MAN Group

MAN creates 125 jobs after record-breaking year

MAN Group — 20/02/2018

A unique industrial collective is casting aside the shadows of Brexit by recording its best ever year, with a £10m increase in sales paving the way for 125 new jobs.

The Manufacturing Assembly Network (MAN), which comprises eight sub-contract manufacturers and an engineering design agency, has taken full advantage of the positive exchange rate for Sterling and a desire to tap into British innovation to win contracts across the automotive, aerospace, electronics, renewables and medical sectors.

All nine firms have experienced growth over the last twelve months and have benefitted from sharing best practice, purchasing power and working together to target new clusters.

The expansion now means that MAN employs a 1000-strong combined workforce across 15 factories and boasts an order book that is fast approaching £90m, with 40% of that turnover sent overseas.

I am a firm believer in the power of collaboration and that is exactly what has helped us to grow the collective and our individual businesses over the last year, explained Rowan Crozier, CEO of Brandauer and the new Chairman of the Manufacturing Assembly Network.

We were all together when the results of the European Referendum vote were announced and we were shocked. That feeling lasted for about ten minutes and then, like typical manufacturers, we decided to roll-up our sleeves and see how we could make the most out of the situation. The fall in the price of Sterling has certainly been a big help.

He continued: This is only one element though. The UK is a great place to manufacture and we are becoming increasingly competitive with our international rivals thanks to a renewed focus on training, investment in automation and a willingness to innovate. Those are the true ingredients behind our success.

The Manufacturing Assembly Network is made up of Alucast, Barkley Plastics, Brandauer, Grove Design, KimberMills International, Mec Com, Muller Holdings, PP Control & Automation and SMT Developments.

Together they offer every engineering discipline imaginable, including automation and control systems, casting, design, forging, plastic injection moulding, PCB development and precision stamped parts.

It is also currently working with Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) to improve processes and commercialise new technologies.

Rowan continued: This is a very exciting time to be taking the reins at MAN and theres some immediate opportunities I want to focus on, primarily widening the networks reach to win more business and strengthening our existing relationships with academia.

Theres also plenty of new sectors we have yet to really touch and well be looking to take our message out on the road to firms involved in the aerospace, military and defence sectors.

For the first time in its history, the group will have a Deputy Chairman with Adam Cunningham of Muller Holdings unanimously voted in.

All of the members are striving to be best in their chosen field and when you bring all this together in one collective force it is a strong message to take to potential customers.

Last year, £5m was invested across nine companies and encompassed factory extensions, new CNC machines, robotic welding cells and the recruitment of apprentices. I can see this figure being even higher in 2018.

More details on MAN can be found at www.man-group.co.uk or @man_group_ on twitter.

Barkley Plastics rides on the crest of the automotive wave with £1m contract haul

MAN Group — 30/03/2016

A Birmingham plastic injection moulding specialist is benefitting from the UK automotive boom after landing more than £1m of new contracts.

Barkley Plastics - a member of the Midlands Assembly Network - has announced new work including interior parts and light guides for several major automotive OEMs and a rapidly expanding supercar manufacturer.

It comes after a hugely successful twelve months that has seen the firm take on 15 new staff, exceed sales targets and invest more than £500,000 on a new EDM machine, a650 tonne injection mould press, a 420 tonne press and new cranes in preparation for handling bigger tools.

This has given it the capacity to produce larger components and to manufacture more than 50 million mouldings every year for automotive clients and customers involved in construction, electronics, medical and retail.

We have always been a trusted supplier to the tier 1s and car makers and that is what the business has been built onhaving said that, the last eighteen months has been some of our most successful in this arena, explained Matt Harwood, Business Development Manager at Barkley Plastics.

Investment in the domestic auto sector has gone through the roof and we have certainly benefitted from being located close to a number of major plants. There is also a willingness to buy parts from the UK, with many of the orders weve secured won back from overseas.

He went on to add: When things are in the ascendancy its a good time to build on your strengths and we have invested significantly in a new Negri Bossi press, a new assembly line and recruiting more tool makers and apprentices.

In fact, our in-house toolroom fairly rare for a company of our size is one of our real selling points. We offer a lifetime guarantee on tools made in house, but to cope with the tooling demand we also now have a Barkley Asia Tooling department, which project manages large suites of tools that we put out to the Far East.

This approach provides customers with the comfort of knowing that their project is being handled by a firm with 50 years experience.

Employing 115 people at its Highgate factory, Barkley Plastics offers a host of manufacturing solutions including injection moulding, gas injection moulding, two shot moulding and the recently introduced in-weld mould capability.

In addition to the automotive contracts, the firms team of designers, engineering and production specialists are responsible for delivering parts to leading retailers, household product manufacturers and large medical and electronics processors.

The companys own brand - Plasfloor - has also become a leader in industrial PVC flooring, bringing in £500,000 of revenue since its introduction.

Our involvement in the Midlands Assembly Network (MAN), a group of nine sub-contract manufacturers, has been hugely beneficial, continued Matt.

Being able to share best practice with like-minded firms is great and weve been able to pool resources to make more competitive purchasing decisions.

However, the biggest advantage has been the collaboration that has brought in new contracts. An example being the parts we produce and the assembly service we provide for Loqski (a portable locking device for skiers).

Were about to launch an exciting new group as part of MAN, which we believe could lead to more than £2m of additional orders.

The Midlands Assembly Network provides expertise in automation, casting, CNC machining, control systems, design, forgings, high volume precision pressings, PCB manufacture, prototyping, sheet metal fabrication and stamping.

In addition to Barkley Plastics, it features member companies Alucast, Brandauer, Grove Design, KimberMills International, Mec Com, Muller England, PP Electrical Systems and SMT Developments.

For further information, please visit www.barkley.uk or follow @barkleyplastics on twitter. More details on Plasfloor, go to www.plasfloor.co.uk

Brandauer’s 150th anniversary ‘thank you’ for customers and suppliers

MAN Group — 10/07/2012

Brandauer celebrated a major milestone in style when it hosted more than 80 of its closest suppliers, customers and business partners.

The event, which was held at Moor Hall in Sutton Coldfield, was designed to recognise the support the company has received over the last 150 years.

During that time, the Birmingham-based firm has grown into one of the world’s leading specialists in precision components, supplying customers across the automotive, domestic goods, electronics, medical and renewable sectors.

David Spears, Managing Director at Brandauer, commented: “This was the first time we’ve been able to get everyone together to say thank you for helping us through the good and bad times.

“During the 150 years we’ve gone from being pioneers in the pen trade to supplying critical components to the Large Hadron Collider and the next generation of portable power generation.”

He continued: “We’ve only been able to achieve this evolution due to the skills, expertise and close partnerships we have built with both our suppliers and our customers.

“There has also been great support from the likes of the Manufacturing Advisory Service, UKTI and SEMTA.”

A year of anniversary celebrations are planned, with Brandauer already launching its own book and hosting a special visit by HRH Princess Royal.

It also recently invited Lord Digby Jones to start production on its two new high-speed Bruderer Presses, a record-breaking £750,000 investment by the company.

For further information, please visit www.brandauer.co.uk or contact 0121 359 2822 You can follow the firm on twitter @cbrandauer.

Brandauer eyes reshoring trend after £2m pressings contract

MAN Group — 16/01/2015

A Birmingham-based precision manufacturer is celebrating after it revealed a major reshoring win that will see 25 million components shipped across the world every year.

Brandauer, the presswork and stamping specialist, fought off competition from a number of international rivals to secure the tooling-up and volume production of a cable conduit retention ring for the telecoms sector.

Backed by support from the Manufacturing Advisory Services ReshoreUK service, the company was able to compete on the part price, whilst significantly improving the raw material utilisation throughout the production process.

The deal worth £2m over the next ten years involves the Birmingham firm supplying components all over the world, including China, India, Mexico, UAE and the United States.

Rowan Crozier, Chief Executive Officer of Brandauer, commented: This is a fantastic win for us, as it highlights our ability to take on complex progression tooling challenges and move them swiftly into volume production supply.

Whilst we were able to match our global competitors on price, it was our track record for delivering continuous world class quality that made the difference to the customer. The fact weve improved raw material utilisation by 45% is also a major bonus for them.

He continued: Weve received a lot of support from MAS on customer service training, leadership development and sales and marketingthis external advice and funding has made a massive difference to us and certainly played a part in the reshoring win.

This contract is just one of a number of orders that are coming back from overseas.

After knocking at the German door for many years, the company has started to secure its first contracts over there, thanks in part to capacity issues in the European powerhouse.

It has traditionally been very difficult to convince buyers that you can compete on price and quality, but this is slowly changing, continued Rowan.

Despite there being more than 50 press-workers domestically, the Germans are still struggling to keep up with demand. Our marketing material and the sub brands we created got us in the front door and then it was down to us to impress them with our capabilities, technology and ability to solve problems.

Martin McKeever, Advisor at Manufacturing Advisory Service, added his support:

Brandauer is a fantastic example of a small manufacturer doing great things all over the world.

It has invested heavily in the latest machines and in developing its staff through the Improvers Programme and weve come in to help address their marketing strategy and to help improve its approach to customer service.

He concluded: To win a £2m reshoring contract back from the United States is some achievement and has already created 3 new jobs.

Brandauer, which employs 56 people at its Birmingham factory, is continuing to work towards ISO 18001 health and safety accreditation.

Now part of the Business Growth Service, MAS provides growing manufacturers in England with access to specialist support and guidance in helping them improve and grow.

Backed by Government, it has a team of expert advisors on the ground working with management teams to plan long-term strategies, improve processes, bring new products to market and develop their supply chains.

For further information, please visit www.brandauer.co.uk or www.mymas.org. You can follow @cbrandauer and @mas_works on twitter

Lord Digby Jones marks record-breaking investment for Brandauer

MAN Group — 27/06/2012

One of the UK’s leading industrialists helped a Birmingham precision component manufacturer mark its largest ever investment yesterday.

Lord Digby Jones visited Brandauer’s Newtown facility as part of its 150th anniversary celebrations and used the occasion to officially commission the company’s two new high-speed Bruderer presses that will produce more than two billion parts every year.

The £750,000 investment has the potential to add £2m of new sales to the firm’s £9m turnover and increases its ability to offer tool transfer services to clients in the aerospace, automotive, electronics and renewables sectors.

In addition to starting the new machines, Lord Jones also met a number of staff members, including Stuart Berry who has progressed from his Apprenticeship to completing a degree in Management of Manufacturing Systems at Birmingham University.

“I was very impressed with what I saw at Brandauer. This is a company that recognises the need to continually improve the way it does business if it is to compete with international rivals,” commented Lord Jones.

“This latest investment in the new presses is a clear indication of its desire to be the best in the world and I’m delighted to see the same commitment is in place to developing its workforce.”

He added: “With nearly 80% of its turnover going overseas, it’s a great example of how the West Midlands can still be a global manufacturing force.”

The installation of the Bruderer BSTA 510-125B2 and BSTA 280-75B2 is a world first and provides the company with the latest B2 control technology and high-speed precision servo feeds.

Capable of 2000 strokes per minute, it is 100% faster than any machine the company previously possessed and a significantly upgraded tool loading area of up to 1250mm allows the firm to accommodate larger modular tools with more complex, additional operations.

David Spears, Managing Director at Brandauer, picked up the story: “At £750,000, this is the largest single investment we have ever made and gives us greater speed, greater quality and greater efficiency to target new sectors.

“We’ve already won new work that will go straight on the presses, including complex parts for automotive electronics and an alternative fuel cell.”

He continued: “It was great to have Lord Jones here to officially commission the line, as he’s one of manufacturing’s most passionate supporters.”

Brandauer – one part of the Midlands Assembly Network - is hoping to push its tool transfer service for customers wishing to move production of existing component lines.

Starting with a free 15-hour tool assessment, the company project manages the entire process and can also repair badly maintained or worn tooling in-house.

This provides clients with a risk-free opportunity to free up capacity or remove potential production bottlenecks.

David, who oversaw the visit with fellow Directors Rowan Crozier and Theresa Williams, concluded: “The 150th anniversary is a major milestone for the business and we’ve already marked it with a Royal visit, the launch of a new book and successful appearances at MACH, IFSEC and Subcon.

“Having Lord Digby Jones start production on our new presses is a great way of marking the investment, an investment that will undoubtedly help us move towards £10m turnover by the end of this year.”

Also on the visit were Brandauer’s new Chairman John Crabtree, Jerry Blackett (Chief Executive of Birmingham Chamber) and Bruderer’s Andreas Fischer and Adrian Haller, CEO and UK Managing Director respectively.

For further information, please contact 0121 359 2822 or visit www.brandauer.co.uk. You can also follow them @cbrandauer on twitter.

Schools show the ‘need for speed’ at MAN Design & Make Challenge

MAN Group — 18/07/2019

An East Staffordshire school showcased its engineering excellence last week when it won the main prize for ‘Efficient Design’ at the Manufacturing Assembly Network’s (MAN) Design & Make Challenge.

John Taylor High School beat off the challenge of eight other schools from across the UK to take the title for its hand-crafted vehicle that ran the length of the test track in the fastest time.

More than 40 Year 11 pupils and A-Level students swapped their daily lessons to take part in the competition, which is funded by nine local SMEs and designed to inspire young people to consider a career in engineering by encouraging them to work together and ‘problem solve’.

The four-strong teams were given a box of goodies they could use to build a vehicle, which would be propelled by a pendulum’s impact, ensuring their designs could withstand the ‘strike’ whilst minimising weight.

In addition to the main award, there were accolades for ‘Innovative Design’ and ‘Design for Manufacture’ (how easy the vehicle could be made in larger numbers) and these were won by Alcester Grammar and WMG Academy respectively.

Austin Owens, Founder of Grove Design, was the inspiration behind the initiative: “As manufacturers we can’t just sit back and continually reflect on the lack of skills or the number of engineers coming through.

“There is no better way of inspiring young people to consider a career in our sector than showing them first-hand what we do and how we do it, then getting them to put their own ideas into action. The competition gets really intense and there was a massive buzz in the room when the vehicles came to perform.”

He continued: “Last year’s Challenge involved seven teams, this time eleven and we are hoping that next year’s will be even bigger. One of the major issues we face is recruitment… we need that to change with manufacturers and educators working more collaboratively to increase awareness.”

The MAN Design and Make Challenge, which was hosted by the Advanced Propulsion Centre and Warwick Manufacturing Group, featured nine schools in total, including Ashlawn, Great Wyrley Academy, Lawrence Sheriff, Nicholas Chamberlaine, Southam College and Ysgol Bro Dinefwr.

The tool kits presented to the students featured doweling, plywood, duct tape, axles and wheels. Students were given the task of sketching out concepts and turning their designs into reality by using basic hand tools to come up with a vehicle that could travel down a monorail.

A prototype testing area was also set up to encourage pupils to put their ideas through their paces before submitting their final solution.

The three winning teams each received an Ultimaker 3D Printer for their schools. These were kindly donated by the CREATE Education project, which brings together game-changing technology with inspirational content and creative minds.

Daisy White, one of the pupils from the award-winning John Taylor High School, commented: “We had a great day, topped off by winning the ‘Efficient Design’ prize and being able to take a 3D Printer back to use in our studies.

“The Challenge gave us the opportunity to work in a team, contribute our own ideas to the design, test it and then refine it into the best vehicle out of all the schools. It’s definitely given me a taste of what a career in engineering looks like and I’m keen to find out more.”

The Manufacturing Assembly Network is a collective of eight sub-contract manufacturers and an engineering design agency.

It is made up of Alucast, Barkley Plastics, Brandauer, C-MAC SMT, Grove Design, KimberMills International, Mec Com, Muller Holdings and PP Control & Automation.

MAN is also currently working with Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) to improve processes and commercialise new technologies.

Austin concluded: “The event is getting bigger and we really needed to tap into the expertise and resources of our member companies, with Managing Directors getting involved and, importantly, apprentices mentoring the students as they developed their designs.

“What was especially pleasing this year was the number of potential female engineers who attended - it was almost double what we saw in 2018 and that bodes well for getting more girls interested in industry.”

To watch a video report of the day, please visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qd1-4FZZbUs

More details on MAN can be found at www.man-group.co.uk or @mangroupuk on twitter.

Play to your Strengths

MAN Group — 11/02/2016

Tony Hague, Managing Director of PP Electrical Systems, examines the benefits of strategic outsourcing for Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM).

The make versus buy decision can often be a complex and indeed an emotional one for a manufacturing business. Historically, many UK companies have had a large degree of vertical integration and enjoyed the perceived benefits of in-house capability, deeming it more flexible, less risky and more cost effective than paying someone else to do what they believed they could do better.

However, this attitude has changed significantly over the years, with manufacturers realising that they cannot be masters of all disciplines; indeed such levels of high vertical integration and the associated overheads became crippling and some manufacturers slow to change rapidly became uncompetitive, particularly in the face of a changing and global market. Now, where their factories once stood, we have another supermarket!

There is now a major shift towards OEMs considering exactly what is their core competence, in which areas should they invest and which processes add true value?

No one would suggest that strategic outsourcing is a silver bullet for increasing profitability for a business, but, used correctly, it can have a significant impact.

PP work with many of the worlds leading machinery builders in a range of industry sectors, including machine tool, food processing, packaging, scientific equipment and printing.

Our customers have taken the decision to outsource the electrical and often mechanical processes associated with the control and automation elements of their machinery, allowing them to focus and invest in other areas of design and production that is critical to their success.

Benefits of strategic outsourcing are many, but the common benefits that can be realised are:

· A reduction in total manufacturing costs
· Opportunity Cost often underestimated and hard to define. How could you redeploy your valuable internal resource on other areas of the business that have great potential significance, if they were not tied up on activities and processes associated with areas of the business that could be outsourced
· A reduction in production throughput times, which in turn leads to the creation of additional capacity, without the need for more space or people
· A reduction of associated customer lead times, often the difference between an order being won or lost.
· A reduction in the associated stock and work in progress (WIP).
· Cash flow is improved
· Production agility in an age where customers desire quicker delivery, often with increased configuration, an outsourcing strategy can assist greatly
· Managing risk. This is a major consideration and almost a sum total of other benefits. We live in turbulent times and the manufacturing community has to find ways of mitigating risks associated with markets that can grow and decline, often swiftly and without warning. Managing growth is a nice problem to have in theory, but recruiting additional skilled resource can be a constraint, bringing in expensive and often unreliable sub-contract labour carries its own risk

We constantly hear on the news that the UK has problems with poor productivity. Strategic outsourcing is without doubt a method that, when utilised correctly, can significantly improve the productivity (£ sales per capita) of an organisation.

