Assemtron Ltd

Midlands Motor Cyclists Complete 1,000 Mile Ride in Under 24 Hours

Assemtron Ltd — 01/11/2022

Nigel Maris, Managing Director at Assemtron, recently joined a group of fellow motor cyclists to complete the Saddle Sore 1,000 challenge. This saw them complete a ride of 1105 miles in 23 hours and 40 minutes. The group smashed their target of raising £1,000 for the Midlands Air Ambulance Charity, raising almost 150% more than their original aim.

The Saddle Sore 1,000 Challenge is presented by the Iron Butt UK Association - the world’s toughest motorcycle riders. The team of 5 from the Midlands were proud to submit their achievement to the association, marking it as the official challenge completed. The group decided to take part in the challenge to honour their late friend who passed away due to a motorcycle accident. Nigel said:

“We organised it from scratch following the untimely demise of one of our friends in a crash. We didn’t want it to be specifically about him but to support the Air Ambulance. I also teach scuba diving and the Air Ambulance supports lots of rural adventure sports.”

Deciding to do the challenge and planning all took place within three weeks. The organisation and planning the route of the trip were all critical to ensure the safety of the riders however they did have a backup team that tracked them throughout the 24 hours. Nigel continued:

“We all expected the physical aspects to be the worst but that really wasn’t an issue. The worst bit by far was the last 300 miles in the early hours of the morning maintaining concentration on superbikes with a lack of sleep.”

The Midlands Air Ambulance Service is responsible for attending accident scenes in remote locations, like those that take place during outdoor activities such as walking, climbing, skiing, mountain biking and diving. Nigel concluded:

“The cost of a helicopter with medical staff is around £2,500 per hour. We may have saved one or two lives doing the challenge and hopefully encouraged others to do something similar within their sports.”

Donate now to support the Midlands Air Ambulance by clicking the link below:

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/midlandsmotorbikers

Assemtron Visits Parliament with Fellow Made in Group Members

Assemtron Ltd — 18/10/2022

Made in Midlands member Assemtron, an innovation led business that combines engineering, manufacturing and design services, attended the Westminster event with fellow Made members last week (Tuesday 11th October). Industry Leaders and peers of realm gathered at parliament to network in the Terrace Pavillion and hear from Made in Group Chairman Lord Mike Whitby, Directors and Jackie Doyle-Price MP - Minster of State for Industry.

More than 70 members of Made in the Midlands and Made in Yorkshire attended the event, as well as numerous politicians and other parlimentary leaders. Made in Group is a community of Midlands and Yorkshire manufacturers supporting and championing British Industry. Peers of the realm in attendance included Lord Mike Whitby, Jackie Doyle-Price MP, Lee Anderson MP, Jack Brereton MP and Matthew Hadrian Marshal Carrington MP.

Jackie, Minster of State for Industry, did a speech on the day relaying her support for British industry and particularly the #mfgbackingbritain campaign from Made in Group. The campaign aims to support British manufacturing by encouraging businesses to reshore and buy British. Jackie said:

"I believe in manufacturing. It is part of our future not just heritage, and the manifesto Jason spoke about is a good starting point. This could be my manifesto, it is what I want to do. I think Britain is best and I think everything made in Britain is best."

In an earlier part of the event, Jason Pitt, CEO of Made in Group, read out the open letter to government that was created on behalf of the Made in Group members. The letter called on Government to debate and act on:

Growing and safeguarding Britain’s manufacturing capacity
Providing secure, clean and affordable energy for the long term
Ownership of British businesses

Nigel Maris, Director at Assemtron, throughly enjoyed the event and found it particulary beneficial to chat with fellow members of the Made in Group face to face. Nigel said:

"It was interesting hearing from the Minster of State for Industry and how she aims to support manufacturing. I also found it useful talking to other members and businesses, sharing stories and issues that are common across the Industry."

Close Support – Designing for Growth

Assemtron Ltd — 04/08/2023

Assemtron Ltd, was engaged by its long-standing customer to assist in the redesign of their market-leading product. Smoke Control Systems Ltd, has been at the cutting edge of fire and smoke control in high rise and multiple occupancy buildings for many years. Almost a victim of its own success, the growth in the demand for its leading-edge control panel meant that the time-served manufacturing methods were struggling to keep up with demand. Pressure on component prices in the post Brexit era squeezed margins and production processes that worked well in lower volumes were not best suited to meet the growing demand for product. Whilst there was a good marketing case for a product redesign no one wanted to make changes that might be detrimental to the original design and its perception in the marketplace.

