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The manufacturing sector is a constantly evolving industry. The innovations and processes developed are all to meet the ever-growing complexities of consumer demand.

The success of these new ideas is clearly seen when attending the various industry shows across the UK. Virtually every attendee or speaker will promote, to some extent, the inclusion of digital processes in manufacturing, such as the prevalent CNC machines. But the benefits of digital manufacturing are not limited to the manufacturing itself. By implementing digital upgrades into every link in the supply chain, manufacturers have significantly improved their efficiency, productivity, and overall effectiveness within the industry. But how is manufacturing digitised?

What Is Digital Manufacturing

Digital manufacturing is essentially the inclusion of computer systems alongside manufacturing processes, supply chains and other services. The technologies used in digital manufacturing can connect all the areas required for production and build a unified plan for spring manufacturers and many other products. With this, initial designs to final production can be monitored accurately to maintain the necessary high level of quality.

When managing any industry, it’s vital to have the correct information available at all times. The idea behind digital manufacturing is to connect these systems that are separated far and wide. By creating an accessible link between all these parts of product creation, you can eliminate the wasted communication times that plagued the process before digital solutions connected them all.

This metaphorical thread weaves its way through the whole process and creates a wealth of data that can be analysed to reveal any failures in current operations. So, for example, compression spring manufacturers who digitise their manufacturing can also help anticipate customers’ needs or potential rises in demand.

The Three Elements of Digital Manufacturing

Digital manufacturing is summarised into three elements that cover the entirety of their effect on the manufacturing industry.

The Smart Factory focuses on the idea of implementing automation into manufacturing. Smart factories use various tools such as intelligent machines, tooling and sensors to assist the company’s engineers and other workers by supplying real-time data on the operations in progress.

Smart factories rely on a bridge between two technologies, Operational technologies and Information technology systems. This combination is vital to creating a data exchange between the tooling and machines and the programs that control them. These can be further improved upon by using in-depth business analysis techniques to monitor the efficiency of your operation technologies. This ability to monitor your manufacturing processes in real-time and enact whatever process control optimisation you see fit is invaluable for any manufacturing company.

The Value Chain Management element focuses on increasing efficiency with the resources needed for manufacturing. This is where you can optimise your processes significantly to make the most of what you need to create your products. Optimised process, concise inventory, and happier customers with better products are proven results of digitising your manufacturing. Additionally, this helps with creating a lean manufacturing process that will have the secondary benefits of lowering your environmental impact.

Product life cycles assist with everything from the initial designs to sourcing the materials and, finally, its production and lifecycle. This is the most direct digital intervention on manufacturing methods such as torsion springs, for example. The digital data available throughout this whole creation chain will include every step for analysis, including any potential changes or revisions.

Industries That Rely On Digital Manufacturing

The aerospace and national defence industries have relied on the benefits provided by digital manufacturing for years. These digital tools have become essential for monitoring the vastly complex supply networks required for their machines and vehicles. For example, modern military aircraft contain thousands of components collected from various sources.

In recent years, most digital manufacturing tools have upgraded to include cloud computing options that will allow manufacturers and suppliers to communicate far more efficiently and address any issues quicker. Digital solutions increase production efficiency and help with the preparation and design phases. The Boeing 777, commonly known as the triple seven, was the first commercial aircraft designed entirely on a computer.

Many other industries have benefited from digital manufacturing by incorporating automated processes. Additive manufacturing, CNC milling, lathing and cutting, and laminated object manufacturing are just a few digital processes embraced by many manufacturers.

Digital Manufacturing with European Springs

It is evident that digital manufacturing is highly effective in improving manufacturing, but why? Digital manufacturing can provide a higher level of quality previously unattainable due to human error. The increased productivity from machines that don’t tire alongside the ability to optimise your current operations contributes to improving your business and the manufacturing industry as a whole.

Computer automation has been an enormous step toward creating a consistently high-quality product for most manufacturers, including our own standard wire form manufacturing processes. Our team of engineers can assist with your planned designs for wire forms, springs or pressings thanks to our expert design support team. Working with you, our team can help finalise a product fit for the function and will meet all your specifications and needs.

