ROUND-UP SEPTEMBER 2019
In Brief
Industry
Largest hydrogen plant
Energy storage company, ITM
Power, has announced a deal
to open a new manufacturing
facility in Sheffield. When
operational in the summer
of 2020, the 12,500m2 factory
will have an electrolyser
manufacturing capacity of
up to 1GW (1,000MW) per
year, the largest in the world.
CCEP
Two new lines for CCEP
Coca-Cola European Partners
(CCEP) has invested £23 million
in two new production lines
at its factory in East Kilbride.
The new cutting-edge robotic
multi-pack filler lines were
custom-made for CCEP, and
will create 18 new roles at the
plant. Scottish First Minister
Nicola Sturgeon was on hand
to officially open the new lines
(above), commenting that
CCEP’s investment “is further
evidence of the importance of
our manufacturing industry to
Scotland’s future success.”
Upgraded Rexroth services
Automation expert Bosch
Rexroth has completed a
significant two-year investment
in its UK service and repair
centre, resulting in a facility
with higher capacity, faster
throughput and state-of-the-art
technology. The new workshop,
which specialises in the repair
of hydraulic products, is based
at the company’s UK HQ in
St Neots, Cambridgeshire.
Mentor launches
online FLT course
Leading forklift and
safety management
training provider
Mentor FLT Training is
set to launch an online
training course to help
managers fit training
around daily demands.
Called Managing
Forklift Operations, it
is the first e-learning
course of its kind in
the UK. It is AITTaccredited,
and has
been specifically
developed by Mentor
for those responsible
for overseeing forklift
use on-site.
It outlines their
personal responsibilities
for safety and provides
the vital knowledge and
confidence required to
recognise bad practice
and stop it in its tracks.
Not only does the
course help businesses
meet their legal
responsibilities under
Approved Code of
Practice L117, it also
demonstrates the
associated benefits of
safe operations, giving
managers the skills to
help keep their business
safe and profitable, for
the long-term.
The online course is
more concise but as
comprehensive as the
original, with plenty of
engaging content,
interactive videos and
hard-hitting statistics.
Content is divided into
manageable sections
to aid online learners.
It also gives timepressed
managers
the opportunity to learn
flexibly, when and
wherever suits them,
and over fewer hours
than a classroom-
based alternative.
People & Skills
Andrew Hodgson, strategic
lead for digitalisation at
Siemens, has been announced
as the new vice president
of the Manufacturing
Technologies Association
(MTA). He has been a member
of the MTA board for several
years, as well as chairing its
technical committee.
The University of
Wolverhampton has
been awarded a £370,000
EU grant to help address
the industry’s skills gap. The
funds will be used to provide
training around advanced
manufacturing techniques,
specifically in Additive Layer
Manufacturing (ALM).
Sustainability
‘Lube Cube’ cuts plastic
Stoke-based lubricants
manufacturer FUCHS has
saved 500,000 tonnes of
plastic – equivalent to 60
million carrier bags – in
just seven years, thanks to
a revolutionary dispensing
solution. In 2012, FUCHS
introduced the Lube Cube,
a recyclable cardboard
container as an alternative to
a traditional plastic carton.
Bentley causes a buzz
Bentley Motors has continued
its push to become one of the
greenest manufacturers in
the UK with the introduction
of 120,000 Apis Mellifera
honey bees at its factory
in Crewe. Two hives, each
capable of making 15kg of
honey, have been established,
boosting local biodiversity
and providing a sweet treat for
workers at the plant.
Hot topic
Project HELIX, a Welsh government and
EU-backed scheme to boost Wales’ food
and drink manufacturing sector, has been
hailed a success after it provided benefits of
over £110 million since its launch in 2016.
Advanced Manufacturing
AFRC turns eyes to space
The Advanced Forming
Research Centre (AFRC),
in conjunction with Airbus
Defence & Space and TWI,
has started a two-year,
European Space Agencyfunded
project to bring
the manufacture of space
propellant tanks back to
the UK. Airbus currently
purchases the tanks from
Germany or the US.
BAC utilises additive tech
Lightweight supercar
manufacturer BAC has
harnessed the power of
additive manufacturing
(AM) during the design of
a new air intake system for
its revolutionary Mono R
model. The Liverpoolbased
company turned to
AM specialists Stratasys to
produce fully functional
prototypes in record time.
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