Smoke Control Systems had developed the electronics and firmware that meets the EN12101, BS9999, BS9991, and Approved Document B requirements for smoke and fire control. The design brief was to revisit the product design and the manufacturing processes with a view to improving the styling, usability, and manufacturing efficiency without undermining the winning attributes of the core product.

Assemtron is the contract manufacturer of the product and actively manages the supply chain, logistics, assembly, and testing. Smoke Control Systems procures key items and together the supply chain has evolved into a fluid and efficient process. However, the increasing demand meant that the manufacturing methods used to create the external casing were not suitable for the growing numbers. Equally the manufacturing labour element was due an overhaul. This was the one area where cost savings could be achieved to mitigate the rising cost of outsourced components.

The design overhaul was carried out as an open book, close cooperation where all aspects of the design were challenged.

External design expertise was included in the mix with the support of Birmingham University. The product review determined the elements that frankly we didn’t want to disturb and then Smoke Control Systems provided valuable feedback gleaned from many years of site installation and technical support work. Features that the installers liked, were preserved and aspects that caused frustration on site were revisited.

On top of this, the sequence of box building, and electronics assembly were reviewed. The proposed changes were fed into the design team and the new product was created in CAD form. The CAD drawings were 3d printed at Aston University. Prototypes were fully assembled with the revised electronics and the ensuing prototypes were evaluated. The process involved a few turns around the design circle with various tweaks and changes incorporated. The final stage was to invest in injection moulding tools for volume manufacture.

The close collaboration meant that there were no surprises, everything was there to be challenged and the final product met the requirements of the different stakeholders.

From Smoke Control Solutions’ perspective, the unit cost of the product was reduced as was the manufacturing lead-time.

From Assemtron’s perspective, the redesign meant that the product could be assembled from one direction and built up in logical steps. The need to assemble from different faces simultaneously disappeared. There was a reduction in handling as the unit could be assembled in one position. Labels were replaced with screen printing and the mounting locations for key components were incorporated into the outer body. This removed the need for loose components such as mechanical fixings and cable ties. Sub-assemblies could be made offline, and testing could be carried out on sub-assemblies prior to final assembly. This reduced the technical risks along the critical path.

From the end user’s perspective, the product can be installed and tested as an operational device prior to fitting the aesthetically enhanced, outer cover. The unit is much easier to access and position during installation. The installation time is therefore shorter, and provision has been made to facilitate cable management and onsite testing. The end customer benefits from the cutting-edge technology whilst realising a reduction in installation time and product costs.

The hidden benefits include a reduction in field support and servicing costs and the ability to stack enclosures prior to assembly. Fortunately, within the Midlands, there is a plethora of technical and academic bodies that can work together to achieve a common objective.

Assemtron actively encourages collaborative projects as these can deliver cost effective and robust solutions. Most importantly there are no unwanted surprises along the way and the clients know the status of their projects in real time.

For more information on product innovation and product rejuvenation please contact us through the contact page or via info@assemtron.com

Assemtron’s MD Set To Complete 1000 Mile Journey to Raise Money for The Myton Hospices

Assemtron Ltd — 31/07/2023

On September 6th 2023, Assemtron Ltd’s Managing Director Nigel Maris will be completing a journey of 1000 miles in under 24 hours, to raise funds for the amazing service at The Myton Hospices.

The minimal distance involved in this event must be at least 1000 miles. Last year, Nigel achieved as part of this group 1100 miles in 23 hours and 45 minutes.

Nigel Maris, Managing Director at Assemtron Ltd, said: “I said I would never do the 1000 mile in 24 hour challenge ever again! For a number of reasons the team is getting together for another mission. We have teamed up with Myton Hospice to raise funds for their amazing service. Many of our families have already benefited from their support and some of us are anticipating further support needs. Once again we are shaking down the waterproof gear, preparing the bikes and questioning our sanity but making the commitment to the ride.”