We also offer a professional bespoke service, including rapid prototyping of springs and stampings that can help you find the exact component you need. If you have any questions about how our advanced manufacturing processes can help your business, then please don’t hesitate to contact us directly with our enquiry form.

As more technological improvements are developed, more of the manufacturing industry is modernising through computer integration. Some aspects of computer integration are already widely implemented, such as the popular CNC machines and wireless databases, but this is only the beginning.

Computerised automation is set to be the bright future for industrial automation. Embracing this automation is an excellent way to optimise the efficiency of your manufacturing processes further, creating a previously unattainable surge in productivity whilst reducing costs.

What is Industrial Automation?

Industrial automation is essentially the computerised systems that exist within manufacturing. This automation can be implemented to replace many of the processes initially conducted by human workers. These would usually consist of the more repetitive or simple mechanical processes that demand a high level of consistent accuracy.

For manufacturing, industrial automation focuses primarily on the systems involved in production. These beneficial processes can be customised to suit your specific manufacturing methods to increase your production capacity and reduce your costs, and usually, both are easily achievable.

Benefits of Automated Operations

Automating your business seems like replacing your human team with machines, but there is a better way to approach this. Automation in manufacturing is not about replacing people; it’s about improving your team’s efficiency by taking specific tasks off them and letting them apply their skills to more complex manufacturing areas.

Upskilling your workforce to handle more advanced manufacturing opens more business opportunities for your company whilst the automated mechanical elements manage the simpler operations.

Different Methods for Automation

As experienced wire form manufacturers, we know that not all automation in manufacturing will be the same, and each unique process will require a certain level of customisation. Fortunately, there are many levels of automation, with varying amounts of investment needed for their integration.

Fixed automation or hard automation will be assigned a set limited number of tasks and will not deviate from them. This system is best used for continuous flow systems or mass production. A prime example of this fixed system is an automated conveyer belt. This automation may seem basic but will provide a long-term increase in efficiency for moving mass amounts of materials from A-B. This tool has a minimal role but can be essential to any repetitive manufacturing process.

Programmable automation is reliant on a set of pre-programmed computer commands. This method is more flexible than the fixed process. The operations of these machines can be adapted to suit new situations or processes by changing the series of commands. Reprogramming this automation, though, will require significant downtime on the device. Whilst this initial programming will take time and expense, the adaptability of this process will provide substantial benefits overall. At European Springs, we embrace the enhanced productivity of automation for many of our wire forms, such as our torsion springs.

Integrated automation is the most invasive method of automation you can invest in for your manufacturing. Computers and control systems will entirely manage this process with minimal human contact. For this level of intense automation, the workforce is primarily upskilled into more management levels where they can dictate the methods that are implemented by the integrated automation.

This level of automation will involve a lot of technically advanced, computer-operated machinery such as automated material handling systems, computer-aided planning, and numerical control machine tools.

Flexible automation is the opposite of fixed automation. Also known as soft automation, this system is widespread in the manufacturing industry as it allows for an adaptable approach to production. This level of automation is commanded from a computer operated by a team member. This more direct involvement will enable tasks to change quickly whilst monitoring their effectiveness. This automation is widespread in low-to-medium production. The combination of increased productivity and adaptability to promptly change your machine’s role for the next job makes it an ideal choice for bespoke manufacturing processes.

Which Automation Suits your Processes?

The more automation is integrated into industrial processes, the more the benefits of adopting automation in manufacturing are revealed. These computer-controlled automation methods increase precision and efficiency, along with an unattainable consistency compared to your standard human workforce.

The best place to start is to decide what the target you want to meet is? For example, this can be something complex or general as increasing your daily production. While this goal may seem vague, it is the first step to helping you monitor and analyse your current customary production methods.

Create a list of the processes involved in your operations, and it will become clear which tasks can be replaced with automation. Additionally, you will be able to identify which jobs still require human oversight. Finally, committing to a delegation plan between your team and computerised automation will create a road map of how you can implement automation into your operations and a list of requirements for automating those operations.

