Sector Focus
Manufacturing Milestone for manufacturing plant
BMW Group’s UK engine manufacturing plant, Hams Hall, has marked its 20th anniversary. The plant in North Warwickshire
opened in 2001, and now employs more than 1,000 people manufacturing efficient and award- winning three and four-cylinder petrol engines. Around a third of the team are
also celebrating their own 20-years or more tenure at the plant, with some of the original project team members who were involved in the development of the site still a part of today’s workforce.
‘Testament to the very loyal and committed workforce we have’
Plant director Dirk Dreher said:
“Twenty years of manufacturing our award-winning engines and precision components is a fantastic achievement, and testament to the very loyal and committed workforce we have at Plant Hams Hall. “Thanks to a series of investments
and a diverse workforce who take pride in striving for continuous improvement, our plant remains efficient, at the cutting edge of
Celebration: A production worker on a machining line at Hams Hall
technology and able to make a very positive contribution to the wider BMW Group.” As well as continually improving
to ensure the plant remains pristine, state-of-the-art and able to produce the latest generation of engines and components, developing people has also been high on the agenda, BMW say. The plant currently has 53
apprentices participating in four- year training programmes – the highest number to be training at
any one time in the 20-year history of the plant – and the search is already underway to find the next apprentices who will drive forward another decade of success. The very first four-cylinder BMW
engines produced at the plant represented a revolutionary step forward in technology which brought a significant decrease in fuel consumption combined with much lower exhaust emissions. An additional new engine family introduced in 2006 broadened the
plant’s range and introduced a raft of updates to the Mini brand. The plant was also the sole
provider of the award-winning three-cylinder engine that contributed to the drivetrain of the trailblazing BMW i8 plug-in hybrid sports car. Today, the plant produces the
latest generation of BMW Group engines. Facilities at the plant are also
enabled to build three and four- cylinder engines for plug-in hybrid models contributing to BMW Group’s electrification strategy. In addition, the plant is preparing to take over production of the company’s prestigious V engines, which will be moving from the engine production plant in Munich. Engines roll off the Hams Hall
production line at more than one per minute and are currently supplied to nine different BMW Group vehicle plants globally, with the majority going to Oxford in the UK for the Mini and to Plant Spartanburg, in the United States, for the BMW ‘X’ model range. More than five million engines have been produced since the plant opened, with annual production in recent years exceeding 375,000 engines.
Hand hygiene: The MediWash in use at a hospital
The Covid clean machine
Portable hand washing sinks, manufactured and distributed by Birmingham-based Teal have been distributed to hospitals across the country, from Scotland to Cornwall, in a bid to maintain hand hygiene during the pandemic. Although Teal’s portable sinks
have been widely used in hospitals for many years, the firm said it has experienced a surge in demand for its products since the start of the health crisis and is now receiving enquiries for its products across the globe. The standalone sinks can be
placed exactly where required within medical facilities, without the need for mains plumbing or drainage.
64 CHAMBERLINK March 2021 They are supplied with a water
container that has a separate compartment for waste, which is housed inside the unit. Manty Stanley, Teal managing
director, said: “From the early days of the pandemic we have seen a huge increase in orders, with over 160 MediWash units now supplied to NHS Trusts across the UK. “Orders have also doubled for
our other hand wash units, right across the range, including recent orders for 100 to support the vaccination programme being undertaken at pharmacies. We feel there is nothing more worthwhile in supporting the NHS and it’s good to know we have done a little to assist in this vital undertaking.”
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