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10 Jan 2015

PRV Engineering ready to face the challenges in 2015

The year has started well with good news about the manufacturing economy. Indicators show that things continued to improve throughout 2014 and the trend is likely to continue into 2015. However, there are still concerns about a shortage of engineers in the UK.

PRV Engineering pride ourselves on being pro active in the industry. We keep an eye on trends and developments to make sure that we can provide the best service possible to our existing clients while attracting new ones at the same time. We want to stay at the cutting edge of engineering.

Continued investment in machinery and staff, means we get the best from both. We keep down time to a minimum, our operations effective and give the best customer service possible. We also continue to expand into wider markets due to our investment in state of the art CNC and 5 axis milling machines.

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3 Jan 2015

UK manufacturing on the up

2014 saw a healthy growth across the sectors, regions and nations that make up the UK, providing evidence of a broad-based economic recovery.

In November, it was reported that Britain had recently solidified its position as one of the fastest growing economies in the industrial world with a third quarter growth of 0.7 per cent.

The news followed on from the confirmation in August that UK manufacturing output was up 3.9%, compared with the previous year. Construction output was up 2.6% on the same time last year.

On top of that, unemployment, a key indicator of how the economy is performing, fell to 6.2% in July compared to 7.7% the year before, with the number of people in employment increasing by 774,000 compared to the same time in 2013.

All in all, there were positive signs in 2014 despite the normal concerns across the manufacturing industry.

Below is a summary of some of the key points made in a recent article by The Week.

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27 Dec 2014

Robotic arm controlled by thoughts

The sight of a paralysed woman controlling a robotic arm, using just her thoughts, was enough to dominate the headlines in 2012.

At the time, experts in the field said it was an “unprecedented performance” and a “remarkable achievement”.

Two years on, the same woman has taken another significant step towards restoring her natural movements by controlling the arm with a range of complex hand movements.

Jan Scheuermann, who has longstanding quadriplegia, is now able to give high fives and thumbs up.

The plaudits go to researchers at the University of Pittsburgh, who have increased the manoeuvrability of the robotic arm from seven to 10 dimensions.

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20 Dec 2014

Does automation reduce the need for engineering knowledge?

The automation of any manufacturing process always raises questions about whether we will lose the engineering knowledge associated with the tasks. But all indications are that automation will need to increase in manufacturing in the UK if we are to keep up with the rest of Europe.

We’ve seen 3D printing grow hugely in the last few years. To start with it was only simple 3D models that were printed. Now we are using 3D printers to produce aircraft parts, prosthetic limbs and there are even food printers now. There are also ongoing developments into printing using metals and other materials. Last week saw the designs for a socket set being emailed to the space station where it was then printed out and is currently in use.

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12 Dec 2014

Developments in Driverless Cars

When plans for the state-of-the-art Driverless Cars were first mooted, there were plenty of raised eyebrows and an equal number of genuine sceptics. However, the plans went ahead with experts claiming that driverless car would be an important step for road safety.

They could take over driving on roads, just like autopilots take control of airplanes, while the pilot often has nothing to do but just sit and wait for landing. There would be fewer car accidents and road fatalities.

Experts also believe cars that drive themselves would represent the most significant transformation in road travel since the introduction of the internal combustion engine.

Five years on and four sites in England have been earmarked for trials of driverless cars. The process will begin in the New Year. The trials have been made possible with £10m of funding from Innovate UK, the government’s Technology Strategy Board.

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5 Dec 2014

UK manufacturing showing positive signs

It’s not all doom and gloom within the world of manufacturing in the UK. Anything but.

Experts might believe industry in Britain is still lagging behind when it comes to embracing new technology, but manufacturers are confident of delivering improved productivity in the next two years.

The 2014 Growth Report, from investment firm Albion Ventures, suggests three-quarters of manufacturing businesses are confident of increasing productivity thanks to improved market conditions.

And on a regional basis, the figures stack up too. It’s reported that 90 per cent of SMEs in the North West of England are confident about increasing their productivity.

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28 Nov 2014

High speed rail developments

Having undertaken work for the rail industry for many years, we at PRV Engineering like to keep an eye on the future of high speed rail travel www.prv-engineering.co.uk

We also marvel at the developments in Japan that, as we speak, are about to take another significant turn in the right direction.

When it comes to building high speed rail systems, Japan continues to embarrass the rest of the world.

First, they introduced the Bullet train, capable of travelling at approximately 200 mph.

Now, the government has approved plans to bring in a new high speed rail system that will enable passengers to travel the 178 miles from Tokyo to Nagoya in just 40 minutes. That’s less than half the time it currently takes the celebrated Shinkansen bullet train to travel the route.

It’s said that trains on the Chūō Shinkansen line will reach speeds of 300 mph thanks to their maglev (magnetic levitation) technology.

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21 Nov 2014

Engineering apprenticeships are the way forward

A lack of young engineers and in particular female engineers, has caused genuine concerns within the engineering industry in recent years.

However, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has given the whole of British industry a significant boost by claiming that young people who choose apprenticeships and vocational training over academic studies will form the country’s ‘economic backbone’.

Speaking at the Skills Show at Birmingham’s NEC, Mr Clegg said; “We need to get beyond this rather fusty, old-fashioned view that the only good thing for a young person to do after school or a college education is to take an academic qualification.

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14 Nov 2014

Making your business more efficient

Is business good, are the orders flooding in? Is the accountant happy with your turnover? If so, now’s the time to find ways of making your business more efficient.

Don’t sit back and rest on your laurels. Preparing for the worst is smart business, and boosting business efficiency is a proven, timeless defence.

Here at PRV Engineering we have spent the past two years investing heavily in plant, staff and facilities.

However, as we understand from experience, investment is not just about machinery and a new-look shop floor. You don’t automatically become more efficient.

Yes, it can certainly help to capture efficiencies. However, the gains could prove transient if you don’t look at your business, from top to bottom, and prepare accordingly for the future.

Here we look at FIVE ways to fine-tune your business, moving forward

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7 Nov 2014

Expanding into the Nuclear sector

Is your business looking to expand into the Nuclear sector as a potential market opportunity? If so, help is on hand.

The Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (Nuclear AMRC) has joined forces with the Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) to help more than 300 small manufacturers.

The said SMEs will be encouraged to seize the opportunities of the UK’s rapidly developing £60 billion civil nuclear new build sector and £1.5 billion a year decommissioning programme.

The business improvement programme – Fit for Nuclear (F4N) – has been funded by a number of top tier partners including Areva and EDF Energy.

It will measure individual business operations’ against the standards required to supply the nuclear industry – in new build, operations and decommissioning.

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