High-Quality Springs and Pressings from European Springs

As experienced compression spring manufacturers, we have decades of experience providing our clients with the highest quality springs and pressings. To maintain our extensive stock catalogue of over 12,000 items, we have embraced the various levels of automation across our operations, leading to significant positive results.

The adaptability of some of these automated processes allows us to offer our premium bespoke service. If you need something unique for your current application, please consider contacting our expert engineers, who can assist with essential specification decisions and provide custom spring or pressings design support.

Manufacturing has always had a severe impact on the environment. The processes used in the past led to wasteful practices that were inefficient and also harmful to the environment, but fortunately, this is all changing.

We are in the midst of a profound change in one of the biggest industries worldwide. Across the UK, companies are committing to enforcing new procedures that will reduce carbon emissions, improve sustainability and bring the industry into the UK government’s Net-Zero 2050 plan. This article will discuss how we will reach this goal and become a more sustainable industry.

Waste Hierarchy

The waste hierarchy was introduced in 2011 as part of three different regulation schemes:

When considering their waste management plans, businesses must follow the hierarchy and encourage them to choose the most sustainable solutions. The waste hierarchy graphic shown here is a representation of this idea.

The concept is that every company will attempt to apply the highest step of the hierarchy to their waste scheme. They must only attempt the lower step if it is impossible to do the one above. So, for example, if prevention is not possible due to technical, financial or logistical issues, you try to reuse or recycle. Enforcing the waste hierarchy on your waste program is a national requirement. However, it is also a fantastic way of reducing your company’s carbon footprint.

As spring manufacturers, we regularly reassess our existing waste programs to ensure that we always carry out the highest step on the hierarchy possible.

Benefits of Recycling

There are more benefits to recycling than most people realise. Recycling isn’t just about saving the planet; it can be a way of significantly improving your financial situation as well.

Conserving natural resources gives them a longer lifespan. However, whilst in plenty, the world’s resources are at risk of diminishing. Fundamentally, manufacturing-specific resources such as metal, plastic and glass require more energy to create as raw materials than they do from recycled products. While paper and wood also fall into this category, we can offset this loss by planting more trees to compensate.

Reduced demand for Raw materials is just one advantage of recycling. Most raw materials require a vast industry to acquire and then transport to your manufacturing business, using even more energy and creating more harm to the environment. This process increases the costs and the production time for businesses; recycling can cut these impacts up to half in some cases.

Saving energy is another benefit. For example, the energy requirement for creating new:

Aluminium uses 95% more energy
Steel uses 70% more energy
Paper is 40% more energy

All of these and more can be manufactured at the same high quality for far less cost and energy, thanks to the manufacturing industry embracing the benefits of recycling.

Net-Zero 2050 Plan

The essence of the Net-Zero strategy is to create a balance between the carbon emissions produced and the carbon removed from the atmosphere. This balance makes it Net-Zero, which means we will finally reduce the harm done with increased carbon emissions.

It’s believed that with the success of the UK’s ecological initiative, other countries will follow the recommendation of the Committee on Climate change and enact their Net-Zero initiatives. This worldwide shift to reduced carbon will increase our chances of avoiding the 1.5°C temperature rise by 2100 to 50%.

The Net-Zero plan is called 2050, but considerable changes need to occur by 2030 to ensure we can reach the Net-Zero goal by the required time. The hope is that we not only reduce output but increase carbon removal or offset.

Current status

According to statistics released in 2021, we’ve already reduced our national emissions by 48.8% since 1990. This fantastic achievement is proof that these measures are adequate for the environment and practical for businesses.

At the end of 2021, a new poll run by Subcon revealed that 40% of UK manufacturers were without a sustainability policy. They surveyed 81 subcontract companies to disclose this data, but 95% of these did state that they claim to implement a policy by this summer.

