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UK businesses continue to face many struggles and unprecedented challenges during 2022, with the UK’s rising cost of living pressures and inflation jumping to a staggering 13.2%.
Fuel and energy costs remain a huge concern, with prices cripplingly high and transportation costs of exporting goods for both road and sea freight at levels never seen before. The war in Ukraine and sanctions on Russia still cause uncertainty around rising fuel prices, and interruptions in the supply of machinery parts and raw materials continue to cause problems.
With interest rates rising to a base rate of 2.25% recently, there is added pressure on businesses exposed to debt burdens and rising mortgage costs.
Our Commercial Director Robin Eley shares his thoughts six months after his first interview to discuss why choosing British sheet metal suppliers can help alleviate supply chain and export concerns.
“Without doubt, UK manufacturing is feeling the same pressures of the global energy price hikes that are being felt through the entire supply chain, but keeping manufacturing in Britain has several benefits.
“The most significant is transportation. High shipping and logistic prices, along with delivery delays, have resulted in many supply chain issues.
“Many years ago, sourcing production outside of the UK was a viable way to sub-contract sheet metal fabrication, but as time has moved on, the cost-benefit, logistics and infrastructure that supported this kind of trade has now disappeared. British manufacturing has an annual output of £183 billion, and remains the ninth largest manufacturing nation in the world, providing 2.5m jobs across the country. By reshoring to the UK, companies benefit from a more localised control of production, ensuring that everything from communication to quality standards is to the highest standard possible.
“With world-class engineering here in the UK, and strong partnerships with leading suppliers, we have the capacity and ability to prototype and progress production opportunities without the high costs associated with logistics.
“As a company, we are taking further measures to be self-sufficient. We recently completed the installation of 1770 solar panels covering 3,570.5m² of roof space on the Alpha Manufacturing facility roof. These solar panels will allow the business to generate enough power to run our machinery. Over a 12-month period, the business will save 150 tCO₂ carbon emissions, the equivalent of a two-litre diesel car travelling one million miles, and taking us a step closer to achieving our carbon neutral commitment by 2037.
“We are increasingly supporting our customers, from a wide variety of sectors, to take on their production and alleviate some of the pressures facing UK businesses today.”
To find out more about how we can support reshoring your sheet metal production to the UK with our complete in-house fabrication service, get in touch.
Demand for electric cars in the UK is growing fast. Today there are an estimated 477,000 electric cars on the road and more than 790,000 plug-in hybrids. And, with the need for all new cars and vans sold in the UK to be fully electric by 2035, the charging infrastructure must be in place to accommodate driver’s needs.
According to the latest charging station stats, there are 33,996 EV chargers in the UK, as at the end of August 2022. These devices provide 56,237 electric car charging connectors.
That’s where we can help. As an award-winning sheet metal fabricator, Alpha manufacturing has a wealth of experience in manufacturing for the automotive and electric vehicle industry, for over 35 years. With cutting-edge machinery and processes, we have the capacity to produce components for Electric Vehicle Charging Points.
With our state-of-the-art production facilities, and a wealth of experience supplying various components in large volumes to our sister company Bri-Stor Systems for the conversion of electric vehicles, we have the capabilities and know how to assist with everything from prototyping to fabrication and assembly of your Electric Vehicle Charge Unit.
Our Processes
Our state-of-the-art machinery includes our robotic fold and weld facilities, CNC laser cutting, CNC punch, automated panel bending and a machining centre, enabling us to easily manufacture various components such as stands, metal plates, box units and more for the manufacture of Electric Vehicle Charge Points. Our 85,000 sq. ft factory also features the longest integrated STOPA Storage System in the UK, allowing us to hold a wide variety of material thicknesses and components for manufacture of custom Electric Vehicle Charge Points products.
Weatherproofing & Corrosion Resistance
Occupying a shared site with our sister company Atlas Coating, we are able to offer industry leading power coating services for your EV charge unit, salt spray tested for over 1,000 hours making sure that your EV charge unit is weatherproofed and exceptionally durable. Our innovative five-stage pre-treatment process utilises Oxsilan, which is a Saline based solution, as opposed to more harmful Zinc or Phosphate alternatives used by many powder coaters. This allows us to significantly reduce our environmental impact, whilst still offering unbeatable corrosion protection and durability.
