Wendy Tai, Director of Product Marketing for ServiceMax, looks at why there is a need for a Gen Z injection to meet digital-driven maintenance challenges and asks whether the industry is doing enough to embrace and train a younger generation of technicians?

Make UK, the manufacturers’ organisation, will hold this year’s National Manufacturing Conference, in London on Tuesday 27 February 2024. The flagship annual event at the QEII Conference Centre, Westminster will once again bring together leading politicians, senior industrialists, and manufacturing innovators against a challenging landscape of high energy prices, supply chain pressures and an uncertain economic climate.

Digital Catapult, the UK authority on advanced digital technology, has announced five pioneering UK businesses chosen for a new Hydrogen Sensor Accelerator Programme.

Visku, a supply chain consulting and warehouse solutions provider, has announced it hosted a special event for the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) at its Wellingborough HQ on 24th January where Jonathan Reynolds, the Shadow Secretary of State for Business & Trade, set out Labour’s plan for small businesses.

Four Northern Ireland manufacturing companies are preparing to transform their production operations and improve their output, after graduating from the latest Digital Catapult Smart Nano NI Accelerator Programme. Following the completion of the programme, it is hoped that by adopting new digital solutions these four companies will further accelerate smart manufacturing in Northern Ireland.

To encourage more girls to consider careers in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects, global engineering technologies company, Renishaw, has hosted students from Denmark Road High School in Gloucester.

Fluid Power & Systems and Air-Tech, alongside Drives & Controls, will be taking place at the NEC on June 5th and 6th as part of Smart Manufacturing & Engineering Week 2024. Readers of Plant & Works Engineering will find much of interest among the new technology and educational content both in these 2 events  and in the adjoined Smart Factory Expo, Maintec and Design Engineering Expo events. PWE takes a closer look at what visitors can expect.

Bureau Veritas, a world leader in testing, inspection, and certification, has announced that it has been awarded two new accreditations by the UK Accreditation Service (UKAS) to deliver services on behalf of its energy and engineering technical service business units, ISO/IEC 17021-1:2015 and ISO/IEC 17065:2012.

In the ever-evolving world of plant maintenance equipment and services, the landscape is marked by increased demand for essential solutions that play a pivotal role in sustaining key sectors, both domestically in the UK and beyond. As industries strive for greater efficiency and productivity, a notable shift is taking place. PWE offers an overview of the growing significance of Maintenance 4.0.

Bachy Soletanche has announced it recently switched from diesel to electric forklifts at its manufacturing site in Burscough, Lancashire, as part of a companywide plan to reduce emissions by 40% by 2030.

The Manufacturing Technologies Association (MTA) traditionally support two charities during the year and for the first time, the President’s Charity has been chosen as the Children’s Hospital Charity, supporting Sheffield Children's Hospital to provide world-class care to children from all over the world.

Regular pump system maintenance is essential to prevent significant cost and reputational issues. Thomas Marks, General Manager at the Association for Electrical and Mechanical Trades (AEMT) looks at several issues that poor pump maintenance can lead to and outlines some of the key steps that can be taken to minimise the chance of them emerging.

Dave Dyer, technical sales engineer at thermal fluid specialist Global Heat Transfer, explains how manufacturers can make changes around the facility to improve the productivity of their heat transfer system and better prepare for incidents that could lead to health and safety risks or costly downtime.

James Goodby, director at voltage optimisation specialist Powerdown220, explains how avoiding running unnecessary voltage through your equipment also reduces your maintenance costs.

Wendy Tai, Director of Product Marketing for ServiceMax, looks at why there is a need for a Gen Z injection to meet digital-driven maintenance challenges and asks whether the industry is doing enough to embrace and train a younger generation of technicians?

Atlas Copco Group has launched a new identity, including a new Group logo, a new visual identity, and a new Group message: Technology that transforms the future.

Southern Manufacturing & Electronics 2024 will open its doors again from 6-8 February. PWE takes a closer look at the forthcoming show.

PWE takes a closer look at Turck Banner's programmable lighting solutions

Donal Bourke, PEMAC Director of Sales, delves into the reasons why good maintenance management practices within manufacturing can significantly improve RAM. Additionally, he explores how CMMS software should align with RAM principles to help organisations reach new heights of operational efficiency.

A manufacturer of spice products says it is forecast to double productivity and sales to £2m and create new jobs after investing in data and systems technologies, with the support of Made Smarter.

Chris Johnson, Managing Director at bearing relubrication specialist SMB Bearings, explores how the remanufacturing process can yield economic and environmental benefits

With energy accounting for a significant proportion of the cost of ownership of a compressed air system, operators will want to ensure their equipment is optimised for best performance. Vanda Jones, Executive Director at the British Compressed Air Society discusses the importance of good compressed air system design in helping to mitigate for rising energy costs.

In the ever-evolving world of plant maintenance equipment and services, the landscape is marked by increased demand for essential solutions that play a pivotal role in sustaining key sectors, both domestically in the UK and beyond. As industries strive for greater efficiency and productivity, a notable shift is taking place. PWE offers an overview of the growing significance of Maintenance 4.0.

Amid reports that doubling energy efficiency by 2030 could cut greenhouse gas emissions by as much as a third, energy specialist Aggreko is highlighting some of the key areas that industry can make immediate efficiency gains.

Circular economics is going to be a key focus for global businesses in 2024, according to the President of ABB Electrification Service, Stuart Thompson.

Held on 14 November, the last Talking Industry of 2023 revisited one of its most popular topics of robotics and automation, chaired Andy Pye.

