Electronic Specifier

More firms are being urged to make a commitment to apprenticeships, from leading training provider in the construction, utilities and energy sector, using its own experience as proof that they work. Develop Training Limited (DTL), based in Derby, Bolton, Romford, York and Lisburn, Northern Ireland, is giving its backing to National Apprenticeship Week 5th-9th March.

A new development with the Zeroseam line of seamless belts will be unveiled at this year’s Hannover Messe from Nitta Industries Europe. This new type of flat belt is truly endless and combines in one product the advantages of existing belting lines – high flexibility, abrasion resistant high grip cover and customisable length even in small lot numbers.

Taking place again at Birmingham’s NEC  (Halls 8, 9 and 10) from 10th -12th April 2018, alongside MACH 2018 will be the biennial co-located events; Drives & Controls, Smart Industry Expo, Fluid Power & Systems, Plant & Asset Management, and Air-TechExhibitions. However a new addition to the co-location of DFA events for 2018, is the inaugural Smart Industry Expo.

The online visitor registration is now officially open for Subcon, the defining event in the manufacturing supply chain calendar, which takes place 5th-7th June 2018 at the NEC in Birmingham. More than 4,500 visitors from aerospace, automotive, defence, electronics, energy, materials, oil and gas and rail sectors will attend Subcon this year to do business with over 400 exhibitors.

Industry 4.0 and The Industrial Internet of Things (IIOT), presents huge opportunities for British manufacturing over the next decade, and the inaugural Smart Industry Expo 2018, taking place on 10th -12th April 2018, will leave visitors in no doubt that the 'smartening' process of industry and manufacturing is going to change the face of global industry forever.

  Once again set to return to Birmingham’s NEC (Halls 8, 9 and 10) from 10th -12th April 2018, the biennial co-located events; Plant & Asset Management, Drives & Controls, Smart Industry Expo, Fluid Power & Systems, and Air-Tech Exhibitions will be alongside MACH 2018.

With the upcoming event METAV 2018 on the horizon, the organisers here give some tips on cyber-security. “There is strong shadow where there is much light.” This well-known quote from Goethe also applies to the digital transformation: not only does data communication benefit the company concerned, it also lures the data thief. The “risks of the digital shadow world” will be illuminated by VDMA security expert Steffen Zimmermann, who recommends visiting the Industry 4.0 Theme Park at the METAV 2018.

Did you know, the average European uses 16 tonnes of resources a year, and only 40% of that is recycled? This is clearly not sustainable, so the idea of the Circular Economy was born to help us to move away from this situation. Dr Hugh Falkner looks into how the repair industry is central to the Circular Economy.

Automotive company Helical Technology is celebrating after being shortlisted in the prestigious European Business Awards – and has been named in its ‘Ones to Watch’ list. The independent, family-owned business based in the North West has been shortlisted in the UK category for 'Business of the Year with Turnover €26m-€150m' and has also been named in the ‘Ones to Watch’ list which sets a benchmark of success for the European business community.

Cast your mind back 20 years ago, an engineer co-developed a new concept of electric motor, which was supposed to be far superior to the traditional motor. The synchronous torque motor should achieve a much higher torque at low speeds and therefore be more efficient than traditional motors.

Creating persistent AR scenes with live data, schematics, forms and videos within minutes of installation is all possible now thanks to the new off-the-shelf app, for industrial users. iQagent, the app creator for industrial applications, announced the release of iQagent AR for IOS on the App Store. iQagent AR is the next evolution of the award-winning app iQagent, first released in 2012.

The UK’s largest independent petrol station and forecourt retail company, MRH, has signed a three-year deal with national water retailer Wave to supply water and wastewater services which will deliver cost savings of least £67,000. The company owns more than 489 sites in England and Scotland, most of which are branded Esso, BP or Shell.

After needing a recovery period last quarter, the UK manufacturing sector is building back up and has posted another solid performance across key financial indicators, as sales rose 3.94% and active companies increased by 16.66% year-on-year, according to new figures from the Creditsafe Watchdog Report. Growth was overshadowed by a 260.24% increase in bad debt owed to companies in Q4 compared to Q3, and an 8.67% rise in CCJs (County Court Judgments) over the same period.

To make the apprenticeship levy work for them, firms should get expert help says training specialist Develop Training. Chris Wood, CEO of Develop Training Ltd (DTL), was commenting as a government inquiry prepares to hear views about the levy introduced in April last year. Many of those views are likely to be critical with some businesses complaining about red tape and branding the initiative a tax.

An Inclusivity campaign is being launched by manufacturing and engineering membership body, the Made in Group, which includes Made in the Midlands and Made in Yorkshire. The campaign is backed by Baroness Lorely Burt, Parliamentary Spokesperson and Shadow Minister for Business and for Women, and will be officially launched on 22nd January at Manor Grove in Handsworth, Birmingham.

A new intelligence-led B2B marketing agency can now help engineering and construction firms, as it leverages the power of data to create targeted, bespoke marketing campaigns that drive engagement and deliver true return on investment. Transmission has been launched to provide the engineering sector with accessible and highly sophisticated B2B marketing solutions, designed to support the creation of quality sales leads.

Switching water and wastewater supply for all 27 of its sites in England, Roadchef has turned to Wave after it achieved efficiency savings of more than £90,000 across its three Scottish sites in just three years. A new three-year contract with Wave consolidates all 30 of Roadchef’s sites in England and Scotland under a single deal for all water and wastewater services, including monthly meter reads.

Manufacturing and engineering membership body, the Made in Group, which includes Made in the Midlands and Made in Yorkshire, is launching an Inclusivity campaign, backed by Baroness Lorely Burt, Parliamentary Spokesperson and Shadow Minister for Business and for Women. The campaign will be officially launched on 22nd January, at Manor Grove in Handsworth, Birmingham.

The possibility of using the some of the world’s harshest landscapes to produce food, fresh water and clean energy is definitely possible and is proven with the recent opening of the Sahara Forest Project (SFP) launch station outside Aqaba, the Jordan port city. Last month, Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Norway’s Crown Prince Haakon attended the ceremony to mark the official opening of the SFP which began in 2012 and is part funded by the EU and the Norwegian government.

A collaborative research project between Crimson & Co, Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) and Pinsent Masons, has urged that most businesses still need to undertake work around business strategy, technological investment and digital culture and skills, in order for them to be IoT-ready.