Assembly & Integration
Not only are we able to offer the fabrication of components, but we are also able to provide assembly and integration services. Alpha’s dedicated in-house assembly department have vast experience in assembling various components and products, working to technical drawings, SOP’s and stringent quality standards. Recently, we opened up our new division, Alpha Manufacturing Integrated Solutions, which operates from a facility near our Hixon HQ.
EV Charge Unit Components
With our extensive capabilities for high volume repeatable small parts to large scale laser and punch sheets, we are able to facilitate the entire fabrication of EV charge point units, for example:
We currently produce many components for Electrical Vehicle Charge Units, and we’re proud to be currently supplying one of the fastest growing EV charge manufacturing companies with their charge point fabrications.
Get in touch to find out how we can help your business with Electrical Vehicle Charging Units.
Alpha Manufacturing has officially unveiled its new state-of-the-art production facility at Beacon Park, Stafford.
The completion of the 35,000sq ft Alpha Manufacturing Chemical Technologies site, on Wednesday 7th September, significantly increases the precision engineering capabilities for leading sheet metal manufacturer Alpha Manufacturing.
Creating 50 new jobs for the area, the new facility, part of The HEX Group, accommodates high-precision engineering and manufacturing processes supporting the manufacture of components for INEOS Electrochemical Solutions.
Operating 24/7 shift-patterns, the team based at Beacon Park will join over 500 other members of The HEX Group team based at Hixon. Representatives from both Alpha Manufacturing and INEOS Electrochemical Solutions marked the unveiling which will provide a boost to jobs and manufacturing in the area.
Paul Clews, Managing Director at Alpha Manufacturing, said the new site was part of the group’s continued investment in creating world class manufacturing here in Stafford.
He said: “Our new state-of-the-art facility is the result of months of hard work and testament to our continued commitment to investing in the local area.
“The site will continue to develop and invest in the engineers of the future creating new opportunities and growing Alpha Manufacturing’s world-class engineering facilities in the region.
“Alpha Manufacturing Chemical Technologies is part of our commitment to collaborations which create innovative solutions for products of the future and is a welcome addition to the HEX family.”
Commenting on the opening, Terry Healy, Business Unit Manager, INEOS Electrochemical Solutions says: “It is a momentous day for Alpha Manufacturing Chemical Technologies. We are delighted to be bringing new skills and expertise to Stafford thanks to the world-class engineering standards of Alpha Manufacturing. Our collaboration is helping to support the future growth of the industry and we are pleased to mark this new partnership here in Stafford.”
Alpha Manufacturing is a family-owned business established in 1989 which specialises in fabricating sheet metal in the UK.
The company now employs over 150 people from designers and engineers to production staff, welders, and machine operators to provide integrated solutions for businesses across the globe.
When it comes to powder coating Atlas Coating is the market leader driven by a strong investment programme, supported by parent company Bri-Stor Group. In this feature, Coatings Manager Ian Buckley explains how the culture of the business results in the achievement of world class standards.
“Our highly skilled and motivated workforce is at the heart of our success,” explains Ian. “We invest heavily in training to ensure that our team are at the forefront of the industry and we recognise that you can have the best machinery in the world but it’s our team of expert people that really deliver the consistent, high-quality output our customers have come to expect from us.”
Accredited to the quality management standard ISO:9001, the environmental standard ISO:14001 and the health and safety standard OHAS:18001, Atlas is entirely committed to minimising the firm’s impact on the environment, while simultaneously delivering a safe and healthy place to work, Ian continues: “As we all look towards a net zero future, we have a real duty to minimise our impact on the environment and as a business we have made many small changes to our overall operation, from the baling and recycling of all cardboard to the reclaim and filtration system on our ITW powder facilities to help us reclaim powder that would normally be wasted. All these measures add up and get us closer to achieving both local and global targets.”
Amongst its customers, Atlas is known for its ability to flex its operations to meet customer’s often, demanding needs. With a 24-hour shift pattern, employing the vast majority of its long serving and loyal workforce from the local area, Atlas works closely with leading machinery manufacturer ITW to continuously advance its production capability, as Ian explains: “Since Atlas was established in 1989, we have consistently invested heavily in the latest equipment to deliver maximum production efficiency and output quality. Our semi-automated powder coating system enables us to work on multiple parts and multiple quantities at any one time and with a short seven minute cleaning process between batches, we can switch colours really efficiently.
