Following 2022’s record-breaking heat and forecasts of similar temperatures this summer, an industry expert is calling for proactive contingency planning to protect cold chains and avoid short-term supply shortfalls.

Aston University has announced it is to receive £1.8 million to transform the West Midlands into a powerhouse of low-carbon product development and commercialisation.

Birmingham-based photochemical etching company Precision Micro has announced a series of environmental improvements, highlighted in the release of its first Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Impact report.

The BCMPA – the Association for Contract Manufacturing, Packing, Fulfilment & Logistics has announced that Emma Verkaik will become its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), following the retirement of Rodney Steel on 1st June.

The continued contraction of the UK manufacturing sector further underlines the importance of digital inspection and condition monitoring technology to avoid unplanned maintenance costs in Q3 2023 and beyond, says Alfa Laval’s new Service Operations Manager.

Fluke Reliability, will be discussing a new vision for the future of maintenance on Stand A42 at Maintec 2023, part of Manufacturing & Engineering Week.

Pressure to meet environmentally friendly practices is at an all-time high. Especially now that we are seeing a dramatic increase in global temperatures and natural disasters. The United Nations have set out a Net-Zero target and with manufacturing companies accounting for 16% of the carbon emissions for the UK alone, there is a demand for sustainable operations. Prasanna Kulkarni, Product Architect and Libby Taylor, Research Editor of Comparesoft, explain why manufacturers leverage IIoT and asset management to drive sustainability.

Opportunities for businesses in Cumbria to diversify into the space industry are being brought to the region in June. iSH, the Industrial Solutions Hub, is hosting Space Week across West Cumbria from June 26-30.

Three manufacturers have scooped awards for eco innovations developed as part of a groundbreaking R&D programme.

By Matt Hale, International Sales & Marketing Director, HRS Heat Exchangers

Donaldson, a leading manufacturer of filtration solutions, has announced it will be exhibiting its venting and industrial air expertise at The Battery Show Europe in Stuttgart, Germany, between May 23rd – May 25th, 2023.

Permits are a crucial part of maintenance work. They ensure that the work carries out safely and that everyone involved understands the risks and responsibilities. There are multiple ways you can handle permits. Is digitalisation the answer to it?

As part of its campaign to inspire the next generation of robotics engineers, automation expert FANUC UK has announced it will showcase a suite of education-themed initiatives at Automation UK in Coventry in June

Following climate change-related water shortages across the European continent causing governments to take action, a process industry expert is highlighting the knock-on effect to manufacturers reliant on waterways for cooling processes.

Radwell International has announced it has launched a new UK field buying division headed by Andrew Duke and Daniel Jones.

The skills shortages in engineering has been well documented. Led by the Institution of Engineering & Technology, a national campaign is now underway to try once again to address the shortfall of new entrants and embed engineering into the curriculum.

The week beginning 5th June 2023 is Manufacturing & Engineering Week (www.mandeweek.co.uk) with the centrepiece exhibitions Design & Engineering Expo, Smart Factory Expo, Maintec and the Drives & Controls zone taking place at Birmingham’s NEC on 7th and 8th June.

Turck Banner spoke to PWE about four different applications in the production efficiency category; increasing yields in meat processing, increasing efficiency in assembly stations, Edge Guiding to reduce waste and picking solutions to eliminate errors and returns.

As well as dealing with increasing scrutiny regarding their impact on the environment, the nature of the Oil & Gas sector means that employee welfare is something that must be at the forefront of an organisations’ thoughts. Experts at FPE Seals have dived deep into the numerous ways employee welfare can be managed.

Schaeffler has launched a ‘Grease App’, which it says offers a solution for complex rolling bearing lubrication questions. PWE reports

PWE looks at how an online monitoring solution using ultrasonic sensors was able to detect an issue on a critical bearing before it turned into a big problem.

PWE Spoke to Jörgen Friesendahl, Global Offer Manager for data driven machining at Sandvik Coromant, who offers advice to the metal cutting industry on implementing smart factory solutions — both to reduce carbon and increase profits.

ICS Cool Energy’s Cold Store containers have allowed a leading international brewery to keep its reactor vessels in reliable temperature-controlled environment and maintain consistency of the fermentation process. PWE reports.

Anyone with responsibility for warehouse equipment must consider the question of if the equipment is faulty, do you repair or replace? Rite-Hite’s Thorsten Mauritz explains further.

Maintec returns on 7th and 8th of June 2023 at Birmingham’s NEC as part of Nineteen Group’s Manufacturing & Engineering Week (M&E Week) www.mandeweek.co.uk . PWE reports

Chris Johnson, managing director of ceramic bearings specialist SMB Bearings, explains the specifications, capabilities and differences of full ceramic and hybrid bearings.

