Each day The Manufacturer compiles the top manufacturing news stories from around the web. To make your life a little easier, we trawl through all the major trade publications, broadsheets and business magazines to find you the most important manufacturing news each morning. Don't forget to bookmark this page and check back daily.
Manufacturing output falls at the fastest pace since September 2020 – CBI Industrial Trends Survey
Manufacturers reported the sharpest fall in output volumes since September 2020, according to the CBI’s latest Industrial Trends Survey. Motor vehicles & transport equipment, mechanical engineering, paper, printing & media, and chemicals sub-sectors drove the decline in output over the three months to August. Looking ahead, output volumes are expected to stabilise in the next three months.
Firms anticipate that price pressures will continue to ease going forward, with expectations for selling price inflation over the next three months at their softest since February 2021. Find out more at CBI
UK MOD awards BAE Systems £89m contract to boost battlefield communications
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has awarded BAE Systems an £89m contract to enhance front-line connectivity for military personnel, linking small reconnaissance drones, combat vehicles, fighter jets, aircraft carriers and military commands.
The new five-year contract will see BAE Systems lead a consortium of trusted partners, including Kellogg, Brown and Root (KBR), PA Consulting and L3Harris, to design and manufacture a deployable tactical Wide Area Network (WAN) known as ‘Trinity’. Find out more at BAE Systems
University Technical College programme to grow again
The national family of 44 University Technical Colleges (UTCs) will be welcoming its next generation after the government today announced approval for two new UTCs in Southampton and Doncaster, in confirmation that UTCs have now come of age.
These two new UTCs in Doncaster and Southampton will have the most up-to-date and innovative technical and digital equipment to provide their students with the skills for their future work. Find out more at The Manufacturer
JLR creates new renewable energy storage system from used car batteries
JLR has partnered with Wykes Engineering Ltd, a leader in the renewable energy sector, to develop one of the largest energy storage systems in the UK to harness solar and wind power using second-life Jaguar I-PACE batteries.
A single Wykes Engineering BESS utilises 30 second-life I-PACE batteries, and can store up to 2.5MWh of energy at full capacity. The batteries supplied have been taken from prototype and engineering test vehicles, and JLR aims to supply enough batteries to store a total of 7.5MWh of energy – enough to power 750 homes for a day – by the end of 2023. Find out more at JLR
Babcock partners with EngineeringUK to inspire tomorrow’s innovators
As part of itscommitment to inspire and attract the next generation of future talent into STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) careers, Babcock International has partnered with EngineeringUK, a leading organisation that focuses on engaging young people with engineering and technology.
This exciting new partnership will focus on all aspects of Early Careers – from STEM activities in primary schools, all the way through to secondary schools, colleges and into apprenticeships and graduate roles. Find out more at Babcock
Domino Printing Sciences awarded Silver EcoVadis Rating following improvements to CSR performance
Domino Printing Sciences has announced its recent achievement of a Silver EcoVadis Rating. The award means that Domino is in the top 25% of all companies assessed by EcoVadis, a trusted provider of business sustainability ratings. Find out more at The Manufacturer
North Yorkshire bus fleet to go 100% electric next year
Transdev is preparing to convert the bus fleet in the Harrogate area to electric vehicles. Its regional transport operator, The Harrogate Bus Company, has placed orders worth 21 million pounds and secured government funding.
The Harrogate Bus Company confirmed funding of £7.8m through the Government’s Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) scheme, following a bid supported by Transdev partner, the North Yorkshire Council. It was among twelve local authorities to submit a successful bid. The ZEBRA initiative is to introduce 4,000 zero-emission buses across England by 2025. Find out more at electrive.com
TDI Challenge continues to showcase the spirit of innovation
The Manufacturing Technologies Association’s (MTA) flagship Technology, Design and Innovation (TDI) Challenge competition has continued to showcase the imagination and design skills of a new generation of young engineers.
The TDI Challenge 2023 encouraged students between 16 and 18 years old and enthusiastic about engineering and science, to demonstrate their creative talent to an industry that relies upon vision and innovation. Find out more at The Manufacturer
Toyota Research Institute develops new AI technique with potential to help speed up vehicle design
Thanks to a new technique developed by Toyota Research Institute (TRI), designers may now integrate initial design sketches and engineering constraints into text-to-image generative artificial intelligence tools at an early stage in the creative process.
The new tool has the potential to reduce the number of iterations needed to reconcile design and engineering considerations. It could also help Toyota design electrified vehicles more quickly and efficiently. Find out more at Toyota
