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INDEPENDENT SST MORE FLEXIBLE S


afety Systems Technology (SST) will once again operate as an


independent company. “We are a specialist machinery safety business with an established history,” says managing director Mark Smailes. “It’s important that we are clearly seen as independent from businesses which conduct the assessment and certification work to avoid conflict of interest. The end customer needs to be assured that the work being carried out is necessary and ensures compliance.” SST says customers will find the


transition seamless. All current and forthcoming contracts will be in place and all staff have transferred to the newly established business headquarters in Halifax. TÜV SÜD and SST will continue to


work closely together and provide customers with an integrated machinery safety solution when required. One of the advantages of operating as a standalone business is that SST will be more flexible and able to respond to customer needs in a rapid timeframe which sometimes can be a challenge as


part of a larger organisation. While smaller SST is still able to deliver cost-effective and practical machinery safety services on a global basis with projects currently being completed in the UK, Europe and the Middle East. “We will continue to work with


some of the biggest names in industry and lately we have seen a great deal of work coming from the engineering sector with machine tool upgrades being particularly busy,” concludes Smailes. “I think this is a good sign for the UK


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BUSINESS MOVES MANUFACTURING FROM CHINA BACK TO UK


The Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) has supported London- based Patrona Luggage in switching production of its innovative travel accessory from a Chinese factory to a Hampshire manufacturer. This has resulted in significant results for both companies, safeguarding UK jobs and significantly improving quality, lead times and profits. Patrona had experienced a major quality issue with its Chinese


factory partner in 2012 and subsequently could not get its tools out of the factory. The company approached MAS for support and advice for repatriating the manufacture of its Shirt Shuttle to the UK while improving the design and availability of the product. With the help of a MAS design


grant Patrona validated much of its design before commencing tooling. By working in partnership with BEC Group in Hampshire the grant was


used to prove the tooling design concept, reducing the risk of the project. The company reduced its pre-production duration by a third and lead time from 12 weeks in China to 10 days in the UK. With the Shirt Shuttle back in stock after 12 months out of production Patrona is set to dramatically increase its turnover to £450k in the next year from £175k previously. www.mymas.org


THORWORLD SUPPORTS FEM VISION FOR FUTURE OF MATERIALS HANDLING


A


ccording to the latest CBI Quarterly Industrial Trends Survey the recovery in British manufacturing continued in the three months to October but the pace of growth slowed as new export orders declined. On an encouraging note, firms


anticipate continued growth for the next three months and plans for investment in plant and machinery and product and process innovation have stayed well above average. The sector clearly faces headwinds: global political instability, growing concerns about weakness in the Eurozone and recent rises in Sterling weigh on export demand.


Susan Deane - Editor 4 NOVEMBER 2014 | FACTORY EQUIPMENT


Thorworld Industries is playing its part in helping to shape the future of the materials handling industry after attending the bi-annual congress of the European Materials Handling Federation (FEM). FEM outlined its plans for the next


few years with the launch of a publication that Thorworld helped to draft: Vision & Strategy 2020. Subtitled ‘preserving the competitiveness of the European materials handling, lifting and storage industry’ the document is designed to help shape political opinion and influence across the EU. It is hoped that by raising awareness of key issues including market surveillance, FEM will be better placed to support manufacturers regarding threats such as unregulated equipment and ensure that customers benefit from reliable, high quality and safe materials handling items. “FEM operates in a diversified


industry across diverse borders,” comments John Meale, managing


director of Thorworld Industries. “With this document we present a unified vision on how to remove the potential for over-complexity or ambiguity, to present a single, cohesive and sustained strategy toward improving the conditions in which we manufacture and distribute our equipment.” Meale was involved in the congress in his capacity as president of the Elevating Equipment Product Group which looks after items such as lift tables, dock levellers and vehicle tail lifts. He chaired a group meeting in which representatives of leading European manufacturers discussed issues facing this sector in addition to progressing new guidance on vehicle restraining devices to be published later this year. Meale will continue in his role as past president of FEM after the organisation re-elected current president Jan van der Velden for a further two-year term. www.thorworld.co.uk


Airedale’s TurboChill and TurboChill FreeCool chiller with low global warming potential (GWP) refrigerant R1234ze have been nominated in the Energy Saving Product of the Year category in the CIBSE Building Performance Awards 2015. The awards which focus on measured performance rather than design intent or performance specifications, recognise engineering excellence in the built environment. The results will be announced 2 December 2014.


www.airedale.com


Henkel has ensured maintenance engineers have easy access to dedicated product information and applications advice, anytime and anywhere. Its LOCTITE Mobile Maintenance Expert Guide puts a wealth of information at the engineers’ fingertips so they are never without support even in the field. Typically it steers the user through the process of selecting the right thread locker, flange sealant or general purpose adhesive for the maintenance task.The entire LOCTITE Maintenance website has been optimised for access via smartphone.


www.m.loctite-repairs.co.uk


Ondeo Industrial Solutions has been awarded the RoSPA Gold Award for Occupational Health and Safety for the ninth consecutive year. This award recognises the company’s ongoing commitment to delivering the highest levels of on-site health and safety to its customers. Ondeo’s industry experience and pro-active approach to health and safety and the protection of assets enables the company to identify the key risks to any site and take action to minimise any potential consequences before they affect a project.


www.degremont-industry.co.uk / FACTORYEQUIPMENT


manufacturing economy as it indicates that businesses have a certain amount of capital to invest and expect their machines to be heavily utilised in the near future.” www.safetysys.co.uk


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