Annual Buyers Guide

News 10 | Plant & Works Engineering www.pwemag.co.uk Annual Buyers’ Guide 2020 For years, the film industry has portrayed Artificial Intelligence as a futuristic, often dystopian technology that we should be fearful of. Cinematic greats from the Terminator, the Matrix, and even the Avengers portray AI in a way that, although entertaining, bares little relation to reality. While the UK’s AI scene has yet to use the technology to create an alternative reality, we are a global leader in Artificial Intelligence, with a respected landscape across academia and industry. Moreover, investment in the UK’s AI sector reached £998m in 2018, almost the sum of the rest of Europe’s investments combined. The vast amount of knowledge is good for UK manufacturers, as they incorporate AI and machine learning to improve business performance and productivity. AI in manufacturing includes programmes that can predict failures in equipment before issues arise, as well as programming that can allow collaborative robots to detect and evade collisions, and recognize particular parts on an assembly line. The 2018 Artificial Intelligence Sector Deal made clear the Government’s intention to ensure that the UK realises AI’s full potential. As well as setting out a plan to improve the supply of AI skills in the UK and ensure that the UK remains a world class hotbed of R&D and tech entrepreneurship, the sector deal discusses how manufacturing could progress the sector and harness AI to improve the manufacturing of goods. Although the majority of manufacturers are aware of the benefits that AI can bring to their business less than a quarter of manufacturers are currently using it. There could be several reasons for this, including lack of awareness of the market and not having the capacity to engage with the technology. To combat some of these challenges, manufacturers who have successfully incorporated AI and have seen positive effects should share best practice, whether in online forums, events or publications. With the AI Sector Deal attempting to make headway in improving the AI skillset, it is also important that manufacturers ensure that they are up to date with progressions in the market and that individuals take relevant courses when possible. Though the majority of companies still have time to do horizon scanning for technology, this figure has dropped since 2016. It is possible that with companies having to keep up with what Brexit means for their business over the past three years, they have been redirecting their priorities elsewhere. As such, it is important that companies do not get so distracted by the UK’s departure from the EU that they miss out on key methods of improving productivity. Of course, it is unlikely that AI will be relevant to every business. As with any technology, it should only be implemented when it makes business sense for the company. However, for those companies that it is relevant to, it is important that they take full advantage of the UK’s expertise and live up to the expectation that the industry is most likely to fully harness and capitalise upon it. By MAKE UK chief executive, Stephen Phipson MAKE uk - the manufacturers’ organisation monthly news comment BCAS, the UK’s only trade association for the compressed air industry, is pleased to announce its partnership with Reshoring UK, a new platform designed to connect manufacturers and suppliers across the UK’s engineering market. Developed through a collaboration between over 20 leading industrial engineering associations, the platform supplies businesses with a wealth of information that they can use to successfully determine a new supplier partnership. Businesses can target by industry, sector and region, with the results appearing on an interactive map; these points can then be interrogated to show more data and an individual company website link. Other functions of the website include a search box to find bespoke products and services, with plans in motion to further expand the website over 2020. Vanda Jones, Executive Director for BCAS, commented; “In a world of constantly changing legislation and standards, it pays to work with a supplier that can offer the right levels of support, backed by engineering and technical expertise. “As the only UK technical trade association open to manufacturers, distributors and end users of compressors, vacuum pumps, pneumatic tools and allied products, it is an approach we have always advocated - helping to connect our members with industry end-users to help specify, install, maintain and service their equipment. “We are therefore delighted to be partnering with Reshoring UK to help businesses source the right engineering expertise, that can help avoid downtime, save costs and maintain the highest safety standards.” Baroness Burt of Solihull, Patron of Reshoring UK added: “This facility will support the high value and technical requirements of such industries as aerospace, automotive, rail, marine, energy and medical from conceptual design to complete product delivery for companies searching for UK-based support for their businesses. The development of the Reshoring initiative is to encourage engagement with our manufacturing supply chain and to recognise the strength, skills and innovation available to manufacturers in the UK.” BCAS supports new UK-based supply chain development platform