Based in Warwickshire, The Myton Hospice's Patient & Carer Wellbeing Service works with patients, families and carers to support people to improve their wellbeing and quality of life. Last year, Myton Hospices supported more than 1,500 people and their families, in three hospices, via their patient & family support services, and in the community through Myton at Home.

This motorcycle event is conducted under strict rules and riders will need to provide evidence of times and locations along the route. The target distance of 1000 miles has to be exceeded, as the scrutineers will determine the shortest theoretical distance between the marked locations.

There is a support team that monitors riders progress and tracks the road works and weather conditions. Those taking part also have the support of the hospice and from within the motorcycle industry.

Speaking on the support of others, Nigel Maris, Managing Director at Assemtron Ltd said: “The physical effort is the easy bit. The mental challenge is hard to describe and the team spirit has to be robust and positive. This is about the hospice, the mental challenge and the support of friends, colleagues and supporters of Myton Hospice. Whether you can pledge a £1 or more we welcome and thank you for getting behind this.”

Please offer your donations below. Every donation will go directly to the charity and no costs are taken.

LINK TO DONATE

Assemtron Backed By Aerospace Programme Along with Others

Assemtron Ltd — 04/08/2022

Assemtron is part of four Midlands companies who have been awarded more than £3.8m as part of an aerospace innovation programme.

Designed to help smaller companies develop new technologies to make aviation greener, Aerospace Unlocking Potential (UP) is £20m programme, from the University of Nottingham and the Midlands Aerospace Alliance (MAA), supported by the European Regional Development Fund and Midlands Engine.

Assemtron, Skyfarer, KITAU Robotics and Holscot Fluoropolymers now join more than 200 other companies from across the region that have benefited from the scheme, which is due to run until summer 2023.

Professor Pat Wheeler, head of power electronics in the faculty of engineering at the University of Nottingham, said: "We are very excited to open the university up to businesses at this critical time where the industry has been affected by three waves of disruption - Brexit, Covid and climate change.

"With Aerospace UP, we have created a new and accessible way to offer innovation support to companies throughout the supply chain, who historically would not access the facilities and extensive range of expertise at the university.

"This is a pivotal time for the industry, and we hope that we can make a difference to the future prosperity of the sector, the region and the country through this initiative."

Assemtron Reaps Rewards of Microsite as Main Domain

Assemtron Ltd — 02/02/2023

All paying Made members are set up with a microsite. A microsite is a mini website connected to a domain, in which there can be multiple. Assemtron’s microsite, which is connected to the Made in the Midlands website - first on google for Midlands manufacturing, is proving to be successful after the company made the site their main online domain.

Assemtron is an innovation led business that combines engineering and design services with its in-house manufacture and assembly of electronics and electro-mechanical products, based in Stratford- upon- avon. Combining the art of software development and Internet of Things (IoT), the company helps rejuvenate existing products and deliver new products.

In 2020, Assemtron launched a brand new website built by a local developer, whilst the website was well developed and designed, the seo for the platform was not performing as the company wished.

The Made in the Midlands domain has been established for more than 10 years. With many established manufacturing names attached to microsites that link back to the main domain, the website has become the first html on google when searching ‘Midlands manufacturing’.

Since moving their domain to the Made in the Midlands website, in early 2022, the company has received more quality leads that have led to working with new businesses. Nigel Maris, Director at Assemtron, found the process of switching domains easy to achieve and has found the exposure MIM has to offer invaluable. He said:

“MIM has a high following and massive database, in less than a year we have found this very beneficial to connect with potential customers and find new suppliers. This goes hand in hand with the online exposure being part of the platform and community of businesses it has to offer, from the events to uploading news to the website.”

Visit Assemtron’s Microsite: https://assemtron.madeinthemidlands.com/

Founder Member of MIM Re-joins to Use Microsite as Main Website

Assemtron Ltd — 12/05/2022

Innovation led business Assemtron, founder members of Made in the Midlands, have recently rejoined the group and moved their main website to the MIM microsite platform - number one of google for Midlands manufacturing.

Assemtron combines engineering and design services with in-house manufacture and assembly of electronics and electro-mechanical products. Working closely with clients, the expert team of engineers deliver new products and rejuvenate existing products - a service which many manufacturers are looking to undertake as net-zero strategies become highly prioritised.