“The real Atlas difference is in the pre-treatment phase of production. We use the most advanced system available in the market called Oxsilan 9810. With zero harm to the environment compared to other Zinc or Phosphate alternatives used by many powder coating plants, the use of this particular material enables us to achieve results that far surpass the 1000 hours salt test. With a rigid adherence to ISO:9001, our quality standards are audited weekly by an external agent supported by our own internal quality team.”
Collaborating with the world’s leading machinery manufacturers gives Atlas a significant advantage and ultimately, gives the customer maximum powder coating flexibility, Ian expands on that point: “From a design perspective we work closely with our colleagues in Alpha Manufacturing to ensure products are designed to maximise efficiencies throughout production which includes the finishing process. Equally, for those customers bringing their finished product to us for finishing, we have the flexibility and variability within our machinery set-up to maximise batch loads, an important consideration in evaluating the overall cost of a product.”
Based in the heart of the Midlands and with the ability to deliver products across the UK, Atlas Coating goes from strength to strength, as Ian concludes: “We are proud of the ‘gold standard’ we bring to the industry and this is achieved by the continual investment in our people and our plant. This is an industry constantly evolving. Quality, environmental and health & safety standards are constantly under review and we need to lead the industry to meet these ever-more stringent regulations. Like everything we do at the Bri-Stor Group, we do it with maximum commitment and maximum effort – it’s the way we do business and it will underpin our continued success.”
Making the decision to apply for an apprenticeship with Alpha, has to be the best career move I could have possibly made.
Going into the Apprenticeship Scheme with just the basic idea that would be able to gain experience alongside gaining qualifications sounded like an ideal choice. But little did I know there is SO much more to it than simply learning on the job, there’s a whole new world with a thousand levels to unlock and I’ve only just opened the first door.
Let me take you back to the start of my journey. I had never been in an engineering environment before, I was unsure if I would fit in or if I would be good at it but I’ve had many mentors along the way who have guided me and made me realise that it doesn’t matter if you don’t know how to do something as long as you put enough effort in to learn, there are no limits to what you can achieve. I always wanted to be at the top of everything I took part in, but the path wasn’t always clear on how to get there and I always questioned if I could make it to where I want to be, but now as I’m learning and becoming more confident in my abilities through guidance from my peers at Alpha Manufacturing, I can see that it’s actually possible to make it to the top and I now have much bigger career aspirations – I’m certain I can achieve them.
I’ve witnessed first hand the greater opportunities that Alpha give to those who are willing to put in the effort. I’ve been given the opportunity to progress into the commercial world whilst applying the technical knowledge I have gathered from my initial two years of experience at college and working as part of a team on the shop floor. Each and every one of us is more than capable, but sometimes the challenge is finding a way to unlock that potential. Being fortunate enough to work with a close knitted team at Alpha, I can express my feelings freely and I’m not afraid to ask questions or say the wrong thing as I know that I won’t be knocked down, I will be educated and pushed into the right direction so that I can continue to learn and bank more knowledge.
Ultimately, Alpha Manufacturing does Apprenticeships, and they do them incredibly well. For the past three years I’ve seen each new wave of Apprentices arrive, settle in and set off on their own personal career path. Now, Alpha has launched a Higher Apprenticeship Scheme for those who are already able to take the next step and I’m very excited to meet and work alongside the future engineers of Alpha Manufacturing.
Dare to be great?
Alpha Manufacturing has been shortlisted as Manufacturer of the Year (under £25m) in the Insider Made in the Midlands 2021 Awards. This announcement comes at an exciting time for Alpha Manufacturing as it reveals the launch of a new division called Alpha Integrated Solutions.
Commenting on the shortlisting, Alpha Manufacturing Managing Director Paul Clews, has this to say: “We are absolutely over the moon. It’s a true reflection of the hard graft, determination and resilience of the entire Alpha Manufacturing team. The people alone in the business make us a worthy winner of this Award. However much we invest in machinery, technology and R&D, we are, and will always remain focused on the development of our teams.”
In March Alpha Manufacturing announced the news that it is launching an entirely new division to meet the growing demand for its complete assembly services, a reflection of the versatility and agility of this growing, dynamic business. In the next five years, Alpha Manufacturing will invest a further £8m in its expansion. Paul Clews remarks: “We have huge ambitions for the future, but this shortlisting reflects our performance over the last 12 months. It’s been a tough time for all sectors, but we have responded to the pandemic and refocused our energies, supporting both existing and new customers to meet the challenges presented by this global crisis. As we emerge through the other side of the pandemic, we are in great shape for the year ahead.”