So having spoken about the potential benefits of outsourcing, it would be wrong to ignore the potential risks. Assuming the manufacturer in question has correctly identified the areas suitable for outsourcing, the single biggest threat is selecting the wrong partner. Sometimes the appeal of lowest cost is strong, but this can be a huge error if other considerations are ignored, such as:

· Capability can the outsourcing partner do a better job than you can? Do they have the expertise, people, skills and plant/automation to improve the production process, boost quality and help develop designs in the future?
· Security the last thing you want to do is develop a strategic partnership with a company that is financially weak. Do credit checks, look at accounts and ownership
· Size consider the complexity and scale of your outsourcing needs, not just for today but for the mid to longer term. Ensure that you would not represent either too large or too small a part of that companys sales revenue
· Supply Chain Skills for outsourcing to deliver the maximum benefit, then the activities associated with purchasing and supply chain management should be included. The outsourcing partner should have the capabilities and skills to inherit, manage and develop the associated supply chain. If you still have to manage parts of it and the associated costs of purchasing/logistics that go with it, then you are not going to see the true benefits
· Experience look at who they are working with now and which manufacturers and markets they are involved in. You can tell a lot, very quickly, from the quality and standing of existing customers
· Approvals outside of the obvious ISO approvals, do you require any specific approvals relevant to an industry sector or for a given export geography, such as UL/CSA for the US or Canadian markets?
· Innovation does the outsourcing partner have the types of engineering skills and innovation to help you develop your products and services? Skills, such as design for manufacture, should be strong and you should expect them to play a big part in improving the product from a technical and commercial perspective
· Location Asia and Eastern Europe, as well as other low cost geographies, have held significant appeal for certain outsourcing services, particularly those that are labour intensive such as machining and casting. Again, consider the true cost of the relationship, including lead times, agility and risk, including the need to retain design IP (a particular problem we have seen in Asia over the years). The current trend in the UK, as well as the USA, has been reshoring of outsourcing activities. Many companies have recognised the escalating costs, political unrest and other risks associated with managing a long distance supply chain, resulting in identifying partners that are more local to them.

PP Electrical Systems, as an acknowledged world leader of control and automation solutions, provides strategic outsourcing to many of the leading machinery builders in the UK, Europe, Asia and the US.

For more information on outsourcing, copies of case study brochures and videos, please visit www.powerpanels.uk.com or follow @pp_electrical on twitter.

China Proofing

MAN Group — 18/05/2016

Tony Hague, Managing Director of PP Electrical Systems (PPES), gives an insight into how UK machinery builders can China proof themselves against lower cost replicas.

Weve heard it many times before and now many UK machinery manufacturers are seeing it first handthe threat of the Far East replica.

This increasingly common threat once only reserved for the higher volume component producers is now taking a firm stranglehold on the OEM sector and is not only threatening to curtail export orders into Asia, but is also beginning to erode into traditional European and US markets.

Copying some of the basic machinery processes is helping rivals in Asia deliver replica OEM machinery in a wide range of markets - that deliver a level of performance that is typically less effective than the European manufactured models.

However, they are offering these machines at a significantly lower cost resulting in many of the end users seriously considering their purchasing options.

The ROI (return on investment) is still hugely important, but the gap is shortening and UK manufacturers need to take this into consideration. And the response needs to be quick.

Complacency and lack of investment has not helped the trend and its time now for machinery builders to take back the advantage by innovating their process, products and marketing.

Tony Hague, Managing Director of PPES, explained: We have to focus on delivering competitive advantage with our customerswhether that be through design innovation or superior quality, which in turn leads to improved machine performance, flexibility and machine up time for the end user.

Equally through strong design for manufacture and value engineering, we can work with our customers to reduce their production build times, reduce overall costs and improve lead times to their customers.

However, this doesnt just happen overnight and we have to play our role to ensure we remain as productive as possible by looking at continually improving the capabilities of our machinesthe latter might be achieved by strategic outsourcing and focusing on your core activities.

He went on to add: This is where an organisation like PPES can help. By building strong relationships with our clients, we can review their current manufacturing capabilities and look at where we can add value or take cost out of the equation. In some cases, it may just be a capacity issue that we can solve.

UK machinery builders can lay claim to strong brands, but they have to protect the gap between the difference in performance benefit versus the lower costs offered by the Far East.

Selecting PPES as an outsourcing partner can offer:

Material costs and supplier leverage By combining the customers needs with our own supply chain requirements and relationships, we can create cost down opportunities within the bill of materials.

Technical Expertise PPES knowledge gained by working with many world leading machinery builders is combined with the engineering prowess of our technical partners to design innovative solutions that reduce manufacturing costs and enhance performance.

Compliance expertise Our knowledge and capabilities around UL and cUL standards, mean we can offer advice and solutions for machine builders specific to industry sectors or sales geographies, such as North America.

Design for Manufacture (DFM) PPES has developed an unsurpassed level of expertise in DFM. Acquired over?a period of 20+ years, this combines with production engineering skills and lean manufacturing principles to improve machine design, lower manufacturing costs and increase reliability for our customers.

Production expertise The use of automation for cable preparation (including crimp force monitoring technology), poke-yoke manufacturing, automated test equipment, torque tooling and six sigma principals all contribute to improved quality for our customers and the ability to ensure optimum machine performance.

Tony concluded: Competing with Far East manufacturers of machinery is not impossible, we just need to be clever about our strengths and then invest heavily in marketing what makes us betterespecially in regards to long-term return on investment.

For further information, please visit www.powerpanels.uk.com or follow @pp_electrical on twitter.

Technical seminars on the menu for machinery builders and OEMs

MAN Group — 15/02/2016

Machinery builders and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are being urged to tap into two free seminars that will give them access to a host of technical expertise.

PP Electrical Systems has joined forces with four specialist partners to create interactive workshops that will provide the latest insights into the fields of machinery protection, linear dry bearing technology and the Internet of Things.

The seminars, which are due to be held on 24th February and March 22nd, will also showcase iTRAK, a cutting-edge system that revolutionises the design and build of track-based solutions for packaging and materials handling.

Tony Hague, Managing Director of PP Electrical Systems, commented:

Theres nowhere in the world where machinery builders and OEMs can get this level of technical knowledge in one place and in an environment that encourages interaction and best practice sharing.

The seminars start at 10am and usually last for five hours, which includes presentations from keynote speakers, demonstrations and the opportunity for in-depth Q&A.

He continued: They have been designed to help our clients save money, improve productivity and come up with new processes that will help their own innovations.

PP Electrical has enlisted the support of the following technical partners:

Rockwell Automation Overview of iTRAK and how it combines linear and rotary motion to deliver a flexible, fully-integrated solution.

SMC The world leader in pneumatic solutions takes a look at the connected machineIndustry 4.0, Connected Enterprise and The Internet of Things (IOT).

Igus Introduction to linear dry bearing technology and an insight into design considerations for energy chain construction.

Beakbane Using 60 years experience in the field of machinery protection, the company will discuss capabilities and solutions for flexible bellows, covers and machine enclosures.

In addition to hearing from the four technical partners, PP Electrical will also provide updates on the need for UL508a compliance, especially with an increasing number of machinery builders exporting to North America.

This will look at the design and production considerations that are critical for compliance, including relevant NPFA standards.

To register for one of the seminars at PP Electrical Systems facility in the West Midlands, please contact us on 01922 419109, emails sales@power-panels.co.uk or tweet @pp_electrical

Brandauer lands new contracts after Special Products Division launch

MAN Group — 23/07/2015

A leading pressworker has invested more than £250,000 into a new Special Products Division (SPD) that will improve its one-off, prototyping and low volume manufacturing capabilities.

Brandauer, which employs 56 people at its state-of-the-art factory in Birmingham, opened the new facility last week and wasted no time in securing £70,000 of contracts from clients in the automotive, medical and renewables sectors.

For the first time in its 153-year history, the firm is able to accommodate customer requirements spanning from 1 off to 20,000 metal components in materials ranging from aluminium and brass to copper and nickel alloys.

The SPD reduces time to market pressures by providing fast turnaround and the longer-term possibility to move from prototype through to medium and high volume production.

Mark Fenney, Special Products Division Manager, picked up the story: This is an important step forward in our development and gives us a low volume capability that we would normally have to sub-contact, or worse still, decline to quote.

He continued: We try to get involved in the process at the conceptual stage and identify where we can add value and design for scalable manufacture. Now we have the natural opportunity to do just that, and even work with customers on a small batch product introduction before moving on to larger numbers.

The Special Product Division is the result of a six-month project that involved the introduction of a new material handling approach to create narrower aisles in the warehouse and logistics departments.

This provided the additional space required to develop the dedicated cell and installation of more than £200,000 of new machinery, including multiple low tonnage presses (3 tonnes up to 60), hydraulic presses, a sheet metal guillotine, laser marking, CNC lathe and a second operation/final assembly area.

Brandauer has also set up a self-contained tool room in the SPD, not to mention its first 3D Printer that produces initial prototypes at a fraction of the cost of setting up tooling.

Graham Allison, who was recently appointed as Strategic Sales Manager, went on to add: We knew this offer would be popular, but I dont think even we expected to win orders within a week of officially launching, let alone being on course to smash our budget by 50%.

It shows the appetite from both new and existing clients for a small batch production facility that they can trust and a desire to work with a specialist that can add value at the very earliest of stages. I suppose were aiming to be an innovation centre of excellence for customers.

He concluded: Our quality capabilities will be second to none and are in line with volumetric requirements and PPAP Level 3 the latter has the potential to secure another £100,000 of orders.

The investment in the Special Products Division has created four new jobs, with the possibility of a further two apprentices being employed shortly.

This is part of Brandauers five-year plan to double turnover to £15m and increase marketshare in Germany, Holland, Scandinavia and the US.

For further information, please visit www.brandauer.co.uk or follow @cbrandauer on twitter.

Schools Needed to Help Raise the Profile of Manufacturing with Young People

MAN Group — 24/06/2022

One of the UK’s leading independent events for engaging young people in engineering is returning for the first time since Covid-19 struck.

The Design & Make Challenge, which is organised by the Manufacturing Assembly Network (MAN), will take place on July 12th at the WMG Academy for Young Engineers in Solihull and is on the hunt for additional schools to take part.

Nearly forty Year 11 and Year 12 students from nine schools have already added their names to the list to win the main title and a selection of industry prizes.

The concept is simple; one day, one brief, but many possible outcomes. Students are challenged with designing and making a mechanical device (details revealed on the day) using just basic tools and materials.

They’re offered support from apprentices and engineers from the nine MAN companies and are encouraged to develop their ideas through trial and analysis.

The devices are then tested by a suitably qualified panel of engineers, with prizes awarded to the schools under three different categories – Efficiency, Innovation and Manufacturing.

“Manufacturing has long been the poor relation of career choices and we have to do something to change that and prove to young people that industry is a great path - full of innovation and technology,” explained Austin Owen, owner of Grove Design and one of the main driving forces behind the day.

“That’s why the nine firms that make up MAN decided to stop waiting for other people to act and came together to create the Design & Make Challenge in 2018 as the best possible way of engaging with Year 11 and Year 12 students considering their options.”

He went on to add: “The day is all about bringing sound engineering principles to the fore to solve a topical industrial issue, with young people encouraged to work together to innovate designs and then build a product they can test against their peers.

“Engineers from member companies will be working with the groups and talking about their own experiences following a career in manufacturing and some of the skills they may need to realise their ambition.”

Formed in 2006, The Manufacturing Assembly Network is made up of Alucast, Barkley Plastics, Brandauer, Grove Design, James Lister & Sons, KimberMills International, Muller Holdings, Nemco and PP Control & Automation.

The eight sub-contract manufacturers and specialist engineering design agency form a unique global collective that works together to share best practice and secure contracts for UK industry.

It is the third year that the group has held the Design & Make Challenge and earlier competitions have resulted in 352 hours of hands-on manufacturing experience for young people, seven MAN company visits completed by schools and over £25,000 of press coverage to raise the profile of the sector.

Austin went on to add: “Nine teams have already signed up for this year’s competition, including Alcester Grammar, Gospel Oak, Great Wyrley, John Taylor, Lawrence Sheriff, North Leamington, Southam College and WMG Academy for Young Engineers.

“We have spaces left for two more teams, so it would be great if any schools, who may be looking for an external STEM challenge, get in touch to take part. This will mean we’ll have over 45 students and our biggest ever Challenge.”

To take part, please visit www.man-group.co.uk/design-make or email annie@grovedesign.co.uk

ACE celebrates its 15th birthday with £1m investment

MAN Group — 14/01/2015

A Shropshire manufacturer is celebrating its 15th birthday in style after putting the finishing touches to a £1m investment that will propel it towards £5m sales.

Advanced Chemical Etching Limited, which offers precision 2D and 3D components, prototyping and volume manufacture, has just completed a major expansion plan to more than double its Telford factory to over 20,000 sq ft.

Established in 2000 by Alan Rollason and Chris Ball, the company is expecting that the additional installation of two new large etching machine lines - plus advanced measuring equipment - will help it build on an influx of new orders for parts used in aerospace, automotive, electronics, Formula 1, medical, heat exchanger and fuel cell technology.

This expansion plan has been a long time coming and has taken a massive effort from all of our 35-strong workforce to make it a reality, explained Alan, now Chairman of the firm.

We now have an excellent platform and the right capacity to go after new work and there is plenty of that around as companies are increasingly looking for that complex component or alternative use of materials.

Were at over £3 million turnover now and I see no reason why we cant achieve £5million in the next couple of yearsthe pipeline certainly suggests it is possible.

He continued: 15 years has flown by and its great to see how weve progressed from a small business employing just three of us to one of the sectors leading providers of photo-etched components.

Despite our growth, we still operate to the same principles we did when we spotted the niche in the marketplacefast turnaround, customer service, quality and always looking at the next innovation.

ACE, which is a member of the successful Midlands Assembly Network (MAN), has recently developed two new processes using unique etching chemistry.

ACmE (Aluminium Compliant molecular Etching) and TiME (Titanium Molecular Etching) are the result of years of R&D, which culminated in the company embarking on a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) with the University of Wolverhampton.

It was able to tap into the expertise of PhD qualified chemical engineer Dr Eesa to come up with two chemical solution developments that offer exacting tolerances and world class repeatable qualityattributes very much sought after by the automotive and aerospace sectors using Titanium and Aluminium.

Ian Whateley, Managing Director at ACE, went on to add: In addition to the new machine lines, we are now planning to invest significantly in expanding our specialist laboratory so we can continue to push the boundaries of etching technology.

We see this as a major opportunity and gives us a fantastic competitive advantage over our rivals, especially those from low cost countries. The KTP went so well that Dr Eesa has been employed as the head of our R&D team.

ACEs management team also points to its involvement in MAN as a key driver in its recent success, citing the collectives ability to deliver every manufacturing discipline imaginable as fundamental in winning new contracts.

The firm, which is joined by Alucast, Barkley Plastics, Brandauer, Grove Design, Mec Com, Muller Holdings, PP Electrical Systems and SMT Developments in the Group, believes it has won more than £2m of work since it became a member in 2009.

Alan concluded: The commercial benefits are naturally important, but there are a lot of softer tangibles you can take away from being part of MAN.

There is best practice sharing, mentoring and, by pooling our resource, we can punch way above our weight when it comes to PR, marketing and exhibiting at key industry events.

We look forward to the next fifteen years and know that our involvement in the Midlands Assembly Network will play a strong role in helping us achieve our growth plans.

For further information, please visit www.ace-uk.net, contact 01952 416666 or follow @ace_chemetching on twitter.

Alucast sets its sights on £10m sales after securing global automotive quality award

MAN Group — 09/09/2015

One of the Black Countrys leading foundries is celebrating after securing a prestigious automotive quality accreditation.

Alucast, which is a specialist supplier of sand, gravity and pressure castings, has secured TS16949 as part of its continuous improvement drive and believes this latest development will pave the way for 33% growth between now and 2018.

Boosted by the industry-specific approval, the company is expecting to win a number of new orders, taking turnover from its current £7m level to £10.4m in three years, potentially creating 25 new jobs in the process.

Weve always offered outstanding manufacturing standards to our global client base, but in order to win more work with tier 1 and car makers we had to secure TS16949its fast becoming a pre-requisite on tenders, explained Martin Haynes, Technical Manager at Alucast.

It is a quick estimate, but now we hold the accreditation we believe we can bid for more than £5m of additional work every yearthat could change our company forever.

He continued: Its a massive investment in time and money, theres no escaping that. However, the additional measures we have put in place are already generating cost savings through reductions in waste and greater throughput of work.

Our Parts Per Million (PPM) score has improved and right first time is becoming the norm.

Alucast, which is a member of the Midlands Assembly Network (MAN), has seen sales rise by 5% this year to £7m.

This has been driven by a number of new contract wins in the premium sports car segment, supplying complex castings to the commercial vehicle market and three reshoring wins worth nearly £500,000.

Seven new people have been employed as part of the expansion, taking the workforce to over 100 peoplea number of whom are young apprentices starting their career in the foundry industry.

Tony Sartorius, Chairman of Alucast, continued: Martin and his team have worked tirelessly to ensure we received TS16949 at the first time of asking and this will give us a great platform from which to grow. Our workforce has bought into the initiative and a united effort has produced the results we wanted.

In addition to the accreditation, we have recently installed MAGMASOFT^®casting software that is speeding up time to market and reducing the cost of prototyping.

He concluded: This is part of a £1m investment that also includes new CNC machines, replacement furnaces and building and layout improvements.

Formed in the late sixties, Alucast offers a single source manufacturing solution for sand, gravity and high-pressure aluminium castings.

It has recently installed a low pressure facility to further develop its expertise in structural parts and continues to offer fully machined castings ready for its customers to assemble trackside.

The company operates from a 55,000 sq ft facility in the heart of the Black Country, with clients spanning automotive, construction, electronics, hydraulics and vacuum goods.

For further information, please visit www.alucast.co.uk or follow @AlucastLTD on twitter.

New book paints picture of UK Manufacturing in 2015

MAN Group — 04/12/2015

The first ever annual review of British manufacturing industry, written by experts and supported by a range of leading engineering companies, has been launched in the region that sparked the industrial revolution.

The UK Manufacturing Review 2015/16 covers the key events, progress and challenges across the manufacturing sector during the last twelve months, whilst also forecasting some of the breaking trends for 2016.

Published by leading technology publisher Stirling Media, the 256-page book features case studies and commentary from more than 270 organisations, ranging from innovative SMEs and multi-national manufacturing groups to R&D centres and trade associations.

Prominent topics such as productivity, Industry 4.0, servitisation and engineering recruitment are all covered, as well as growth sectors including industrial sustainability, additive manufacturing and space.

Will Stirling, founder of Stirling Media and a well-known commentator on the sector, said: Manufacturing is critical to the British economy and is acknowledged as a creator of high value, highly-skilled jobs at home and crucial to trade with Europe, the US and emerging economies around the globe.

Despite this, there has never been a high-quality annual publication produced that has been dedicated to engineering and written by people who are experts on each sector and subject. With the UK Manufacturing Review, we are changing that.

The book contains a wealth of information on the EPSRCs Centres for Innovative Manufacturing, which are spearheading cutting-edge research into high-value added engineering, from plastic electronics to personalised medical devices.

It also outlines the UKs relationship with manufacturers in peer-group countries, such as the US, France, Germany, Japan and China.

A video wall showing short interviews- with up to 30 experts on different aspects of manufacturing - will soon be live on the website ukmanufacturingreview.com

Support

The UK Manufacturing Review was launched as part of the Manufacturing Technologies Association AGM in Birmingham.

Will continued: We are delighted to be launching this unique publication to an audience drawn from the heartland of the engineering sector, with the help of an organisation like the MTA, long dedicated to promoting its interests.

It is time that engineering had a publication that catches a full-year in review and is dedicated to celebrating its modern, high-tech reality and looking to the future, rather than the past.

The UK Manufacturing Review, which will reach more than 5000 industry professionals this month, has been made possible thanks to the contribution of a number of sponsors, including Airbus, BAE Systems, Barclays Bank, BDO, Bosch, Cranfield University, High Value Manufacturing Catapult, Igus, the Institute for Manufacturing at the University of Cambridge, Renishaw and Technical Publicity.

