The recent discovery in Israel of a 3,500-year-old body which had undergone trepanation – the drilling of a hole in the skull to relieve head pain – is one of many examples of this primitive medical procedure that have been discovered by archaeologists. Fortunately, modern science has equipped doctors with the knowledge and skills to treat patients more safely, leaving trepanning to precision engineers in the oil and gas, machinery and heavy equipment, manufacturing, metal production and distribution industries.

In March 2023, Make UK published a key report, ‘No Weak Links: Building Supply Chain Resilience’, which laid bare the soaring pressure on supply chains that is resulting in long lead times and rising prices. The severe disruption of the Covid-19 pandemic persuaded many manufacturing businesses that their supply chains needed to become more sustainable, resilient, and collaborative to protect themselves against global instability.

The UK’s manufacturing industry plays a crucial role in driving economic growth, innovation, and job creation. Consequently, the development of a robust industrial strategy for manufacturing is imperative, to lay the foundations for a thriving sector and ensure its competitiveness on a global scale. 

According to research, 99 per cent of manufacturers believe that the UK should have a clear industrial strategy.

Hydraulic systems are present on all types of aircraft, providing vital control to a range of systems and components, including landing gear, steering, thrust reversers, and cargo doors. Hydraulic failures are inconvenient and costly but, more importantly, may cause serious threats to flight safety such as a loss of control, the inability to extend or retract flaps, or problems raising or lowering landing gear.

If your manufacturing business isn’t achieving optimum efficiency and productivity, now is the time to give serious thought to how you can transform its operations in 2023. Manufacturing efficiency ensures that you can produce as many products as possible in the shortest possible time, without compromising on quality. This enables you to achieve higher profits and unlock business growth by pitching your products and services at a more attractive price point.

Performance in the automotive industry is more important than ever before with the advent of new technologies and a growing awareness of the need for more economical consumption of fuel amid a worsening climate crisis. Better performing engines depend on effective honing to create highly functional surfaces on components, making it one of the most important processes in engine manufacturing.

Customer satisfaction is all-important, especially in the days of social media, where poor service can severely impact brand reputations among B2B manufacturers. When considering customer satisfaction, it's common to look at front-end factors like service, personalisation, and convenience. Basics like value for money, availability, lead-time, and quality are also essential.

However, customer satisfaction can be driven by mechanisms largely invisible to the end client.

If there’s one thing thatmanufacturers should have learned in recent years, it’s to expect the unexpected. Brexit, the global pandemic, and the Ukraine war have caused economic turmoil that has posed major challenges for the manufacturing industry, least not the supply of raw materials and key commodities required for efficient and resilient production supply.

Many manufacturing companies have embraced the turmoil of recent years to adapt their operations and futureproof their organisations against unforeseen events. But the changing face of business isn’t simply defined by isolated incidents, despite the global supply chain instability caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Eastern Europe. Evolutions in the way customers do business has transformed the manufacturing landscape, with a soaring reliance on digital channels and constantly shifting consumer demands also forcing many manufacturers to reconsider how to stay competitive.

Tubular components are found in many sectors of manufacturing and industry, but their design and specification varies enormously according to their intended application. In some sectors, such as aerospace and medical instrumentation, for example, tubes must be machined to incredibly tight tolerances to achieve exceptional performance and lightness. Inaccurate machining can result in high reject rates, material losses and sometimes, components functioning poorly which, in some circumstances, could endanger end users.