For two years Paul Clews has been the managing director at Alpha Manufacturing, starting out his career in the mid 90s as an apprentice. Now, with over two decades of experience under his belt, with many of those years spent as a manufacturing manager, Paul’s vision for the future success of Alpha Manufacturing is focused on automation and identifying ways to continuously improve the customer experience. While the industry buzzword ‘automation’ conjures up images of sterile, people-free environments, Paul has a different vision – one that retains the most valuable asset Alpha Manufacturing has – its people – interwoven with a solid investment strategy that will see the business invest £8m in the next five years on new technology and machinery.
In this feature we talk to Paul Clews about how Alpha Manufacturing is responding to the opportunity presented by Industry 4.0, the industry automation standard, and Lee Moakes, managing director of TRUMPF, an Alpha Manufacturing strategic partner.
As the world of manufacturing moves towards Industry 4.0, Paul Clews’ real passion lies in how the business adapts to improve the customer experience, he shares these thoughts: “Our vision is to be the most advanced sheet metal manufacturing business in the UK, that was our vision back in 1989, and it remains our vision today. The part of that statement that has changed in the last 32 years is the interpretation of the word ‘advanced’ and how this translates into modern methods of manufacturing. However we measure ‘advanced’ the customer promise remains unchanged – to understand their product needs, design a value-engineered solution and repeat production to world-class standards every single time. Today, as we understand the complexities of Industry 4.0 and what this means for our production capabilities, we must be able to articulate these benefits clearly to the customer.”
Lee Moakes adds: “Alpha Manufacturing exemplifies everything fantastic about great British manufacturing and through a culture of invest to succeed, the business is on a significant growth trajectory. At TRUMPF, through our TruConnect proposition, we are supporting businesses exactly like Alpha Manufacturing working towards Industry 4.0. Yet, as Paul points out, adapting this industry standard to the needs of the business while simultaneously educating the customer on the tangible benefits can be a challenge.”
Paul continues: “In our business the customer comes first, and every investment decision we make is directly driven by us anticipating customer-need. If you take Industry 4.0 in its purest form, this is effectively handing over every element of manufacturing and production to our customer, eliminating all human interaction at every level through the process. From placing orders, to pulling down stock to engineering new solutions – Industry 4.0 is so connected it completely does away with the vast majority of human intervention. For this business, while we are continuously adapting our process towards a better-connected smart factory, achieving Industry 4.0, or at the very least working towards it, will also take a seismic shift in the behaviour of our customers, who rely heavily on our agile, flexible working methods.”
“In its simplest form Industry 4.0 is like ordering a pizza via an app,” explains Lee. “You place the order, you watch it being prepared and a bot tells you that it’s being baked and delivered – the only human interaction between customer and supplier is the brief exchange with the delivery driver leaving it on your step! Much like pizza ordering, Industry 4.0 assumes very little can and will go wrong and information is seamlessly exchanged between material management and information flow. Paul makes some really valid points, ultimately Industry 4.0 is a concept not an ultimate destination and Alpha Manufacturing is in fact way ahead of many manufacturing businesses in the development of a smart factory. By focusing on productivity, intelligently storing and controlling material flow with the use of STOPA and using advanced machining capability with a broad range of TRUMPF equipment, Alpha Manufacturing is already making great headway towards Industry 4.0.”
“It’s interesting exchanging ideas with Lee because he brings the perspective of many hundreds of manufacturing businesses to this debate. At Alpha Manufacturing our primary concern is always the customer and we recognise that through investment we will continue to deliver world-class manufacturing capability. Whether we’re calling it smart factory, Industry 4.0 or whatever new manufacturing concept is around the corner – our commitment remains the same – to invest hard, service well and go above and beyond our customers’ expectations. Those are the values that will drive our continued success.”
My role at Alpha Manufacturing is to ensure that all production teams work in harmony to meet production deadlines. Here’s an example of a what that looks like as a standard day as a Production Manager.
5.30am – Day Begins
My day begins with an early morning handover from my production supervisors who have worked the nightshift. A progress report along with any issues and actioned tasks is emailed to me at the end of the nightshift at around 4.30am. From this I get an overview of the progress of all parts and can begin to create an initial action plan for my day.