Tom Lawton, Head of Manufacturing at BDO, concluded: There is massive brain power in manufacturing at the moment, making it a really exciting time to be involved in the sector.

This book is a fantastic reflection of all the interesting things going on in industry and importantly a great way of telling other countries exactly what weve got to offer.

Manufacturing chief hits back at ‘automation’ threat

MAN Group — 12/11/2014

The leader of one of the UKs fastest growing manufacturing specialists has hit back at a report that claims automation could threaten a third of UK jobs.

Tony Hague, Managing Director at PP Electrical Systems in the West Midlands, believes the countrys failure to embrace the benefits of new technology and robotics has seen it fall behind its European neighbors and contributed to factories closing and jobs being lost.

The qualified engineer points to the success of industry in Germany as an example of how automation can reduce manufacturing costs and improve competitive advantage.

In recent years, the UK has slowly but surely been waking up to the fact that automation doesnt have to be a dirty word, explained Tony.

We cant get away from the fact that we already drive cars and watch TVs that have been assembled by robots. However, has this resulted in mass unemployment in automotive or consumer electronics?

No, in fact they have grown and evolved, creating thousands of jobs directly and in the supply chains that support them.

He continued: What is certain is that a lack of awareness and investment in automation in parallel with a similar approach to training - will result in UK companies losing their competitive advantage against international rivals. And we all know where this endsin factory closures and unemployment.

Just look around some of our great industrial cities to see this firsthand. Whilst we do have a new generation of added value manufacturers emerging, theres no escaping the fact that our country is littered with sites of grand old factories that are now home to supermarkets, housing estates and bowling alleys.

PP Electrical Systems is a leading provider of electrical control and automation systems, supplying some of the worlds largest machinery manufacturers in industry sectors such as machine tool, food and drink, medical, packaging and renewables.

It has invested more than £1m in automation during a period in which sales revenue has grown 400% to over £17m and the workforce has more than doubled from 85 to 180.

The company now plans to double the size of the business again, with a factory extension planned in 2015 and further investment in automation.

Tony concluded: There is little doubt robotics and associated automation will replace certain repetitive lower skilled jobs and processes, but what that will give manufacturers is ability to compete internationally and grow and develop their businesses.

This, in turn, give us the opportunity to hire and train more people in higher added value roles we call this progress and you cant fight it.

The real and immediate threat is not embracing automation, it is letting fear and misunderstanding ruin its true potential.

For further information, please visit www.powerpanels.uk.com, contact 01922 419109 or follow @pp_electrical on twitter.

50 Vacancies Available at MAN Group due to Reshoring Contracts

MAN Group — 31/08/2022

The Manufacturing Assembly Network (MAN) has 50 jobs up for grabs after a string of reshoring contracts and new breakthroughs in electrification technology.

MAN comprises of eight sub-contract manufacturers and a specialist engineering design agency and employs more than 1750 people across 13 different factories.

The 50 vacancies range from SMT quality technicians and casting experts to technical sales and CNC machine setters, with firms also investing in a host of interns and apprentices.

Peter Davies, CEO of James Lister & Sons and Co-Chair of the MAN Group said: “Despite all of the economic challenges out of our control, UK manufacturing is really buoyant at the moment and there are lots of opportunities out there for firms who are delivering new innovations and world class performance.

“We need extra resource and across the nine companies we’ve got more than 50 live vacancies – the issue is trying to find people in a shrinking labour pool that hasn’t been helped by Brexit.”

“This means all our firms have to be more creative in the way we look to attract staff, and this has seen us offer new incentives, detailed progression paths and working closer with schools to try to build the pipeline of new talent coming through.

MAN’s members include Alucast, Barkley Plastics, Brandauer, Grove Design, James Lister & Sons, Kimbermills International, Muller Holdings, Nemco and PP Control & Automation.

Schools wanted as West Midlands manufacturers join forces to launch ‘Design and Make’ Challenge

MAN Group — 21/06/2019

Nine manufacturers from across the West Midlands are joining forces to help inspire the engineers of the future at a special event next month.

The Manufacturing Assembly Network (MAN), which comprises eight sub-contract manufacturers and an engineering design agency, is putting on its second ‘Design and Make’ Day, a unique opportunity for Year 11 and Year 12 students to spend a day getting first-hand experience of engineering, problem-solving and working as part of ateam.

Nine schools have already signed up to take part and the collective is now looking for another 3 teams to join, making it almost twice the size of last year’s 8-hour challenge.

Teams of four pupils will be invited to tackle the demanding brief that will involve designing and making a mechanical device (details revealed on the day) using just basic tools and materials.

They’re offered support from apprentices from the MAN companies and encouraged to develop their ideas through trial and analysis. The devices are then tested by a suitably qualified panel of engineers, with prizes awarded to the schools under three different categories – Efficiency, Innovation and Manufacturing.

The winning schools will be presented with a 3D Printer from CREATE Education, who will be supporting ‘Design & Make’ for the second year as part of its commitment to promoting Science Technology Engineering and Manufacturing (STEM).

Austin Owens, Managing Director of Grove Design and the inspiration for the challenge, commented: “Last year was a phenomenal success and the feedback we’ve received from pupils and teachers has encouraged us to do as much as we can to engage young people who may be considering a career in engineering by showing them some of the skills that will help them develop in this field.

“Everyone is talking about the skills shortage and bemoaning the Government for not sorting it out. We prefer a different approach; taking back control and using our own expertise and experience to create a fun day that will hopefully spark the imagination and get young people thinking about a possible career in manufacturing.”

He continued: “You can see the students visibly change during the day and the confidence they get from seeing their ideas put into action. It’s a great atmosphere is great and especially rewarding to see our own apprentices and graduates getting involved and mentoring their peers.”

The MAN Design & Make Challenge will be held on July 10th at the Warwick Manufacturing Group, giving pupils the opportunity to witness a world class university campus and technology hub.

There are spaces left for three more schools and, whilst the initial focus is on the West Midlands, the places are also open to educational establishments from across the UK.

“CREATE Education collaborate with many organisations who share our values and MAN is a great example, providing a unique opportunity for young people to develop relevant skills,” continued Michelle Chatterley, Head of CREATE Education.

“The ‘A’ in CREATE is ACCESS and this is a vital part of what we aim to achieve so that as many people as possible can bring to life their own design thinking skills to make the world a better place with more visionary leaders prepared for the future of our industry.

“As many businesses now use 3D technology in regular work practice, being able to understand and operate 3D printers is vital. We are delighted to support this challenge, giving 3 winning schools the chance to build their own 3D Printer!”

The Manufacturing Assembly Network, which enjoys more than £75m sales and employs over 800 people, can offer every engineering discipline imaginable, including automation and control systems, fabrication, forging, plastic injection moulding, PCB development, precision machining and high-volume pressings.

Its membership includes Alucast, Barkley Plastics, Brandauer, C-MAC SMT, Grove Design, KimbermillsInternational, Mec Com, Muller Holdings and PP Control & Automation.

For further information, please visit www.man-group.co.uk or follow @mangroupuk on twitter. To register your place, please contact Grove Design on 01544 387126.

PP Electrical’s new sales director targets £50m turnover

MAN Group — 27/06/2012

Expansion into global markets, streamlining of supply chains and a growing desire from customers to source from the UK will all be key factors in helping a Cheslyn Hay manufacturer more than double its turnover in the next three years.

The rallying cry was made by PP Electrical Systems’ new Sales Director Tony Glasscoe, who is looking to build on significant recent growth by helping the firm reach £50m by 2015.

He believes the company’s ability to take on the full spectrum of electrical, electromechanical and electronic assemblies and control systems gives it a major competitive advantage over rivals who can’t command the same scale or flexibility.

The former engineering apprentice is keen to maximise the potential of PP Electrical’s new technical and sales office in Hamburg and increasing interest from the US and North American markets.

“I’m delighted to be joining the business at what is an extremely exciting period in its development,” explained Tony, who has previously held senior positions at Schneider and Weidmuller.

“We currently provide bespoke manufacturing solutions to no fewer than 12 of the World’s No 1 machinery manufacturers and this number is growing.”

He continued: “In today’s competitive environment, clients are looking for more of a partnership approach, an approach where we can get involved from the design stages right through to the assembly of the control systems/panels and, increasingly, in the mechanical and hydraulic build.

“It is this complete turnkey service I’ve been brought into push even further, both at home and in overseas markets.”

An engineer at heart, Tony started his manufacturing career as an apprentice before progressing into the drawing room and then into more advanced design.

His first exposure to sales was with a Midlands injection moulding company and subsequent roles have seen him look after global business development for Schneider and perform a turnaround of fortunes for Weidmuller.

He has also been responsible for introducing a sales excellence programme into Kwintet that completely changed the way the business operated.

“I’ve got significant global sales experience I can bring to the role and have worked with a lot of end users that PP Electrical could potentially supply to,” explained Tony.

“We’ve only scratched the surface on some markets and I believe there’s a lot more potential in medical, renewables and with machine builders who want to outsource more of the assembly.”

Located in a 40,000 sq ft facility in the heart of the West Midlands, PP Electrical Systems has added more than £10m to its turnover since the downturn, increasing the workforce by 100 to more than 230 staff.

Over £1m is invested each year in providing the workforce with a host of development opportunities and in the latest automation, including cable cutting, stripping, marking, termination and automatic crimp force monitoring.

The company is often the first critical link in a supply chain that will ultimately lead to it influencing the performance of a F1 car, how a potentially life saving medical examination is conducted and how energy from renewable sources is captured.

Tony Hague, Managing Director, concluded: “We are delighted to welcome Tony Glasscoe to the team and believe his industry knowledge and ability to source new opportunities will be vital if we are to achieve our ambition of doubling our turnover to £50m.”

For further information, please visit contact PP Electrical Systems on 01922 419109 or visit www.powerpanels.uk.com. You can also follow on twitter @pp_electrical

West Midlands manufacturing boss urges Machinery builders to ‘Look West’ for next big opportunity

MAN Group — 21/07/2015

The boss of a leading West Midlands automation and control specialist believes machinery builders should be looking to develop exports outside of traditional European markets.

Tony Hague, Managing Director of PP Electrical Systems, is urging more firms to explore the United States and Canada as a potential source of new leads.

He believes there is a demand out there for innovative systems and machine designs, yet few firms are actually taking the plungemany being put off by stringent compliance and regulation.

Naturally, we dont have to worry too much about culture and language barriers when doing business with the US and Canada, but there is definitely a need to plan your approach to building machines that pass the standards required for the safety of industrial products and equipment, explained Tony.

There are several organisations across the pond that create safety standards and also enforce regulation. This is somewhat different to the EU and UK CE marking approach, where the usual approach is 'self-certification.

The major ones are UL (Underwriters Laboratories) 508A for industrial control panels, NFPA 70 (National Fire Prevention Association), NFPA 79 (electrical standard for industrial machinery) and the Canadian Electrical Code.

He continued: Meeting compliance is not insurmountable. We have over 15 years experience in successfully navigating through and meeting regulatory requirements and we even have a US accredited factory here in the heart of the West Midlands.

This gives us the capability to manufacture industrial control panels that are fully certified to the necessary US and Canadian standards.

PP Electricals expert engineers boast many years experience of working with some of the worlds largest machinery builders to achieve this compliance.

They manage the entire process for the client, taking into account short circuit rating for the panel, enclosure type rating and selection of approved terminals and components.

Thermal overload protection scheme for electric motors is also taken care of, all in accordance with the US National Electrical Code.

Tony concluded: All safety related components are expected to hold UL or CSA (Canadian Standards Association) approval.

There are several other requirements coming from the safety standards, but we have developed and refined a process for meeting this in a timely and cost-effective way.

This involves our engineering team designing your entire panel or converting an existing design into one that complies in both the US and Canada.

For further information, please visit www.powerpanels.uk.com or follow @pp_electrical on twitter.

MAN marks 10th birthday with £5m sales drive

MAN Group — 26/04/2016

One of the worlds first ever manufacturing collectives is celebrating ten years in business and is immediately setting its sights on delivering £5m of new sales by the end of 2016.

The Midlands Assembly Network (MAN), a group of eight sub-contract manufacturers and a specialist engineering design consultancy, is looking to mark the major milestone by setting out a new approach to winning work in the UK and overseas.

It will focus on the development of sub-clusters of two, three and four member companies, who will target new untapped markets with specific offers to reduce costs, improve lead times and offer outsourcing solutions to complex production issues.

The group was set up in 2006 by Government support to help firms work together to secure new business, especially in light of the MG Rover collapse and subsequent fall-out, explained Tony Hague, Chairman of MAN and Managing Director of PP Electrical Systems.

I believe the vision was to jointly market the manufacturing capabilities of the region and the initial vision was to ensure that every aspect of mechanical, electrical and electronic engineering process was offered, and importantly, there was no competition.

He went on to add: Three of the founding members Alucast, Barkley Plastics and Brandauer still remain part of MAN and our philosophy is still very much the sameto work together to win work, to share best practice, training expertise, buying resource and to promote UK manufacturing to the rest of the world.

More than £35m of contracts have been secured through the group to date and this will have safeguarded and created hundreds of jobs in the process. Our aim now is to build on this by the introduction of a host of specific cluster offers.

MAN in 2016 is made up of Alucast, Barkley Plastics, Brandauer, Grove Design, KimberMills International, Mec Com, Muller Holdings, PP Electrical Systems, SMT Developments and associate partner Warwick Manufacturing Group.

The collective, which boasts annual sales of £70m and employs in excess of 750 people, offers access to a full outsourcing solution, from initial design and prototyping to supply chain management and low/medium/high volume production.

It currently works for customers in 30 different countries, spanning automotive, aerospace, construction, electronics, F1, energy, food and drink, packaging, renewables and telecommunications.

Our best ever year brought in about £4.5m, but I think there is now a growing demand from OEMs and tier1s in the supply chain to outsource some of their non-core production, explained Matt Harwood, Business Development Manager at Barkley Plastics.

This presents a great opportunity for MAN as we have a proven track record of delivering complex assemblies, new product introductions and answers to really different engineering issues. Theres no reason why we cant aim for £10m of new sales across the group next year.

Over the last ten years it has been involved in a range of high-profile projects, including the London 2012 Olympic torch, launch of the Jaguar Land Rover Evoque, the Large Hadron Collider and, more recently, development of a nanotech coating machine to protect mobile phones from damage.

Manufacturing Assembly Network leads the industrial fightback with £10m sales boost

MAN Group — 08/07/2021

A leading UK manufacturing collective is setting its sights on a £10m sales boost after seven of its nine members reported being back to or above pre-covid levels.

The Manufacturing Assembly Network (MAN), which works together to win new contracts and share best practice, has secured a string of contracts across automotive, electronics, medical and renewables following the easing of lockdown.

40 new jobs are now expected to be created, with plans in place to invest £2.5m on increasing 3D printing capability, robotics and high-speed presses.

MAN has also announced the appointment of new Co-Chairmen to oversee the continued recovery and to expand the capabilities of the group even further.

Peter Davies, CEO of James Lister & Sons, and Grove Design’s Austin Owens have jointly taken over at the helm, with the duo keen to look at how they maximise the different engineering disciplines of members.

“The majority of our companies have recovered from the economic shock of Covid-19 - quicker than many of us expected,” explained Peter.

“We have adapted the way we work, and it has been a learning curve, but I think it shows the resilience of industry and how we can pivot to continue to supply our customers whilst also keeping our staff safe.

“This included our members producing wiring harnesses for ventilators, nose clips for face masks and the development of the manKIND visor to support the NHS, healthcare and charities.”

He continued: “Our focus now is on supporting members who are still below pre-pandemic volumes and looking at how we can harness the power of MAN to achieve new efficiencies and, importantly, target new opportunities.

“There have been a lot of early successes in electrification and this is one area we feel plays perfectly to our design and manufacturing skills. This extends to working with Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) to look at developing an e-mobility demonstrator concept.”

The Manufacturing Assembly Network, which employs more than 1750 people across 13 different factories, can offer every engineering discipline imaginable, including aluminium casting, automation and control systems, forging, plastic injection moulding, PCB development, precision machining, high-volume pressing, tube manipulation and welded assemblies.

Its membership includes Alucast, Barkley Plastics, Brandauer, C-MAC SMT, Grove Design, James Lister & Sons, Kimbermills International, Muller Holdings and PP Control & Automation.

Austin Owens, founder of Grove Design, went on to add: “Disruption from the pandemic and ongoing supply chain issues is driving a shift in procurement and there does seem to be a greater appetite to use a cohesive group of companies that offer a single-source solution…something MAN are perfectly set-up for.

“Other priorities for this year will be leveraging strong relationships with academia to push the R&D conversation further and the option of bringing in new members, but only if there is a good strategic fit.”

He concluded: “I’m personally very keen to increase the diversity of talent we have in engineering and MAN will continue to run our Design & Make Day to encourage young people to consider a career in industry.”

For further information please visit, www.man-group.co.uk or follow Manufacturing Assembly Network on twitter.

MAN Group issues economic rallying cry after £8m sales boost

MAN Group — 05/12/2018

The boss of a major manufacturing group in the West Midlands has urged industry not to talk itself into a downturn amidst the current Brexit uncertainty.

Rowan Crozier, Chairman of the Manufacturing Assembly Network (MAN), made the rallying cry after all of its nine member firms reported strong order books as they started to make plans for 2019.

Collectively the eight sub-contract manufacturers and an engineering design agency have added £8m of new sales to its combined turnover and has invested more than £5m in new technology, capital equipment and the recruitment of 60 new staff.

“Manufacturers are not a greedy bunch and we’re not looking for hand-outs, quite the opposite,” explained Rowan, who is also CEO of metal pressings specialist Brandauer.

“Most of us just want a level playing field that we can trade on and an end to the uncertainty that Brexit is creating. Let us focus on what we do best and compete on quality, price and competitiveness.”

He continued: “The one thing we can’t do is let the sector experts and economists talk us into a downturn, that’s not going to help anyone. We need to focus on what has been happening and take measures to offset any issues that may arise if the deal isn’t exactly what we wanted.

“The overwhelming feeling at our last meeting was one of positivity and planning ahead. There was no talk of holding back on investment or stopping expansion…if anything purse strings are being relaxed so that we don’t miss out on opportunities.”

MAN is an eight-strong group of sub-contract manufacturers and an engineering design agency who work together to win orders and share best practice and resource.

The collective, which enjoys more than £75m sales and employs over 800 people, can offer every engineering discipline imaginable, including automation and control systems, casting, fabrication, forging, plastic injection moulding, PCB development, precision machining and high volume pressings.

Its membership includes Alucast, Barkley Plastics, Brandauer, C-MAC SMT, Grove Design, KimberMills, Mec Com, Muller Holdings and PP Control & Automation.

Rowan concluded: “Regardless of which way Brexit goes, it should kickstart the UK to buy more products that are made here. It’s something that is in our control and can be so important in driving industry forward and supporting more domestic jobs.

“British manufacturing is a massive badge of quality for international firms so why it doesn’t apply back home I’ll never know. As consumers we’re missing a trick.”

For further information, please visit www.man-group.co.uk or follow @man_group_ on twitter.

‘Onshoring’ boost sparks launch of new manufacturing cluster at Automechanika

MAN Group — 16/05/2017

A unique manufacturing collective is reporting a surge in orders from customers looking to onshore.

