prvengineering, Author at PRV Engineering

Britain’s engineering industry lacks women

February 20, 2014
Engineering Education, Manufacturing, News

British industry still suffers from a lack of engineers. Such is the concern that business secretary Vince Cable believes the shortage provides a serious threat to recovery. In particular, Cable highlighted the lack of women currently working or actively seeking employment in the British engineering industry.

Only 8% of British engineers are women, which is the lowest proportion in Europe. Compare that with Germany (15%), Sweden (25%) and top-performing Latvia (30%) and it’s easy to see why there is such deep-seated concern.

Research suggests the problem starts long before young people choose a career with many youngsters ditching maths and science as soon as they can. It’s a trend especially marked for girls.

A recent article in the Sheffield Star highlighted the concern. The newspaper reported that only 14 per cent of students at the new University Technical College, are girls. At the newly opened training centre at the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre, just four of the 160 engineering apprentices are female.

Storms place focus on engineering industry

February 13, 2014
News

The continuing heavy rain, high winds, storms and subsequent tidal patterns that caused the collapse of the railway line connecting Devon and Cornwall is likely to cost the South West economy millions of pounds a day, business leaders have claimed. It is a similar story around the country with bridges, power lines and roads damaged, in some cases, for the second or third time in the space of 12 months.

‘Six weeks to repair’ claimed Network Rail this week as work got underway in Dawlish. A total cost of £14million is the figure that has been put on the work in that small area of Devon. Tough times for rail passengers and a real focus on the manufacturing industry charged with providing the necessary help to assist in the repair of the line as soon as possible.

A lack of engineers is an issue for Dyson

February 6, 2014
News

Who would have thought the announcement by Sir James Dyson of a planned £250million expansion of his company headquarters in Wiltshire would be met with a degree of consternation? After all, what could be better than the creation of 3,000 engineering jobs?

Unfortunately, according to recent statistics, finding 3,000 new engineers is far from the straightforward task many would believe it to be. Even in these troubled times when many professions can pick and choose from a vast array of candidates, there are serious concerns surrounding the lack of qualified engineers moving into the industry.

The company has been working on plans for the new site for the past two years and is close to securing planning permission. “If that goes ahead, we hope to build it by 2015,” said Sir James Dyson in a recent article published in the Telegraph.

Manufacturing industry is on the up

January 29, 2014
Manufacturing

When it comes to the economy, there have been tales of woe for six or seven years. A double dip recession, unemployment issues and precious little sign of recovery. Thankfully, there are better times ahead for the UK;s manufacturing industry with the IMF having upgraded its UK growth forecast from 1.9% to 2.4% for this year.

Recent predictions suggest the new forecast puts Britain well ahead of Germany, which the IMF expects to grow by 1.6%, and France, which is forecast to grow by 0.9%.

Good news indeed. The facts make for positive reading. And here are those facts. New manufacturing orders grew at the strongest rate in almost three years in the three months to January, with the CBI revealing that 34% of manufacturers reported an increase in new orders over the period.

PRV securing its Busbar business

January 23, 2014
Busbars, PRV Engineering

PRV Engineering’s significant investment in a new plating facility in 2013 has led to a firmer control over prices and lead times.

One of the fastest growing high precision engineering machining specialists in Europe, PRV have been trading for over 27 years. Managing director Simon Jones believes the company’s new plating facility will have a vital part to play in the future of its Busbar business.

He said; ”Our order book continues to grow and the stabilisation of our Busbar business, via the investment in our new plating facility, helps to convince our loyal clients that we are here for the long term.

“Because we are in the high voltage power industry and a lot of our products are Busbars, they either require tin-plating or silver plating for added conductivity. In the industry we find it increasingly difficult to get the service done in an adequate time and at an adequate price.

Southern Manufacturing and Electronics Show is the place to be

January 17, 2014
PRV Engineering, Southern Manufacturing and Electronics Show

It’s the UK’s largest regional manufacturing technology, electronics and subcontracting exhibition and a show where you will stumble across thousands of engineering and electronics’ solutions.

The highly acclaimed Southern Manufacturing and Electronics Show was a resounding success in 2013 and according to its organisers, promises to be even better this time around.

Not only can you see the very latest technology, components, materials, products and services currently available, but the Show’s technical staff are always on hand to offer specialist advice that will improve your manufacturing processes, component sourcing, materials selection and overall business efficiency – not to mention your bottom line!

Experienced engineering tutors hard to find

January 8, 2014
Engineering Education

The production line that once produced a bountiful supply of engineers is starting to creak. ‘Britain is short of engineers’ was a recent headline that hit the proverbial nail on its head. Industry experts reckon the statement rings true in almost every sphere of engineering.

But why? The key barrier preventing young people from considering engineering careers is the misconception that STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) are uninteresting and cannot lead to lucrative or interesting jobs.

A recent article in The Engineer, takes this a step further, suggesting that a more valid argument is that engineering is not being taught in our colleges and universities by experienced engineers. Semta, the engineering skills body, believes it’s imperative that engineers with up-to-date experience of the industry, work in education.

3-D printing used on board Tornado jet

December 31, 2013
3D Printing, Aerospace

For the past decade, aerospace manufacturers have used additive printing to prototype select parts. For example, the global aerospace industry received a jolt earlier this year when AVIC Heavy Machinery Co. Ltd. of China displayed a 5-meter-long (16.4-foot-long) titanium part fabricated with additive manufacturing, also known as 3-D printing.The process is fast and affordable.

Now, printed aircraft parts have flown for the first time in the UK on board a Tornado jet. Engineers at BAE Systems, who are responsible for the mix of plastic, protective covers and metal support struts, said the components demonstrated how 3-D printing could reduce costs and increase strength compared to conventionally made parts. The latest development is also set to pave the way for their wider use in aerospace.

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Cold Spray hitting the right note

December 23, 2013
Spray Painting

According to the experts, when people think of additive manufacturing, they usually think of 3D printing. However, whilst being an extremely innovative technology it does have its limitations in terms of size and the applications for which it can be used.

GE Global Research is working on an additive manufacturing method to address those limitations. Using a spray paint technique known as Cold Spray or 3D painting, the process builds upon metal surfaces. Metal powders are sprayed from a nozzle at high velocities to add material to metal objects. During the Cold Spray process, a strong bond is created and only a minimal amount of heat is transferred. As a result, the process is safer than welding and still results in a durable end product.

Parents give thumbs up to apprenticeships

December 13, 2013
Engineering Education, Investing

Parents have not always viewed the idea of their child taking up an apprenticeship, as a viable career choice. However, with Britain trapped in a double dip recession and parents becoming increasingly concerned about the future of their offspring, there has been a shift in emphasis.

According to new research, almost a third of parents who were previously against apprenticeships, have now changed their views. The research, commissioned by BAE Systems and the Royal Academy of Engineering and carried out by YouGov, involved a study of over 2,000 parents of children aged 11-18.

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prvengineering Posts

Britain’s engineering industry lacks women

Storms place focus on engineering industry

A lack of engineers is an issue for Dyson

Manufacturing industry is on the up

PRV securing its Busbar business

Southern Manufacturing and Electronics Show is the place to be

Experienced engineering tutors hard to find

3-D printing used on board Tornado jet

Cold Spray hitting the right note

Parents give thumbs up to apprenticeships

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