7.00am – Arrival at Alpha
Arriving at Alpha, I take a factory walk through all the sheet metal departments – laser, fold, punch, machining, weld, assembly and powder coating. The aim is to assess the movement of parts between departments overnight, identify any issues and ensure that all machines are manned and running.
8am – Meet the Team
My team and I start our day in earnest with a Supervisor meeting where we discuss any concerns arising from the nightshift, labour issues and set some immediate actions and priorities. This meeting is crucial in terms of sharing of important information and quickly addressing queries.
8.30am – Management Meeting
Every day we have a management meeting, attended by all heads of departments in which we give cross departmental updates and share company wide information. We also review the performance of each area against KPI’s and agree plans and actions for each.
8.30-9.30am – Planning the Day
This is my opportunity to respond to any emails, answer any queries and action any tasks arising from any of the morning meetings. I usually plan the rest of my day during this window, having gathered all relevant information from the various meetings.
10am – Order Book Review
This is an important meeting for production and sales to discuss the progress of every order currently on our system. We go through the plan line by line, giving real-time status updates and raising any concerns or issues. Sales will bring information from customers such as priority changes or requests for earlier delivery. From this, we agree on production prioritise and the sales representatives can feed back to customers.
12pm – Team Briefing
Everyday our Production Supervisors deliver a briefing to each of their teams including KPI performance, quality alerts, health and safety updates and any other relevant information. I try to take the lead in one of these briefings per week as well as delivering any updates from our Directors.
12pm – Onwards
The structure of my morning is pretty rigid, with this routine repeated each day. The afternoon is an opportunity to complete any project work and manage the team in a more flexible way. One such project I’m currently working on is a review and increase of our current capacity in order to meet the high demand we’re experiencing at the moment.
The plan is to implement a “4 on-4 off” days/ nights Rota which will effectively see us operating 24/7. To achieve this, we need to increase our manning levels, so a good portion of my time at the moment is spent reviewing CV’s, arranging and conducting interviews of potential Shopfloor Operatives.
Throughout the afternoon, I will stay in constant communication with all of the Production Supervisors, checking progress and addressing any issues. Strong communication between departments in manufacturing is crucial as there are so many deadlines and requirements running concurrently.
4pm – Nightshift Handover
At the end of each day, I prepare a detailed handover report for the nightshift supervisor with updates on the progress of all parts, advising of any issues/ concerns from the day and setting priorities and actions during the shift. I ensure that this report is as clear and thorough as possible and expect the same in return from my morning handover.
Although the structure of my day as a Production Manager rarely deviates, the challenges that I face are different every single day, which is what makes it so engaging and interesting. The fast-paced nature of the manufacturing environment, with so many moving parts is what I love most about the job.
By utilising the flexibility of CNC Punch tooling, Alpha Manufacturing is able to offer an innovative solution which removes additional processing and ultimately increases efficiency and reduces cost. This value engineering example demonstrates how a one-off punch-tool investment in bespoke tooling saves our customers money over the lifecycle of the product.
The Punch department is one of the most versatile of all and with some innovative thinking, can be used for much more than simply perforating and profiling metal sheets. By collaborating with leading machine tool suppliers, Alpha Manufacturing is able to adapt the processing output of the machines to suit a vast range of requirements.
Punching: The basic purpose of the machine is to perforate sheet metal to a specified size, at high speed. Our punches are fitted with multi-tool changers meaning that different shapes of hole such as round, oblong, square and custom shapes can be punched simultaneously without any manual set up in between, giving greater flexibility. In addition, cluster tools allow groups of holes to be punched at once.
Cutting: Utilising slitting tools, a CNC Punch can be used to cut various geometric shapes. Depending on variables such as sheet thickness, number of holes, position of holes and set up time, cutting using a punch machines can actually be more efficient and cost effective than laser cutting.
Forming: By using specialist forming tools such as dies, rolling, flanging and countersinking tools, various forms can be achieved using a CNC Punch machine. An example of forming is “stepping”, which is the process of creating a continuous small bend in the sheet, which would usually be achieved using a fold machine such as a Press Brake. The advantages of creating the form in this way is that both punching and forming are performed on one machine, removing a whole process and reducing cost. A huge array of different forms can be produced using the CNC Punch such as louvers, brackets, countersinks, knock-outs, threads, bridges, taps, hinges, ribs and more.
