< Previous20 Business Link www.blmforum.netNorth Lincs Engineering LtdWe specialise in the Supply, Installation and Reconditioning of Industrial and Marine Diesel Engines and Generating Sets. Our team of Service Engineers can Repair, Maintain or Commission Land based or Marine Installations Worldwide. Tel: 01507 328787 • Email: mark@northlincseng.co.uk • Website: www.northlincseng.co.uk INDUSTRIAL & MARINE DIESEL ENGINES & GENERATING EQUIPMENT traditionally carried out by factory operatives can now be completed quickly and efficiently by machines. As such, factory automation makes it much easier to meet large supply demands. It makes sound business sense to invest in the latest automated solutions, which in turn drives development in the components industry. The two go hand in hand. Processes which were once carried out by hand, such as the inspection of finished goods on the production line and the cutting and cleaning of raw products, can now be completed using the latest ultrasound and laser technologies. Great strides are being made to improve the individual components that make up these machines, all with the aim of improving productivity and reducing waste. These innovations will likely the engineering 18-21.qxp_Layout 1 04/02/2019 13:53 Page 3ENGINEERING SPOTLIGHT© Shutterstock/vladimir salmanTel: 01482 325676 • Email: sales@kingston-engineering.co.uk • www.kingston-engineering.co.uk Kingston Engineering are specialists in precision engineering, based in Hull. As one of the region’s leading companies in their sector, Kingston Engineering can provide specialised power screw products, specialist leadscrew and ex-stock power nuts and screws. In addition, they can provide expertise and guidance in factory and production machinery installation, commissioning, maintenance and repair.www.blmforum.netBusiness Link 21 industry for some time. These changes within our region are a prime opportunity for the engineering sector, but the long term must be kept in mind as much as the short. The industry does face a crisis of its own in the lack of skilled applicants and engineering students studying at university. Though it may seem a benign problem; that the industry has more work than workers, this will become a serious problem in the future that might lead to less new investment being made in the country. If we cannot look after what is already invested, after all, then why would foreign investors pour more money into our economy? Government schemes to fix this have so far proved to be of limited success, and it may be up to the engineering firms themselves to address the problem. This is perhaps better for them in the long run anyway, since it means keeping core talent within the company. Apprenticeships are one such option and have been a method employed since medieval times and perhaps even before. Engineering takes particularly well to this due to the complex but binary nature of many of its tasks. There is a right and a wrong way to do something, and although complex problems may arise, they are not going to be of a moral or ethical nature like for a solicitor, judge or heart surgeon. Whatever the decision that is made, the brain drain – as it is called – will be a concern for the industry and the country as a whole unless it is taken care of. Local engineering firms can seek to address the issue themselves or adopt a wait and see policy, but it is unlikely to go away. The work is there, for those with the expertise to grasp it, but there is perhaps `too much` work for the limited workforce we currently have. To ensure that this bountiful harvest continues for the entire sector, changes will need to be made. Hopefully it will be our region that leads these, as the Northern Powerhouse ekes out its own share of the global engineering market. 18-21.qxp_Layout 1 04/02/2019 13:53 Page 422 Business Link www.blmforum.netENGINEERING SPOTLIGHT - PIPESCO Q&ATell us a little about Pipesco Pipesco provides a unique and contemporary engineering service for the oil and gas, energy, food processing and manufacturing industries focussing on maintenance and modifications. We embrace the digital era transforming the way design, engineering and fabrication services are delivered. Making the most of digital software and hardware accompanied with experience, we provide industry-leading quality and turnaround times in engineering, design and fabrication. We work quickly and efficiently, using cutting-edge techniques to streamline processes while always remaining committed to safety and sustainability. Totally focused on innovation. We are constantly looking for new ways to improve efficiency and make the most of the opportunities offered by new technologies. The only way to provide our customers with value is to be innovative. We have simplified the process by embracing digital workflows. What is digital workflow? A digital workflow is exactly what it says. Instead of relying on manual human and paper processes, we utilise technology to capture and process information digitally. Traditionally a surveyor would measure with manual techniques such as a tape measure etc. We would use a 3D laser scanner which captures millions of points of data digitally. This is then turned into a digital 3D model and the model has some intelligence which can then create working drawings. Once you have 3D data it adds endless benefits to the customer and brings the scanned items from their location to the end users screen thus enabling collaboration. These technologies are not new, but they have previously been very expensive and only used on large projects but as with everything technological development, they get smaller, less expensive and ultimately better. Out-Q&A Duncan Wheeler, Managing Director of Pipesco We sat down with Duncan Wheeler, Managing Director of North East Lincolnshire’s Pipesco, to discuss the specifics and benefits of digital workflow and the possibility of new technologies. 