As proficient compression spring manufacturers, we know that manufacturing is a highly energy-intensive industry. Each company must implement a policy to comply with the nation’s goal of reaching Net-Zero by 2050. But, with:

67% reusing or recycling materials
58% reducing their energy consumption
31% reducing their freight miles

Thanks to various government-assisted grants and electrical companies’ carbon offset plans, this initiative’s momentum are gaining speed. As a result, 2022 should see some significant changes across our national industry.

Innovation for a Bright Future

Established in 1948, we at European springs are the leading experts in custom spring design and bespoke pressings for the broadest range of applications. We are dedicated to not only providing our customers with the best springs and pressings, but we are also committed to meeting our ecological goals. We achieve this through reducing carbon and improving our sustainability with new, innovative processes.

If you have any questions about our products including compression springs, tension springs and torsion springs., please don’t hesitate to contact us, and one of our experts will happily answer your questions.

Nearly half of manufacturing businesses have been the victims of cyber-crime at some point. Since the pandemic, more and more companies have embraced the benefits of using the internet. There are clear advantages when using digital technology to manage your business and conduct e-commerce, but unfortunately, they now come with certain risks, namely the threat of cyber-attacks.

This article will explain cyber-crime, why it’s a threat to your business, and how to protect yourself best.

The Invisible Thief: Cyber-Crime

Cyber-crime has become an umbrella term for any crime committed that was either ‘Cyber-dependant’ or ‘Cyber-enabled.’

Cyber-dependant. Hacking to steal or damage a system or spreading malware for financial gain, for example.

Cyber-enabled. Committing fraud or data theft through computer networks, for example.

With the development of the first computer viruses in the early 1980s, the door was opened to attack other people’s computers. While these initially started as harmless pranks or experiments, they quickly led to harmful criminal activity as the internet grew more popular.

Types of Cyber-Crime

Cybercriminals are vicious and ruthless. Invading systems to take control or exploit private data are the two main goals of these criminals. Additionally, once they have what they want, they will attempt to extort money from you to fix everything. As a result, most businesses never truly recover as the attack causes permanent damage to your company’s reputation.

All of this is money leaving your pocket for no good reason; a sound cyber security system will help you keep that money where it belongs.

What To Watch Out For

With businesses conducting confidential business online and storing valuable information, the temptation has never been higher for cybercriminals. Given a chance, they will not hesitate to damage your system permanently.

Ransomware

Is a type of virus that will prevent your workers from accessing your IT systems. As more businesses incorporate hybrid working with remote systems, this type of attack has increased. Their goal is to hold the system captive until they are paid a substantial sum.

Spyware

Any business holding customer information is a potential target for ransomware. For example, our customer database and custom spring designs are confidential. Without our cybersecurity in place, they would be a vulnerable and tempting target.

Then a successful attack would require you to hire outside experts to verify the data is still confidential or notify the people whose information was leaked.

Data Erasure Malware

Some Cyber-criminals are not in it for the money; some are known as ‘Hacktivists.’ A Hacktivist would want to get a virus into your system to cause chaos. They could erase valuable data like order histories, customer contact details or specifications. They could erase your website without your knowledge, so that it would require reconstruction.

There are many ways to achieve this once they are in, so it’s vital to maintain a sound cyber security plan to keep them out.

How To Protect Yourself

No business is immune to online threats, but protecting yourself from online threats may feel necessary until your luck runs out, that is. The financial cost of the disruption to your business alone is the best-case scenario, and the worst case would be far more expensive. And suddenly, you’ll wish you had taken the time to defend yourself adequately.

Fortunately, in our 70 years of experience as leading bespoke spring manufacturers, we have learnt some good business practices for protecting ourselves online, which we’ve shared below:

Updating your Antivirus Regularly

Taking the time regularly to make sure your software is up to date will ensure you have the most robust defence against any intrusions. Unfortunately, new viruses and hacks are being developed by criminals all the time. The best antivirus software companies will constantly update their software databases to defend against these newly created viruses, but it’s up to you to make sure your update your software.

Additionally, it’s your responsibility to make sure the antivirus software you choose to begin with is the best on the market. You need to imagine this software like hiring a new staff member, one whose sole job is to protect you from online threats and updating your software is training your employee.