The Manufacturing Assembly Network (MAN), which comprises eight sub-contract manufacturers and a specialist engineering design agency, has seen more than £1.5m of new contracts placed from firms keen to re-establish production in the UK.

Whilst the drop in Sterling has improved competitiveness, the group believes the change in philosophy had started before the Brexit vote and there is a £multi-million pipeline of opportunities currently being discussed.

Four member companies Alucast, Barkley Plastics, KimberMills International and Muller Holdings have joined forces to capitalise on this trend by forming a Metal and Plastics Components cluster that will get its first public outing at Automechanika in Birmingham in June.

The idea is to offer clients access to a complementary manufacturing service that reduces lead time, increases capacity and can solve complex production issues.

A new brochure has been developed and a digital campaign launched to attract interest from clients in the UK and overseas.

Our cluster has experts in plastic injection, casting, forging and CNC machining, a single source solution for anyone looking for a plastic or metal component, explained Larry Joyce, Chairman of KimberMills International.

We have all worked together to deliver new products or re-establish supply so it made sense that we make a concerted effort to attract new workespecially with the onshoring enquiries we have received in the last six months.

He continued: These have come from customers in the automotive sector, oil and gas, rail and renewables. There seems a real desire to buy British due to our innovation, our track record and security of supply. Is the Brexit vote helping? Possibly, but the trend had started long before then.

Automechnika was brilliant last year and we knew we had to be part of it this time around. We didnt want to just turn up with the same offer so decided were going to really push this cluster approachits what industry wants.

MANs Metal and Plastics Component cluster can lay claim to 450 skilled engineers between the four companies, working across nine UK factories and benefitting from £3m of annual investment in new machinery and technology.

Customers can tap into the expertise of one, two or all members to support them with their outsourcing requirements, with the opportunity to also access the other five companies within the group to support with pressings, automation and control, fabrication, design and electronics.

Matt Harwood, Business Development Manager at Barkley Plastics, added his support:

This is an exciting move and follows on from the launch of our dedicated outsourcing capability for OEMs last year. All four businesses have worked together on projects before and all boast high-profile contracts, including carrying out work for London 2012, the Winter Olympics, the Channel Tunnel and a host of the worlds car manufacturers.

Our marketing campaign is well underway and we are discussing the possibility of embarking on a cluster roadshow where we can demonstrate our capabilities at a potential customers site.

£1.5m of onshoring work has already been secured from clients who had previously been manufacturing in the Far East, Middle East and EU. We reckon we could quite easily double this to £3m with a more focused cluster approach.

For further information, please visit www.man-group.co.uk or follow @man_group_ on twitter

Grove Design completes £3m paper sorting operation for Allan Morris Recycling

MAN Group — 02/06/2019

A Leominster-based multi-disciplinary design agency has completed its latest recycling plant project – one of its most advanced to date.

Grove Design, which employs eight people at its bespoke offices in Pembridge, has worked in partnership with equipment supplier Lyndex to design and install a £3m dedicated mixed paper sorting operation for Allan Morris Recycling.

Five designers were involved in the contract that took just eight months from initial analysis, feasibility and identifying the technology involved, through to optimising flow through the plant and the successful build of the line.

The aim was to process kerbside collections of fibre, taking out all the different contaminants to produce a product that is clean enough to be used as the sole raw material in the production of new paper.

“This is the eighth recycling plant build we’ve been involved in over the last few years and by far the most significant fibre plant, with a number of challenges to overcome,” explained Austin Owens, founder of Grove Design.

“These included space and height constraints and the desire to integrate the best bespoke and proprietary machinery into the line, such as feed bunkers, OCC separators, overband magnets and three near infrared separators.”

He concluded: “I’m delighted to say the close partnership between my team, Lyndex and the customer helped us achieve a plant that is capable of processing 20 tonnes per hour and achieving the purity levels expected by the end user UPM Shotton.”

Carl Robertson, who left Biffa Waste after 25 years to set up the Allan Morris Recycling plant in 2008, added his support: “Grove Design spent time on site understanding our current operation and how we could maximise the site with new equipment.

“We were very impressed with the detailed approach at every stage of the design and installation, ensuring the project was completed on time and to budget. The line is already doubling our throughput and meeting UPM’s requirement for increased capacity.”

He went on to add: “The other challenge was to continue operating throughout the 13-week installation, which required careful planning and a detailed schedule of work. Austin and his team’s calm and methodical approach meant the end result was never in doubt.”

Grove Design is a multi-disciplinary design consultancy, supporting customers with the development of industrial tools and equipment to automotive transmission systems and waste recycling plants.

It is increasingly supporting manufacturers and innovators with prototyping and the automation of production lines, whilst its design expertise is called upon to work on some of the most intriguing new consumer market products.

The engineering design agency is also a crucial member of the Manufacturing Assembly Network (MAN), a nine-strong group of sub-contract manufacturers who work together to win orders and share best practice and resource.

Its membership includes Alucast, Barkley Plastics, Brandauer, C-MAC SMT, Kimbermills International, Mec Com, Muller Holdings and PP Control & Automation.

MAN forges ahead with £2m expansion plan after KimberMills International becomes part of the Group

MAN Group — 21/01/2016

A unique manufacturing collective is targeting over £2m in new sales after adding forging to its capabilities.

The Midlands Assembly Network, a group of sub-contract manufacturers, has welcomed KimberMills International to its ranks in a bid to open up new opportunities in the petrochemical and rail sectors.

This means MAN can now offer forged parts up to 75kg, as well all mechanical, electrical and electronic engineering processes, including high volume pressings, CNC machining, injection moulding, fabrication and PCB development.

Tony Hague, Chairman of MAN, commented: We are delighted to attract such a well respected company and one that shares the same values that we do, values of continuous improvement, world class performance and innovation.

KimberMills has recently invested £1m into a new forge facility, one of only a few new ones seen in the region for years. This gives it the capability to produce oil and gas pipe clamps and brake/suspension parts for the automotive sector.

He went on to add: There are a lot of natural synergies with member firms like Alucast and Muller Holdings and these clusters are already in the process of being developed.

Established in 1919, KimberMills International offers high quality forgings and machined parts in steel, stainless steel, carbon, aluminium and super duplex.

The firm, which employs 50 people across sites in Cradley Heath and Coventry, currently exports 25% of its annual turnover to customers in Canada, Dubai, Europe, Malaysia and the United States.

In addition to founders Mills Forgings and Kimber Drop, the group also comprises Taront Tooling (die and toolmaker), ABG Minerals (mining tool specialist), PSL (group finance) and PAJ (management services).

Larry Joyce, Chairman, is delighted to be joining the Midlands Assembly Network.

MAN is a fantastic example of Midlands manufacturers working together to retain work and bring contracts home to the UK. Weve been watching its development for some time and glad it felt we had something to offer.

We believe theres about £1m of new orders we can secure from increasing our presence in markets like motorsport and F1, but the collective is much more than just the positive difference on the bottom line.

I know theres a lot of best practice sharing we can benefit from and theres significant savings we can enjoy from making the most of our combining purchasing power on common items.

He concluded: The brand is very powerful and Im sure there will be a lot of marketing and PR well be able to take advantage of as we get more involved.

The Midlands Assembly Networkis a collective of eight sub-contract manufacturers and a specialist design consultancy who work together to win work at home and overseas.

The group, which features, Alucast, Barkley Plastics, Brandauer, Grove Design, Mec Com, Muller Holdings, PP Electrical Systems and SMT Developments, employs 700 people over 12 factories and this year will smash the £75m combined turnover barrier.

In addition to the manufacturing firms, MAN also boasts associate members in the form of Start 2 Finish Marketing, Cucumber PR and access to latest technology and expertise from its partnership with the Warwick Manufacturing Group.

For further information, please visit www.man-group.co.uk or follow @man_group_ on twitter.

MWA chief warns £millions of energy is being lost with growing number of wrong specifications

MAN Group — 08/12/2015

Installing the wrong meters is costing millions of pounds of wasted energy every year according to one of the sectors leading experts.

Martin Wardell, Founder of MWA Technology, believes we are seeing a growing trend of industry not specifying or installing the right type of meters on projects, with the market not having the necessary knowledge to rectify issues before installation.

This is leaving building management specialists in the unenviable position of having inconsistent data and poor life expectancy on their meters and this can impact on their ability to make informed decisions.

There is also the very real risk of the safe and efficient operation of gas appliances being compromised.

Its not a new problem. However, we have definitely seen an increase in the last six months of organisations coming back to us to rectify the wrong installations, explained Martin, who has more than 20 years experience in the industry.

The sector has a much bigger workload and is under pressure to keep costs down on building services. A lot of time they are leaving it to the market to advise and they are often going with the option that suits them best rather than what will be the most effective solution in the long-term.

Industry tend to choose the lowest cost option without understanding the full implications around accuracy and reliability of the data.

The MWA Chief believes a good rule of thumb is to follow the practice of UK utilities and install meters according to their criteria, as you can trust the data for many years to come.

Martin continued: It might make sense at the time, but if the meter isnt selected correctly in the first instance then you will never be able to make informed decisions on energy usage and how you can improve it.

We have examples of firms that cant account for £200,000 of electricity, or low grade mechanical water meters giving up the ghost after 18 months.

The most worrying aspect from a health and safety perspective, is installing a check gas meter that exhibits an excessive pressure drop between the incoming supply and the appliance. This can lead to the safe and efficient operation of the appliance being compromised or impaired.

Technical knowledge has been one of the key drivers behind MWA Technologys recent growth, which has seen it reach £5m sales for the first time in its 22-year history.

The company currently supplies over 500 metering solutions to distributors, contractors, OEMs and energy monitoring professionals, with high profile projects completed at Oxford University, Kew Gardens and Birminghams National Exhibition Centre and New Street Station.

Recent investment has doubled the size of its logistics and warehouse operation and a concerted recruitment drive means the firm can call upon more than 15 experts to deal with customer enquiries at any one time.

Martin went on to add: I think the expertise of our team is what really separates us from our rivals. We dont just give the client the meter they think they need, we investigate the end use and what they are looking for it to do and then advise them on all options.

This means they receive the meter that will offer them the best possible long-term solution. Once theyve installed it they can forget about it, safe in the knowledge that the data it is providing is 100% accurate.

We have also developed a new CPD seminar for specifiers and architects that will give them a comprehensive insight into meters and different installation techniques.

MWA Technology offer gas, water, electric, oil, steam and energy and heat meters from some of the worlds biggest names, including Elster, Itron, Kamstrup, Diehl and Siemens.

Its 20,000 sq ft distribution centre in the West Midlands means the company can offer fast response times, with most orders delivered within two working days.

Dragons’ Den’s ‘GripIT’ gets MAN backing

MAN Group — 24/03/2016

Two Midlands manufacturers are helping one of the most successful investments from Dragons Den become a global success story.

Brandauer and Muller England, both members of the Midlands Assembly Network (MAN), are using their expertise in precision pressings and escomatic parts to produce critical components for DIY innovation GripIt.

The heavy duty plasterboard fixing utilises a three-way gripping system that includes a universal collar, anti-rotational lugs and unique backing wings to offer a heavy-duty solution to a problem that has plagued builders and home improvement enthusiasts for years.

Demand for the product designed by young entrepreneur Jordan Daykin and his Grandad Stan has been phenomenal, with major UK retailers B&Q, Screwfix and Wickes all stocking it on their shelves and orders coming in from Europe, the US and Australia.

They were in the market for a manufacturer of grooved pins and our material supplier recommended us, explained Paul Bethell, Managing Director of Muller England.

We have more than 90 years experience in this field and were able to understand the design and how this discipline of manufacturing could be used to produce the groove shafts that turn the backing wings.

The key was to come up with a high volume production process that could deliver repeatable quality and precision, something we have achieved by investing £25,000 into new attachments on to the existing escomatic machines.

He continued: Well produce about £250,000 of components this year and with volumes anticipated to double in 2017 this project will be responsible for safeguarding and creating more than 10 jobs.

Muller England is one company in a nine-strong manufacturing collective called the Midlands Assembly Network, which works together to retain and bring new contracts back to the UK.

As part of the Shropshire companys role in the group, it was able to introduce GripIt to precision pressworker Brandauer to help with the development and supply of clips and wings, critical to the fixing process on the plasterboard.

Rowan Crozier, Managing Director of the Birmingham-based firm, commented:

This is a fantastic example of how MAN works and even better when we are helping a UK innovation go global.

Muller were made aware of an issue in the production process and, understanding our capabilities, knew we could provide a solution and brokered an introduction.

He went on to add: Our sales and technical team moved the project forward and we have been supplying about £20k of metal components per montha figure we expect to double over the next year.

The contract has also given us the opportunity to challenge Tom Flight (one of our apprentices) to complete a project to design and manufacture a bespoke material waste management control unit for use in the stamping process.

GripIts growth was featured on BBC 1s From Pitches to Riches programme at the weekend, highlighting how the company has grown to £12m and is poised for even further global expansion.

The business has recently launched a Crowdcube campaign in order to raise £1.5m to fund its rapid international expansion within the global DIY market.

Deborah Meaden, who initially invested £80,000 in August 2015, has since provided a further £900,000 to fund growth but keen to get the wider public involved, Daykin has taken the decision to raise additional, vital working capital through crowdfunding.

This will be used to obtain the industrial machinery required to keep up with international demand and, in particular, large orders from the US and Australia.

Jordan Daykin, Managing Director, concluded: This is an invention born in Wiltshire and Im delighted weve been able to work with two UK manufacturers to help bring the product to market.

Volumes are increasing all the time and were getting interest in GripIt from all over the globethe world really is our oyster.

The Midlands Assembly Network is made up of Alucast, Barkley Plastics, Brandauer, Grove Design, KimberMills International, Mec Com, Muller Holdings, PP Electrical Systems, SMT Developments and associate partner Warwick Manufacturing Group.

For further information, please visit www.man-group.co.uk or follow @man_group_ on twitter. More details on GripIt at www.gripitfixings.co.uk

Midlands Assembly Network recruiting for new members

MAN Group — 06/08/2012

A unique manufacturing collaboration is looking to recruit new members as it looks to make the most of new opportunities in automotive, aerospace, medical and renewables.

The Midlands Assembly Network (MAN), which offers technical excellence in mechanical, electrical and electronic engineering processes, is encouraging companies in the region to become part of the group and take advantage of up to £10m of contracts each year.

Now in its sixth year, the collective is keen to hear from firms that specialise in design, sheet metal fabrication, surface finishing and micro engineering, but would also welcome expressions of interest from companies who think they may be able to add value to the MAN Group’s capability.

Gerry Dunne, Chairman, explained: “This is the first time we’ve recruited in two years, but feel the time is now right to add more manufacturers to the mix.

“Ideally, we’re looking to speak to businesses that can see the benefit of working together with other world class companies to share best practice, inter-trade and join forces to retain and secure new contracts.

“MAN works because there is no competition in the group and we are transparent in the way we operate. With over six years behind us, we’ve got a proven track record of being able to take work on that involves one, two, three, four and even all members at any one time.”

He continued: “In return, companies benefit from shared best practice, involvement in a well-established brand and website (www.man-group.co.uk), a dedicated PR resource and the ability to exhibit at key events for a fraction of the cost.”

MAN is currently made up of Advanced Chemical Etching, Alucast, Barkely Plastics, Brandauer, FW Cables, PP Electrical Systems, SMT Developments and Westley Engineering.

Together they employ over 550 people and turnover in excess of £60m, providing access to world class manufacturing in precision pressings, casting, etching, injection moulding, wiring looms, toolmaking, PCB development and electrical control systems and assemblies.

“Customers like our approach because we offer a single-source solution where they tap into manufacturing solutions that can save them money, improve quality, increase efficiency and ensures focus stays on core activities,” added Gerry.

“We also have extensive involvement in some groundbreaking projects. These range from the three-wheeled electric powered ‘Raptor’ to the top and bottom caps for the Olympic Torch.”

If you are interested in applying for membership of the Midlands Assembly Network, please email g.dunne@westleyengineering.co.uk.

For further information, please visit www.man-group.co.uk or 0845 034 6676. You can follow MAN on twitter at @man_group_

New software opens up £1m opportunity for Alucast

MAN Group — 31/07/2015

The acquisition of new casting simulation software is set to unlock over £1m of new opportunities for a leading Black Country manufacturer.

Alucast, a specialist supplier of sand gravity and pressure castings, has purchased the UK licence for MAGMASOFT^® to help it speed up time to market and reduce the cost of prototyping.

The industry-leading software simulates the process and aids casting and runner design to provide optimal filling characteristics essential when producing structural parts for the automotive sector.

Bosses at the Wednesbury-based firm believe the investment gives it the platform to quote for £1m of new work and will lead to a number of jobs, taking staff numbers to over 100.

MAGMASOFT^® gives our engineers the chance to test die set-ups to avoid gas inclusions, porosity and cold shutsor in laymans terms the opportunity to find the optimal die casting conditions for each new part, explained John Swift, who became Managing Director last year.

What this means to the customer is the chance to avoid timely and often expensive set-up costs for trialling the production process. We know its going to be in demand with both new and existing customers and the initial response has been fantastic.

He continued: Automotive will be the initial target, but this software can be applied to our work across other sectors, including construction, hydraulics and domestic goods.

A member of the Midlands Assembly Network (MAN), Alucast signed the MAGMASOFT^® agreement during its recent appearance at the GIFA International Foundry Trade Fair in Dusseldorf.

It will be supported with the installation by UK agent Maxima Engineering, who will be providing the hardware and technical support, not to mention the specialist training for its team of engineers.

Tony Sartorius, Chairman, continued: The upgrade in software is part of a bigger investment drive, with well over £1m now committed to new CNC machines, furnaces and property upgrades in recent years.

This is a bold and ambitious move and one that will hopefully help us achieve our vision of being a £10m company by 2018.

GIFA was a tremednous show and an excellent way to find out all the latest developments that are taking place in the castings sector. Were just glad to have tied in this deal, which takes us to another level.

Alucast is a founder member of the Midlands Assembly Network (MAN), a unique collective that offers the complete sub-contract manufacturing solution to customers.

The group, which employs over 700 people and records combined sales in excess of £70 million, provides access to precision pressings, castings, design, etching, injection moulding, wiring looms, toolmaking, PCB assembly, high volume machining and electrical control systems.

Member firms include Advanced Chemical Etching, Barkley Plastics, Brandauer, Grove Design, Mec Com, Muller England, PP Electrical Systems, SMT Developments and WMG (Warwick Manufacturing Group).

Future engineers star at first ever MAN ‘Design & Make Challenge’

MAN Group — 18/07/2018

Schools from Warwickshire and Wales were the main winners at the first ever ‘Design and Make Challenge’ organised by the Manufacturing Assembly Network (MAN).

Alcester Grammar, Southam College and Ysgol Bro Dinefwr beat off competition from four other rivals to take the Manufacturing, Innovation and Efficiency titles respectively, impressing judges with their teamwork, creativity and ability to meet the project brief.

In total, 28 students swapped their daily lessons for the chance to test out their engineering and design skills by using basic materials and tools to make a device capable of lifting a 13kg block of stainless steel using just a friction grip.

The event, which was hosted by WMG, is the first in a number of activities being created by MAN in order to help it bridge the skills gap and start developing a pipeline of future engineers.

Austin Owens, founder of Grove Design and the driving force behind the initiative, said: “Industry still has an image issue and we can no longer sit on our hands and just expect the Government to come up with a solution for getting more skills into our sector.