22-23.qxp_Layout 1 04/02/2019 11:31 Page 1www.blmforum.netBusiness Link 23 ENGINEERING SPOTLIGHT - PIPESCO Q&Adated and old-fashioned working practices have been removed, revolutionising the way maintenance and modifications are delivered. That means we can deliver innovation as standard at no extra cost. What are the benefits? Safety and quality are hugely important in the company’s operations. The digital workflow enables us to reduce HSE risks, quality assurances are greatly increased, time and exposure to personnel is saved and these efficiency benefits are passed on to the customers. This approach has benefits from the transition between design, fabrication and installation even further simplifying the process. Combining best practices and know-how gathered from working for and with industry leading companies both as customers and contractors. Pipesco meets challenges that range from design and surveying to fabrication. We understand the challenges of maintaining an ageing infrastructure, so often the case in the refining and processing industries. Imagine being able to see the job in front of you and discuss the work scope with all the different stakeholders from an office environment instead of having to point and shout on site assuming people have heard what has been said. What is the most exciting part? Being passionate about innovation and the local area we see a real opportunity to have highly skilled people in all areas of design and engineering. Virtual reality is something that I would like to introduce to clients and make the design, planning and execution of work a lot safer as people can visualise the work and practice before in a controlled environment highlighting any potential unknowns before being put into a real-life situation. The Humber region is an engineering excellence centre so if we can help keep driving the area forward and add new exciting opportunities then that will be a rewarding and exciting prospect. It is a superb location for engineering and manufacturing, particularly with the energy sector and renewables growing. I see value in both passing on existing skills and learning new techniques and efficiencies that come with fast paced technological progress. We believe by building on the two core areas of safety and quality, combined with a thirst and drive for innovation to achieve a competitive advantage, we can deliver effective business solutions that will create sustainable growth for the region. For more information, visit www.pipesco.com, email info@pipesco.com, or call 01469 576677. 22-23.qxp_Layout 1 04/02/2019 11:31 Page 224 Business Link www.blmforum.netPRINTING AND PACKAGINGIn response to consumer demands and stringent legislation, the packaging industry has entered a period of major change. Perhaps the most impactful trend hitting the industry is the desire for more sustainable packaging options. Public outcry from conscious consumers over packaging is continuing to focus on the use of plastic and the damage it causes to the environment. Retailers have responded to concerns by removing black plastic from their products’ packaging, which cannot be sorted easily by systems generally used in plastic recycling and often ends up in landfill. Waitrose, for instance, recently reached the halfway mark in its target to eliminate black plastic from all its own products by the end of this year and is aiming to make its own-label products’ packaging reusable, compostable or recyclable by 2023. Samsung, meanwhile, is aiming to replace the packaging used for its products and accessories with bio-plastic, paper and recycled plastic and in January Lush launched its first plastic packaging-free store in the UK. In Yorkshire, at the end of last year, the University of Leeds pledged to stop using single-use plastics by 2023, phasing out plastic packaging and products on its entire site which will be replaced with reusable and biodegradable alternatives. After years of packaging waste going to landfill or ending up in the ocean, it is no longer acceptable. Negative perceptions of plastic packaging continue to rise with the topic being showcased in the media, making it essential for packaging firms to design new eco-friendly packaging that, of course, can still protect products. Consumers want less unsustainable packaging and less waste. Highlighting this, the European Consumer Packaging Perceptions Survey found that 9 out of 10 UK consumers want easily recyclable packaging, 88% would like information to be provided on packaging about how environmentally friendly it is, half of UK shoppers are decreasing the amount of products they buy with unsustainable packaging, and strikingly, 53% of 19-29 year old in the survey said that because of over-packaging and recyclability they switched brands last year. Businesses must therefore join the race to sustainable packaging or face falling behind their competitors. This has seen many firms and suppliers working with plastic packaging sign up to the UK Plastics Pact. Targets featured within the pact include eliminating problematic and unnecessary single use plastic packaging, making 100% of plastic packaging recyclable, reusable or compostable, and ensuring 70% of plastic packaging is effectively recycled or