All steel tube manufacturers have many considerations to make. It all begins with attention to detail.

Detail in this realm means balancing multiple contrasting variables including: the initial design requirements; the specification of the material; the quality of the machine; the cost of manufacture; and the required quality of the final product are the main areas.

Whether you're manufacturing cylinders for use in engines, hydraulic systems, or industrial machinery, it's crucial to make sure that they are reliable, function smoothly, and stand the test of time. That means ensuring that their surfaces are honed. In this article, we'll examine how honing is used in cylinder manufacturing and who you can turn to for help with the process.

Manufacturing products and shipping them to customers doesn’t just happen overnight by magic. Instead, the design and creation of products relies on a complex supply and resource management system that often extends beyond international borders, from the sourcing of raw materials to the eventual delivery of the completed product to the end user.

Computer Numerical Control (CNC) turning is a practical and efficient way of manufacturing custom components. However, while CNC lathes are capable of producing consistent results in a speedy and cost-effective manner, there are things that can go wrong with the process. Let's look at four of the most commonly experienced CNC turning problems and examine what can be done to resolve them:

The impact of coronavirus on supply chains in 2020/21 has been immense. What started as a problem for China rapidly evolved into a global catastrophe, with supply chains experiencing considerable disruption due to trade restrictions and material shortages.

The UK has a legally binding target to reach ‘net zero’ carbon dioxide emissions by 2050. This bold target has already done much to affect the landscape of UK manufacturing, and is set to dominate the conversation over manufacturing strategies and technologies for the next 30 years. Reaching net zero, or carbon neutrality, necessitates reducing overall carbon emissions, and offsetting those emissions that can’t be avoided – e.g. by tree planting and other removal strategies. In order to reach the target, the UK will need to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030 – scarily that’s only 9 years away!

The impending corporation tax hike from 19% to 25% for businesses reporting profits of £250K or more was one of the less welcome changes brought in by the 2021 budget and met with a mixed response from the business community. The changes come into effect from April 2023, with corporation tax being applied on a sliding scale, from 19% on small businesses filing £50,000 or less in annual profits to the full 25% on everything in excess of £250,000. Many businesses were critical of the move because, like many tax increases, the bulk of the burden is likely to fall on successful SMEs rather than large corporations, with the risk of the 6% hike deterring investment in growth at a time when it is sorely needed.

In a previous article, we speculated on trends that may play a greater role in the manufacturing industry throughout 2021 and beyond. These included a greater emphasis on workplace safety, increased adoption of automation and machine monitoring, and greater engagement with the Internet of Things in response to remote working and flexible shift patterns.

Encouraged by the success of the vaccination programme, businesses are looking forward to a safe and rapid transition away from lockdown and social distancing, back to normal working practices. However, even the most effective vaccination measures leave gaps through which vulnerable people may be infected, and although being vaccinated should stop you becoming ill, the extent to which it prevents you transmitting the virus to others is still unknown.

2020 was a year of great uncertainty for the UK’s manufacturing sector, but the year proved that the sector will prevail, with businesses becoming increasingly accustomed to finding workarounds to obstacles and prioritising collaboration over competition. So, in 2021, what will be the main manufacturing trends to look out for?