February 2020

News February 2020 www.pwemag.co.uk Plant & Works Engineering | 0 9 With an alarming backdrop of ever-increasing skills shortages, rapid technological change and an ageing workforce, manufacturers are investing more than ever before in their employees’ health and wellbeing. Counselling, health-screening and mental health first aiders are the norm in factories across the UK with modern and flexible working opportunities sitting at the heart of British industry. This investment in people has brought with it a boost in productivity for 90% of manufacturers along with improvements in workforce relations. Manufacturing companies also saw a reduction in absenteeism alongside a strengthening of staff retention as a return for wellbeing spend on staff. These findings are revealed in a wide-ranging report into the UK’s health & safety landscape that we have published with Howden Employee Benefits & Wellbeing. The last official numbers from the UK’s Office of National Statistics showed 141million days lost to sickness absence in 2018, and over 17million working days lost to mental health related conditions. Across the whole of the UK economy, sickness absence costs companies £15billion a year. Over 60% of manufacturing companies already provide workplace adjustments including flexible working for those returning to work after a period of sickness absence, while 52% have put in place a professional Occupational Health service to support staff on their journey back to work. Wellbeing is sitting at the heart of manufacturing businesses and is increasingly seen as a core objective for companies. To that end, 85% of firms see it as their duty to encourage and promote physical and mental health wellbeing in the workplace. As such there is now a clear message from manufacturers that they realise a healthy and happy workforce is an effective one. Employers have also recognised that jobs within their businesses should be flexible and include career development and flexible working pathways in order that they retain staff. And in doing so, there is now clear evidence that productivity will improve as a result. But there is still a lot more to be done and manufacturers must continue to work hard to put health and wellbeing at the heart of their business plans. With 10% of the manufacturing workforce due to retire in the next three years and the pressures of new immigration rules post-Brexit, skilled workers have never been more important. By MAKE UK chief executive, Stephen Phipson MAKE uk - the manufacturers’ organisation monthly news comment igus has announced the official opening of its automated assembly line for readycable at its UK facility in Northampton. Representing a significant investment for company, the new line uses fully-automated machines and lean manufacturing methods to streamline its manufacturing process to deliver fully- harnessed drive cables shipped within 24 hours of order placement. Matthew Aldridge, managing director, igus UK commented: “A few years ago, our sole focus was on selling plastic bearings, energy chains and cables with little assembly work. “More recently we have stepped into robotics and automation based on our component parts and are now investing in automation ourselves to enable us to move into assembly within the UK.” Historically, igus used to assemble cables manually by cutting back the outer jacket, teasing out the shielding, then stripping the jackets off each of the inner cores and adding crimps; this is a time consuming and laborious process. Now these operations are fully automated using the new readycable line, which also gives 100% quality of assembly. Aldridge added: “We have spent hundreds of thousands of pounds on machines to automate this process, cutting lead times from 6 or even 10 weeks down to 24 hours. The chainflex cable is cut to length from our extensive stock held in Northampton and all common connector components are available ex stock. This total package means that customers will usually receive their readycable the next working day, fully-tested with a guaranteed service life…All this automation does not mean that we will be shedding jobs, this automated assembly line will enable us to grow our business, creating more jobs for the area.” igus invests in automation to reduce lead times

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