composted. These targets are to be met by 2025, and it is hoped they will create a stronger recycling system, make sure plastics can be, and are, made into new products, and help form a circular plastics economy. Time to The packaging industry is constantly changing in response to consumer demand, but what are some of the most recent trends affecting firms? evolve24-27.qxp_Layout 1 04/02/2019 11:50 Page 1www.blmforum.netBusiness Link 25PRINTING AND PACKAGINGAdditionally government taxes and legislation are pushing packaging firms to more sustainable options. Last year, in the Autumn Budget, Phillip Hammond revealed a new tax on plastic packaging, imported or produced in the UK, that does not contain a minimum of 30% recycled content. Subject to consultation in 2022, the aim of the tax is to address the issue of the cheapness of non-recycled plastic that makes it preferable to use. Manufacturers are also, as announced by Government in December, now to pay the full cost of recycling or disposal of their packaging waste, in a move to “overhaul England’s waste system, putting a legal onus on those responsible for producing damaging waste to take greater responsibility and foot the bill.” While there is strong societal demand for packaging made of recycled plastic, this does not mean that the shift to completely recycled packaging is easy. For instance, bioplastics have been used by some to replace non-biodegradable plastics, but as the processing methods needed for biodegradable plastics, which must have the right conditions to be biodegradable, are not always available, well-intentioned replacements of packaging are not actually helping reduce the plastic packaging waste problem. In addition the hopes of going completely plastic free is not realistic as plastic packaging has a vital role in, for example, keeping food protected and © Shutterstock/pdream studio26 Á24-27.qxp_Layout 1 04/02/2019 11:50 Page 226 Business Link www.blmforum.netPRINTING AND PACKAGINGTel: 01482 506560 • Email: sales@datamarkuk.com • Website: www.datamarkuk.com• Plain / Printed Labels • Thermal Transfer Ribbons • Lasersheets • Fanfolded Labels • Barcode Labelsfresh, preventing food waste - another waste epidemic across the globe. Packagers also note that a major problem is the limited availability of high-quality material that is recyclable, along with the fact that there is a real lack of systems advanced enough for sorting waste that can be used to create recyclable pellets and new packaging. As plastics were previously formed from non-renewable resources, there is now a need for the industry to embrace innovation and invest in R&D to advance design improvements that increase use of materials that are compostable and recyclable - to create the packaging of the future that consumers are demanding in the present. It is also essential that firms invest in reprocessing technologies and in improving recycling infrastructure. The UK government is doing its part to improve the nation’s recycling capabilities, announcing £8 million of funding for eight research projects exploring new ways of making and recycling plastics at the end of last year on top of funds already available such as the Plastics Innovation Fund. Two of these projects are based in Yorkshire at the University of Sheffield and the University of Hull. While conversion from rigid to flexible packaging is one method that has been used by firms to improve sustainability, the next step will see the incoming of mono-material and various recyclable film structures. Innovation in the industry is seeing packaging manufacturers investigate options like plant-based fibres such as microfibrillated cellulose which can create strong and light weighing packaging materials, though at present it is proving difficult to create the wrapping material in mass and, like with other fibre-based packaging, the problem remains of its inability to be a safe barrier against the elements. Overall, quite simply, more is expected from packaging, which is further seen in the smart packaging trend. Using technology such as radio frequency identification (RFID) codes and labels printed on packaging, the smart package can send data to smartphones and other reading devices to communicate the status and location of goods easily and quickly to retailers and consumers. Smart packaging is being used to optimise the consumer’s experience with brands as it allows for heightened interaction. Smart labels on packaging can even offer consumers the chance to scan packages with their phones to see in depth what they contain. Therefore, quite usefully, © Shutterstock/Goncharov_ArtemYou can find more about print and packaging solutions at the Easyfairs Packaging Innovations event which takes place at the Birmingham NEC from 27 – 28 February24-27.qxp_Layout 1 04/02/2019 11:50 Page 3www.blmforum.netBusiness Link 27PRINTING AND PACKAGINGUnit 3, 606 Industrial Park, Staithgate Lane, Bradford, BD6 1YA T: 01274 731222 E: info@advanceddynamics.co.uk www.advanceddynamics.co.ukIf you are the type of person who is looking to find a machinery supplier that you can call a partner, one that understands your needs and is driven entirely by the service and support they offer... we look forward to meeting you.For a brand new type of filling experience!the smart label has the opportunity to placate a rise in consumer desire for precise and honest information on packaging. Looking at design, further trends include the growing use of bold, strong colours, along with minimalism, use of natural looking imagery to take advantage of healthy trends, and