Petrochemical processes have traditionally been heated with fossil fuels, but pressure is building to mitigate carbon dioxide emissions and advance long-term decarbonisation goals. Fossil fuel heated processes leave big shoes to fill when it comes to thermal processes, so electric process heaters often raise two big questions: how big can an electric heater be? And what is required to maintain proper control of large electric heaters? Dennis Long, Chief System Designer at industrial electric equipment manufacturer Watlow, explains further

Digitalisation and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) represents the next level of industrial automation. Consultant editor at DFA and chair Andy Pye summarises some of the discussions from the recent Talking Industry episode

The British Compressed Air Society (BCAS) has launched a new compressed air installation best practice guide (BPG 101). As one of the only truly impartial guides in the UK, the guide covers ‘installation’ in terms of the collection of equipment and processes within the compressed air system. PWE reports.

Donal Bourke, Sales Director, PEMAC explains how CMMS software can support preventive maintenance strategies within manufacturing organisations.

Real time process control for food manufacture has come a significant step closer, thanks to pioneering research work at University College Dublin into viscosity measurement techniques for characterising the flow and mixability of highly non-Newtonian fluids.

Bentley Systems, has announced the winner of Bentley Education’s iTwin4Good Challenge.

ABB’s Robotics and Discrete Automation business has announced it is expanding its presence in Ireland with the opening of a new office in Dundalk, Co Louth.

Daemon3D Print has announced it is launching a new initiative that equips and supports teachers to deliver highly effective lessons on how to use and apply 3D printers and scanners. It is aimed at both STEM and arts subject specialists for key stages 3 and 4.

Manufacturing, assembly and testing specialist Express Engineering has announced it is linking up with schools and training providers in a new initiative to attract engineering apprenticeship talent and secure future skills.

Adem Kulauzovic, Director of Automation, Domino Printing Sciences, highlights why food and beverage manufacturers should adopt traceability solutions to protect their consumers, brand image, and bottom line.

Developing gas reaction experimental research apparatus for academia, DarbyTech needed a valve system that could handle both methane and ammonia. The valve manifold system also had to achieve multi-channel mixing of these gases, and scalable gas distribution options were also required for system expansion potential. DarbyTech turned to Bürkert’s engineers to provide the right valve solution.

ABB has launched its new film series: Unstoppable. This series aims to promote diversity and profile three remarkable female leaders in the mining, pulp and paper, and metals industries.

Carl Knight – managing director of process steam and heat transfer specialist Fulton – looks at the advantages of electric steam boilers versus their traditional fuel-fired counterparts.

The Government’s new Energy Bill Relief Scheme, which came into effect on the 1st of October - is encouraging compressed air users to act now to minimise their compressed air energy consumption for the long-term through a series of low-cost measures. PWE reports.

Airborne & structure-borne ultrasound has become a major player in bearing condition monitoring. Once considered just a leak detector, more maintenance & reliability professionals are beginning to realise all of the benefits associated with using ultrasound for condition monitoring applications. The P-F Curve with which we have all become familiar with reflects that trend.

As energy prices continue to soar across Europe, operators may be tempted to delay the recommended maintenance intervals and routine service on compressed air systems in order to save cost. However, this can be an expensive mistake says Gary Spence, Service Operations Leader from CompAir

Serena Cooper, QMS International, looks at closing the skills gap in manufacturing and engineering

Gary Wilde, Technical Services Officer at the British Pump Manufacturers Association (BPMA) offers some basic information and guidance on purchasing, maintaining, and designing pump systems for optimum energy efficiency, CO2 reduction and capital expenditure payback time.

Global miner Anglo American has overcome persistent reliability problems at an important iron ore project in Brazil with the help of Sulzer pump specialists. PWE reports.

Johan Jonzon, CMO and Co-Founder of edge analytics platform developer, Crosser, explains how edge analytics provides instantaneous data to prevent unscheduled downtime.

With JKH Drainage moving to a new 6-acre site to give the company the capacity to grow and take on larger projects, PWE looks at a key piece of equipment to cope with the increased volume of raw materials and finished products - a 35t capacity Straddle Carrier from the Irish manufacturer Combilift.

Whether we’re in a residential or an industrial setting, we’ve all encountered situations where we’re forced to put up with noise disturbance from a pump, pipe or fan, but should we have to? Adam Fox, director at vibration control specialist Mason UK, explains why simply following the available guidance should eliminate this all-too-common problem.

Schneider Electric, the leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, has announced a multi-year extension to its technological partnership with Warburtons to improve production at six of its manufacturing sites across the UK and mitigate the rising cost of energy and raw materials.

Do you ever wish you had x-ray eyes to see inside a machine to predict exactly when it will fail? The reality is probably a relentless routine of maintenance checklists and service inspections, together with time-consuming preventive procedures. Nevertheless, unexpected lapses in product quality and machine failures are still likely to happen. PWE spoke to David Hannaby, Market Product Manager for SICK UK to find out more.