In manufacturing, efficiency is key to unlocking success and profitability. Businesses can strive to improve their efficiency in many areas of their operations but, where energy efficiency is concerned, external influences play a significant role in determining how much of your annual budget will be spent on electricity and gas.

Rising energy prices, which have continued unabated this year, have occurred because of increasing global demand, weaknesses in supply, and geopolitical problems, such as the war in Eastern Europe. But according to Government research, manufacturers in the UK could reduce their energy use, on average, by one-fifth by implementing some simple measures.

Research and Development (R&D) tax relief can transform the way your manufacturing business operates, by providing financial incentives for investing in innovation. For businesses keen to enhance their research and development to achieve growth, R&D tax credits are an invaluable way to inject cash into the organisation and address some of the challenges facing manufacturers today.

In this article, we discuss how R&D tax relief works, who is eligible, and how you can make the most of the scheme.

As Liz Truss settles into her new role as Prime Minister, promising that the UK can ‘ride out' any post-pandemic turbulence (we agree with her on this, at least!), now is the ideal time for the Government to take decisive action to bolster perceptions of manufacturing and address the skills shortage that is affecting the industry at present.

In advanced capitalist economies like the UK, countries are judged on their economic strength. A healthy economy can help to bring jobs, raise living standards, improve public services, and promote social stability. But have we lost sight of what really matters in maintaining strong and stable economic growth?

Earlier this year, Labour leader Keir Starmer promised that his party would transform British manufacturing if elected to govern the country, citing a reduction in funding and the loss of over 93,000 jobs since 2010. Needless to say, pledges of this nature are cheap and easy to make in politics.

Despite the plethora of digital processes in the modern economy, recent research indicates that 96% of UK manufacturers feel there has been an underinvestment in digitisation in their sector.

The survey results span a diverse range of areas, from aerospace and defence to medical instruments and electronics, but the sentiments were consistent. Survey respondents overwhelmingly felt that overreliance on legacy technologies was harming the UK's manufacturing industries' prospects.

The issue of Brexit has dominated British politics for more than six years. Despite claims of "getting Brexit done", several issues remain unresolved and the repercussions for the UK economy have been quite significant – although we mustn’t forget how the

Honing is a machining process that uses an abrasive stone or emery paper to the surface of a workpiece along a controlled path, to improve its geometric form or create a specific surface finish.

At Hone-All, our expert CNC honing services utilise the latest Computer Numerical Control (CNC) technology to deliver high-quality results. We can hone round bores within a tolerance of ±0,005mm between 1.5mm and 500mm, although the tolerance offered does increase relative to the bore size.

Deep hole boring is a machining process in which holes are drilled with a depth to diameter ratio in excess of 100:1. The process is used to create bores in a range of materials, from aermet to aluminium to superalloys, and has applications in a variety of industries, including:

To be the best in your field as a business, you must attract the best talent.

Despite rapid innovations in automation technology in recent years, highly skilled and knowledgeable engineers remain the lifeblood of all successful engineering companies. However, the UK faces a significant ‘skills shortage’ in forthcoming years that threatens to undermine its position as a global leader in manufacturing, with the roots of the problem emerging as far back as primary education.