We at European Springs and Pressings wholeheartedly recommend investing in your online protection. Investing in your software as much as your staff is securing your long term future, and we believe in developing people for the future.

Passwords and Two-Factor Authentications

Your passwords are like the lock to your home, and you want them both to be as hard to break as possible. Using encrypted passwords will have a significant positive effect on your cyber security. Try using combinations of capital letters, numbers and symbols when possible to make it too complex to guess.

Having a solid password works for a while, but you should change your passwords often. Try doing it the same time you update your antivirus software to create a helpful routine.

Two-factor authentication is a fantastic addition to anyone’s online security and is essential for online businesses. Otherwise known as 2FA, two-factor authentication is the process of alerting a second source that someone is attempting a login. It’s a proven security measure amongst the banking industry and most online eCommerce sites. Most people will have encountered these at some point, such as inputting a code delivered directly to your phone or email.

Investing pays off

Being prepared for cyber threats does mean investing in cyber security, which means increased outlays. Still, as a prominent member of the Institute of Spring Technology and the leading spring manufacturers nationwide, we can attest that investing in your security and keeping it up to date will relieve you of these troubles so you can focus on your business.

We hope that this blog has been helpful and you now have a better understanding of cyber-crime and its threat to the manufacturing industry. If you have any questions or want to learn more about our products and services, please get in touch – we’re always more than happy to help.

Each step is essential to ensuring a quality result during the metal component manufacturing process. From an initial design idea to the maintenance and upkeep of materials and everything in between, high-quality care and a well-thought-out strategy is key to a successful project. Surface treatment is one of the most vital stages of the manufacturing process as it provides the metal components with additional properties, such as durability.

That is why, in today’s blog, we’re providing you with everything you need to know about surface treatment and its importance. We will explore what surface treatment is, the various methods and processes, and the benefits of the different techniques.

Additionally, as expert spring manufacturers with over 70 years of experience in the springs and pressings manufacturing industry, we will offer advice on how our surface treatment services can benefit you and your project here at European Springs.

What is Surface Treatment?

Surface treatment is when metal components are prepared for their individual usage. How a metal component is treated before use differs from how it operates – this is because the metal is primed during the surface treatment process to provide it with additional properties.

There are several surface treatment techniques that offer a range of additional properties depending on the desired use of the metal component in question. Here at European Springs, we are proud to provide a list of these treatments so you can get the desired usage out of your metal elements.

For example, we offer:

Plating
Heat treatment
Barrelling
De-Burring

As mentioned, each method allows for different results, for example, rust prevention, heat protection, or increasing the strength and durability of the component.

Why is Surface Treatment Important?

Surface treatment is an essential part of metal component manufacturing as it protects the pieces from many factors, including rust, heat, weathering, and pressure. These additional features contribute to the longevity of the component, meaning that with the proper surface treatments, you are less likely to need to replace your parts. Similarly, this also means that the maintenance and upkeep of your components will reduce with the correct surface treatment.

Additionally, this process improves the functionality of the metal and is often used for aesthetic purposes. For example, metal can be treated in preparation for painting and coatings depending on the desired look of the components.

The Various Methods of Surface Treatment

Here at European Springs, we offer a range of surface treatments for a variety of different metal components: Plating, Heat treatment, Barrelling, and De-Burring. Let’s look at what each of those entails and how you can use each method differently to add a range of additional features to your metal.

Plating

Metal Plating is a process that involves coating a metal component with a thin layer of metal. There are various reasons why someone would choose plating as their surface treatment, as it provides many benefits. For example, plating increases a metal component’s heat resistance, particularly if you prefer silver to coat the metal. As you’re adding another layer of metal to your part, plating also increases the durability and endurance of the end product. Metal plating is also chosen for its aesthetic benefits, as you can completely change the colour and texture of your component with this technique.

