SPRINGING
TO SUCCESS
Keighley manufacturer, Airedale Springs,
is taking the opportunity to ensure the
company is more robust against future
disruption
The manufacturing industry, like all sectors,
was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic,
from supply chains to the factory floor.
Tim Parkinson, chairman of Keighleybased
spring manufacturer, Airedale
Springs, believes that something has to
change now, so that manufacturers can prevent a
similar situation from happening again.
“Not since the imposition of the three-day
week back in the 1970s has an event forced
companies to work differently,” he says. “Any
good business should examine its operation,
what it does and why; and is it beneficial to the
business, its employees and the environment; not
just for today but also for tomorrow. The world
has changed and so must we.”
So, Airedale Springs is taking a closer look
at some of the ways that businesses can protect
themselves from being negatively affected by
events like these in the future.
Investing in smart factories
Automation has been a vital component of the
manufacturing industry even before the global
pandemic, but it’s now clearer than ever that
implementing a smart factory can go a long way
to prevent issues such as skills and raw material
Automation has
helped Airedale
Springs ride out
the worst effects
of the pandemic
shortages, which are detrimental
to both productivity and the
bottom line.
“Industry 4.0 technologies,
such as the Internet of Things
and autonomous robots,
can offer better solutions to
manufacturing businesses in the
future,” says Parkinson. “These
include creating a safe workspace
for staff, using virtual reality
or remote communication for
training, helping to create a more
flexible workforce and aiding in
the development of innovative
processes and systems.”
For those businesses that
haven’t invested in automation
yet – or those that know they
could be doing more – the
pandemic has proved to be a
catalyst for change. For instance,
manufacturers need agile and
flexible processes if they hope
to survive an event such as the
coronavirus outbreak.
As spring manufacturers,
automation is a key feature
of Airedale Springs’ shopfloor
– from the cutting-edge
simulation software to the
latest CNC machines that
allow company to manufacture
products to clients’ exact
specifications.
Working around
skills shortages
Businesses that relied mainly on
personnel during lockdown saw
how hard it was to stay open or
to conduct business as normally
as possible. Automation offers
an added degree of safety that
is capable of keeping businesses
FUTURE-PROOFING SEPTEMBER 2020
afloat even during the most
challenging of circumstances.
Social distancing is likely
to remain in place for a while,
which means businesses
may have to learn to perform
with a reduced workforce.
The manufacturing industry
is already suffering from a
skills gap and from a lack of
young people interested in
manufacturing, which only
serves to worsen the problem.
“Automation ensures
that production carries on
even if you’re unable to have
a fully staffed premise, and
it can help you to keep the
quality high no matter what,
continues Parkinson. “So, while
the potential of personnel
restrictions can lead to limited
production (and even shut
the facility in its entirety),
an investment in automated
processes and machinery, as well
as on digital technologies, can
provide businesses with a great
deal of security and prepare
them for future issues.”
Diversifying supply chains
It became clear from the outset
of the pandemic that many
(if not most) manufacturing
businesses around the world
BY CHRIS BECK
1998
Airedale introduced
flexible working
over 20 years ago
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