“We want to get young people excited about design and engineering so decided to bring the collective strengths of the group together and host a special challenge that would get them thinking about STEM skills, designing and making a solution for a real engineering problem.”

The three winning teams each received an Ultimaker 3D Printing machine for their schools. These were donated by the CREATE Education project, which brings together game-changing technology with inspirational content and creative minds.

The project provides free resources and support to help introduce and embed 3D Printing in schools, including professional development, lesson resources, projects, ideas and a free 3D Printer Loan scheme.

In addition to the three winners, teams also came from Kineton High, Lawrence Sherriff, Myton and President Kennedy Schools.

They were each given a box of materials, including dowelling and plywood, and given the task of sketching out concepts before turning their designs into reality by using basic hand tools to come up with a device capable of lifting the block with just a hoist and two hooks (see below).

A prototype testing area was also set up to encourage pupils to put their ideas through their paces before submitting their final solution.

Ellie Barker, a pupil at Alcester Grammar School, was delighted to take part: “It was a quality day and a great opportunity to do something different, working as part of a team to solve a problem. It certainly made me want to focus more on being an engineer… industry needs more female engineers!”

MAN is a collective of eight sub-contract manufacturers and an engineering design agency.

It comprises: Alucast, Barkley Plastics, Brandauer, C-MAC SMT, Grove Design, KimberMills International, Mec Com, Muller Holdings and PP Control & Automation.

MAN is also currently working with Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) to improve processes and commercialise new technologies.

Main picture, from left: Rowan Crozier (Chairman of MAN Group), Henry Sherrington-Lodge, Ellie Barker, Frazer Forbes and Will Baxter (all Alcester Grammar School).

West Midlands trio set to offer world class micro machining solutions at MM Live 2012

MAN Group — 18/09/2012

A collaboration of world class engineering businesses from the West Midlands are heading to Micro Machining Live at the NEC in September with the aim of offering a single source solution to customers.

Barkley Plastics, Brandauer and Advanced Chemical Etching (ACE) are part of the Midlands Assembly Network and have decided to pool together resources for the event (25th-26th) in a bid to attract new customers looking for solutions to complex parts and possible tool transfer services.

The trio can offer injection mouldings, high volume precision presswork and stampings and expert prototyping, with investment in the latest technology ensuring they can cater for all materials and tolerances up to 2 microns.

Rowan Crozier, Sales and Marketing Director for Brandauer, commented:

“MM Live is a great opportunity for us to showcase exactly what we can do and I’m delighted that we are able to exhibit with ACE and Barkley Plastics to offer that complete solution.

“As both a company and a collaboration we like to achieve the ‘impossible’ on time and within budget…a combination our global customer base can’t seem to get elsewhere.”

Investment has been a major part of the trio’s approach, with Brandauer spending £750,000 on two high speed Bruderer presses and ACE channelling £1m into increasing capacity and the development of a new ‘world first’ etching process.

Barkley Plastics has also just installed its first micro moulding facility, which allows the company to mould components with an unparalleled accuracy up to a weight of 1.2g with a 5 tonne clamp pressure.

The machine with full servo drives has a built-in clean room and Hepa filter and is capable of moulding products from watch gears to micro medical components.

Ian Wiles, Sales Director at ACE, concluded: “We work across all sectors, including automotive, aerospace, communications, electronics, medical and increasingly renewables.

“We want to talk to customers about their micro machining requirements and how we can help them improve quality, lead times and hopefully engineer out some of the cost.”

Brandauer, ACE and Barkley Plastics will be on Stand K24 at MM Live 2012. For further info visit www.brandauer.co.uk, www.ace-uk.net and www.barkleyplastics.co.uk

MAN members partner up to tap into £5m of opportunities

MAN Group — 03/10/2016

The Manufacturing Assembly Network is targeting over £5m of new contracts with the launch of a new cluster to tap into the demand from larger companies for strategic outsourcing.

Mec Com, PP Control & Automation and SMT Developments have joined forces to give original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) the chance to access fabrication, electronic and electrical assembly services through a single source.

It comes after the trio saw a 25% increase in the number of outsourcing wins secured over the last twelve months and will provide a new dedicated resource for clients looking to outsource non-core activity, whilst investing more resource on critical manufacturing operations.

By sharing its resource, knowledge and expertise, the cluster promises to reduce customer lead times, increase capacity and reduce overall production costs.

Every year we set out a 12-month strategy for growing the MAN Group and this time we decided to focus on splitting into clusters to target specific customer groups, explained John Rowley, managing director of electronics manufacturing specialist SMT Developments.

The first cluster that immediately leapt out was providing outsourcing solutions to OEMs, something we were doing individually and occasionally together. There is definitely a trend towards the more progressive firms looking to recognise non-core activities within their business and identify supply chain partners that have greater expertise.

He went on to add: The benefits are many, including stock and work in progress reductions, greater production flexibility and eliminating the need for scarce and costly skilled sub-contract labour. However, the main driver is reduction in production and sales lead times for our customers, this is a common theme across all sectors.

MAN will make the most of this new cluster by embarking on a six-month marketing campaign to target potential customers in automotive, food processing, machine tools, packaging and the energy sectors.

Richard Bunce, Managing Director of fabrication experts Mec Com, continued: A lot of people offer outsourcing, but very few can offer a single source to fabrication, electronics and electrical assembly. Thats what makes this different.

We have worked on numerous contracts together and understand the way each firm works. For the customer, you just get one lead member who controls the complete interaction. The feedback has been great.

He concluded: Better still, we can then call upon the expertise of an engineering design consultancy and five other sub-contract manufacturers offering casting, CNC machining, forging, injection moulding, pressing and stamping.

Customers already benefiting from the MAN difference include a leading aerospace technology provider, a specialist in screen printing and a fruit labelling expert. All are best in class and adopting the outsourcing approach to growth.

Full credit to: Engineering Capacity

Raptor set to be unveiled for MAN’s IFSEC debut

MAN Group — 08/05/2012

A unique manufacturing collaboration is set to mark its first appearance at IFSEC International with the sector’s first look at the Raptor, a major breakthrough for policing and security patrols.

The Midlands Assembly Network, which will be in Hall 5, Stand B110, will give delegates the chance to see up close the world’s first road legal three-wheeled Electric Powered Vehicle (EPV).

Made up of ten companies specialising in mechanical, electrical and electronic engineering processes, MAN is currently working with Ecospin Ltd to turn its ambitious designs into reality.

FW Cables has already provided expert engineering and design solutions to develop a specialist wiring loom for the Raptor and other members, including Advanced Chemical Etching, Alucast, PP Electrical Systems and SMT Developments, will shortly be involved in the project.

The EPV combines the latest automotive design techniques with a bespoke electric powertrain. A custom-made chassis, electronic differential and intuitive handle bars deliver expert control and cornering with twin rear-wheel drive providing increased traction over loose and slippery surfaces.

An elevated ride platform allows for the rider to see over crowds and increases visibility at events, with a special lithium ion battery offering speeds of up to 25 mph and an impressive 60-mile range.

Steve Gaston, Sales Manager at FW Cables and MAN, picked up the story: “We are extremely proud to be playing an important role in the development of a truly Midlands product and one that is going to have global appeal.

“Interest in the Raptor has already come from Dubai and Singapore and a police force in the UK has also expressed an interest in trials. It’s speed, agility, elevated platform and road legal status makes it ideal for security patrols.

“Initially, Ecospin are looking to build 60 vehicles and then ramp up production gradually until more than 3000 units are manufacturer per year.”

The Midlands Assembly Network includes Advanced Chemical Etching, Alucast, Barkley Plastics, Brandauer, FW Cables, Lightning Aerospace, PP Electrical Systems, SMT Developments, Westley Engineering and Wrekin Circuits.

It offers customers a central point of contact to ten firms, state-of-the-art factories and a combined 650-strong highly skilled workforce with expertise spanning from aluminium castings and precision pressings to PCB manufacture, chemical etching and cable harnesses.

Clients use the group to reduce costs and access a single sourcing strategy that boasts world class technical and prototyping capabilities.

“A lot of our members are heavily involved in the security industry, making precision components for use in fire detection, locking products and the military,” concluded Steve.

For further information, please visit www.man-group.co.uk, contact 0845 034 6676 or visit Hall 5, Stand B110 at IFSEC (May 14-17th)

Record sales delivers SMT Developments a perfect 15th birthday gift

MAN Group — 25/06/2015

A Warwick-based electronic assembly specialist is celebrating its 15th anniversary in style, by posting record sales and signing off on a £350,000 investment.

SMT Developments, which employs 35 people at its state-of-the-art facility on the Heathcote Industrial Estate, is on course to smash the £3m sales barrier for the first time in its history after enjoying significant growth in automotive, LED lighting and specialist electronics.

The company has taken on five new staff to cope with this expansion and also invested in a new six-head pick and place machine, automated selective soldering and doubled its ultravision inspection capability.

This is a far cry from 2000 when founder Phil Rowley set up the business in a small industrial unit not much bigger than a domestic garage.

Looking back it was probably not a textbook business decision. I was Commercial Director at an automotive electronics specialist and was given the task of finding a firm who used surface mount technology in small volumes, commented Phil, who is joined at the helm by his son John and wife Elaine.

After much searching I couldnt find a suitable supplier so went back to the board with the suggestion that we do it ourselves. They said no and I thought, well Im going to do it anyway.

He continued: I didnt really know much about electronic assembly at that stage, but re-mortgaged and used the money on a small starter workshop. It didnt take long before I realised I needed an electronics designer to add that level of expertise!

SMT Developments, which is a member of the Midlands Assembly Network (MAN), was born on April 1st 2000 in a 1000 sq ft unit only a few hundred metres away from its current 15,000 sq ft building.

The companys first order was to supply electronics to go into a DVD player for the Ford Galaxy and, as volumes increased, so did enquiries from clients operating in other sectors.

Boosted by this interest, it moved to a larger factory and it was here where the firms largest ever order was secureda £1.8m contract - delivered over 20 months - to Paxton Access.

This triggered the first investment in automation and put SMT in a position to win new high-profile contracts.

Looking around our current site now and you wouldnt believe how far weve come in 15 years, explained John, who joined the company straight from University in 2002.

We now have a truly world class facility for providing total turnkey services, from electronic assembly prototypes to fully tested total product build.

He went on to add: £1m was spent on purchasing the building in 2014 and weve followed this up with a further £350,000 investment, including the addition of a conformal coating line that allows us to go after more specialised work in aerospace and MoD. Theres easily enough capacity now to do £5m sales per year.

Its not all about technology though. We do still own our first ever Dek 248 screen printer, which is still put into use for quirky shaped boards.

SMT Developments currently supplies electronic assembly services to customers involved in LED lighting, supercar manufacture, superfast broadband solutions, robotics, automotive aftermarket technology and cash weighing machines.

It is an active member of the Midlands Assembly Network (MAN), a nine-strong group of sub-contract manufacturers who work together to win work both at home and overseas.

Phil Rowley concluded: We should also mention the significant support weve received off the Coventry & Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP), first with Growing Places funding to help secure the building and, more recently, with £70,000 of Regional Growth Funding towards the purchase of the new machinery.

In particular Rob Bent from the LEP has been fantastic. He understood the potential in our business and made things as easy as they could be when applying. This meant we got the assistance quickly and was able to capitalise on a number of new business opportunities.

New videos launched to boost understanding of ‘interconnectivity’

MAN Group — 24/03/2016

One of the worlds leading automation specialists has launched a series of educational videos stressing the importance of interconnectivity and the importance of investing in new technology.

PP Electrical Systems, which works with 12 of the largest machinery manufacturers across the globe, has published the sound bites on its website (www.powerpanels.uk.com) to highlight key issues affecting the sector.

The videos shot at the firms 40,000 sq ft facility in the West Midlands, cover the technology behind Crimp Force Monitoring and the benefits it provides, the advantages of cage clamp technology for easy wiring and better interconnectivity and how, using Torque tools, ensures secure connections and reduces the risk of failure and downtime.

There are also insights into meeting UL508a regulations (crucial for trading in North America) and the merits of using suppliers that invest heavily in automated test equipment and full traceability.

Video is becoming more and more popular when it comes to telling your story, especially when your message can be very visual, explained Tony Hague, Managing Director of PP Electrical Systems.

Our first five sound bites take into consideration some of the most prominent questions and issues our technical experts have faced and provide an initial insight into solutions companies can strive for.

He continued: There has been a lot of initial interest and I know this series is proving popular across social media, including Twitter and LinkedIn.

To watch one or all of the videos, please visit www.powerpanels.uk.com/soundbites or follow @pp_electrical on twitter.

Brandauer eyes £500,000 EU opportunity at Productronica

MAN Group — 28/10/2015

A Birmingham manufacturer is looking to take on the Germans in their own backyard next month, with its first ever appearance at Productronica.

Brandauer, a leading presswork and stamping specialist, is targeting more than £500,000 of new orders from customers in the EU and believe exhibiting its capabilities at one of the worlds largest electronics exhibitions is the perfect way to start the sales push.

Five of the senior management will be travelling out to Munich on November 10th to showcase the firms new £250,000 Special Product Division (SPD), which gives it the capability to work with clients on prototypes and small quantities before taking it through to mid and high volumes.

This new addition to the portfolio is already reaping dividends, with nearly £320,000 of new contracts secured, including lamination motors for use in aerospace and wind farms and complex compliance pins also known as needle eye pins for the automotive and white goods sectors

The bi metal lead-frame is another component that has benefitted from the early involvement of the SPD cell, starting as an exciting concept before moving into full production.

Graham Allison, Strategic Sales Manager, is looking forward to flying the Great Britain flag.

Exporting to Germany has always been a difficult market to crack and it has taken a good two years knocking at the door to get our first few leads.

We have found there is a real capacity issue over there and in some other EU countries and we believe we can offer a viable alternative to clients looking for reduced lead times, flexibility in volumes and requiring additional added value assembly services.

He continued: The introduction of our SPD facility has been the real game changer for us. We can now work with the client on initial ideas for new components, then bring them to prototype stage to prove the process works and the product performs in the way it should.

From there we can build the tooling for it and transfer it into medium or high volume production. The journey is seamless and we become a strategic partner rather than just a sub-contractor.

The Special Product Division is the result of a six-month project and provides a dedicated cell housing more than £200,000 of new machinery, including multiple low tonnage presses (3 tonnes up to 60), hydraulic presses, a sheet metal guillotine, laser marking, CNC lathe and a second operation/final assembly area.

Brandauer has also set up a self-contained tool room in the SPD, not to mention its first 3D Printer that produces initial prototypes at a fraction of the cost of setting up tooling.

Graham concluded: Weve been to Productronica before, but just as visitors to meet a few key contacts.

Its a massive show and we wanted to prove that we were serious about growing our client base in specialist electronics and importantly in Germany and other EU countries.

Weve got a three-year plan to grow the business to £10m and international opportunities will be key to us exceeding this target.

Brandauer will be in Hall B2, Booth 180 at Productronica and has a limited amount of free tickets available for the show. Please contact sales@brandauer.co.uk if you would like to attend.

For more general company info, visit www.brandauer.co.uk or follow @cbrandauer on twitter.

Manufacturing collective to showcase £1.5m investments at MACH 2012

MAN Group — 12/04/2012

More than £1.5m of new technologies will be unveiled at MACH 2012 (16th – 20th April) by one of the UK’s leading industrial groups.

The Midlands Assembly Network (MAN) - a collective of ten world class manufacturers in mechanical, electrical and electronic engineering – is using the show to display recent investment in new machinery and processes that will improve speed, quality and capacity.

Precision components supplier Brandauer is the biggest spender after investing £750,000 in two new high-speed fully automated Bruderer power presses. It represents the largest single investment in the company’s history, with the new machines able to produce a staggering 2 billion parts ever year – opening up £2.5m in potential new sales.

The BSTA 510-125B2 will actually be on display at Bruderer’s stand at MACH before being transported to Brandauer’s Newtown factory for installation ready for the start of production in May. Barkley Plastics, which specialises in design, tool making and injection moulding, is also eyeing expansion after it channeled nearly £450,000 into the purchase of a new Hurco VMX64T CNC machine and a Battenfeld Microsystem 50, which will give the firm a high-precision, micro injection moulding facility.

Together, the investments will help strengthen its presence in its core markets of automotive, construction products and white goods, not to mention an exciting new project in alternative energy.

Gerry Dunne, Chairman of MAN, is looking forward to the show: “MACH 2012 is one of our most important exhibitions and this is reflected in the major announcements we are making as a group.” He continued: “There’s a lot of talk about manufacturing being on the up…well our collective of ten manufacturers are proving it by putting their money where their expansion plans are.

“All of us are seeing major increases in enquiries and, significantly, a move towards the repatriation of work and projects back into the UK. That has to be good news.”

The Midlands Assembly Network is made up of ten companies, including Advanced Chemical Etching, Alucast, Barkley Plastics, Brandauer, FW Cables, Lightning Aerospace, PP Electrical Systems, SMT Developments, Westley Engineering and Wrekin Circuits.

Backed by a strong international brand, the group offers customers one central point of contact to ten firms all boasting different manufacturing disciplines, state-of-the-art factories and a combined 650-strong workforce.

Its expertise spans from aluminium castings, pressings, fabrication and electronic control systems to PCB manufacturing, chemical etching, precision machining and specialist wiring looms. Other investments being unveiled at MACH 2012 include:

• Advanced Chemical Etching has recently extended its production facility in Telford by 15,000 sq ft

• PP Electrical Systems has invested more than £1m into the latest automated cable preparation and crimping technology and is about to build a new logistics centre

• Wrekin Circuits has purchased a Schmoll X-Ray Drilling machine, able to drill 0.1mm mechanical global holes.

MAN will be on stand 4313 at MACH 2012. For further information, please visit www.man-group.co.uk or contact 0845 034 6676. You can also follow it on twitter @man_group_

Manufacturer creates nearly 40 jobs after post-Brexit vote sales boost

MAN Group — 13/12/2016

A leading Staffordshire fabrication specialist has cast aside uncertainty following the Brexit vote to secure more than £1.5m of new orders in just six months.

Mec Com, which is part of the Manufacturing Assembly Network (MAN), has seen turnover rise to £14m after it started work on the Siemens Alpha project that taps into the firms Total Manufacturing Solutions strategy to offer component production, final assembly and testing capabilities.

This has led to the creation of 39 new jobs and driven the need for a new £485,000 Trumpf 3030 Fibre Laser, with plans for further investment in new panel bending and robotic welding capacity scheduled for 2017.

We wish the Brexit vote hadnt happened, but theres no point stewing on it, explained Richard Bunce, Managing Director.

Our management team sat down and looked at the short-term opportunities it presented and decided to push ahead with our growth plans and going after key accounts. This approach proved immediately successful and we are already eyeing new leads in the food processing sector.

He continued: Its not going to be easy and well have to keep a watchful eye on what type of Brexit we actually go for. There is also a lot of uncertainty with the employees at our Romanian facility, which we are trying to alleviate as much as possible.

Mec Coms success has been based on a commitment to investing in the latest machinery and in building a global supply network that includes a sister plant in Cluj Napoca and manufacturing agreements in China.

This approach allows it to competitively offer high, medium and low volume manufacturing services to clients operating in food processing, machine tool, medical, power and distribution and rail.

Richard went on to add: We currently offer fabrication, coil winding, general machining, final assembly and test and are continually adding to the services we can provide our customers.

Making sure we have the right people and the right equipment is absolutely crucial and this is reflected in the recent installation of our new fibre laser.