Heat Treatment

There are various types of heat treatment, all resulting in a different end product. As an overview, it is the process of heating and cooling metal to achieve the desired result. First, the metal is heated, kept at a specific temperature, and then cooled down – with different results occurring depending on the length of time the metal is heated and then cooled down. For example, heat treatment can strengthen, soften, relieve stress, or change grain structure. The most common heat treatments include:

Annealing
Normalising
Hardening
Ageing
Stress relieving
Tempering
Carburisation

Barrelling

Barrelling is often used for a large number of small metal components. This process removes the previous processing residues from the part. It effectively eliminates impurities and imperfections on the pieces, preparing them for further treatments and applications. Barrelling is also used for aesthetic reasons if it is the final step in the surface treatment process.

De-Burring

De-burring is similar to barrelling, as it involves removing imperfections and perfecting metal components. However, this process is more specific to eliminating sharp edges and smoothing out the pieces. In addition, this process is often done after other surface treatments, which may have left sharp edges or burrs.

Contact European Springs Today

We hope this blog has been helpful, and you now know a little more about the importance of surface treatment for metal components. We’re experts in our field and are more than equipped to help you with your surface treatment requirements.

Additionally, we have a wide range of other services available, so if you’re looking for bespoke pressings for your project, we can assist. So please explore our website, look at our blog, or get in touch with our friendly team today to find out more about what we can do for you.

We design and manufacture a complete selection of constant force springs that can be used for various applications, across virtually every industry, from healthcare to aerospace and within general household items.

This blog will look at what a constant force spring is, common applications and how we design these widely used mechanisms.

What is a Constant Force Spring?

Constant force springs (or constant torque springs) get their name because their force of motion is at constant exertion. The load is determined by the width and thickness of the material and the diameter of the coil.

The tightly wound roll works in a linear movement and does not obey Hooke’s law (F=kX) but constantly produces force throughout its deflection.

These springs provide a smooth range of motion and a constant load in extending or retracting. The full load of the spring is reached after being deflected to a length equal to 1.25 times its diameter and it can sustain a constant force regardless of the extension length.

Constant force springs can be fitted in a variety of ways and extended either partly or completely, which allows them to be used for a range of applications because of the lack of limitations on extension speed and acceleration.

Fitting a Constant Force Spring

The fitting can be completed in a number of ways. For long extensions, the spring must be laterally guided to prevent movement in a sideways direction — suitable play on each side is 0.5 – 1.5 mm.

When fitting on a bearing or conduit, the spring can be located using its own force providing that sufficient strip length remains on the bearing. If there is no operating extension limit in the application, we recommend that a screw or rivet is used to secure the inner end of the spring.

Our standard springs and slide bearings are normally supplied separately. Fitting is done by loosening the outer end of the spring and winding it onto the bearing (securing it if necessary), after which the complete spring is wound onto the bearing.

Constant Force Spring Applications

A constant force spring is an excellent device for applications where a constant load is required. The many benefits of these springs make them suitable for a number of applications.

The spring itself has a small space requirement which allows it to provide a smooth range of motion. With no inertia to overcome, constant force springs are very versatile and can mount to existing hardware, as well as create a counterbalancing effect.

Constant force springs are widely used across the medical and healthcare industries to improve surgical devices. They are also used regularly in aviation to deploy and retract aircraft doors and efficiently counterbalance aeroplane windows.

You will also find constant force springs in many day-to-day applications, such as door closers, hairdryers, gym equipment, electric motors, cabinet furniture components and much more.

Innovative Design and Technology

We’ve been designing springs for over 70 years, and so our range is exceptionally varied and technologically advanced. Besides our standard range, we can provide customised solutions using design capabilities that feature our advanced, proprietary spring design software.

Our software package has been developed in-house and we can simulate any type of application, which enables us to calculate the force required for your particular design.

Our regular constant force springs are wrapped on a drum with the free end attached to the loading force. However, your preferred mounting method will impact the way we design your spring.

Our skilled design team can help by determining a suitable method to rule out any problems, even if you haven’t decided upon the exact specifications.

As an experienced spring manufacturer, we have the expertise to create a whole host of springs perfect for any application within any industry.

Take a look at our stock catalogue for more information on our range of springs and forms.

Category: Science