As a transformation driven business, the company works closely with universities, such as the likes of Warwick, Aston and Manchester, to deliver solutions to a multitude of sectors. This includes medical, automotive, aerospace industrial and consumer related projects.

One of the reasons Assemtron rejoined Made in Group was to maximise their presence in the manufacturing industry and get the word out about their remote monitoring offers. Working with clients, the company started with development of smart devices that send data to remote locations delivering process controls, alerts and alarms.

After years of being part of other networking associations, the firm has realised the invaluable connections businesses leaders are able to make at Made in the Midlands. Nigel Maris, Managing Director of Assemtron said:

“Made in the Midlands is for business people, it is a great network to part of to source suppliers, network with contacts and discover potential new customers. At Assemtron, we are able to add smart devices to existing products, a cost effective solution for easy response of communication for members.”

The company decided to remove their own website and make their Made microsite their main contact and information page for their services. A microsite is a website attached to the Made in the Midlands domain, offered to all paying members of the Made in Group. Our domain is number 1 one Google for Midlands manufacturing and therefore is an effective platform for businesses in the industry. Nigel added:

“Our original website was two years old, and we noticed that people were only visiting our site if they didn't know who we were. Our aim is to make genuine connections with users of our website.”

Assemtron hopes that by their website being hosted on the Made in the Midlands domain, it will generate genuine interest and drive traffic to their services. In regards to being part of the group, the company looks forward to making connections, developing a deeper understanding of the manufacturing industry in the Midlands, and sharing their own best practices. Nigel concluded:

“We see this as a two way process. We like to work with local, Midlander’s, to source the skills and services needed to augment and deliver our projects.

We outsource services from laser cutting to specialist software, working with local firms to deliver smart solutions. We will use the MIM site to locate the hidden gems out there to help deliver.”

Manufacturing Scale UP – Keeping It Local

Assemtron Ltd — 20/07/2023

Assemtron Ltd works with companies that have created functional products and are now seeking to scale up and benefit from cost savings and quality, with improvements derived through robust manufacturing techniques.

Combining in-house and networked solutions, Assemtron combines a range of processes and techniques to deliver quality products.The spectrum ranges from laser cutting of plastics and metals through to software upgrades and CNC fabrication.

We can assist with different manufacturing approaches such as finite batch production , fixed and floating schedules and call off programmes.

The key elements typically include supply chain management and logistics, tooling creation, product styling and assembly techniques pertinent to the required volumes.

We can offer supportive measures such as surface mount, robotic assembly, through hole and final product assembly, programming, and testing.

Test regimes can be quite complex with automated sequences and data logging to simple inspection and power up evaluation.

“Design for manufacture” and “design for product certification” are broad subjects and we work closely with external testing bodies and can assist with product development and compliance testing to UK, European and North American requirements.

In some cases, we have gained experience the hard way and learned lessons from product development that may benefit your product roll out.

Collaboration and communication is the name of the game and we would be pleased to discuss your project requirements with you.

Based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Assemtron offers innovation through electronics-design and manufacture. Find out more and get in touch through the company microsite.

Medical products - bringing ideas to market

Assemtron Ltd — 30/01/2023

Assemtron renewed its ISO13485:2016 certification in December and we can help bring medical devices to market. Working with medical clients Assemtron can assist with product design, design for manufacture, protoyping and box-build. We work with a number of testing and certification bodies and we can assist in the scoping of certification testing which typically involves precompliance and full third-party certification to UK, European and north Amercian standards.

We can call on years of experience in the development of products that must comply with EMC, ESD and Electrical safety requirements which may differ from market to market.

Working in a colaboartive fashion, we work with medical professionals to design products that are both ergonomically sound and which stand up to the rigours of trials and certification testing. The product design process encompasses material selection, production processes, electronics design and firmware. Leading edge developments may also involve local universities and we work closely with specialists to formulate and evolve the new solutions.

Recent projects include wearable sensors, laboratory dosing systems and testing equipment for clinical trials using wireless connectivity. Please make contact with us through the microsite or via email to discuss your project requirements and we will be pleased to assit you.

info@assemtron.com

Tel +44 1789 335800