ROUND-UP OCTOBER 2019
In Brief
Industry
ExxonMobil investment
ExxonMobil has secured
planning permission for an
£800 million investment at its
refinery in Fawley, Hampshire.
The investment will see
production of ultra-low-sulphur
diesel at the plant increase
by 45%, reducing the need to
import diesel from overseas.
Construction at the site will start
in late 2019, with production
commencing in 2021.
MTC
MTC to open new centre
The Coventry-based
Manufacturing Technology
Centre (MTC) is to open a new
centre in Liverpool to support
manufacturing growth and
innovation in the region. The
MTC will be establishing its
new 440m2 facility, with a staff
of more than 60 at Liverpool
Science Park. The MTC has had
a presence in the city for the
past four years with a facility
at Liverpool John Moores
University, but has significantly
expanded its operations in
recent years.
Hams Hall hits milestone
BMW’s engine plant at Hams
Hall near Birmingham has
celebrated the production of
its five millionth powertrain.
The factory builds three- and
four-cylinder engines for BMW
and Mini models. In 2018, over
375,000 engines were made at
the plant, representing 13% of
all engines made in the UK.
Report warns of
auto disruption
One of Europe’s iconic
car brands will go out
of business in the next
three years, according
to a survey of the
European automotive
sector by digital
manufacturing
specialists, Protolabs.
More than half of
respondents to The
Innovation Race expect
a big name to fall victim
to the unprecedented
period of change
currently being seen
across the globe.
Over half (55%) of
those surveyed cited
stricter environmental
regulation in the
coming 12 months as
the most pressing
short-term concern,
while 52% believe a
new entrant will disrupt
the market with a
revolutionary new
kind of vehicle over
the next three years.
The survey, which
interviewed over 300
senior leaders from
car makers and major
suppliers including
BMW, JLR and Williams
F1, also highlighted the
need to embrace the
next industrial
revolution, with 71%
indicating that they
must adopt Industry
4.0 or digital processes
in order to survive.
“There appears to
be a perfect storm
developing in the
automotive sector, with
trade wars, Brexit and
electrification creating
a time of extreme
change for the car
brands and supply
chain,” warned Bjoern
Klaas, vice president
and managing director
of Protolabs Europe.
People
Juergen Maier, chief
executive of Siemens UK,
has announced that he is to
step down from the role on 31
December. In a blog post, he
said he had made the decision
to “improve his work/life
balance”. He will be replaced
by UK head of products &
systems sales, Carl Ennis.
Applications to roles in
the manufacturing sector
rose by 12.1% in September,
when compared to the same
month last year, according to
CV-Library. Pay also increased
by 8.1% year-on-year, bringing
the average salary for new
manufacturing jobs up to
£30,663 per annum.
Skills & Training
Siemens sponsorships
Siemens has announced a new
undergraduate sponsorship
programme. The Digital
Academy will pay selected
students £3,000 a year from
the second year of university
as well as up to 12 weeks’
paid summer placement
within Siemens. Following
graduation, students will be
given the chance to join the
company’s graduate scheme.
New HNC apprenticeship
In-Comm Training and the
University of Wolverhampton
have launched a new HNC
Higher Apprenticeship to
fast-track budding engineers
to a degree-level qualification
via a vocational route. The
Apprenticeship Levy-funded
course was launched in the
West Midlands in September
and has already attracted 20
potential candidates.
Hot topic
Global sales of industrial robots hit a
record high of $16.5 billion in the last 12
months, according to the International
Federation of Robotics. The UK saw a 1%
year-on-year growth in robot installations.
Materials Handling
IMHX goes bi-annual
The organisers of the UK’s
leading supply chain and
intralogistics event, IMHX,
have announced that from
2021, the show will be
increasing its frequency from
every three years to every two.
Event director Rob Fisher
said that the move would
allow exhibitors to have more
regular contact with current
and potential customers.
New warehouse at FUCHS
Construction of a £5 million,
fully automated warehouse
with 4,000 pallet spaces
for storing raw materials
is underway at FUCHS
Lubricants’ headquarters in
Hanley, Staffordshire. The
development, which will open
in the middle of next year, is
the latest step in an ongoing
£10 million investment
programme at the factory.
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