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.
BAE announce thousands of new apprenticeships and graduate jobs
BAE Systems is set for another record-breaking recruitment drive in 2024 with almost 2,700 new apprentice and graduate opportunities available to young people across the UK.
The company has more than doubled its early careers intake in the past five years, making a significant contribution to the UK economy and offering more young people than ever the prospect of exciting long-term careers supporting the nation’s armed forces and security services.
The company’s award winning early careers schemes are vital to developing the talent pipeline needed to deliver critical national security capability. They also help to build the next generation of talented industrial leaders, with many former apprentices and graduates reaching the top ranks of the company. More via The Manufacturer
Babcock appoints Paul Armstrong to lead its Marine sector
Babcock International Group (Babcock) has appointed Paul Armstrong to lead its Marine sector, delivering a number of critical UK and international defence programmes, including the UK’s Type 31 frigates for the Royal Navy.
With a career that started in shipbuilding in Barrow-in-Furness, Paul brings a wealth of wide-ranging industry experience to grow and develop one of Babcock’s core business sectors. Joining Babcock from Draken International, the aviation defence business where he was CEO responsible for operations in the UK, US and overseas territories, Paul holds an MA in Corporate Governance and Commercial Law and Chartered Status with the ICSA. More via ADS Advance
Seven Alexander Dennis Enviro500 on order as Spokane Transit buys first double deckers
Alexander Dennis, a subsidiary of NFI Group, one of the world’s leading independent global bus manufacturers, has announced that it will supply Enviro500 double-deck buses to Spokane Transit Authority (STA) following an order for seven vehicles.
The Alexander Dennis Enviro500 will be the first double-deck transit buses in Spokane, Washington and its surrounding urban areas. They will serve Spokane Transit’s Cheney service, made up of two primary routes numbered 6 and 66.
These link Eastern Washington University, the West Plains Transit Center which is a major hub for connections to job sites in that area including a large Amazon Fulfillment Center, downtown Spokane and the University District near downtown Spokane. More via Alexander Dennis
UK steel sector calls for action to safeguard scrap
A new report by steel sector trade body, UK Steel, has urged the government to capitalise on the UK’s current competitive advantage – that we generate over ten million tonnes of steel scrap each year – to create the conditions needed for a vibrant, circular economy that makes the best domestic use of this vital material.
As steelmakers in the UK and abroad journey towards decarbonising, steel scrap will become an increasingly sought after raw material, with global demand expected to rise by 30% by 2030 and over 60% by 2050. The report, Steel Scrap: A Strategic Raw Material for Net Zero Steel, says that without action, the UK risks stripping itself of a vital resource to produce net zero steel at a time of rising domestic demand.
Forty-three countries are already taking action to secure their steel scrap supplies and the EU will introduce restrictions of exports to non-OECD countries from 2027 unless they can demonstrate sustainable practices. That alone will cause an additional draw on UK supplies from countries that can no longer source from the EU. More via Tata Steel
Transport Committee to investigate uncertainty in train manufacturing
Tomorrow, Wednesday, 6 December, the Transport Committee will be investigating the uncertainty in the train manufacturing sector and follows the news that Alstom may make a large number of staff redundant at its factory in Derby.
In the Evidence Session title ‘Rail Services and Infrastructure: Rolling stock and HS2′, MPs will examine whether the government’s and the wider sector’s strategy is suitable for ensuring that rolling stock is fit for the future needs of the rail sector.
The MPs will also discuss whether the manufacturing industry is sustainable from current pipeline of orders from domestic and international customers, and whether the cancellation of the northern extension of HS2 from Birmingham to Manchester has significantly affected manufacturers’ order books. More via Rail Advent
Siemens and Intel to collaborate on advanced semiconductor manufacturing
Siemens AG and Intel Corporation have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate on driving digitalisation and sustainability of microelectronics manufacturing. The companies will focus on advancing future manufacturing efforts, evolving factory operations and cyber security, and supporting a resilient global industry ecosystem.
“Semiconductors are the lifeblood of our modern economies. Few things run without chips. Therefore, we’re proud to collaborate with Intel to quickly advance semiconductor production. Siemens will bring its entire cutting-edge portfolio of IoT-enabled hardware and software and electrical equipment to this collaboration,” said Cedrik Neike, CEO of Digital Industries and member of the Managing Board of Siemens AG. “Our joint efforts will contribute to achieving global sustainability goals.”
The MoU identifies key areas of collaboration to explore a variety of initiatives, including optimising energy management and addressing carbon footprints across the value chain. For instance, the collaboration will explore use of ‘digital twins’ of complex, highly capital-intensive manufacturing facilities to standardise solutions where every percentage of efficiency gained is meaningful. More via Siemens
University of Nottingham research partnership results in new industry tech
A partnership, which paired researchers from the University of Nottingham with a UK tech company, has produced a highly advanced power converter to drive an electric motor that could revolutionise the manufacturing and renewable energy industries.
For the past five years, researchers from the university have worked closely with digital motor control solutions company, Sprint Electric, to develop and prototype the Generis AC regen drive – set to be the next generation in AC drive technology.
Launched at the Smart Production Solutions (SPS) exhibition in Nuremberg, this leap in innovation has been made possible thanks to two Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) between researchers at the University of Nottingham’s Power, Electronics and Machines Centre (PEMC), and Sprint Electric. More via East Midlands Business Link
Rochdale company strikes gold at regional manufacturing awards
Crystal Doors, a manufacturer of bespoke doors and accessories for kitchen, bathrooms and bedrooms, based in Rochdale, has struck gold at a prestigious regional manufacturing awards ceremony.
The awards, organised by Make UK, the manufacturers’ organisation, which represents industry across the UK, were held in Manchester to recognise the achievements of companies from across the North West, with the winners now going on to the national finals which will be held in London in January.
Crystal Doors was presented with the Make UK North West Energy & Sustainability Award, sponsored by Inspired. The award was given in recognition of its extensive and relentless efforts over the last decade to pursue the ambition of becoming a net zero company by 2023. This has involved sustainable affordable and clean energy through the use of renewables, responsible consumption and production through zero waste to landfill and 100% recycling of card and plastic. More via Rochdale Online
Sussex manufacturer Grommets invests £550k in expansion
Sussex-based manufacturer Grommets has invested in a new production and distribution centre with the support of £550,000 from Lloyds Bank.
Grommets manufactures thousands of moulded rubber products and bespoke items for use in electrical engineering and manufacturing, covering wires and cables or protecting sharp edges.
The business supplies over 8,000 firms across a wide range of industries, from wind farms to the rail industry, with clients including Thales, Unipart Rail and the Fourth Bridge. As demand from renewable sectors increases, the firm is producing more products for use in solar panels and batteries for electric vehicles. More via The Manufacturer
Over half of UK automotive industry companies now using AI for machine vision
Zebra Technologies Corporation, a digital solution provider enabling businesses to intelligently connect data, assets and people, has revealed that 56% of automotive business leaders surveyed in the UK are currently using some form of artificial intelligence (AI) such as deep learning in their machine vision projects.
For Germany, that figure stands at 43%. The need for heightened inspection confidence, parts traceability and operational transparency across the supply chain are driving this advancement, as automotive manufacturers and suppliers grapple with growing regulatory burdens and consumer mistrust. More via The Manufacturer