This 4kw laser increases our cutting speed up to 3 times faster than a conventional CO2 machine and is capable of working with a diverse range of material from 0.5mm to 25mm thick.

He continued: We have also integrated lift master compact technology, which automates loading and unloading of sheet material in under 90 seconds.

Mec Com is a member of the Manufacturing Assembly Network, a nine-strong group of sub-contract manufacturers who work together to win orders and share best practice and resource.

The collective, which enjoys more than £70m sales and employs over 750 people, can offer every engineering discipline imaginable, including automation and control systems, casting, design, forging, plastic injection moulding, PCB development and high volume pressings.

It features member companies Alucast, Barkley Plastics, Brandauer, Grove Design, KimberMills International, Muller Holdings, PP Control & Automation and SMT Developments.

MAN has recently launched its own outsourcing cluster, which is targeting OEMs looking for strategic partners to handle non-core manufacturing operations.

For further information, please visit www.mec-com.co.uk / www.man-group.co.uk or follow @mec_com_ltd / @man_group_ on twitter.

Record year marks five decades of manufacturing in Birmingham for Barkley Plastics

MAN Group — 23/03/2015

One of Birminghams best-known manufacturers is on course to smash the £7m barrier for the first time in its 50-year historyand all because of an advert in the local newspaper.

Barkley Plastics, a plastic injection and toolmaking specialist, is celebrating the landmark anniversary in style after bringing a number of new automotive contracts home and launching its own line of PVC floor tiles called Plasfloor.

More than £600,000 has been added to turnover in the last twelve months, with 8 new jobs created taking the total workforce to 112, three of whom are currently completing their apprenticeships.

That is a far cry from when John Barkley used the local newspaper to attract four toolmakers Bob Chittleborough, Bob Fisher, Maurice Harwood and Tony Challinor - to start his own plastics firm supplying into nearby automotive suppliers.

The quartet initially kept their day jobs at Lucas, choosing to work the evening at John Barkley Plastics, before a surge in demand from Mini, Rolls-Royce and Lucas themselves made them all take the plunge and go full-time.

Weve certainly come a long way since we first started in Balsall Heath in 1965, explained Mark Harwood, the current Managing Director and son of one of the original four.

The name Barkley Plastics is now recognised throughout industry for its world class quality in injection moulding and toolmaking and we currently supply components that are used in domestic goods, innovative locking devices and for car makers including BMW, McLaren and Jaguar Land Rover.

Just last year, we hit the headlines for supplying 20,000 plastic baubles to the worlds largest chandelier used at the Winter Olympics in Sochi.

He continued: Its fantastic that we are on course to hit a record £7m turnover in 2015, a great way to mark the efforts of every member of staff that has contributed to 50 years of manufacturing.

Barkley Plastics five decades in business have certainly been eventful, covering the automotive boom of the 70s and MG Rover going under to the global recession of 2009 and the new reshoring phenomenon that is currently taking place.

During that time, the company moved to its current Highgate premises in 1968 and, many incarnations and investment decisions later, now boasts an 85,000 sq ft facility full of plastic injection moulding machinery and a dedicated toolroom that is working 24-hours to keep up with demand.

The factory has seen some famous products go through its shopfloor, including the iconic 70s Homepride Flour Men, the Big Yellow Teapot for bluebird toys, paintball products, skateboard wheels and parts for the Raleigh bike.

Automotive continues to play a major part in turnover, with flashing beacons and interior components still made for many car makers, not to mention door handles for JLR and rear lamp components for Nissan. A current speciality is light guides, which are now being introduced in many new cars to create ambient lighting.

Our people have been vital to our success, with many being with us for long periods of time. In fact, the longest serving member of staff is David Challinor, who is also one of the sons of the original four and spent 43 years working on our tools. Only this year, we also saw one of our directors Maurice Cassidy retire after 35 years of hard work and fantastic service, continued Mark.

Theres a lot of special events planned for the course of the year, including a party for current and former employees and installation of our largest ever plastic injection moulding machine. The 650 tonne Negri Bossi gives us the opportunity to produce larger components and go after contracts in markets weve never looked at before.

Another milestone in Barkleys history has been its involvement in the Midlands Assembly Network (MAN), a group of nine sub-contract manufacturers that work together to win work at home and abroad.

The company was a founder member of the unique collective and has benefitted hugely from sharing best practice, learning about new processes and collaborating on apprentice training programmes.

It is currently working with other MAN companies to bring two innovative locking devices to market in Loqski and Guardfreight. The latter has just had its global launch and is promising to help reduce the $80bn lost cargo issue.

Mark concluded: Who would have thought that a little job advert in the local paper would have turned into a successful 21^st century manufacturing operation. The key now is to plan ahead and how we are going to make the most of the next 50 years.

For further information, please visit www.barkley.co.uk or follow the company on twitter @barkleyplastics

MIM Members Win £2M in Contracts Proving Recovery From COVID Disruption

MAN Group — 06/11/2020

The Manufacturing Assembly Network (MAN) - a unique Midlands-based industrial collective is fighting back from Covid-19 disruption by winning more than £2m of new contracts. The network includes Made in the Midlands members PP Control & Automation and Brandauer who are doing remarkably during the COVID crisis.

Compromising of nine sub-contract manufacturers and a specialist engineering design agency, MAN has been able to use its expertise in tube manipulation, precision stampings and contract manufacturing to secure new clients in agriculture, horticulture, healthcare and furniture production.

Member of the network PP Control & Automation is leading the charge with over £1m of business, with the majority of that work, focused on specialist controls and automation for companies supplying into the NHS.

Birmingham-based Brandauer has enjoyed similar success, securing a £500,000 extension to an existing deal with a Middle Eastern disposable razor manufacturer. This was won against world-class competition, beating a design and distribution model to produce new tooling and then delivering stainless steel razor blade substrates in volumes.

“Covid-19 has sent shockwaves throughout the global economy and many of our group have had to react quickly to adjust our operations to cope with sudden drops in volume, social distancing and the Government asking us to close,” explained Tony Hague, CEO of PP Control & Automation (PP C&A).

“It is certainly on a par with the world-wide crash of 2009, if not a little bit tougher. However, as our sector has done on countless other occasions, we have pivoted and collectively attacked the challenges with tenacity and a desire to win different business using our core expertise.

“Four of the members have brought in over £2m of new contracts and others in our group have worked tirelessly to bring volumes back up to between 60 and 70% of pre-Covid activity.”

He continued: “There is also a concerted attempt to explore reshoring opportunities, especially with Brexit looming large on the horizon. We believe there is a massive appetite for ‘localised’ supply and this could play into UK manufacturers hands if we’re prepared to collaborate and invest in the latest technology.”

James Lister and Sons Limited’s tube manipulation business continued trading throughout the lockdown, supporting existing customers and winning many new clients as a result of competitive pricing and rapid response.

£100,000 investment in a state-of-the-art left hand/right-hand CNC bending machine late last year has been pivotal and directly led to £150,000 of orders with firms involved in heat exchangers, structural design, rail, fitness products and furniture.

Austin Owens, the founder of Grove Design, picked up the story: “When the crisis struck, we diverted a lot of our design expertise into supporting the development of the manKind visor and other products for the NHS.

“We then started to receive a significant number of opportunities from innovators and OEMs, with two of these resulting in over £200,000 of contracts to support the creation of new products for the agriculture and horticulture sectors.

“Design and the ability to solve problems will always be a unique selling point and something we are working with other MAN members to help support their recovery efforts.”

The MAN Group is made up of Alucast, Barkley Plastics, Brandauer, C-MAC SMT, Grove Design, James Lister & Sons, KimberMills International, Muller Holdings, PP Control & Automation and Ricor, with Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) providing academic expertise, knowledge transfer and access to state-of-the-art technology.

Together, the collective offers a single-source solution to supply chain issues, providing access to castings, contract electronics, design, electrical assembly, forging, hydraulics, injection moulding, machining, PCB manufacture, pneumatics, high volume pressings/stampings and tube manipulation.

It employs over 2000 people across 21 factories, boasting nearly £150m of annual sales and export orders to more than 35 countries.

For further information, please visit www.man-group.co.uk or follow @mangroupuk on twitter.

Manufacturing group targets vehicle electrification with £15m sales drive

MAN Group — 02/06/2019

A group of Midlands manufacturers has set its sights on taking a share of the expected £300bn spend on vehicle electrification.

The Manufacturing Assembly Network (MAN), which is made up of eight sub-contract manufacturers and a specialist design agency, is already supplying components to 10 projects focused on battery development and electric motors and is expecting this figure to more than double over the next twelve months.

Bosses at the collective point to its ability to offer a single source solution, with 1^st tiers and the major blue-chip OEMs able to tap into a host of engineering disciplines, ranging from concept design, precision pressings, laminations and forgings, to castings, fabrication and full electrical assembly.

MAN also boasts an extremely strong relationship with the Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) and is currently exploring collaborations with professors in this field to look at how it can aid the drive for increased supply chain capacity.

“I can’t remember the last time all members of our group have been so excited about the potential opportunities presented by just one sector… spend on automotive electrification is going through the roof and legislation is driving it,” explained Rowan Crozier, CEO of Brandauer and Chairman of the Manufacturing Assembly Network.

“A single electric car can contain anything between 70 and 150 electric motors, which makes it a very exciting opportunity for parts manufacturers. We are already supplying a number of firms with electrical steel laminations.”

He continued: “Then you also need forgings that could be the shaft and that’s where KimberMills International come in, whilst Alucast could develop the castings for the motor casing.

“Better still, we have Grove Design and its 8-strong team of designers who can overcome production issues and develop prototype parts quickly. It’s a single-source solution and one we believe could generate in excess of £15m of additional orders by the end of 2019.”

The acceleration of the installation of rapid charging stations has been reflected in the sales of electric cars themselves. In 2013, only 3500 were registered in the UK and that number has now rocketed to over 192,000.

These figures will only grow, with the UK government recently introducing environmental legislation that will see a phasing-out of traditional fuelled vehicles by 2040.

“That may seem far away, but it represents an absolute deadline for the production of vehicles as we know it. There is even pressure from MPs to move the deadline to 2032, so the market may potentially be disrupted much sooner,” added Larry Joyce, Chairman of Kimbermills International.

“What we need to do as SMEs is to make sure we are at the forefront of this sector and invest in the skills and technology we are going to need to produce the components electric vehicle manufacturers require. It’s a big challenge, but one the MAN group is definitely up for.”

MAN, which enjoys more than £75m sales and employs over 800 people, can offer every engineering discipline imaginable, including automation and control systems, casting, fabrication, forging, plastic injection moulding, PCB development, precision machining and high volume pressings.

Its membership includes Alucast, Barkley Plastics, Brandauer, C-MAC SMT, Grove Design, Kimbermills International, Mec Com, Muller Holdings and PP Control & Automation.

For further information, please visit www.man-group.co.uk.

Brandauer marks its 150th anniversary with a £3.5m order boost

MAN Group — 20/02/2012

Brandauer marks its 150th anniversary with a £3.5m order boost

A world leader in precision pressings and stamping, whose history spans three centuries, is celebrating in style by announcing major contracts worth £3.5m.

Brandauer, which employs 50 people at its headquarters in Birmingham, will begin production on a range of new complex components destined for the automotive, security detection and renewables markets this year.

It marks the start of yet another new chapter for the company, which was founded in 1862 and soon became one of the leading manufacturers in the Birmingham pen trade, exporting throughout the world.

Located less than 200 metres from its original Grade II listed factory, it remains an independent, wholly family-owned business, now in its sixth generation.

Today, it continues to be a global leader in the development and supply of precision metal components and currently exports billions of parts every year, from China to the United States.

“2012 is a massive year for Brandauer and one where we can reflect on our 150 year history, celebrate our achievements while looking forward to future growth,” explained Rowan Crozier, Sales and Marketing Director.

“The new contracts are a perfect start to the celebrations and illustrate how we are using the same skills of quality and innovation, that were fundamental in founding the business, to secure the firm’s future.”

He continued: “We are also investing close to £1m on state-of-the-art equipment, including two new high-speed Bruderer presses that will produce up to 2 billion parts every year.”

Under its bold new 150th logo, Brandauer plans to exploit its anniversary to the full, including publishing a 36-page history of the family business, VIP visits to the factory, and a design competition for first-year students at the Birmingham School of Jewellery.

The company will also be exhibiting at Southern Manufacturing, MACH, Subcon and MicroMachining Live.

David Spears, Managing Director, continued: “Very few family-owned manufacturing businesses reach their sixth generation and we owe it all to the skill and dedication of our workforce. The 150th anniversary is a great opportunity for us to celebrate our achievements and the excellent relationships we have with our customers and suppliers, some going back 40 years or more.

“Apprenticeships have played a vital part in the company’s story, from the very beginnings of the business to the present day, as I started my own career as a Brandauer apprentice.”

John Berkeley OBE, Chairman of Brandauer, picked up the story:

“Attracting new young talent will be one of the key themes for 2012, using the anniversary to promote engineering careers in schools and further afield.

“We will also be co-operating with Birmingham’s Thinktank science museum at Millennium Point and the city’s Museum and Art Gallery to display our products, both old and new.”
Brandauer – one of ten independent companies that work together as MAN (Midlands Assembly Network) - produces in excess of 4 million parts every week for customers in the automotive, aerospace, electronics, medical and alternative energy sectors.

Designs on growth as Grove joins the Midlands Assembly Network

MAN Group — 18/08/2013

The Midlands Assembly Network (MAN) is setting its sights on a host of new opportunities after it joined forces with one of the UKs leading product design and engineering consultancies.

The unique manufacturing collective has welcomed Herefordshire-based Grove Design as its latest member, providing its global client base with a full turnkey service, from initial drawings and feasibility studies to prototyping and low, medium and high volume production.

This additional service the first time the group has ever offered this discipline has already led to possible contracts for developing lightweight automotive components and an exciting global project in renewables.

Tony Hague, Chairman of MAN, believes this is just the start of what could be a multi-million pound opportunity:

More and more companies are looking to rationalise their supply chain to avoid issues with lead times, cost and security of delivery and this is a trend we can take advantage of.

Grove Design represents a perfect fit for the group and builds on existing manufacturing capabilities, including etching, precision pressing, tool making, injection moulding, contract electronics and die casting.

He went on to add: Whilst we have some existing design facilities, theyre nothing like our latest member can bring to the table. Its reputation for product design and providing engineering solutions is well known both at home and abroad.

Its a major coup for MAN and means we can now work with existing and new customers at the earliest possible stage of a new product or component.

Grove Design employs six full time design engineers at its state-of-the-art studio and off-road test track in Herefordshire, working for clients in agriculture, automotive, petrochemical, recycling and security.

The company combines years of engineering expertise with the latest 3D CAD modeling and analysis to deliver solutions that include vehicle drivetrains, special purpose machinery, hand held devices and processing plant.

Recent project wins have seen a rise in turnover and Grove expects this trend to accelerate following the decision to join the Midlands Assembly Network.

We are really excited about joining MAN and believe we provide a new dimension to its existing offer, explained Austin Owens, Director at Grove Design.

There is a growing demand for suppliers to get involved at the earliest possible stage with new components or products and this is where we can really add value, whether it is through a single redraw or full project involvement from concept through to definition for manufacture.

He continued: We can now work with other MAN members to offer the complete solution for clients and take our design through to production and supply.

This means we can identify potential issues earlier on in the process as well have input from the actual companies who will be producing the parts. This is a massive win-win for potential customers.

The Midlands Assembly Network is made up of ten companies including Grove Design, Advanced Chemical Etching, Alucast, Barkley Plastics, Brandauer, FW Cables, Mec Com, PP Electrical Systems, SMT Developments and Westley Engineering.

Together they employ over 650 people and turnover in excess of £65m, providing access to world class manufacturing in precision pressings, casting, etching, injection moulding, wiring looms, toolmaking, PCB assembly and electrical control systems and assemblies.

For further information, visit www.grovedesign.co.uk/ www.man-group.co.uk, ring 0845 034 6676 or follow MAN on twitter @man_group_

Power of MAN to drive E-Containerlock launch at Subcon 2013

MAN Group — 05/06/2013

A Birmingham company has agreed a deal with the Midlands Assembly Network (MAN) to bring a new solution to market that could potentially prevent $80bn of cargo going missing every year.

The collective, which is made up of ten world class sub-contractors offering technical excellence in mechanical, electrical and electronic engineering processes, will provide pre-production, manufacture and assembly of the E-Containerlock for Guardfreight International.

The new locking mechanism can be fitted to shipping containers and provides an in-built GRPS tracking system that provides location updates and immediate alerts if entry is forced.

Invented by industry expert Andrew Harrison, the breakthrough product will be unveiled for the first time at Subcon this week (June 4^th-6^th) where it will be the main feature of the MAN Stand (D6).

We are very excited about this partnership as we now have a complete manufacturing process for E-Containerlock using just one source this is great for security of supply, taking cost out of production and fine-tuning assembly, explained Andrew.

We have developed a working prototype and the next stage will be to enter into producing a small batch that can be trialled with some of the worlds leading freight monitoring agencies as these organisations will ultimately be our biggest customers.

He went on to add: Its early days, but were confident that this solution will change the way cargo is transported, with our business plan showing a £16m turnover by 2018 and the possibility of creating up to 50 jobs directly and in the supply chain.

The E-Containerlock is fitted in seconds and offers a host of security benefits, including wrap around fitting, hub shield and extended housing that prevents tampering, handle rotation and left hand opening respectively.

Its innovation comes in the multiple sensors and GPRS technology that are built into the device. This gives clients the chance to monitor their cargo at any point of the journey and also receive alerts if the container is opened.

This is ideal for preventing theft of goods and for insurance purposes as you can prove the exact place where the tampering or break-in occurred.

Steve Gaston, Business Development Manager for the Midlands Assembly Network, picked up the story:

We are delighted to be working with Guardfreight in bringing a local innovation to market and one that has the potential to change global transport forever.

It also demonstrates perfectly the benefits we offer as a group. By having so many different engineering disciplines under one roof, we can take on any size project from initial idea right through to production, assembly and fulfillment.

He added: In this instance, we will be tapping into the expertise of four companies. The project lead will be Barkley Plastics to look after injection moulding and they will bring in Mec Com for the fabrication, Westley Engineering for the presswork and SMT Developments for the PCB population.

Subcon is one of our biggest shows and we are delighted to able to prove the MAN concept with the launch of E-Containerlock.

The Midlands Assembly Network is made up of ten companies including Advanced Chemical Etching, Alucast, Barkley Plastics, Brandauer, FW Cables, Grove Design, Mec Com, PP Electrical Systems, SMT Developments and Westley Engineering.

Together they employ over 700 people and turnover in excess of £65m, providing access to world class manufacturing in precision pressings, casting, etching, injection moulding, wiring looms, toolmaking, PCB assembly and electrical control systems and assemblies.

For further information, visit www.guardfreight.com/www.man-group.co.uk, ring 0845 034 6676 or follow MAN on twitter @man_group_

Inventor-e taps into the power of MAN to target £3m inventory management opportunity

MAN Group — 30/09/2021

A major disruptor in inventory management is targeting a £3m sales boost after it launched two new products.

Inventor-e, which employs 24 people at its Headquarters in Solihull, has tapped into the design and production capability of the Manufacturing Assembly Network (MAN) to be first to market with iVendScale and iBinScale.

