March/April 2020

| EDITOr’S COMMEnT | COVID-19: The importance of digitalisation I n these surreal times that we are all living through and equally adapting to, it is hard to see any light at the end of the tunnel. But as editor of a magazine dedicated to the digitalisation of UK manufacturing, there are uplifting stories which give me a significant amount of hope that when this period begins to abate that the UK will enter a period of reflection about the importance of manufacturing to not only our economic prosperity but also the significance it plays to the social fabric of our nation. The Government’s call for manufacturers to adapt their production lines in order to produce much needed ventilators highlights the importance of digitalisation and the ability to adapt to meet changing demands and needs. The flexibility of smart manufacturing processes has enabled companies around Europe to switch some production lines to the manufacture of disposable face masks for example to help combat the global shortage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, as highlighted by some of Italy’s and France’s  leading luxury fashion houses, who are also about to manufacture hand sanitisers.  Smart manufacturing is allowing countries around the globe the ability to limit disruptions caused by COVID-19 as much as possible in the circumstances, however it must also not be forgotten that the investment in robotics and sensors and other technologies assumes that production lines receive  a steady flow of raw materials. COVID-19 demonstrates that manufacturers also need to be as focused on their supplier's capabilities as they are on their factory floor, as highlighted by Michael Larner, principal analyst at ABI Research. The virus will have both short and long-term ramifications, but the over-riding message coming out of these most troubling times is that UK manufacturing has a significant role to play and that digitalisation need to be seen as pivotal in the post-COVID-19 world. No one can predict the future - all predictions are meaningless until some sort of stability returns at a global level - but we can all reflect and to find some element of opportunity in these times that we can build on. Only then can we derive something positive from this unparalleled period. www.smartmachinesandfactories.com March/April 2020 | 0 3 | Editor Aaron Blutstein e: aaron@dfamedia.co.uk Contributing Editor Tony Sacks Director of Sales Damien Oxlee damien.oxlee@dfamedia.co.uk Sales Manager Andy Wyle andy.wyle@dfamedia.co.uk Designer Chris Davis e: chris.davis@dfamedia.co.uk DFA Direct Ian Atkinson e: ian.atkinson@dfamedia.co.uk Operations Manager Ewa Hodden e: ewa.hodden@dfamedia.co.uk Project Liaison Manager Emma Floyd e: emma.floyd@dfamedia.co.uk Eastern USA Sales Karen C Smith-Kernc t: +1 717 397 7100 – f: +1 717 397 7800 e: KarenKCS@aol.com Western USA and Canada Sales Alan A Kernc t: +1 717 397 7100 – f: +1 717 397 7800 e: AlanKCS@aol.com German Sales Office Victoria Hufmann t: +49 (0) 911 939 76442 e: victoria@hufmann.info Commercial Director Ryan Fuller e: ryan.fuller@dfamedia.co.uk Publishing Director Ian Atkinson e: ian.atkinson@dfamedia.co.uk Official Media Partners of: www.primaryengineer.com www.profibus.com Head Office: DFA Media Limited, 192 High Street, Tonbridge, Kent TN9 1BE UK t: +44 (0) 1732 370340 f: +44 (0) 1732 360034 e: info@dfamedia.co.uk Printer: Warners Midlands PLC, UK © Copyright 2019, DFA Media Ltd ISSN 2516-8770 Smart Machines & Factories is a controlled circulation magazine, published 6 times a year. Please contact DFA Media with any subscription enquiries. Paid subscriptions are also available on an annual basis at £90.00 (UK), £120.00 (Europe) or £150.00 (Rest of the World) P+P included. The content of this magazine, website and newsletters do not necessarily express the views of the Editor or publishers. The publishers accept no legal responsibility for loss arising from information in this publication. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be produced or stored in a retrieval system without the written consent of the publishers. Editor Smart Machines & Factories