vintage looking packaging to take advantage of nostalgia. Use of new effects, such as textured, matte and holographic packaging, to make goods stand next to rival brands, is also becoming key. Personalising packaging is proving to be important too in making consumers engage with goods on a personal level. Coca-Cola with its choice to print names on drinks bottle labels is one basic and successful example of this, and thanks to the further adoption of digital printing it is now much easier to firms to customise packaging© Shutterstock/Extarz24-27.qxp_Layout 1 04/02/2019 11:50 Page 428 Business Link www.blmforum.netTRAINING AND APPRENTICESHIPSA skills shortage is facing the business industry in not only Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, but the country at large. Is the solution to hire new talent, or up-skill the people you already have? New technology has certainly brought about new opportunities – but with that comes the requirement for greater education and training to ensure it can be used to its fullest effect. Fortunately, cities in the region are blessed with fantastic educational establishments who have forged effective links with business to ensure a more informed and enthused workforce. In 2017, according to the Confederation of British Industry’s survey, the skills shortage in the service sector hit its worst level in 19 years, with the highest ever number of services businesses reporting a lack of suitably skilled professionals. This is unlikely to have improved much in two years, but the problem has become more noticeable. The skills shortage presents an increasingly demanding problem in the present, but its future effects are doubly harmful as the current workforce moves closer to retirement age. This could potentially lead to a major knowledge gap, with no new workers entering the fold and no existing individuals to teach to pass skills on. The national skills shortage is reaching crisis level in some sectors, with two thirds of construction companies forced to turn down business due to the chronic lack of skills. A survey undertaken by the Federation of Master Builders found that small construction companies are struggling to find bricklayers, carpenters and plasterers to carry out work, resulting in a loss of revenue. The survey also found that the principal cause of the shortage was due to the lack of available apprenticeships, along with mounting pressure for young people to stay in full time education. And therein lies the problem. Young people are under pressure to stay in further and higher education, and so the issue is perpetuated. Apprenticeships are by no means a cure all, but they can help to bypass the shortage and fill the knowledge gap, ensuring a pipeline of skilled workers for the future. Apprentices regularly become loyal and long-standing members of staff, with employers boasting high retention rates. 90 per cent of apprentices stay in employment, while 71 per cent stay with the same employer. Indeed, employers think apprentices are 15 per cent more employable than those with other qualifications. Of course, filling the skills gap is only one of the benefits of hiring an apprentice. The National Apprenticeship Service has reported that 86% of employers think apprenticeships help develop skills relevant to their business, and 78% noted an improvement in productivity levels. Facing the skills crisis The skills gap looming over the country has reached Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, presenting employers with the challenge of finding suitable staff to fill the positions available. There is now a need to become more proactive by training individuals to suit the requirements of one’s business.28-31.qxp_Layout 1 04/02/2019 11:53 Page 1www.blmforum.netBusiness Link 29TRAINING AND APPRENTICESHIPSDelivering quality specialist education with Linkage Linkage is a Lincolnshire-based charity supporting people with learning disabilities and delivering high-quality specialist education, care, employment and support services. Everything it does is about valuing and supporting individuals, their carers and families. For more information, visit www.linkage.org.uk, email info@linkage.org.uk, or call 01790 752499. Grimsby Campus Friday 15th March, 10.30am – 4pm Thursday 9th May, 2pm – 6pm Saturday 15th June, 10.30am – 2.30pm Lincoln Campus Thursday 14th March, 2pm – 6pm Thursday 16th May, 2pm – 6pm Saturday 22nd June, 10.30am – 2.30pmToynton Campus Tuesday 19th March, 10.30am – 4pm Tuesday 7th May, 2pm – 6pm Saturday 1st June, 10.30am – 2.30pm Come along to one of the open days to see the facilities and discover why Linkage is a great place to be. Typically, an apprentice will deliver productivity gains of over £10,000 per annum – a figure that nearly doubles in the construction and planning, and engineering and manufacturing sectors. It isn’t just productivity; apprentices often bring a fresh perspective, a wealth of ideas and innovation to a business, which motivates and inspires existing employees. It’s a relatively simple means of boosting workplace productivity, ethic and impetus. Appointing apprentices is a much more cost effective and efficient way of priming employees, rather than taking on and training new staff, or paying to advertise vacancies on job-sites and/or social channels. Employers are only required to pay for an apprentice’s salary – currently at £2.73 an hour – not their training. 59 per cent of employers claim that training apprentices is far more cost effective than © Shutterstock/Atelier21130 Á28-31.qxp_Layout 1 04/02/2019 11:53 Page 2Next >