due to the rapid advances in smart technologies and automated machinery. While manufacturers invest in this efficient equipment, many people currently do not have the right experience or are unaware of the qualifications or skills needed to fill vacant roles, and the benefits of choosing a career in this industry.

A drop in the number of fresh, young workers joining the manufacturing sector eventually results in a lack of succession. This is a huge problem for businesses when their skilled, older workers retire or move on, but they do not have the new talent in relevant positions being trained to replace them.

Talent retention

It is important to not just find new talent, but also to persuade them of the benefits of having a career in the industry. We want our employees to receive the on-the-job support and development they need to progress professionally, as well as experience the positive kind of environment and community that will enable them to enjoy their work life.

European Springs & Pressings are committed to offering our staff professional development opportunities, to support the training and skills development that will benefit them throughout their career, much of which will hopefully be with us at European Springs & Pressings.

Careers for life

To foster staff loyalty and increase retention, we have adopted a dedicated approach to creating a professional working environment that nurtures our staff’s talents and supports their progression, whatever their individual engineering aptitudes may be. To help familiarise with the business as a whole, as well as find their speciality, our apprentices are introduced to every area and process within the factory.

Our Managing Director Stuart McSheehy began his career in the industry as an engineering apprentice, and many of our current employees started as apprentices and trainees before becoming engineers, with a number having risen to essential business positions such as Purchasing Officer, Press Shop Manager, Quality and Metrology Manager and even senior management roles.

Multi-generational work family

Although many companies use the word too freely, at European Springs & Pressings we really do see ourselves as a family. Alongside a commitment to professional development, we also strive to ensure that our workers have the kind of professional habitat, personal support structures and supportive community that enable them to flourish while they are with us.

A great example of our ‘career for life’ approach to staff retention is that European Springs & Pressings can boast of a number of staff we employ who have multiple family members also working for us. In particular, we are exceedingly proud that working for us from within one family, we have four staff at the Beckenham site from across three generations.

The future of manufacturing

European Springs & Pressings provide the platform to develop our staff’s engineering expertise, give them formal training and ensure broad, vital experience, as our apprentices are introduced to every area and operation within the business.

We are eager to offer apprentices a long-term home on completion of the course, and encourage continual skills development throughout their career. At European Springs & Pressings, we search for apprentices, and take them on, every single year, and many of our certified apprentices are offered full time positions.

Contact us if you are thinking of kick-starting your career in engineering with one of our valued apprenticeships.