Marking: Marking is becoming increasingly important in sheet metal fabrication as customers require part identification for production, legal or quality purposes. For part identification or component centring, a centre punch tool allows for clear markings to be applied. Engraving tools allow for part names and numbers to be applied, again allowing for parts to be identified and documented. Similarly, embossing tools can create letters and numbers in 3D, raised from the sheet.
In response to a significant uplift in demand for integrated assembly services, Hixon-based Alpha Manufacturing has launched a new division called Alpha Integrated Solutions. The new division, which will operate from a facility at nearby Hixon Airfield Estate, demonstrates that Alpha Manufacturing is well on track in the delivery of it’s ambitious five-year growth plan which includes an investment of over £8m in production capability. Alpha Integrated Solutions will work closely with new and existing customers to develop complete products that bring together components manufactured by Alpha Manufacturing and other suppliers. This approach to fabricating products, brings significant cost and efficiency savings to the customer.
Commenting on this expansion, Alpha Manufacturing managing director Paul Clews says: “Since the business was launched in the late 80s we’ve always had a robust assembly offering, however, in the last 12 months we have seen a sharp increase in demand for our assembly services. Two things have really driven this growth. First, the pandemic has forced customers to really consider supply chain efficiencies and product handling, resulting in many more customers choosing Alpha Manufacturing to fabricate the entire product, eliminating the need for multiple suppliers to ‘touch’ the product. The second driver is a consequence of our metal design and engineering skills; increasingly customers are turning to us to design and fabricate the entire product utilising components from other suppliers to achieve a complete solution.”
This expansion is an exciting development for Alpha Manufacturing and with more great news on the horizon, the business continues to deliver strong growth performance, and in doing so bolstering the wider economic prosperity of the region, Paul expands on this points: “We’re passionate about our contribution to the economic performance of Staffordshire as a fantastic centre of modern manufacturing. Just this week we’ve announced our alliance with Made in the Midlands which is a clear demonstration of our commitment to the growth of the region as a whole. And we’ve also been shortlisted in the Midlands Insider Awards as Manufacturer of the Year – the good news just keeps on coming!”
Customer satisfaction in Manufacturing predominantly hinges on a few key factors which can quite clearly distinguish an excellent manufacturer from an adequate one. These metrics are quality, delivery and value and generally, delivering on these will build high levels of customer satisfaction. Crucial to achieving this are the multiple teams which work in tandem to meet customer expectations.
Communication is vital where numerous production teams need to work in unison to ensure that overall production deadlines are met. At Alpha Manufacturing, all departments are in constant communication through daily production meetings, team briefings and management meetings, the left hand always knows what the right hand is doing. Where issues arise, flexibility and adaptability from the various teams are needed to keep a project on track.
A perfect example of this was a recent project for a new customer who required an extremely fast turnaround on a new design of COVID-19 protection screens. The enquiry arrived late on a Friday and the sales team were quick to react, quoting the project while the engineering and NPI teams simultaneously worked on the product design. Working over the weekend, the Engineering department met with the customer to sign off the design and the various production teams then began processing the parts. The first despatch of the brand-new design of the product left Alpha Manufacturing early the next week. In this example, all teams worked quickly and closely, communicating throughout to ensure that the customers’ expectations were met. Needless to say, the customer was very satisfied and has since placed much more work.
The saying “a chain is only as strong as it’s weakest link” certainly applies in manufacturing where each team depends on the strength of the next and the overall success of production is contingent on everybody’s contribution. Thankfully, here at Alpha we have strong teams in all areas as well as a collective drive for success which ultimately leads to high customer satisfaction.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Gemma Smith recently completed her Manufacturing & Production Engineering Degree at Derby University after 5 years as a Higher Apprentice with Alpha Manufacturing. She is now a key member of the Design Team, working as a Production Engineer responsible primarily for design work for Alpha Manufacturing’s stainless-steel department. |
CNC Programming is the process of converting 2D or 3D CAD (Computer Aided Design) drawings into a CAM (Computer Aided Manufacture) language that is understood by sheet metal processing machines, using specialised programming software such as RADAN. Once converted, these elements are then repeated in a pattern, known as a “nest” which represents the path that the processing machine will follow. Nesting is crucial in maximising raw material utilisation, which has a significant impact on efficiency and cost.
