For the latest news, follow us on Twitter: @CI_DesignMag, Facebook or LinkedIn FOUR NEW ORGANISATIONS JOIN THE RESHORING UK INITIATIVE


The Railway Industry Association (RIA), British Plastics Federation (BPF), Farnborough Aerospace Consortium (FAC) and Invest Northern Ireland have all recently joined the Reshoring UK initiative, a collaborative development that assists manufacturers connect with trusted, accredited, suppliers capable of delivering UK-based products and services. Neil Walker, exports director at the Railway


Industry Association (RIA), commented: “The Railway Industry Association is excited to be joining Reshoring UK, an organisation that brings rail suppliers with a UK presence together to create supply chains and develop an even stronger UK rail offer. We look forward to working with Reshoring UK and RIA members to deliver a growing, sustainable rail sector that provides growth, investment and export income for the benefit of UK plc.” Representing the plastics industry supply chain, BPF senior industrial issues executive,


Graeme Craig, said: “The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the need for secure, well-supported, supply chains into sharp focus, not just the supply of essential medical products for front line medical services, but for every part of the economy. Now that the country is looking at recovery and a return to ‘business as usual’ is on the agenda, there is a perfect opportunity to create a balanced, robust, economy that will be sustainable for UK manufacturing and the value chains it supports.” Representing national and international


members in the aerospace and defence sectors, Farnborough Aerospace Consortium (FAC) recognises the consequences and impact of globalisation. The association acts as a business conduit between large primes and the supply chain, particularly Small to Medium Size Enterprises. With the support of Reshoring UK it is committed to the long-term strategic growth of the aerospace and defence sectors, ensuring the UK continues to excel on a global scale.


ANTI-VIRAL COATING FOR MACHINERY PROTECTS AGAINST COVID-19


WEG’s Coatings and Varnishes Unit in Brazil has developed an anti-viral coating which makes 99.9% of coronavirus inactive within minutes of contact with the surface. The coating is recommended to protect machinery and equipment used in high risk environments, including hospitals, medical centres and laboratories. However, it is also suitable for use in other areas including on plant machinery and equipment, and public transport. The coating, polyurethane W-THANE APA 501, follows the


recommendations of the National Agency of Health Surveillance in Brazil and has been manufactured according to methodologies set by the International Standard BS ISO 21702:2019, the company explains. “We are sparing no effort in developing technologies to combat COVID-19,”


said Reinaldo Richter, superintendent director of WEG Coatings. “We have a highly trained team of researchers available for this project and we have achieved the expected result in record time.”


P


roducts manufactured in the UK tend to be thought of


across the world as high quality, well manufactured, items. Over the years, however, many companies started out-sourcing production or purchasing


components from countries such as China where costs are lower – and, in some cases, quality has suffered. The sudden emergence of the coronavirus pandemic has set many


companies thinking about their supply chains and their reliance on overseas manufacturing. Not only did lockdowns around the world lower production levels, but logistics were also affected, with the result that components and parts started taking much longer to make their way to the UK. As such, the topic of ‘reshoring’ has started to gain momentum once more. To help, there is a collaboration of industrial engineering


associations who have come together to create ‘Reshoring UK’ (www.reshoring.uk), which is ‘designed to assist manufacturers connect with trusted, accredited suppliers capable of delivering products and services that match their requirements’ (see story, above). Reshoring UK covers a wide range of sectors – aerospace, automotive, defence, energy, marine, medical and rail. Could it be that the combination of COVID-19 and Brexit is the push


we need to make ‘Made in the UK’ a priority once more? Rachael Morling - Editor


4 SEPTEMBER 2020 | DESIGN SOLUTIONS www.weg.net


Invest Northern Ireland’s role is to grow the local


economy and, being an active part of Reshoring UK, will aid the agency’s plans to provide support for business and effectively deliver the Government’s economic development strategies. Baroness Burt of Solihull, Patron of Reshoring


UK, commented: “We are delighted to welcome these new Partners in the Reshoring UK initiative. Each will be an important contributor in the development of the network, to encourage engagement with our manufacturers to recognise the strength of the skills and innovation available to the manufacturing supply chain in the UK... The www.reshoring.uk partnership urges the manufacturing sector to seize this opportunity to reconsider its supply base.” www.reshoring.uk


ENGINEERS ARE NEEDED TO DELIVER HIGH TECH HEALTHCARE, STATES NEW REPORT


According to a new report ‘Healthcare Solutions: Elevating the Engineering Workforce’ from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, the National Health Service faces a huge influx of new technology and a rise in patient numbers in coming years. But, to deliver safe and affordable care, there will need to be more engineers coming into the healthcare sector. Engineers with both clinical and


technical skills are needed to ensure that where medical technology and services are being used, they are right for the situation, whether the patient is being treated at home or in hospital. “If we are to learn from global


crises such as the COVID pandemic, it is that 21st century medicine can only be delivered with significant amounts of technology, and that care at home is just as critical as care in hospitals,” said Dr Helen Meese, lead author of the report and vice chair of the Institution’s Biomedical Engineering Division. Although the NHS has a


workforce of around 1.5 million people, there are currently only around 3000-3500 clinical engineers, the Institute explained. In a parallel report, ‘Healthcare


Solutions: Improving Technology Adoption’, the Institution calls for the Government and healthcare providers to develop national ‘complete life-cycle’ strategies for technology adoption within the NHS. www.imeche.org


HUBER+SUHNER has been chosen as a preferred supplier of railway cables to Stadler as both companies extend their collaboration for a further three years. Under the agreement, the company will provide Stadler with RADOX railway cable for the power, control and communication connectivity across all its vehicle platforms, including electric commuter trains, electric high-speed trains, metro, light rail vehicles and tailor- made vehicles.


Allegro MicroSystems has announced the acquisition of Voxtel, a privately held company specialising in advanced photonic and 3D imaging technology including long-range, eye-safe Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR). This acquisition brings together Voxtel’s significant laser and imaging expertise with Allegro’s automotive leadership and scale to enable the next generation of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). allegromicro.com


Schneider Electric has launched a joint initiative with RS Components (RS). In total, RS will be adding more than 3000 Schneider Electric solutions to its platform, with products including robotics, motor control, and safety devices from across the company’s IIoT range. Whilst the company will provide engineers with access to Schneider Electric’s broad industrial technology range, stocked in-depth and available for 24-hour delivery across the EMEA region, the partnership will also enable RS to extend its knowledge of key IIoT innovations and pass on their benefits to customers. www.se.com/uk


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hubersuhner.com


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