The solutions provide a scale-based inventory management vending system and mobile automated replenishment to help boost productivity at factories across the world.

In order to meet rapid demand for its products, the company turned to MAN member company PP Control & Automation (PPC&A) to manage the design for manufacture and build, a decision that is already paying dividends with a secure supply chain in place to support thousands of units every year.

“Our high-tech applications offer connectivity and data solutions that provide remote inventory information services in real time and are already being used by a host of major global organisations, including Babcock, Boeing, Rexel and Wolseley,” explained Dean Henry, founder of Inventor-e.

“We recognised early on that our core strength lay in the design and constant evolution of products and solutions and that the manufacture and assembly of our systems should be outsourced to a partner that could grow with us as we expand.”

He continued: “This journey led to us appointing PPC&A to support the build of our first products in SmartStores Secure and iVendcab, which proved to us that this was the right approach and paved the way for our latest launches.

“We’ve just placed iVendScale into its first industrial location with Mitsubishi and the pipeline of orders suggest we’ll be hitting £5m next year, impossible without the right outsourcing solution in place.”

Fresh from the initial success, Cheslyn Hay-based PP Control & Automation was invited to take on full supply chain management for the iVendScale and iBinScale and, following a constant review of performance and capabilities, introduced fellow MAN members C-MAC SMT to satisfy all the Printed Circuit Board Assemblies requirements and Grove Design.

The latter, an experienced engineering design consultancy, was invited to support prototyping and explore ways where it could make the systems robust whilst keeping the costs competitive.

It reverse-engineered the current products and this revealed several design improvements that could be made to improve both the speed of manufacture and the performance of the solutions.

Tony Hague, CEO of PP C&A, went on to add: “Our role is to create the supply chain and the production line to ensure we can scale-up rapidly for Inventor-e’s existing solutions and its increasing range of new products.

“Our mechanical and assembly experience helped us shave days off the lead time on all of the products and, by working together, we have been able to optimise costs through design for manufacture to help the client achieve the elusive ‘price points’ it requires.

“This is a fantastic example of the power of MAN and how the group’s collective engineering expertise can help bring new technology to market quickly and within budget.”

Inventor-e’s Dean Henry concluded: “Interest in our vending technology is huge and we’ve now signed exclusive partnership deals with Rexel and Wolseley, as well as a working arrangement with Arco. This means volumes could increase rapidly and I’m confident we have the supply chain and manufacturing partners in place to meet this demand when it happens.

“The MAN Group has become a critical partner for us, from our initial engagement with PP Control & Automation to getting Grove involved in design and adding C-MAC SMT’s electronic expertise to projects. It’s a truly domestic effort in taking UK technology global.”

If growth plans are achieved, Inventor-e should create a further 20 jobs directly and a further 60 in the supply chain.

For further information, please visit www.man-group.co.uk or www.inventor-e.co.uk

The Brandauers return to toast Birmingham company’s 150th birthday

MAN Group — 14/01/2013

A mother from Vienna brought her son to Birmingham recently to join in the 150thanniversary celebrations of her great-great-grandfather’s engineering firm – 98 years after the British Government branded her family as ‘enemy aliens’.

Dr Ruth Brandauer and her son Jakob visited Brandauer as part of a series of events to mark the milestone anniversary for the company, which now manufacturers high precision metal pressings for electronics, medical, healthcare, construction and renewable energy sectors.

They visited their ancestor’s original factory in New John Street West before a grand dinner at Birmingham’s Museum & Art Gallery in the company of guests from the city, local industry/heritage organisations, shareholders, other family members and employees past and present.

To coincide with the anniversary, BMAG is currently hosting an exhibition of the firm’s Victorian steel pens and some of its high-tech modern components as part of the recently opened Birmingham History galleries.

“We were delighted to welcome the ancestors of our co-founder Carl Heinrich Immanuel Brandauer and celebrate how far the company has come since its creation in 1862,” explained John Berkeley, former Chairman of Brandauer.

“As part of the trip, we showed them both the original and new factories, gave them a guided tour of the West Midlands and also detailed some more recent developments, such as our pioneering work in the Large Hadron Collider and our involvement in the Midlands Assembly Network.”

Brandauer was founded in 1862 by Carl Brandauer and Joseph Letiere Petit and soon became one of the leading steel pen makers and a driving force in Birmingham, then the centre of the global industry with more pen factories located in the City than the rest of the world put together.

However, at the outbreak of the First World War, after half a century of investment and innovation, the Brandauer family found themselves classed as ‘enemy aliens’ and stripped of their property.

Carl Brandauer’s son Frederick was arrested and imprisoned in a detention camp on the Isle of Man, where he committed suicide in 1918 rather than be repatriated to Germany.

Jakob Hutthaler, speaking at the event, said: “It was fascinating to see where my great-great-great-grandfather laid the foundation stone of what has become a great family business. Of course, I see it with mixed feelings, as the story was immediately over for our family when the First World War started.

“Going forward, I wish Brandauer another 150 years of success and I hope that we stay in touch.”

The company survived the two world wars by adapting to market conditions and investing in automation, with the installation of its first three process presses in 1935.

Pen manufacturing continued to be the bedrock of sales until the early 1950s when the business switched its attention to making the most of the early stages of the electronics era, supplying components such as switch inserts, cartridge contacts and flat stylus arms.

Today, the firm exports 75% of its sales overseas to more than 20 countries, including millions of components to the United States and China.

Demand for lighter auto parts propels Alucast to £10m sales target

MAN Group — 25/05/2016

Major opportunities in the automotive sector are promising to help a leading Black Country manufacturer hit the £10m sales mark over the next two years.

Alucast, a specialist supplier of sand gravity and pressure castings, is targeting £3m of new product introductions after impressing car markers and tier1s with its quality and technical expertise.

Backed by MAGMASOFT^® software, the company has been able to take a greater role in designing and prototyping lightweight structural parts and this has already led to £500,000 of work for a niche vehicle manufacturer.

It has also used the expansion to enhance its management team by appointing Martin Haynes as Quality and Technical Director, responsible for delivering world-class performance and new model introductions.

There is a real momentum towards using aluminium in components, basically driven by the need to take weight out of vehicles, explained John Swift, Managing Director of Alucast.

This is an area we have significant expertise in and this has resulted in us being nominated for a lot of new work that we have gone on to win. The pipeline of opportunities is looking even better and Im confident we can hit £10m by 2018.

He continued: As part of this drive, we are keen to reduce the age of the senior management team by bringing in some younger people, with fresh ideas. Martin has been a fantastic addition since joining as Quality Manager and has been instrumental in us securing and being re-accredited for TS16949.

Alucast, which is a founder member of the Midlands Assembly Network, currently employ 98 people at its Wednesbury factory and is on course to increase turnover by 10% this year to £7.7m.

The firm is no stranger to continued investment and is currently finalising a £500,000 refurbishment plan of its machine shop and other facilities that will include the installation of two 5-axis CNC machines.

This acquisition will enable it to speed up its machining capabilities and reduce time to market.

Martin, who chose the foundry sector over becoming a RE teacher, continued: Our drive for continuous improvement has really paid off, with our 10-strong quality team delivering outstanding manufacturing performance and ensuring we are competitive on price.

When you combine this with our ability to call upon MAGMASOFT^® software and a soon to be completed new machine shop, we are in an ideal position to offer lightweight castings to existing and potential automotive customers.

He added: Im delighted to be appointed as a Director, five years after joining the firm. Its a fantastic business with great tradition, but now its our turn to deliver the next chapter in our history.

Martin has been involved in manufacturing for nearly 30 years and recently completed his Innovation Business Leadership course at Warwick Manufacturing Group.

In addition to investment in new technology and capital equipment, hes also keen to ensure the workforce continues to have plenty of development opportunities.

A few years back we put 73 of our staff through a comprehensive training programme that delivered diplomas in Business Improvement Techniques and a host of Adult Apprenticeships.

He concluded: That commitment the largest in our 49-year history delivered over £235,000 of immediate savings and countless softer benefits of having higher skilled workers. Personal development is key to our business, people really are our power!

Alucast has the ability to take on a wide range of aluminium castings, from small volume prototype work/special projects produced via sand casting, through to medium volume work and high pressure volume orders running into hundreds of thousands of components annually.

With parts manufactured from just a few grams in weight to large castings weighing up to a tonne, the business has a supply solution for most casting requirements and produces a range of parts, including automotive engine and chassis components and hydraulic and vacuum pump bodies.

For further information, please visit www.alucast.co.uk or follow @AlucastLTD on twitter.

Nemco joins MAN Group as it aims to push sales towards £30m

MAN Group — 25/07/2022

One of the UK’s leading contract electronics manufacturers has become the latest company to join the Manufacturing Assembly Network (MAN), as it promises to ramp-up its annual turnover to £30m turnover by 2026.

Stevenage-based electronics specialist Nemco posted an £11m turnover figure in the last financial year and believes its involvement in the unique collective of sub-contract manufacturers and an engineering design agency will play a crucial role in helping it reach the ambitious target over the next four years.

MAN, which employs more than 1750 people across 13 different factories, offers every engineering discipline imaginable, including aluminium casting, automation and control systems, forging, high-volume pressings, plastic injection moulding, precision machining, tube manipulation and welded assemblies.

Attracting Nemco to the group is seen as a huge coup, with the printed circuit board assembly experts boasting a diverse client base touching many different sectors, including aerospace, defence, industrial and medical.

“We’re thrilled to be a part of MAN, for the simple reason that the group boasts like-minded businesses who are progressive, ambitious and looking to grow,” explained David Duric, Sales & Marketing Director at Nemco.

“There is no competition within the group, so there is a great culture of transparency and best practice sharing that can only be good for our business. Importantly, we also offer new solutions that complement the core capabilities of other members in the Manufacturing Assembly Network.

“It has been a tough time in the manufacturing sector due to the global pandemic and its after-effects. We effectively lost a year somewhere and although there was a slight dip in the order book during the initial pandemic, we remained strong and diversified to weather the storm."

He continued: “Thankfully we recovered because we acted quickly. We planned ahead and we kept on investing in new machinery and strengthening our purchasing department to offset the rising costs of raw materials. This combined approach has seen us emerge in a position of strength.”

Nemco, which was formed in 1985 by Dave Pearce and currently employs 122 people at its 60,000 sq ft Wedgwood Way facility, has identified significant opportunities in the renewable energy and EV sectors and is planning to make significant inroads in the months and years ahead.

It has also recruited two dedicated business development managers for the first time, who will spearhead a strengthened sales team, tasked with focusing on new opportunities and working with MAN to explore joint opportunities.

David added:

“We are equally adept at providing full turnkey solutions - including printed circuit board assembly - or assisting our clients with their own processes.

“In some cases, they work up their designs and pass on to us to create. We make high volumes of PCBs, working in low to mid-volume in a number of different sectors including the medical and EV industries.”

MAN, which works together to win new contracts and share best practice, comprises Alucast, Barkley Plastics, Brandauer, Grove Design, James Lister & Sons, Kimbermills International, PP Control & Automation and Muller Holdings.

The group has secured a string of contracts across automotive, electronics, medical and renewables following the easing of lockdown.

For further information about Nemco and its printed circuit board solutions, visit https://www.nemco.co.uk/

For more on MAN, please visit, www.man-group.co.uk or follow Manufacturing Assembly Network on twitter.

Midlands Assembly Network creates 85 new jobs after £4.5m sales boom

MAN Group — 02/06/2015

A global desire for supplier rationalisation and more strategic partnerships has delivered a £4.5m sales boost to the Midlands Assembly Network (MAN).

New customers in the automotive, electronics and energy generation sectors have decided to tap into the single source solution to enjoy greater supply chain security, faster lead times and new technical innovations.

Over 85 new jobs have been created across the nine firms that make up the unique West Midlands-based collective, 20 of whom are apprentices sourced from local schools in the Black Country, Birmingham, Coventry, Stafford, Telford and Shrewsbury.

Chairman Tony Hague made the announcement on the opening day of Subcon 2015 and comes just a few months before the group celebrates its tenth birthday.

There has definitely been a move from the OEMs and tier 1s to trim down their supply chains to reduce costs and make them easier to manage. Weve certainly benefitted from this.

He continued: Weve never come across another MAN, a lot have tried but few seem to arrive on the successful formula we have. I think what makes us tick is the fact we have eight sub-contract manufactures who dont compete in any way and are all committed to delivering world class manufacturing performance.

We are completely open with each other, share best practice and, now we have a dedicated design specialist, can take a product from prototype through to small, medium and high volume production.

The Midlands Assembly Network consists of Advanced Chemical Etching, Alucast, Barkley Plastics, Brandauer, Grove Design, Mec Com, Muller Holdings, PP Electrical Systems and SMT Developments.

Together they employ more than 700 employees across twelve factories and turnover £70m.

Over the last twelve months, it has invested more than £4m into an array of machinery and new technology, including a new Special Products cell, multi-axis lathe, CNC machines and a new clean room.

Reshoring is another big opportunity for the Midlands Assembly Network, continued Tony, who is also Managing Director of PP Electrical Systems.

There is definitely a growing desire to buy British or bring production back, the latter emanating from concerns about quality, the actual landing part price and delays in delivery.

He concluded: The majority of our reshore wins have been in automotive, although we are now seeing interest coming from clients in renewables and the medical sector. Made in Britain is alive and kicking.

Clients can work with one, two or all nine members of the Midlands Assembly Network to meet their manufacturing requirements. This could be resourcing existing components or taking exciting new innovations and turning them into commercial reality, such as Loqski (a new ski locking device) and Pegasus AV Solutions (groundbreaking audio visual mounting system).

MAN also boasts WMG, University of Warwick as an associate member, tapping into its R&D capabilities and facilities to develop new technologies that can be used by SMEs.

For further information, please visit Stand S422, go to www.man-group.co.uk or follow @man_group_ on twitter.

Unique collaboration promises a new approach to manufacturing at Subcon 2015

MAN Group — 10/05/2015

A world first manufacturing collaboration is heading to Subcon 2015 next month, with the promise of offering a new approach to streamlining the supply chain.

The Midlands Assembly Network (MAN), which features eight sub-contract manufacturers, a design agency and academic partner Warwick Manufacturing Group, is offering customers a single point of contact for their engineering requirements when the industry event kicks off on June 2nd.

Working across 12 state-of-the-art factories, the collective will showcase its total manufacturing solution, from initial prototyping, fabrication and precision machining to chemical etching, injection moulding and PCB development.

Clients can access the expertise of one, two, three or all member firms to remove costs, reduce lead times and deliver world class complex parts.

In the last year, MAN has secured over £9m of new business across automotive, aerospace, offshore wind, rail and renewables, explained Tony Hague, Chairman.

Despite the differences in sectors, customers have the same goal in mindto find a new way of managing their supply chains and finding answers to difficult problems. This is something we have a proven track record in.

He continued: All of the nine companies share the same belief in world class manufacturing and none of us compete, meaning we work together very well. Better still we have developed a new partnership with Warwick Manufacturing Group, giving us unique access to new technology and R&D that few of our rivals can match.

The MAN line-up consists of Advanced Chemical Etching, Alucast, Barkley Plastics, Brandauer, Grove Design, Mec Com, Muller Holdings, PP Electrical Systems and SMT Developments.

Together they employ more than 700 employers (20 of whom are apprentices), annual sales of £70m and quality accreditations including ISO 9001, ISO 14001, SC21, TS16949 and UL508A.

In the last year alone, it has invested more than £10m into state-of-the-art automation, new technology and the latest training programmes.

Tony concluded: Subcon is a fantastic opportunity for us to showcase the true MAN effect in action. Come and see how we can help you on Stand S442.

The latest addition to the MAN offer is a dedicated marketing and PR resource, with the appointment of associate members Cucumber PR and Start 2 Finish Marketing.

For further information, please visit www.man-group.co.uk or follow @man_group_ on twitter

MAN set to showcase its involvement in new flood defence system and the ‘Raptor’ at Subcon 2012

MAN Group — 07/06/2012

A unique manufacturing collaboration is set to display the world’s most effective flood protection system and a breakthrough in electric powered vehicles at Subcon 2012.

The Midlands Assembly Network, which is on stand G45, will give delegates the chance to see first hand the ‘Self Closing Flood Barrier’ and the ‘Raptor’ – a road legal three-wheeled EPV that is already attracting attention from Dubai and Singapore.

Made up of nine companies specialising in mechanical, electrical and electronic engineering processes, MAN has played a crucial role in both projects with Lightning Aerospace chosen by Global Flood Defence Systems as its sheet metal fabricator and FW Cables developing specialist wiring looms for the vehicle.

These contracts are the latest in a long-line of high profile orders won by the collective, with Alucast also manufacturing the aluminium components that hold in place the inner and outer skin of the London 2012 Olympic Torch.

Gerry Dunne, Chairman of MAN, picked up the story: “Subcon is one of our most important shows and we’re hoping to build on 2011’s appearance where we received in excess of 50 new leads.

“And this year should be even better with what we have on display. The ‘Raptor’ is the first of any 3-wheeled electric powered vehicle that has met the requirements of the UK’s Vehicle and Operating Servicing Agency (VOSA)…and better still it’s all been designed and made in the Midlands.”

He continued: “Initially, they are looking to build 60 vehicles and then ramp up production gradually until they are manufacturing 3000 units per year.”

Andrew Redfern, Chief Executive of Lightning Aerospace, picked up the story: “We were successful in a competitive tender earlier this year to become the sheet metal fabricator for Global Flood Defence Systems and its revolutionary ‘Self Closing Flood Barrier’.

“It’s totally passive and is activated purely by buoyancy, removing the need for power or manual labour to erect. It has been successfully installed around the world and future sales both at home and abroad are strong.

“We will have a small demonstration model at Subcon 2012 so visitors can see exactly how it works and why it is so effective in protecting buildings and homes from flooding.”

It offers customers a central point of contact to nine firms, state-of-the-art factories and a combined 600-strong highly skilled workforce with expertise spanning from aluminium castings and precision pressings to chemical etching and cable harnesses.

Clients use the group to reduce costs and access a single sourcing strategy that boasts world class technical and prototyping capabilities.

“Across the group, our member companies hold all the necessary accreditations, including ISO 9001, TS16949, ISO14001, AS9100, SC21, UL508A, J-STD-001, IPC-A-610 and a host of customer approvals from the OEMs,” explained Gerry.

“We’ve also seen wide-scale investment across all nine firms, with in more than £2m spent on new machinery, recruitment and extending factories.”

For further information, please visit www.man-group.co.uk, contact 0845 034 6676 or visit G45 at Subcon.

MAN Group builds its business leaders through pioneering new programme with WMG

MAN Group — 23/09/2015

Six senior managers from the UKs Midlands Assembly Network (MAN) are among the first to complete a new Innovation Business Leadership (IBL) postgraduate programme at WMG, University of Warwick designed to create new Midlands business leaders who can bring significant benefits to their businesses.

The IBL programme is a unique postgraduate education programme, delivered through five three-day modules. It covers: strategy and innovation; leading and managing talent; operational efficiency; financial and commercial awareness; and sales, marketing and reputation management.

Individuals from Brandauer, Advanced Chemical Etching, Barkley Plastics, SMT Developments and Alucast are already putting what they have learned into practice by exploring new technologies, implementing a host of process improvement measures and creating employee development schemes.