Programming schedules are created by the Manufacturing ERP system which creates a work-to list for programmers. Programmers create new CAM files where needed and also assign processing machines, sheet size/ thickness as well, clearances, tooling and output options. At all times the programmer is working to optimise the processing of the components, reducing waste through scrap whilst ensuring that processing is as fast as possible.
Once programmed, the file is saved in the CAM library and a physical copy of the program instructions is printed and given to the machine operator. This “Route Card” is scanned, the appropriate CAM file is selected the program runs before the route card is scanned once again after processing is complete. This process ensures that all programs are tracked through the factory and any processing issues can be traced back easily. All parts are checked for accuracy at regular intervals throughout processing by the operator, to ensure that physical dimensions and specifications match the drawings.
Alpha Manufacturing Programming Manager Mark Clews outlines the importance of the programming team:
“A successful sheet metal programmer needs to be detail orientated. We’re the first stage of the manufacturing process and mistakes here can cause valuable material to be wasted, parts to be manufactured incorrectly and even damage to the machine. All of which are costly in terms of time and money as well as potentially causing knock-on issues for other customers’ parts.”
An effective programming team will consist of detail orientated, creative and tech savvy members. They have the crucial responsibility of taking a concept and optimising it for the manufacturing process. Decisions they make and at this early stage will affect the overall success of a parts manufacture.
Staffordshire-based Alpha Manufacturing, one of the UK’s leading sheet metal manufacturing businesses has become a member of Made in the Midlands, demonstrating the firm’s commitment to the promotion of the Midlands as a region of global manufacturing excellence. With a strong customer base in overseas markets, Alpha Manufacturing, part of the Bri-Stor Group, is keen to work with other like-minded organisations in the support of Made in the Midlands’ ongoing pledge to increase export of Midlands manufacturing capability. To celebrate this new partnership, Bri-Stor Group CEO Martin Smith is speaking at this week’s Made Futures virtual expo – an event designed to help job seekers, graduates and students find meaningful work in manufacturing.
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Commenting on the partnership and speaking about the Made Futures virtual expo, Martin Smith has this to say: “We have an unrivalled position in the UK sheet metal manufacturing sector and this has been earnt through continuous investment in people, production capability, research and development and customer relationships. We have significant growth plans in Alpha Manufacturing and in the next few days we will be announcing the first stage of a two-stage plan to expand the business with the addition of new production and assembly facilities. |
“Joining Made in the Midlands goes to the heart of our ambition – while the success of our business remains our priority, we are entirely committed to the growth of Midlands manufacturing and we want to bring our expertise and voice to this mission. By contributing to Made in the Midlands we can help reinforce the message that the Midlands manufacturing industry has a serious role to play in Global Britain.
“On a personal level I am really keen to bring my experience to the Made Futures event. The future success of manufacturing is heavily reliant on us attracting and retaining talented people and we must work hard to ensure our industry is viewed as a dynamic and progressive sector. Year-on-year we invest heavily in the development of our people whatever stage they are in their career and this culture of people-first is best illustrated through our Apprenticeship Scheme. Now in its eleventh year, we will welcome 15 new recruits into the Group in September and we fully expect each and every one of them to graduate and take up a role within the Group. The Made Futures event is an important opportunity to showcase not only Alpha Manufacturing, but also the wider opportunity of pursuing a career in this brilliant industry.”
Charles Addison, Made in the Midlands’ managing director is delighted to welcome the Bri-Stor Group, he comments: “It gives me immense pride to welcome the Bri-Stor Group into our organisation. Both Alpha Manufacturing and Bri-Stor Systems exemplify everything that is fantastic about Midlands manufacturing – investing heavily in both people and production. By uniting our industry we have a much stronger voice in a global market and faced with new challenges post-Brexit and indeed, post-COVID we can make a much bigger impact with one voice. The Bri-Stor Group is an important addition to our existing community and I very much look forward to hearing Martin speak at our Made Futures event – his story alone should inspire others to go above and beyond to achieve success.”
Significant shocks have been delivered to supply chains over the past 12 months, which have seen both global and localised networks impacted.
The decline in demand across many sectors as a result of Covid resulted in many plants closing or downsizing. As the post-Covid recovery gathers pace, this has brought many challenges to the supply chain.
