Industry comes together to unite behind new national strategy for Engineering Service
On Tuesday 5th July 2016, leading figures from across the manufacturing industry launched a new national strategy in Through-life Engineering Services (TES) calling for the UK to realise the economic potential of TES.
Through-Life Engineering Services create and support high-value, long-life assets that work better and for longer. The strategy’s goal is to achieve a 20% reduction in cost of ownership, with a 20% improvement in availability of complex engineering assets (such as aero engines, trains or power stations) which account for at least £31.6bn of annual UK economic output.
Cranfield University, Rolls-Royce, and the High Value Manufacturing Catapult have been leading the strategy with the support of many of the biggest names in UK manufacturing including Babcock International, Bombardier Transportation, BAE Systems and Siemens. Together, these companies have committed to forming a cross-sector National “TES Council” to inspire UK industry.
Rock Breaks New Ground
A major redevelopment of the company’s manufacturing site in Warrington, Cheshire, UK has started. Increased global demand for the brand has resulted in the need to expand and to ensure the business can satisfy all future customer requirements. The first phase of the project is a brand new Research & Development centre. This 10,000 square foot building will house one of the finest independent laboratories in the country and staff across technical, sales, marketing and senior management. With over a million pounds worth of technical equipment, the facility will be at the cutting edge of the lubricants industry. The current laboratory already runs 20,000 quality control tests a year and works with major OEMs, having factory approvals from the likes of Volkswagen and Mercedes Benz to name but two.
The strategy aims to set a clear direction of travel for the UK to embrace changes in behaviours, new business and economic models while exploiting new technologies.
Launching the strategy, Professor Rajkumar Roy, Cranfield’s Director of Manufacturing, commented: “There is a global race to capture this lucrative emerging market. The world is rapidly shifting to a service economy, demanding increased manufacturing flexibility and closeness to customers. It is time for the government and all of us involved in manufacturing to seize this opportunity.”
It is hoped that the growth of TES will enable more integration between manufacturing, engineering and technology, and business model innovation, across a number of sectors such as aerospace, defence, and energy, giving innovators the ability to adapt to the changing market more easily, with speed and less risk.
Also speaking at the launch of the strategy, Chris White MP, Co-chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on
Rock prides itself on both its quality and diverse range of products and this new facility will only enhance the business’s ability to produce the very finest lubricants possible.
Manufacturing said: “The UK has a proud manufacturing tradition and, since the industrial revolution, has been in a strong position in terms of creativity and design. This remains true today as we enter the ‘fourth epoch’ of manufacturing created through digital innovation”.
“The market influence for engineering services, manufacturing and technology is huge. This strategy provides a framework for this cooperative capacity and capability development across all relevant industrial sectors that rely on or provide “complex engineering assets.”
The TES centre, funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), is hosted by Cranfield and Durham Universities. The centre gives researchers and students the opportunity to study and design high-value engineering systems based on manufacturing for TES.
LINK
www.cranfield.ac.uk
Current sponsored athletes include Tai Woffinden the current world speedway champion and Dougie Lampkin 12 time World Trial champion. Rock Oil powered the Gearlink Kawasaki of Alistair Seeley when he broke the record for most race wins at this year’s North West 200 and lubricated Ian Hutchinson’s Padgetts Honda record 5 race wins round the famous Isle of Man circuit in 2010. Rock Oil is synonymous with quality and performance and the new R&D centre will ensure they continue to produce the very best lubricants possible for future champions.
Rock Oil is one of the few remaining blenders of lubricants still manufacturing in the UK and has worked with multiple British and World champions across various motorsport disciplines. Rock Oil is currently the official lubricant partner of the British Superbike Series which is the biggest domestic motorcycle race series in the world.
The company is rightly proud to be a British manufacturer and has always been based in Warrington since its inception nearly 90 years ago. It is still a family firm albeit one that has nearly 100 employees and exports to nearly 70 countries worldwide.
LINK
www.rockoil.co.uk
32
LUBE MAGAZINE NO.134 AUGUST 2016
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57