The first new business leaders to complete the programme include:

· John Swift and Martin Haynes of Alucast, one of the UKs leading aluminium casting companies. IBL has played a key role in the firm securing the automotive global quality accreditation TS16949 that will put it in line to tender for £5m of additional automotive work every year. Putting this system in place is very time consuming so we needed to have a strategy in place that utilised the skills of our staff so we could meet our target of achieving a successful audit within one year, says Martin Haynes, Group Quality Manager. There is no doubt the IBL programme has been beneficial in delivering clearer thinking and giving us an idea on how we can not only secure TS16949, but actually make the most of it both operationally and commercially.

· John Rowley from contract electronics firm SMT Developments recently announced his promotion to managing director of the business. He attributes his success to some of the things he had learnt over the course of the year and has developed a number of new ideas for how to take the business forward. He said: The Innovation Business Leadership programme opened my eyes to a range of new technologies and innovative tools that we can use to create new products and services at SMT. It has helped me realise the great potential the business has. I also met some fantastic people from other sectors that have been extremely inspirational.

· Theresa Williams, finance director at precision pressings company Brandauer, is now pioneering a new mentoring scheme for other managers in the business.

Tony Hague, chairman of MAN said: It is imperative that MAN stays ahead of the curve with the most forward thinking management training and research knowledge. Working with WMG on this leadership programme has allowed us to do that.

Dr Barry Winter, course director at WMG said: Our programme isnt just about the classroom learning. The programme offers the participants the ability to network with others, attend technology demonstrations and hear from guest speakers that have implemented innovative new practices in their businesses.

Santander Corporate and Commercial were so confident of the programme benefits that they agreed to part fund the first cohort of 16 participants from 14 different SMEs and offered them the opportunity to attend Breakthrough master classes as part of the course.

Throughout my career I have developed and analysed many business theories and models that have the potential to transform the productivity and performance of small businesses, but they rarely see the light of day in SME management practice. This programme has brought this theory to life, combining both academic rigour with practical application.

We have been inspired by the results of the course and are delighted that the MAN Group have noted so many benefits already.

The Midlands Assembly Networkis a collective of eight sub-contract manufacturers and a specialist design consultancy who work together to win work at home and overseas.

The group, which features Advanced Chemical Etching, Alucast, Barkley Plastics, Brandauer, Grove Design, Muller Holdings, PP Electrical Systems and SMT Developments, employs 700 people over 12 factories and this year will smash the £70m combined turnover barrier.

It offers every aspect of mechanical, electrical and electronic engineering processes, including automation, castings, control systems, etching, injection moulding, PCB development and precision pressings.

For further information, please visit www.man-group.co.uk or follow @man_group_on twitter. To find out more about WMG, go to www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/wmg/

PP on course for £20m sales after machinery builders turn to outsourcing

MAN Group — 07/07/2016

New contracts in food, packaging and scientific equipment will help a leading West Midlands manufacturer smash £20m turnover this year.

PP Control & Automation (PP), which employs 200 people at its world class facility in Walsall, has seen a major surge of interest from machinery builders looking to outsource non-core competences in a bid to reduce lead times and optimise quality.

There has also been a greater drive to free up capacity and develop manufacturing processes that offers the end user a greater choice of configuration.

Over £2m of incremental orders have already been placed in the first six months of the year and this growth anticipated to reach 20% in 2016 will necessitate the need for 30 new jobs, explained Tony Hague, Managing Director of PP.

We made the decision a few years back to take a collaborative approach with the worlds leading machinery builders, focusing on trying to get involved earlier in the process.

He continued: This looked at areas where we can apply our controls and automation expertise to the early build stage and then bring our capabilities in value engineering and design for manufacture to the fore.

PPs growth plans have been boosted this week, with the appointment of John Armstrong as its new Sales Director.

He will be responsible for executing and developing the companys sales and marketing strategy with view to increasing orders in the UK and driving diversification into new markets.

This will be achieved by utilising a strong contacts book and his knowledge of the OEM market, built up from 25 years experience working in senior positions for GEC Alstom and Rockwell Automation.

PP is at a really exciting stage of its development and I have the perfect opportunity to use my skills and knowledge to move the company to the next level, explained John, who has been responsible for £multi-million systems integration, panel building and factory automation projects.

Were not looking for a scattergun approach to sales, quite the opposite. The firm has a fantastic reputation working with world leaders in their specific sectors and the focus will be on moving our expertise into markets we dont currently have a footprint in.

He concluded: The initial challenge is to hit £20m this year, followed by an aggressive 5-year growth plan that could see £40m sales by 2021.

This level of expansion will only be achieved by growing our international markets as well and this is where our approval to build control systems to UL508a for North America is proving so successful. Were also enjoying some real traction in Germany, where our Stuttgart office is making some very good contacts.

PP, which is a member of the Midlands Assembly Network (MAN), has just launched a new corporate identify, with the company adopting Control and Automation into its title.

This has necessitated the need for refreshed branding, new marketing material and the launch of a more intuitive website (www.ppcanda.com).

For further information, please, please contact 01922 419109 or follow @ppcanda on twitter.

Manufacturing Hub sets its sights on replacing support gap left by MAS

MAN Group — 05/05/2016

A new business support collective has been launched today to help manufacturers unlock their potential and grow.

The Manufacturing Hub comprising Alison Phillips, Rachel Eade (MBE), PP Business Improvement, Cucumber PR and Start 2 Finish Marketing is looking to replace the void left by the sudden termination of the Manufacturing Advisory Service contract.

All firms have extensive experience of working with UK industry and can offer access to specialised assistance in lean manufacturing, strategy, continuous improvement, sales and marketing and communications.

They also have contacts and extensive knowledge of the maze of funding opportunities available to companies in the UK.

When the Government decided to end MAS unexpectedly it left a massive gap for business support that understood what manufacturers needed and how it should be delivered, explained Rachel, who has worked with the automotive sector for more than 20 years.

A lot of the firms I was talking to were worried that the general offer wouldnt do anything for them so I decided to speak to a few colleagues to look at a way of creating a collective of experts that could fill the gap.

She continued: The Manufacturing Hub (www.mfg-hub.co.uk) will fill the void, providing a single source solution for manufacturers looking to access external expertise to improve production processes, plan for growth, target more sales and raise their profile.

The organisations and individuals involved understand what makes the sector tick, stripping back the support jargon and getting to grips with the challenges and opportunities affecting your business.

Companies accessing the Manufacturing Hub can use one, two or all five members to help their business, with one point of contact managing all of the delivery to ensure an effective and coordinated approach.

Between them, the collective have helped more than 700 firms over the last five years, safeguarding and creating in excess of 25,000 jobs in the process.

They have also been able to improve productivity, add £millions to the bottom line of manufacturers and secured in excess of £10m of positive press coverage for the sector.

David Fox, Director PP Business Improvement, concluded: External support is crucial to the development of the UK manufacturing base and can often unpick a long-term issue or open up new opportunities.

The Government subsidies may have stopped, but that doesnt mean industry shouldnt have access to expertise that is geared to their sector.

In our experience, manufacturers do not mind funding assistance and knowledge if they trust it will deliver long-term tangible benefits. The Manufacturing Hub is the new option on the business support scene.

Jewellery students deliver 150th birthday present for Brandauer

MAN Group — 12/09/2012

The Birmingham University’s School of Jewellery has used scrap metal to deliver a perfect 150th birthday present for a local manufacturer.

Brandauer, one of the early pioneers in the global pen trade, wanted to mark its milestone anniversary by hosting a competition that encouraged BA (Hons) students to produce pieces of jewellery that reflected the intricate and detailed nature of the firm’s parts that end up in automotive electronics, dual fuel cells, security devices, 98% of the world’s kettles and the Large Hadron Collider.

Each of the 38 participants received a bag of metal scraps from its Newtown factory and were given just four weeks to come up with their creations, which including anything from delicate and small scale earrings to large scale body pieces.

Students explored ways to manipulate and transform the initial material employing techniques, such as reticulation, melting, forming, dissecting, layering, soldering, laser welding, and colouring.

They were then judged by former Chairman John Berkeley OBE and wife Michele, who settled on five main winners; Harriet Knight (Copper), Natalie Lee (Silver Plated Brass), Bow Sangthong (Stainless Steel) and Peter Clark and Sanna Heino (Aluminium).

“Brandauer began a century and a half ago as one of the leaders of Birmingham’s world-famous pen trade, much of which was based in the Jewellery Quarter. It won medals at many of the great international exhibitions of the Victorian age for the design and craftsmanship of its pens.

“How appropriate that, 150 years later, we should be helping to stimulate a new generation of craftsmen and women to create award-winning designs in metal. Many of the creations are quite stunning and the city can be very proud that it attracts so many talented young people to its world-class School of Jewellery.”

Sally Collins, Lecturer BA Hons Jewellery and Silversmithing, added her support: “I believe our students have delivered jewellery pieces that challenge preconceptions of material, and creativity, hopefully reflecting the level of craftsmanship Brandauer are synonymous with.”

She continued: “Better still we have developed a new partnership with the company and all of the ‘creations’ will be part of a 3-month long exhibition at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery from October.”

The competition is the latest in a long line of events planned by Brandauer in 2012. The company has already welcomed HRH Princess Royal, launched a book on its history and only recently received a visit from Lord Digby Jones to mark £750,000 investment in new machines.

Supplied by Bruderer UK, the high-speed presses are capable of producing 2 billion parts every year and will help the firm hit £10m turnover this year and create up to seven new jobs. I

t is also looking to promote its tool transfer service this year for customers wishing to move production of existing component lines. Starting with a free 15-hour tool assessment, the company project manages the entire process and can also repair badly maintained or worn tooling in-house.

This provides clients with a risk-free opportunity to free up capacity or remove potential production bottlenecks.

For further information, please visit www.brandauer.co.uk, call 0121 359 2822 or follow them @cbrandauer on twitter. You can find out more about Birmingham University’s School of Jewellery by visiting www.schoolofjewellery.co.uk

People power helps Alucast bring £2.5m of orders back home

MAN Group — 30/03/2014

Completing the biggest training scheme in its 47-year history has helped a leading West Midlands foundry bring back £2.5m of new orders.

Alucast, which specialises in sand, gravity and pressure casting, has put 73 of its workers through a comprehensive programme that has delivered diplomas in Business Improvement Techniques (BIT) and a host of Adult Apprenticeships.

Working with Lean Education and Development (LEAD), the Wednesbury-based company has implemented a number of improvement projects that has already delivered £232,000 of savings and cash flow benefits and boosted workflow through its factory.

The management team also believes that upskilling its staff has been directly responsible for landing £2.5m of contracts previously undertaken by foreign rivals.

These include complex components for a leading luxury car manufacturer, a brake piston casting for Carlisle Brakes and gravity die cast parts for Delphi Pumps.

Investing in our people is absolutely critical, especially with a lot of skills in our sector being difficult to replace as more casters are getting older and retiring, explained Managing Director Tony Sartorius, who completed a course as part of the programme.

We sat down in 2012 and decided to tackle the situation head on by engaging with LEAD to review our business and the type of training we could put in place.

He went on to add: The organisation came up with an approach that focused on securing national qualifications for our staff by working on issues within the company.

This ranged from energy management solutions and visual management to improvements in the core shop and the introduction of a dedicated cell for a new client.

Increasing our technical capability was a big plus for us and the training around the Japanese lean manufacturing techniques of 5S and Kaizen has been instrumental in us winning the new work.

Alucast is a founder member of the Midlands Assembly Network (MAN), a group of ten world class subcontract manufacturers who work together to deliver turnkey projects and bring work back to the UK.

The collective, which employs over 650 people and records combined sales in excess of £65m, provides access to precision pressings, castings, design, etching, injection moulding, wiring looms, toolmaking, PCB assembly and electrical control systems.

Member firms include Advanced Chemical Etching, Barkley Plastics, Brandauer, FW Cables, Grove Design, Mec Com, PP Electrical Systems, Westley Engineering and SMT Developments.

The latter has also benefited from LEAD training, putting all of its 28 employees through an Adult Apprenticeship programme.

SMTs John Rowley concluded: We wanted to achieve a culture change within the business and I think weve done that. There are lots of softer benefits coming out as well, such as better communication and an openness to offer suggestions on improving production and workflow.

For further information on Alucast visit www.alucast.co.uk or follow @alucastltd on twitter. For more details on MAN go to www.man-group.co.uk or follow @man_group_ on twitter.

Recruitment boost as Jonathan Lee joins the Manufacturing Hub

MAN Group — 18/08/2016

One of the UKs leading recruitment consultancies has been announced as the latest member of a new support collective designed to help manufacturers grow.

Jonathan Lee, which employs 100 specialists across five offices in the West Midlands, London and Dubai, will join forces with The Manufacturing Hub to provide permanent, contract and interim staffing solutions, along with talent management and HR consultancy.

Headquartered in Stourbridge, the company offers industry unrivalled access to the candidate market, from semi-skilled operatives, technical and engineering specialists through to senior management positions across product development, manufacturing, commercial and supply chain.

It joins Cucumber PR, Start 2 Finish Marketing (S2F), PP Business Improvement and former MAS experts Alison Phillips and Rachel Eade (MBE) in the Manufacturing Hub.

Between them, the members provide SMEs and larger organisations with a single source solution for lean manufacturing, strategy, continuous improvement, sales and marketing and public relations support.

We firmly believe in the power of collaboration and sharing best practice, which were the principal drivers behind us getting involved in the Manufacturing Hub, explained Mark Bignell, Managing Consultant at Jonathan Lee.

With the amount of political change and uncertainty of late, manufacturers have found themselves lacking specialist support and are confused as to who to turn to for assistance on key issues, such as becoming more efficient, accessing funding or managing expansion.

He continued: Finding the right people to add value to your organisation is critical to the success of any manufacturer and the existing skills gap is growing, as uncertainty inevitably leads to lower candidate confidence.

We use our market knowledge and sourcing expertise to build the most appropriate recruitment solutions so that clients secure the best candidates for their business.

Recruitment companies have been known to over-promise and to under-deliver, leaving clients without the key people they require to grow. We take time to listen and get to know them, which means we are best placed to deliver the right results. Being part of the Manufacturing Hub means we can work more closely with other industry specialists to add real value to the client.

Established in 1978, Jonathan Lee Recruitment has developed its suite of services to meet any sourcing challenge a client might face.

Recruiting permanent, contract and interim staff both across the UK and globally for manufacturing firms, the company has specialist teams in place supporting the automotive, aerospace, defence, aviation, rail, FMCG, automation & robotics, power generation and subcontract engineering sectors.

A team of 50 consultants all specialists in their industry or function works closely with clients on providing an initial skills review to identify gaps in talent, before developing a bespoke solution that delivers people with the right skills and cultural fit for their clients.

Mark added: Manufacturing SMEs are the backbone of industry in the UK and can often struggle to compete with larger companies in a skills-short market. We want to ensure that our services meet their needs too.

We have listened to our clients and have developed a model geared around smaller firms, appeasing cash flow issues, while sharing the risk within the recruitment process.

We also offer talent management solutions, HR consultancy, payroll services, market intelligence and salary benchmarking, so our clients are supported across all aspects of staffing.

Steve Jolliffe, Director of S2F and Chair of the Manufacturing Hub, concluded:

Over the last few months we have been talking to a lot of engineering companies and one of the topics that kept cropping up was recruitment.

We decided to address this by sourcing a recruitment consultancy that understood the sector and had a proven track record of delivering the goodsthat firm had to be Jonathan Lee.

Companies accessing the Manufacturing Hub can use one, two or all six members to help their business, with one point of contact managing all of the delivery to ensure an effective and coordinated approach.

Between them, the collective has helped more than 1000 firms over the last five years, safeguarding and creating in excess of 25,000 jobs in the process.

Muller signs up to MAN and signals £15m sales aim

MAN Group — 13/11/2014

One of the UKs leading precision machinists has recognised the power of collaboration by becoming the latest firm to join the Midlands Assembly Network (MAN).

Muller Holdings Ltd, which provides CNC milling, turning, multi-spindle and conventional escomatic capacity, is looking to tap into the groups global reputation and tendering power to smash the £15m sales barrier for the first time in its history.

The management team believes working in partnership with nine other like-minded manufacturers will give it the capability to quote for larger, more complex assemblies and increase its market share in new and existing markets.

They are also expecting to secure other softer benefits by sharing best practice on skills, business planning and manufacturing systems, not to mention splitting exhibition and marketing costs.

Its 21 years since we performed the MBO and the right time to look at moving the company forward again, explained Paul Bethell, Managing Director at Muller Holdings Ltd.

Weve been growing steadily through a combination of investment in new machinery, getting the right people in place and looking at new opportunities. For example, we are now producing products for the gas and medical sectors, making up nearly £2m of turnover in the last year alone.

He continued: Id seen what MAN has been achieving and wanted to be part of a collective that not only promotes the regions manufacturing strengths, but actually works on safeguarding contracts and bringing new work back home.

Muller Holdings, which first moved to Shropshire in 1941 to avoid wartime bombing raids, currently employs 150 people and annual sales stand at £14m.

It operates from four sites in Cleobury Mortimer, Wednesbury, Redditch and South Wales, whilst also running a successful joint venture with Preciturn in India for over a decade.

This unrivalled capability all facilities are governed by TS16949 quality accreditation - has seen it build up an enviable client base spanning automotive (light and heavy vehicles), hydraulics, gas and, over the last year, a steady growth in defence and medical.

Paul went on to add: In addition to joining MAN, 2014 will also see us start a £1m investment programme that will include the purchase of the first of three twin spindle 3 turret CNC Index lathes for the production of components to be used in a new car.

This reinforces the acquisition of 3 CNC escomatic machines into our South Wales factory, immediately giving us more capability to produce technically complex minituarised parts.

The Midlands Assembly Network is currently made up of nine companies including Advanced Chemical Etching, Alucast, Barkley Plastics, Brandauer, Grove Design, Mec Com, PP Electrical Systems and SMT Developments.

Together they employ over 780 people and turnover in excess of £75m, providing access to world class manufacturing in precision pressings, casting, etching, injection moulding, wiring looms, toolmaking, PCB assembly and electrical control systems and assemblies.

Tony Hague, Chairman, concluded: Muller Holdings joining is a fantastic addition for MAN and gives us the capacity to offer CNC escomatics and multi-spindle services for the first time.

The company also shares a lot of the same principles as other members in the group and is committed to working together to ensure Midlands manufacturing remains a world leader.

For further information, please visit www.muller-england.co.uk or www.man-group.co.uk. You can also follow @man_group_ on twitter.

MAN claims its place in the finals of The Manufacturer Awards

MAN Group — 15/09/2013

2013 is proving to be another milestone year for the Midlands Assembly Network (MAN), with the innovative collaboration now through to the final of one of industrys most prestigious competitions.

The collective, which features ten world class sub contract manufacturers, has been named as a finalist in The Manufacturer magazines Annual Awards and will now have to showcase its credentials to a panel of high profile judges.

MAN will do battle with some of the UKs finest engineering businesses to see if it can claim the crown of SME Manufacturer of the Year (over 125 employees) at the glittering finale in December.

Tony Hague, Chairman, commented: This is a competition weve had our eye on for some time and now, seven years on from our formation, believe we are in a ideal position to win it.

In 2012/13, we have added £7.5m of new sales to the group and are currently working on a number of ambitious projects that will see us develop new technologies and products that are world firsts.

Were also in the process of creating 75 new jobs, many of those in senior and skilled positions.

For further information on the Midlands Assembly Network, please visit www.man-group.co.uk or follow @man_group_ on twitter.