News Industry Comment
It is perhaps understandable that energy management issues took a bit of a back seat during the recession. As companies struggled to survive during the very difficult economic conditions the thought of having to incur more costs in order to comply with environmental legislation wasn't a very attractive proposition. But now that the economy is showing signs of recovery, and with legislation becoming ever more stringent, it's imperative for manufacturers to put energy and environmental issues back on the agenda. Whilst implementing energy saving measures will inevitably involve some expenditure, the actual payback on a lot of the latest equipment can be quite fast. By looking at their use of energy and other resources manufacturers can actually turn what may at first be viewed negatively as an extra cost into actual savings and build a more sustainable business. This issue we are focusing on waste management and recycling, but this is only one area where a business can improve its processes and make savings, there are plenty of others. This is where Sustainability Live! comes in. If you want to see all the latest products and services available to help companies save money a visit to this exhibition will be very worthwhile. Find out more in our preview on page 11. Neil Mead - Editor
Events
Maintec 2011 29-31 March, NEC, Birmingham
www.easyfairs.com
Midlands Design & Manufacturing 6-7 April, NEC, Birmingham
www.manufexmidlands.com
Safety & Health Expo 17-19 May, NEC, Birmingham
www.safety-health-expo.co.uk
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Delegates at a New Product Development seminar held at the Southern Manufacturing show recently, were told that when manufacturing new products or making changes to existing prod- ucts or services, they should be aware of the global shifts that happen daily in areas of technol- ogy, materials, the economy, pur- chasing, product lifecycle and usage and perhaps most impor- tantly customer demand. Grant Baker (pictured), Manu - facturing Advisory Service (MAS) South East Specialist, said: “It is crucial manufacturers gauge the market and understand where it is going in order to triumph at new product develop- ment. Understanding the market- place, consumer needs, the competition, current trends, tomorrow’s technology and today’s innovations is critical to the success of any new product and only then can manufacturers begin to develop ideas and prod- ucts customers actually want.”
Develop new products successfully In brief…
Grant also said: “A clear identity and strong brand is key to the visibility of any product or company. A good website can offer invaluable insight
into a business and on-going strategic planning is a must. Opening up a regular dialogue with customers will ensure plans are constantly updated to reflect the needs of the end user. Grant encouraged the audience to focus on three important steps in the development of new prod- ucts – first, generate ideas using internal feedback; second, evalu- ate ideas, asking if it is workable; and third, look at how to promote the product and get it to market. He concluded by asking the audience to consider the follow- ing question: “When will my product/service no longer be rel- evant and what am I going to do about it?”
www.mas-se.org.uk Schaeffler wins sustainability award
Schaeffler’s manufacturing plant in Llanelli, South Wales has received a national award that demonstrates the com- pany’s ongoing commitment to sustainability. At the Wales Quality
Awards 2010, Schaeffler UK received top honours in the Sustainability Prize category. Donna Williams-Bevan, training officer at Schaeffler UK, accepted the prize on behalf of the company at the annual awards ceremony held at the City Hall, Cardiff on 2nd December. David Phillips, CEO at the Wales Quality Centre said: “As winner of this year’s Sustainability Prize, Schaeffler UK has demonstrated the most significant impact in this area over a period of time.” The award for sustainability recognises the strategy, plans and processes that are being prepared to ensure the success of Schaeffler UK in the future.
www.schaeffler.co.uk Risk assessment service for ventilation
Specialist duct cleaning com- pany Ductbusters has launched a risk assessment service in response to demand, allowing companies to plan for cleaning programmes in budgets.
A site visit from a Ductbusters surveyor will ascertain the inter- nal conditions within any venti- lation system, measuring dust levels, microbiological content,
temperature, humidity and CO2. The findings will be submitted in a written report, detailing areas of priority, advising on the scale
and scope of treatment, along with suggested remedial action. This can then be referred to by organisations for the purposes of budget or planning meetings. It is a legal requirement that ventilation systems are regularly inspected and findings recorded, therefore risk assessments can be important in obtaining funding for a cleaning programme or investigating complaints over indoor air quality. Visit
connectingindustry.com or
ductbusters.co.uk for more.
A £1.5m investment in the latest high-tech manufacturing equipment and new production facilities has been unveiled by Oxfordshire- based LTi Metaltech at an event this month. The company, which specialises in the precision fabrica- tion and welding of high perfor- mance vessels, increased its facto- ry floor space to take on more staff to cope with demand for its preci- sion engineering technology.
lti-metaltech.com
ABB’s stand at this year’s MCERTS event at the Telford International Centre (30-31st March) will feature its latest range for accurate monitoring and mea- surement of emissions to air and water. The ACF-NT multi-compo- nent analyser system provides accurate measurement of flue gas emissions while the EL-3000 Continuous Gas Analyser, provides continuous measurement of the concentration of individual compo- nents in gases or vapours.
www.abb.com
The new 2011 Business Superbrand list, placed Siemens as the UK’s number one industrial engineering brand for the second year in a row. The ranking follows a robust research process adminis- tered independently by The Centre for Brand Analysis, which analysed the views of an expert council and 2,000 UK business professionals.
www.industry.siemens.co.uk
The £10m Advanced Engineering and Materials (AEM) Technology Capacity Building Programme, through NAMTEC (National Metals Technology Centre), has delivered support to 245 businesses in the Yorkshire region and created or safeguarded 1,591 jobs to date, resulting in over £126million in increased business sales. It has also supported events for compa- nies across Yorkshire and Humber and offered over 750 learning opportunities for companies.
www.namtec.co.uk
Zetes has reaffirmed its position as a leader in the voice market with a European market share of more than 50 per cent. Zetes installed more than 10,000 voice terminals in various projects across Europe in 2010 which means more than one out of two terminals was installed by Zetes.
www.zetes.com MARCH 2011 Factory Equipment
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