More than four in ten UK manufacturers (42%) say they have a good handle on what the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) will entail. But according to a new report from the manufacturers’ organisation, EEF, and Oracle, just one in ten (11%) believe that the UK is geared up for this crucial next industrial age. This suggests that in terms of being ‘4IR ready’, there is still some way to go.
The industrial distributor Brammer has been bought by the private equity firm Advent International for £221.5m. The deal follows a turbulent period for the MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) distributor, whose share value halved after it issued a profit warning in October. Brammer’s shares have plummeted in value by 80% since hitting a 16-year high in June 2014.
An alliance of engineering organisations representing more than 450,000 UK engineers, has published a report warning that Brexit must not restrict access to the engineering skills from across Europe.
Sir James Dyson is investing £15m to set up a Dyson Institute of Technology in Wiltshire, which will train engineers to help double his engineering workforce to 6,000 by 2020. He has joined forces with the Warwick Manufacturing Group, at the University of Warwick, to develop a bespoke four-year Bachelor of Engineering degree. Students will spend part of their time working alongside Dyson engineers and will be paid. They will not pany any tuition fees.
Engineering graduates don’t have the right skills for today’s workplace, according to 62% of the 400 engineering employers across the UK quizzed by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) for its 2016 Skills and Demand in Industry report.
Rockwell Automation has appointed Mark Bottomley as its new UK sales director, succeeding Dave Nicholl, who has become CEO of Philips Lighting for the UK and Ireland. Bottomley will be responsible for overseeing the continued growth of Rockwell Automation products, solutions and services in the UK, and for leading the expansion of Connected Enterprise principles and solutions.
The West Midlands industrial controls and sub-contracting manufacturer, PP Control & Automation, is investing more than £1m in a new extension that will add 1,000m2 of production space to its Cheslyn Hay site, including a new logistics department and a clean assembly area.
The Wolverhampton-based chain-maker Donghua has moved to new premises more than three times the size of its previous site, to meet the growing demand for its products.
Siemens is using a virtual reality (VR) installation at its Congleton variable-speed drives factory in Cheshire, UK, to simulate and optimise assembly processes, to design workcells, and for factory planning. It is even using VR for everyday tasks, such as organising office moves.
A survey of members of the Gambica trade body has revealed that their top priority, following the UK’s vote to leave the European Union, is to retain access to the EU’s single market.
DFA Media, the publisher of Drives & Controls, is launching the UK’s first magazine dedicated to the fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0), the Industrial Internet of Things, and the transformation to the era of “smart” manufacturing.
The Japanese automation manufacturer, Idec Electronics, has changed the way that it goes to market in the UK. Following a restructuring of its European business last year – which included closing its direct UK operation – Idec is now being represented by a new company, Sys-Tek, set up by Idec UK’s former MD, Stephen Schiller.
The impact of the UK’s exit from the European Union on the country’s $30bn machinery production market will depend largely on whether it makes a “soft” or a “contentious” exit from the EU, according to a new analysis from IHS Markit.
The UK industrial automation sector shrank by 4.9% in 2015, ending five years of continuous growth, according to figures released by Gambica, the trade body that represents the UK’s control, automation and instrumentation industries. The process instrumentation and control sector suffered an even steeper decline of around 12% in 2015, largely due to the collapse in the price of oil which resulted in many projects being put on hold.
A group of 38 organisations representing the UK engineering sector have joined forces to offer advice to the Government to help secure the best possible outcome in the negotiations to withdraw the UK from the European Union. They have asked the Royal Academy of Engineering, as a convener of UK engineering with close links to the government, to lead the work.