The fact that Hart Door Systems has built a reputation for quality and longevity of its wide range of industrial doors, the importance of door maintenance should not be understated says Keith Fisher, Hart’s National Operations Manager (pictured).

LiftEx 2023, sponsored by CoreRFID, attracted the crowds to the Exhibition Centre located among the docks on the banks of the Mersey in Liverpool on 21-22nd November. Over 1000 visitors across two days came to see the lifting products and services from more than 80 global exhibitors. This included all the latest lifting products including hoists, mobile and overhead cranes, steel chains, wire rope, winches, shackles, web slings, rigging, spreader beams, height safety and load monitoring equipment, IT solutions and more. 

Coventry University’s Vice-Chancellor will speak on how today’s youth can make a real difference at the global climate summit COP28.

The success of the first-ever 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) trans-Atlantic flight by a commercial airline, operated by Virgin Atlantic, signifies a new era in SAF technology. This step towards eco-friendly air travel was made possible thanks to an innovative process, BioForming Sugar to Aromatics (S2A). The technology was originally invented by Virent and jointly developed for commercialisation by Virent and Johnson Matthey. The process marks a significant move towards decarbonising the aviation sector and a breakthrough in SAF.

Fluke, a global technology leader in the manufacture of compact, professional electronic test and measurement tools and software, has announced the expansion of its Premium Care support packages to include a wider range of market-leading industrial and electrical tools.

The Lifting Equipment Engineers Association (LEEA) presented the winners of the LEEA Awards 2023 with their trophies at the Awards Dinner on 21st November, held at the Rum Warehouse in Liverpool. The winners of the annual awards recognising excellence in the lifting industry are as follows:

Tan Delta Systems, a manufacturer of real-time oil quality monitoring sensors and systems is leading the way within the plant, works and maintenance sector with the launch of SENSE-2. The new oil condition monitoring kit provides real-time data about machine oil quality to optimise maintenance and reduce operating costs.

SICK has launched an Industry 4.0 on-premise data intelligence platform that enables manufacturing and logistics organisations to optimise their operating performance. SICK Field Analytics can be quickly and easily set up to provide meaningful, application-specific condition monitoring and process insights, independently of an organisation’s existing machinery and systems.

School pupils, university students and engineers travelled to London this week for the highly prestigious Primary Engineer MacRobert Medal Award Ceremony to receive recognition for their work in creating a Prototype based on a school pupils engineering idea.

Businesses, industry, academia and communities in West Cumbria are reported to be well-placed to work together to maximise a wealth of opportunities.

ABB has announced it has launched its new global sustainability initiative, showcasing the power of technology and expertise to accelerate sustainability while enhancing productivity. ABB says its Real Progress campaign is a rallying call to customers, partners and suppliers, inspiring them to harness technology leadership and the solutions that exist today to amplify their own impact across process industries such as mining, metals, and pulp and paper.

Ovarro, a remote monitoring specialist across several sectors — including water, oil and gas, broadcast, transportation and power — has unveiled an ambitious new Graduate Programme. The initiative is aimed at fortifying Ovarro’s operations in the water management and leak detection industry and developing a dedicated sales division. Five graduate hires have joined the global company at its offices in Chesterfield, UK.

Southern Manufacturing & Electronics 2024 will open its doors again from 6-8 February. PWE takes a closer look at the forthcoming show.

Lifting equipment specialist, Konecranes, has launched its RailQ 3D crane runway survey programme. The package has been designed to provide highly accurate measurement of crane runway alignment and is backed by comprehensive analysis of cloud-based data.

Following the European Union’s launch of a new Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) to reduce emissions across the continent earlier this month, energy solutions specialist Aggreko is encouraging businesses to make sure their energy needs are being correctly specified.

Avoiding process contamination is a necessity for any hygienic application using compressors – ranging from the food and beverage sector, to pharmaceuticals to sensitive electronic environments. Claudia Vignelli, Product Manager Plant Air Centrifugal Compressors Ingersoll Rand, explores the variety of factors to consider when selecting the most appropriate oil-free compressed air technology.

Rockwell Automation has announced that its automation technology sits at the heart of new machines that assemble the Royal British Legion’s new plastic-free poppy.

Greg Wainhouse, Industry Account Manager for Water Applications at Bürkert, explains the importance of reviewing input data for control valve specification

PWE takes a look at how developments in instrument condition monitoring can unlock operational excellence

Christopher Hallum, UE Systems North Europe Operations Manager looks at the role of ultrasound as a condition monitoring tool and why using vibration and ultrasound together is the best way to reach excellence in your maintenance practices

Amina Hamidi, Managing Director of ABB’s Instrumentation Business Line within the Measurement & Analytics Division, was named Industry Personality of the Year at this year’s Instrumentation Excellence Awards. The award was presented at a ceremony in London organised by Instrumentation Monthly publisher Datateam Business Media.

Martyn Williams, managing director of COPA-DATA UK, explains how industry can help to tackle the skills shortage in the sector, with just a little influencing required.

In the fast-evolving digital landscape, manufacturers face unique cybersecurity challenges, with IoT devices experiencing an average of 5,200 attacks per month. Add in ageing equipment, and the challenge to maintain operational resilience increases exponentially. Jeremy Whittingham, industry consultant and member of the Advanced Engineering* team highlights the vulnerabilities associated with outdated technology and provides manufacturers with insights on mitigating risks.

Finning, exclusive distributor of Cat engines and power solutions in the UK and Ireland, overhauled a CHP generator for Southern Water – helping the utilities company to benefit from a lower-cost and more sustainable way to power its operations. PWE reports