These challenges have been exacerbated by the prolonged Brexit negotiations and the accompanying uncertainty. The extended supply chain has had to deal with the very real prospect of a no-deal Brexit, along with the logistical hurdles associated with the new regulatory framework around supplying goods into the EU. This fast-evolving backdrop has meant purchasing practices have had to adapt more quickly than ever to keep up.
There is no better example than in the case of commodity items, such as steel.
As the world lurched into various states of lockdown in April 2020, the steel mills were still producing at pre-Covid levels. Demand for steel dropped dramatically as manufacturing plants were closed, mothballed or slowed down, and there was a likelihood the market would become saturated with product. This forced the mills to act.
Hence, a view was taken to “cool down” the mills and reduce the rates of production to better suit the much reduced demand; this defence mechanism would prevent the anticipated market saturation and protect prices.
Nationwide, as a Brexit deal was secured, and the impact of Covid was beginning to be mitigated via the vaccine rollout, levels of confidence grew and gradually business across the country finally started to resume, returning to the operational levels not seen since before the pandemic. Demand for raw materials began to not only match those of previous levels, but exceed pre pandemic requirements.
With the barometer of demand now rapidly rising, the mills’ decision to reduce steel production threatened to create a perfect storm for supply chains.
Demand for steel was now beginning to outweigh availability in both the local and global market places. The interrupted raw material supply and volatile, unsecured price points were factors that resulted in overnight price increases by dealers, aggregating over 30% across all grades of material in a matter of weeks.
Alpha Manufacturing, during pre-Brexit preparations, identified the need for our supply chains to be stronger, smarter, more diverse, and agile. We optimised our supply chains, and worked transparently and tirelessly with our business partners across this key material area. Steps were taken to ensure continuity of supply so that delivery of finished product to Alpha’s end customer wasn’t jeopardised.
Purchasing processes and controls throughout the business, along with the strong relationships and support of our resilient, flexible supply chains, have once again, post pandemic, been all the more important to have in place, to mitigate the impact to our end users potentially caused by gaps in material availability.
In summary, throughout an exceptionally challenging 12 months, I am proud to state that as a business we have been successful in securing levels of raw material that have allowed our production facilities to remain fully operational, satisfied the requirements of our customers, and ultimately, have enabled us to diversify and develop across the business.
As more and more businesses across the country come back to work, and once again begin to thrive, I am confident in the capability, and capacity of Alpha Manufacturing, to meet with the positive growth in demand that we are experiencing.
Here’s to getting back to better!
In 2016 I joined Alpha as an Apprentice because I knew I was interested in Engineering, although I had no idea of what role I’d like to work in. As part of the Apprenticeship rotation programme, I worked in the maintenance department and it instantly felt like a good fit. So, once I completed the course, I asked to join the team full time and I’ve now been here for two years.
The Maintenance team deal with such a wide variety of issues every single day, from machine breakdowns and maintenance to site electrics, new installations, groundworks, painting, and much more. We’re on call-out for any breakdowns and issues outside of normal working hours so we have to be flexible. Currently there are 8 of us working in the maintenance team, including 2 electricians and we’re all relatively young and ambitious.
If a machine is out of operation it can have serious implications for the business because we work to a busy schedule with tight deadlines. If one customer’s parts are delayed because of machine downtime, it has a knock-on effect for other parts and other customers. This is why it’s so important to have an effective, dynamic maintenance team to rely on. We often have to work quickly under pressure to make sure downtime is minimised. That might mean working unusual hours or going the extra mile to make sure a machine part is here for a certain time.
The reason I love working in the maintenance team is that we’re a bit like the unsung heroes in manufacturing. We work constantly in the background to make sure everything is running smoothly. If no one notices anything wrong, it means we’ve done our job right. Personally, I’m aiming to become Alpha’s Maintenance Manager, so I take every day and every new challenge as an opportunity to learn something new.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOROwen Jones joined Alpha as an Apprentice back in 2016 after hearing about the company from friends in his home village of Hixon. One of his proudest memories during his apprenticeship came during the annual team building trip to Elan Valley in Wales, where he was chosen as project lead in a group community project. He still credits this experience for the gains in confidence that ultimately helped him succeed as an Apprentice. Today, Owen is a vital member of Alpha’s Maintenance team, with the ambitions of one day becoming Maintenance Manager. |
